Week 6 - AloHAHAHA

Aloha! A lot has happened this week. For starters our two baptisms a few weeks ago hadn't been coming to church because they didn't have a ride. We found them one this week and I got to give my first confirmation! We also had our primary program. The highlight was definitely a little girl and her mom singing love is spoken here. The girl forgot the words, sang off tune and tempo, and kept singing after the song was over, so the mom had to yank her off the stage. It was hilarious.

*Side note* I think I forgot to tell you guys, but a few weeks ago it was fast sunday, and we had the most investigators at church I've had so far. The majority of sacrament meeting was one testimony, and it was exactly the kind you don't want to be borne when investigators are there. A big samoan guy stood up at the front and said "Brothers and sisters, I stand before you to confess a transgression" I immediately thought "please say you haven't borne your testimony as much as you should" but he just went off. He told the congregation how he had "enticed and kissed another man's wife, and that the family requested he do this" (don't know what kind of family that was) And I've heard of this starting to happen in other wards, but the bishop gets up and stops it. Not in McCully ward. The guy just went off for like 30 minutes. So that was...interesting.

Also this morning for our zone activity we went to a blowhole. We were walking on the rocks right next to the ocean (not the sand cause that's against the rules) I decided I wanted to go down next to the blowhole and see it a little closer. Bad idea. A huge wave washed over, splashed off the rock, and soaked me. The AP's joked they'd set up my appointment with president so I could tell him I went swimming.

The best thing that happened this week was the General Authority visit. Elder Soares of the presidency of the Seventy and Elder Holland came and spoke to us! Elder Holland talked about how  important it is to always project the image of a missionary, even after we've returned home. We don't have the right to jeopardize someone else's choice of serving a mission or not by influencing them with our actions and example. He shared a cool insight about Moses 1:39. He put an emphasis the word "My". How this is God's work and His glory.

He also shared that the word "astonish" comes from the root word tondra which means thunder. He told us to go out and astonish people, to speak with a tongue of thunder and make their world shake. He said in the Book of Mormon, when it mentions that the earth shook, it wasn't a literal earthquake, but more of people being astonished. He said Christ could come down to earth himself and minister to the people with legions of angels, but he doesn't do that, instead he's chosen us.

He said that sometimes people ask why is missionary work so hard? He said he's convinced it's hard, because salvation is not a cheap experience. He said why should it be easy for us, when it was never easy for Him. To be a disciple of Christ means you are willing to walk where Christ would walk, say what he would say, and do what he would do. He said the road to salvation always leads through Gethsemane and up Calvary. We are allowed to feel a little of what Christ felt whenever life seems hard. It was a really powerful talk.

Well I think I've talked enough. Hope everything is going well. Love you all. Ij iakwe kom!