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7 Months

yeah, i've been out 7 months...crazy...time is flying!  it's getting a little frustrating that we have been working out tails off and 1/2 of our investigators are moving and basically the other half have dropped us...there are only a few that remain...it's also frustrating that the elders who are not doing anything besides sit at their pad and do whatever they want are getting a bunch of baptisms handed to them...basically the ones who work don't get as many baptisms as those who, what we call, "sack out"...it's weird how that works but it's true for the most part...but they'll have to answer for wasting the Lord's time someday...and that will not be well...

Transfers

well i'm getting transferred...after 3 very quick months...we were supposed to get transfer info last night but we didn't...but we know that I'm leaving because President called my companion and said he will be training so that means i'm gone....that also means i'm gonna be a mommy!  in mission lingo the person who trains is the dad and the dad's last companion is the new missionaries mom.  so...i guess that means i'm pregnant and will be giving birth early wednesday morning.  and I don't even get to meet the kid if I go off island!  oh well...

 

it sure feels weird leaving.  i packed up about half of my things last night.  I feel like an expert packer now....about half my things are packed and I still haven't even touched my red bag!  amazing I know...

 

I will be sending a box of every letter I've received thus far on my mission...I also have in there a book I grabbed from the "take this  away" table at church the other week...a little but really big book called "mormon doctrine"....that book is nuts and I definitely don't need it on the mission...some of it is opinionated and the stuff that is pure doctrine is way too deep to share with investigators...but to expand my knowledge of the gospel I will read it when i get home.   it's like True to the Faith but as deep as can be haha...it stay crazy!

 

we had a wonderful sacrament meeting yesterday.  there were a few nonmembers there and a part member family...the husband knows the church is true and when his kids do something they shouldn't he tells them "why would you do this?  You hold the priesthood!..."  not sure why he hasn't converted but....i'll never know...ever since I got here I was excited to be able to teach that family....he sounds so close...but I guess the Lord has different plans for me...we were never able to teach him...

 

well...I hope to soon find out about transfers...I'm not as anxious as I was all yesterday when we waited for president to call us back because I know i'm leaving...

 

this pday we are having a bbq and signing journals.  We finished asylum saturday and I will be doing it for the last time with elder hanks and humphreys.  that'll be exciting.  overtime:)

5k kinda

this week was good...our only really solid investigator wants to be baptized in mid september...please hold your applause!  not sure if i told you this but last month president dalton was inspired to have a goal of 125 baptisms...so that was our goal...for july...."just do it july"...well we just did it...128 last month...and for this month we made our goal 130...well...so far we have 128 that have either been baptized already this month or will be this weekend...we just need 2 miracles to reach our goal...we are trying to get 1,000 for this year and if we keep this up we will get it in 2 months!  isn't that crazy???   I think it is...

This week I ran a 5k...actually that's a lie..I participated in it...I only got through half of it...i'm getting fat but working out twice a day now so that's helpful...my new comp is Elder Orberg from Washington...no Utah comps yet...haha.  Kalani got baptized friday the 13th...i wasn't there obviously because of transfers but it's all good...Hope to be on big island when they go through the temple!  I saw a Kansas Mailbox sticker somewhere...I'd go take a picture of it but we saw it when we got lost in our area and I have absolutely no idea where it was...

 

speaking of getting lost we are white washing...we are both new to the area and have no idea where we are going...luckily we have a gps...we got up one morning to do morning exercises at the church with the rest of the zone...we type in the church and pick the "closest" one...we ended up in pearl city...which is out of zone...haha oh well...

 

This week was a blast...last pday we went on a hike along the ocean. it was basically awesome....I'll include some pics of it...but it was a blast...and of course I got a sunburn...junk!

 

So my last ward had 3 white families...and everyone said "that's the whitest ward you'll be in on your mission...when I got to the 5k I saw barely anyone that wasn't white...I didn't see the ocean...I just saw white people and mountains...I thought I was in Utah for a while...seriously...It was really weird...I'm really white so I fit in perfectly but I feel SO out of place...I miss all the Pidgin and all the different cultures and nationalities...oh well...I'm in whiteville for a reason :P

 

this week we had a mini-missionary.  Elder Chang...he's 17 years old...we had an excellent weekend planned and we were excited to show him what missionary work is like...well we did/didn't at the same time...we had an appointment on friday and 4 on saturday...the 4 on saturday were at 1, 2, 3, and 4.  VERY busy day...well guess what happened...every.  single. appointment. cancelled.  without a doubt the most depressing day so far...we were about to invite 2 to baptism and meet 2 part member families...I was pretty frustrated...on top of the 4 straight cancellations it was pouring ran....unlike it has ever before here!  (at least that's what all the locals were saying)

we rescheduled most of the appointments but we'll see if it happens...hope you have a good week!  Love you!  Aloha!

