Ponderizing, Planing, Preparing, Progressing, Pushing and Pidgin'ing

10/5/15

Ohana ALOOOHHHAAAA!!!! :)

Oh how I love hearing from each and every one of you this time of the week! It is really refreshing to know that I have a family, kind and dear, who loves me and helps me along the way! It is so heart breaking to see so many families that do not have that same support or structure and the effect that come because of that. But anyway, that is not the purpose of my writing today. I am writing because I know that you all want to hear about everything going on for us over here in Kekaha! Well sad to say there is not too much to report but I am sure I will find plenty of things to talk about in much more detail that needed. As many like to point out, I am never short of things to say! ;) haha!

 First off, man mom, you beat me!! I was going to challenge (or I suppose reiterate the challenge given by Elder Durrant) you all to ponderize a scripture with me every week at least until the end of the year to start but I think I might try and carry it on through the end of my mission and maybe beyond!! :) Anyway, my chosen scripture for the week comes from Jacob 4:10 (I was going to do Jacob 4:6-7 which are also a great ones, but this one just stuck out to me a bit more :) haha) "Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works." Anyway, a ton of insights already are flowing through my mind but I think I'll think on it more and maybe talk about it next week, see how the "applying" part went like you were talking about, the action step!

Speaking of which, Elder Luke and I have done a lot of planning and preparing (or as much as we could stand to do... you can only sit at a desk for so long before you start to go crazy) and now I'm hoping to really kick into action a lot of the plans and visions we have for these people over here in Kekaha. It is interesting because we have been talking about "Hope" as a mission this transfer (we focus on different Christ like attributes each transfer) and really I think that is one thing we need over here (also that is one of the many topics I noticed reiterated a TON during conference which was kinda cool!) Truly nothing happens in the work unless you believe it will happen! Just like Christ did not see the immediate effects of his sacrifice in many ways, yet he hoped for those things that he knew, through the grace and love of God, surely must come. So yeah, we haven't really seen any major changes or differences in the area too much, but we are hopeful and know that great things are about to happen over here in Kekaha! :)

W is progressing along very well and while he does still have his little apprehensions and is still trying to fight against a ton of rust that seems to have built up in his life over years of just sitting, he wants to change and to progress and the wheels are already starting to turn and I'm sure from here on out he will just keep on picking up momentum! :) Likewise we are trying to teach and testify to as many people as possible, both members and non-members, so hopefully we can find a couple new referrals in the coming week!

Anyway, Elder Luke is doing great too. As we've both noted, it is very fun to be able to talk about so many past missionaries and areas and experiences that we had together over in Kane'ohe and other places that we crossed paths. It is weird being one of the "older" missionaries now... although I still have a very long way to go and much time ahead of me!! But anyway, other than that we are still just trying to push this area out of the rut it seems to have hit and bring about the change in peoples life that we know, and they know, that they want and need. Although I suppose in the end it is really up to them and up to the spirit. Anyway, yeah, that's about all the ramblings I could come up with for this last week! We had to sleep on the floor at another missionary's pad because conference was VERY early (with the time change it is at 6:00 am) and they weren't showing it at are chapel and we are quite a ways from the other chapel that was so we just slept at the missionary's pad closes to that chapel and anyway, let's just say it wasn't the most sleep filled night for either of us so we're both a little brain dead.

Sorry if things are a little all over the place. I know I apologize for that a lot but anyway... yeah. I LOVE YOU ALL!! THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING!!! Be sure to keep on studying and seeking out the words of the prophets both ancient and modern and applying them in your life! I can promise you great blessings as you do so because I have seen that in my own life and in the life of SO many around me!! Faafetai lava and aloha au ia oe!!

-Elder Powell

p.s. No I have not learned any new words in Hawaiian unfortunately... Although I did learn that apparently there are two major dialects! There is the traditional Hawaiian (the kind you would see in text books and cultural performances and so forth) and Ni'ihau hawaiian (the kind that the Hawaiians born and raised on Ni'ihau learn to speak on that island.) But yeah, they are rather different. Still similar enough to understand each other but at the same time are different enough if you tried to talk one with another it would leave them looking more lost and confused than one haole who come for check out one local brudda and no can get da kine. (while I am not learning much Hawaiian my pidgin is gettin pretty good! :) haha)

Also a MAJOR congrats to Abbi on her engagement!!! That took me by pretty big surprise seeing as nobody bothered to tell me that she DIDN'T go on her mission after all...... But either way, it was a very pleasant surprise!! :) How are all my other cousin missionaries/RM's doing?! I know Kyle just got home and Brett is wrapping things up pretty soon I believe, but yeah I never really hear from them. Jake is home I'm sure but what about Ben and Joey and any others? It is incredible how 'out of the loop' the mission makes you feel! haha! but that's ok! right now I am in a pretty amazing "loop" of people both in Kekaha and all around the Hawaii Honolulu mission!! :) 

  

why did the chicken cross the road? .....................To make it to Sacrament meeting! :)