Monday, November 9, 2015

Kaprohri Waterfall

Today for P-day we went to this really, really cool waterfall that seriously looked amazing. Elder Hurst and I, our district leader, climbed to the top which was really cool. The view was amazing. There are so many cool things on this island that you find over time. When I first got my call I thought I would be on a island with sandy beaches and that the people would live in huts. Yes, I live on an island, and yes, the people live in huts, but there is no sand. I really do live on a jungle island which is sooo cool. We have to walk on these narrow jungle paths to get to most of our investigators houses and some of them literally live on top of mountains so it's like a half hour climb to their houses. This week was supposed to be our first baptism but our investigator was out of town all week so we couldn't teach her and get her prepared to be baptized. Hopefully this week we will get our first one and it will be super cool. I can't wait to bring my first soul to Christ. Last Monday we went on our first exchanges and Elder Hurst is awesome. He is from Utah as well and it was cool to talk about things from Utah and to just kinda talk to someone about everything. I feel like exchanges are a break from everything for a day and it is so nice. I am going on another one today with the Zone Leaders which will be super awesome! One thing I've noticed is that missionary work can either be really happy and upbeat or really down and dreary depending on what you put into it. God really does reward you for your work and for your attitude. I read my Patriarchal Blessing a lot this week and I know that God loves us and He knows us. I know that He sent me to this island because the people here need me or a part of me to plant seeds or to reap the rewards. I am so greatful that I get to learn this language that will be so cool to speak when I get back. I was just thinking of how you will all react when I get home and start speaking an island language that is nothing like any language you have ever heard. Learning a language without any training in the MTC or any prior knowledge of it really does test you but it makes you work like 20x's harder. One of our investigators, Andero, has really been struggling lately and his heart was in all the wrong places. Then the other night it just finally clicked with him and he now knows why we are here and he knows that we can help him. I gave him a blessing that night and we could all feel the spirit really strong. After everyone was just quiet and he said, "Thank you so much" in Pohnpeian. We shook his hand, gave him a hug and left. That's one thing that really does help investigators is to leave when the spirit is strong. Obviously you don't leave in the middle of the lesson but if it's strong at the end of the lesson our Mission President tells us to get out of there. Because when we leave we take the spirit with us and it's so cool to see them the next time and they are like "When you Elder's left it felt like you took a part of me with you". It works so well and it's almost like giving them a taste of things to come. The people here really do want to learn more about the gospel and you can tell that they do trust missionaries. Because we've been having such good success the other churches here lately have been doing a lot of gossiping and a lot of anti-Mormon things, it's frustrating. Apparently the Catholic church even have a yellow book that has a bunch of lies and false teachings that go against the church. You really can see when people's hearts are hardened and that they just won't listen to anything you say. Then there are other people that are so nice and they will listen to you. Then as the spirit talks to them they almost beg you to come back. The other night we had a hard experience. One of our best investigator's mother told her to tell us that we can't teach them anymore at their house, mainly because of the other churches gossiping. It was so sad to see her telling us this because she wants to get baptized so bad and she knows that the things we teach are true. She was almost crying when we left. I know that God knows the intents of her heart and that she will be baptized on day. I'm so exciting for the millennium and me and Sister Latu, one of the sisters in the area right next to us, were talking about how we are almost exciting to die because everything is going to make more sense and it's just going to be so exciting! I keep thinking of all the people that don't know about life after death and they just believe that once you're dead that's it. That would just tear me apart. I'm so glad that I know that death is not the end. That death is almost a happy thing. I think of all the bad and the ugly that is on this earth and all the glory and happiness that is in Heaven and I realize how much better Heaven is than Earth. Yes Earth has good things, but we can't even comprehend how great Heaven is. I think of that song about the little boy whose mom dies and how she said she will build him a rainbow. I remember that song always made me want to cry because I never wanted to lose my mom or anyone else that I loved. I now understand that even though I can't see people after they are dead that they aren't gone. That they are still watching over me and that I can see them a lot sooner than I realize. I know that there is life after death and that God truly is a loving God and wants us to be together forever. I love Him and I know He loves us. Each and every one of us. I'm so glad to know this and to know that we can be with all of our loved ones forever and be happy forever. All we have to do is never give up. Never give up on trying to be a better person and never stop trying to follow the example of our brother Jesus Christ. There is a talk that I want you all to read or listen to it's called "Life is a Football Game" by Troy Dunn. It is seriously one of the most funny and best analogies ever! I love you all more than I can ever express! Hold tight to the iron rod and never give up! Hold Tight! Knuckle White!

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