New Pictures

Staying in Honokaa

I know you love pictures but you don't want me to send you all the ones from this week...So I'll send you some...don't be mad that I'm not sending them all...you'll be thankful...the 1 I'm not sending is our ward mission leader, Troy Martinez gutting a pig. Pretty nasty stuff...so I sent it to father. and YES! I got the package, thank you so much...I saw it at the post office and thought "oh it's just my suit...insanity couldn't get here that fast...I opened it up 8 hours later on my bed and freaked out.

Anyhoozles, The baptism was a success...I never thought I'd see it...We stopped at Jodice's house my first day here and for about 2 weeks we weren't let in the house... Elder Hammond will be exchanged in 2 days and I'll stay here in HONOKAA SOOOO PUMPED!!!! I love these people here...we HAVE to come to the big island when I'm pau mission...pau means finished...I love hearing people speaking pidgin to each other...it's so funny! Anyway I have a couple more minutes here so I'll email the last person now...have a good week! ALOOOOOHA!

New companion and hot peppers

I did asylum Saturday. I woke up extra early (6:10 so not too early) I LOOOOOVE IT...My suit fits fantastically! After my email we went to da kine ocean...we went to a cliff and hit golf balls into the ocean. So sweet.  Here are some cool pictures!

My new companion is freaking awesome! I've had more fun in the last week than I've had in the first 3 months of my mission! So the young man we baptized blessed the sacrament this and last week! So awesome! So I did something bad...something very stupid...I ate a freaking hot pepper...Hawaiian chili pepper...holy hot...I ate it at the Soong's house...Then yesterday at lunch...I failed to wash my hands all the way...I wiped my nose...both nostrils were on fire! like someone holding a flame up to my nose...then as we were teaching DAN (that means taking a Daily Afternoon Nap...) I rubbed my eye....it was freaking ridiculous! I wanted to die..it was so horrible! But good stuff...Well..not sure what else happened...but I'm actually starting to enjoy my mission! Aloha!

Visit from the 70

Mahalo for sending all that da kine (da kine can mean anything you want it to...seriously...anything...just fyi).  Much appreciated!  I had quite an interesting week...Elder Wilson of the 70 came for mission tour!  He spoke to us in the MTC and he had such good trainings...He was the one that spoke in conference, the funny one when he said he can tell his wife what to do since he has the priesthood haha...

While on exchanges with Elder Duck we did Insanity for morning exercises!  It was awesome!  Later on we visited with a less active member...he told us to sit down and he stood for the lesson...randomly, in the middle of the lesson, he just starts practicing Kempo Karate, kicking backwards, kneeing the air and throwing punches...it was so funny!  Then he starts losing his balance and falls over and grabs my leg for balance.  Awkward.  After that lesson Elder Duck told me I should've stood up and read 1 Nephi 17:48 to him.  (I think that's the right verse)  read it right now...another one that applies to it is Mosiah 13:3 that I read last night.  

While tracting the other day we knocked on this guys door. He said he wasn't interested in talking to us...after a minute or 2 he started opening up.  He said he was a convert, "fell in love with the elders who taught him".  He was offended at Sacrament meeting once and never came back.  He told us part of one scripture...that we need to "become Christ..."  We said "oh yeah, Christlike?" he said "no, Jesus taught everyone to become him, which is what I did...I'm Jesus Christ"...didn't even take 3 months for find a false Christ...That was a pretty crazy 30 minute lesson haha...

Mahalo for the birthday letter and everything you do for me!  I greatly appreciate it...tell everyone mahalo that sent me something...not sure if i'll have time to write them today...Pday's on the big island are hard for me to write letters since I'm driving everywhere...if I don't write anyone back it's cuz we're busy...we haven't even been shopping for 2 weeks...that's how busy it is... I don't have any time to write...Pday lasts only 8 hours...which I'm not sure why it's called pday...it's from 10-6...and we try to do activities during those few hours...which leaves us no time to write anything...but I try my best...I hope to see my Asylum get here before transfers!!  they're next week!  These 6 weeks flew by!  I hope I stay in Honoka'a!  This place is amazing!  1 baptism coming up...but after that we have nothing...we really don't have any solid investigators...it's small kine depressing....anyway enjoy that picture of the Big Island missionaries with President and Sister Dalton and Elder Wilson and his wife!  bye

Hope you have a good week!  Aloha!  

