2%, 85%, Everyone and their cousins

11/2/15

Aloha 'auinala ohana!!

How are you doing this fine November day? :) I hope this past week has treated you all well! Our week was actually rather eventful I must say! We started out with some average days of missionary work. Where about 2% of all the doors you knock on and people you talk to are actually home and/or want to talk with you. But that is how it goes sometimes, and I'll tell you what, those 2% of lessons that we actually did have were GREAT lessons! :) Wednesday though picked up as we took our car in for the second week in a row for more repairs. So that is never fun, but thankfully we don't have to worry quite as much about financial issues when it comes to those matters on the mission. I am very gratefully to be a servant for a church with so many faithful and honestly and charitable members who make this work possible! Thank you for everyone who donates to our cause, we wouldn't be here without you! Or at least in this case we wouldn't have new tires and a fixed alignment which I am VERY gratefully for because driving on our spare for almost a full week was not the most relaxing feeling, although it did keep us on our toes. haha! :)

We also had a great Book of Mormon class this week although we just got into the part of Mosiah where the story starts to jump all around in time and location and with a ton of new people so we've been having a hard time trying to explain it all to a whole group of people, most of who are going through the Book of Mormon for the first time. Any suggestions on how to teach that part of it simply? We're just trying to focus on the doctrines I guess and just kinda let the story fill in over time.

Anyway, the REAL craziness actually started this last weekend! On Friday we celebrated Paul's birthday in proxy by actually celebrating the birthday of one of our investigators nephews. It was kind of a funny situation because we haven't actually seen our investigator there for a couple of weeks (he kind of went MIA on us) but his family was all just like "He’s is not here, but hey, when you guys are all finished with your rounds for the day come on back and eat with us! We're are having a party for one of our nephews!" (that is actually the translated version of what they told us. The actual was in VERY thick pidgin.. :) haha) So yeah we went to that! It's crazy how tiny and close knit this area really is. I mean the town is so small we seriously pulled up to this party with about 85% non-members and the second they see us they're all just like "Elders! Come! Eat!" I love that about this area! :) Over here it's seriously like EVERYONE and their cousins all know us! It's great! :)

Before

After

So Saturday we started out our day with this HUGE service project that we are not even half way done with! One of our investigators spent most of the last few years as an almost "recluse". As such the house and especially the yard have been in just TOTAL disrepair. And so finally after much urging him to let us help (people here don't really like to ask for or accept help, they are just to humble and polite!) he got on his riding lawn mower, plowed down the three foot high grass that had sprouted up and then we went over and have been raking it up as well as chopping down palm fronds and full sized trees with nothing but some Machetes and a small saw. So a few hours and a large sunburn later, we cleaned up and went out to Kapa'a for a sort of missionary gathering/Halloween party. It was fun. We just played some games and talked story and had a little "talent show" which was dominated by the senior couple's performance of "Take me home, country roads" by John Denver on the Ukulele. Fun was had by all! :) 

So lastly, this week we got the GREAT news that I WILL be staying for at least one more transfer here in Kekaha with Elder Luke!!! I am super exciting because we have a ton of things in store for the coming six weeks including this one miracle family that I will have to tell you a lot more about next week!! :)  We have also started to really gain the trust of and build relationships with the ward and community so again we're hoping to see a lot of success that comes from that! :) But again, that is all in the future and I'm sure will be covered in depth in future e-mails. But for now, thank you again for all of our hard work and for your love, support and prayers on our behalf! You are loved and appreciated by so many and I promise that those prayers are reciprocated by so many out here as well, including myself! :) Have a fantastic week! I love you all so much!!! Mahalo nui loa and don't forget to be awesome!!! :)

Aloha!

-Elder Powell

p.s. My scripture of the week is Mosiah 5:11. What is yours? :) How is your "ponderizing" going?