Baptism on Cinco de Mayo

Here's some cool stuff that happened...umm...1 more baptized!  so 1 each month I've been out!  Ha'o in March, Denn in April, and Anna Aurello May 5th!  Cinco De Mayo!  We all wore fake mustaches and ponchos...but not really! Aloha!

Read the last chapter in Alma.  About the isles of the sea, also read 2 Nephi 10:20 Is that Hawaii or what?  And also read 2 Nephi 12:10.  So awesome...if you look carefully it spells "UTAH" vertically with a few words, starting with "mountains".  I almost flipped when I saw it.  We did helping hands Saturday, but ironically enough it didn't help my hands.  We pulled elephant grass...you might wonder why it's called that...here's the answer, it's huge.  It is as thick as the face of a quarter and grows to about 15 feet...I cut up my hands so good...I couldn't stop bleeding in the first 5 minutes under my middle finger nail...I felt so lazy standing around holding my finger watching everyone else work...we did service at the elementary school clearing out a "shady" area.

The jumping picture is of me and Elder Rokete.  He's the funniest Elder I've ever met.  I've had lots of good times with him!  I have some videos of him and I singing songs in the car.  I'll try to send them but they're too big to fit in the email...I'll figure out a way don't worry...no...I'm with the same companion...I have 3 weeks left with him.  I did get the package...or present as they call it in pidgin...thank you so much!  I now have 2 resistance bands and probably shouldn't gain any more weight!  I'm back down to 153!

GOOD STUFF!  you get to call me on Mother's day/my birthday!  Okay, so I'm having Father call at 1...so you both get 20 minutes...I hope that's okay.  So if you would...call me at 1 p.m. HAWAII time!  not your time, I'll be worshiping at church...probably teaching a class...no need interrupt that...so 1 p.m. hawaii time...not your time...get it got it? good!  haha.  Well next 2 saturdays are filled with 2 more baptisms...hopefully...1 is tentative...we're working on making it a permanent date!  Have a  good week!  Love you!  Miss you!  7 minutes to email 7 people...oh jeeez........K BYE!!!!

New Pictures

Stop It!

A Beautiful Cupcake

Well we had another baptism! That's 2 so far. 2 more in the next 3 weeks! At the baptism the bishops wife gave the talk on baptism...it was hilarious to me...nobody else...but she said that the gospel is like this box of cake mix she was holding. And if we apply the gospel in our lives we use the cake mix to make something better. If you apply the gospel in your life you can become a beautiful cupcake...I'm sure that is everyone's goal, to become exalted...and become a beautiful cupcake haha.

Well I only got 1 letter this week, and that's from grandma...very exciting life I lead with many great number of friends supporting me, yeah? no...but oh well...I'm glad to hear you invited the missionaries over for dinner...make sure to have them over every month. I heard they don't get fed by members very often...and working with members is SO important in this work...knocking doors all day is not effective...here are some statistics.... 0.1% of the doors we knock the people get baptized...60-80% of the people who meet with the members and missionaries for lessons are baptized...which one looks better to you? So do all you can to invite your friends, neighbors and everyone to take the missionary lessons at home. Invite people over for dinner with the missionaries so they, too, can become beautiful cupcakes. Dang that'd be great to put in a talk someday!

Continue to spiritually CPR...church, pray, read! It's good stuff! Well, I'm getting fatter...well...my pants are getting tight...but just the most important ones...the ones that match my suit...the ONLY ones that match my suit are almost too small...dern it...I'm planning on buying a jump rope and a couple resistance bands to aid me in my exercise time. Well I miss you and love you. Aloha.

Called to Serve

To the Kids

Hey Jaxon, Noah, and Tenley! I was planning on writing you 3 a letter today but I don't have much time since it is the last week of the transfer! I've been here almost 6 weeks, can you believe it? I heard KU lost Tuesday when we were in Hilo training to become better missionaries with our mission president! I was sad but at least they made it there! That's so cool about your Easter egg hunt! Sounds like you had fun! Thanks for praying for me, I pray for everyone back home every morning and night! Noah can have my popcorn if he wants. But don't share with Tenley, because I don't think she can have any yet. You're lucky you can chew gum, as a missionary, we cannot. It's one of the rules, and I'm trying very hard to follow them all, because rules are there for a reason. How is Tenley doing? Does she remember me? I'm 1/12 done with my mission...not that I'm counting down, I just realized it the other day. Going by fast! I hope you have a great week and learn a lot more about the solar system! Love you and miss you! Aloha!

No Regrets

Here are some pictures!  baptism is Ha'o, Kana, his friend baptized him, the temple, in front of the mission home in Honolulu, and something else that I can't remember...I think it's me in front of the Laie Temple..but i don't remember...haha. The Loo's who I live next door to have a son who is out about the same time as me.  I had dinner at Brother Kapu's house last night.  Their family is awesome.  We taught them the restoration and he was impressed with my teaching skills.  Didn't know I was that good...I'll only get better.  One thing brother Kapu said about his mission was basically his companion was known as a baptizer.  He baptized like crazy on his mission, but he was disobedient.  He said, and this will be part of my personal mission motto, "Think of how many souls you could have saved if you had been obedient"  the last part of my motto is "No Regrets".

OHH!  I saw someone from the MTC I met at gym!  he was in the last shot of the elders.  Pretty cool.  IDK if I ever talked to him but I saw him several times a week!   Read Alma 56:47. You raised me right.  If you closely paid attention to conference I guarantee you missed something crazy that happened because I almost missed it as well!  Our stake president, President Auna, is now a 70!!!!!  That's why we have a special stake conference Sunday!

Faithful ancestors

In his farewell talk Jared told this story about our 4th great grandmother Elizabeth Buck Garlick. She was born May 2, 1795 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. She married David Garlick October 1, 1816 in Pennsylvania. They lived in Providence, PA. This is her conversion story-One morning Elizabeth told of a dream she had the night before. In her dream two strangers had come to visit them. Over their heads was a large motto bearing the words “Truth will prevail.”In her dream she heard a voice say, “These are true messengers of God. Hear and obey." This dream disturbed the Garlick family considerably. Then about a week later, two
Mormon missionaries came to their home. Elizabeth recognized the missionaries as the two men she had seen in her dream. The missionaries, Elder William Howard Bosley and Elder John Fleming Wakefield, taught the family about the new Mormon religion and Elizabeth and her three oldest daughters, Hannah, Susannah, and Mary Jane, were baptized 5 October 1837 along with sixteen other converts of the Cambelite faith. Elizabeth often bore testimony during the years that followed, "I knew it was the true gospel, and I never could deny it.” Within a few weeks of joining the Church, 20 others were baptized and then the mob spirit arose against them. Their friends and relatives turned against them. After two years they left everything behind and headed for Missouri, but the Saints had been driven out of there and so they headed to Commerce, later called Nauvoo. They arrived in November. All the houses were full and so they had to live in a blacksmith shop. It had no floor, door, or chimney. . . .

Later her whole family joined the church with some of her kids being baptized in the Mississippi River by the prophet Joseph. Some of her daughters worked in the house of Hyrum Smith. They eventually went west with the Saints and settled in Sandpete County. Her daughter Talitha Cumi Garlick Cheney wrote a history of her life that I will share later. I am very grateful for my ancestors who lived in the early days of the church and stayed faithful. There lives are a great example to me.  I am especially grateful for Elizabeth listening to the Spirit, because of her many generations have had the Gospel in their lives!

A Prophet's Voice

Earthquake and a Baptism

We had an earthquake here! My first one! 4.4! It was crazy. Pretty scary but it was only for a few seconds. We were studying as a companionship when it happened. Very distracting...stupid Satan...oh well. I also had couple more "Firsts" this week. We went tracting and we walked up to a truck, they all had bongs and were smoking weed. We tried teaching them but they were SOOOO high that they couldn't understand. But we also had a first that was VERY positive. First baptism. I met Ha'o the first night I arrived. First Saturday I was here was his first lesson. He was baptized Saturday...so 2 weeks after his first lesson. So awesome. His full name is Kuha'omekeanokalani Hitoshi Tesuo Faumuina. It was a relief that I didn't baptize him cuz I wouldn't be able to say his name haha. The baptism was so awesome! His family definitely felt the Spirit.

I'm definitely growing every day a considerable amount. One of the sisters from the district in the MTC who is in the same mission, Sister Wright, said something her dad told us. "The days are long, but the weeks go by fast" Mostly true, but the days go by quickly as well sometimes! D&C 84:85...I think that's is it. "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man." But what that says is very true. Here's a saying I've heard several times already here..."Winners listen, losers wait for their turn to speak." If I think about what I'm going to say and ignore the Spirit, I won't know what to say. If I just have a clear mind and trust that I'll know what to say and when to say it, I'll say things I'd never normally say. Very cool. I had that experience tracting a few days ago. Aloha! Mahalo!

Kansas City Temple Open House Invitation

Be Still my Soul

A few days into being here I was in my first lesson, but since we learned nothing about Preach My Gospel and the lessons I couldn't really chime in since I had no idea what was next. But I helped teach this young man Kuhaomekeanokalani (Hao for short) twice already, teaching him again tonight, and baptism interview wednesday and baptism saturday! He is so ready! We taught his family last night with a recent convert. It rocked.

 In the MTC we taught an "investigator" to practice for the real world. Our lesson was supposed to be less than 30 minutes. It was 70 minutes of absolute rubbish. No spirit at all. We just went around in circles. My companion was almost ready to give up and go home it was so bad. I wasn't quite at that point but I was extremely frustrated and angry at myself. I had planned to go to choir but after that lesson I didn't feel like singing. After some convincing from one of the sisters I felt like I needed to go. We sang "Be Still my Soul". Holy wows that made my day so much better. The whole thing is amazing. My new favorite hymn! The last line of the first verse is probably my favorite. "Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end" or something like that. Just thought I'd share that with you. not sure if i told you this but Jeffrey R Holland came to speak to us at the MTC. It was sweeeet. I got my first sunburn doing some yard work for 2 hours at a members house.

 The pictures are... President and Sister Dalton with me the day I arrived in Honolulu.  Sister Wright has a teddy bear as herself. It's funny because her full name is on the 2 tags. Sister Wright is what her name tag says but the bears is Elder Teddy...her first name is Teddy haha. Picture of us pointing to where we are going...From left to right...kinda.... Elder Bateman, Sister Smoot(in blue) Sister Mallory (in green) Sister Wright (floating head), me, Elder Garcia, Elder Hunter, Sister Duke...all of us are in Hawaii! Elder Streeter and Buckley are in Guatamala MTC. Last picture is the view right outside my pad. The sky and the ocean really blend in today. Hope you can see it clearly...I love this place.

Your Day for a Mission Video

This is a story from a talk by Neil L. Andersen that was used in Jared's farewell talk.

MTC

Write to me!

Elder Jared Matthew Ross Hawaii Honolulu Mission 1500 S Beretania St Ste 416 Honolulu, HI 96826 United States

First month

Here are some highlights from Jared's emails-

Our district is amazing, we all get along famously, and I love them all...and we haven't even been here a week! I'm so happy to be here and very glad I decided to go on a mission. I am in an amazing district, all but 2 of us are going to the same mission. We are also lucky enough to have sister missionaries with us, and they rock! They keep us in line when we need to be, so don't worry about me and the other elders joking around too much.

 Hi! my entire district except for 2 elders are going to Hawaii. We are a family. We all get along great! I am companions with Elder Bateman and share a room with him, Elder Garcia, and Hunter. Our district contains those 3, Elder Streeter, Elder Buckley, who are going to Guatamala, and 4 sisters that are going to Hawaii also. Sister Mallory, Sister Wright, Sister Duke, and Sister Smoot. Things are going by so fast. Halfway done with the MTC! It'll be so sad to leave, this is the best place on earth besides the temple (which I went to today!)

The spirit is so strong here it's insane! I'm on the big island in Honoka'a. My companion is Elder Hammond. He has only been out 3 months. They are implementing a new program, it's 12 weeks of training new missionaries and the goal is to train the new missionaries so well that in 3 months we'll be able to train the newbies. I've almost been out 1 month! I'm not sure if it feels like longer or shorter than that. I haven't ate anything too weird yet but I'll have to get back to you on that. They are feeding us choke food yeah? There's a little pidgin for you, choke i guess means a lot. Even with all the food I'm losing weight. Maybe I have a parasite. It'd be good because I can't afford to gain any weight with having only 1 pair of pants that match my suit.

Where I am