*CHEEEEEEEE-HO

Aloha *Cousins!!! 
This week has been INCREDIBLE!! I had to write down everything I wanted to put in this letter so I could make sure I get everything in! Can I just say, I love this mission? It is seriously amazing. I love the miracles that I get to witness every day as God prepares and guides his children for the teachings of this gospel! So just some little updates, my companion and I are now over FOUR wards! It's crazy, but so awesome! Two BYU wards (1 & 19), one YSA (2), and one Married Student (6). I love it. 

Well, let's start with amazing miracles of the week:

Miracle #1 part 1: This week has truly been a testament of how God is truly using me specifically to help bring the gospel into people's lives. So first, a couple walked into the VC, just on vacation, of course. SO we start talking to them, getting to know them, and we find out, that they are visiting from Houston, Texas, and the husband was actually born in Guatemala (where my companion is from...so cool) and so once we discovered that, they started speaking Spanish. Hah, I'm starting to understand Spanish now! So she gave them a tour in Spanish, and it was so perfect. The husband was asking all of the questions, and the wife didn't say one word the whole entire tour. At the end of the tour Hermana Rodriguez asked (in Spanish) if he would like to have the missionaries come over and teach them more! He said he would like that a lot, and gave his wife the referral card to fill out. After we got the card back, on her comments she wrote, "Loved what you taught us, I would love to have this a part of my life." IT WAS AWESOMEEEEE!!! Just how perfect it was that he just so happened to be from Guatemala as well...God loves his children :)

Miracle#1 part 2: So, a couple of days laterrrr, a couple walks in, and guess what? They're from Indiana! Not only are they from Indiana, but they are from Carmel, Indiana...heck yes! They just built a house in Fishers off of Allisonville Road. I was SOOO stoked to talk about Carmel with them. It pretty much made my day.  Then, I mentioned how they are building a Temple in Carmel just as we have the Hawaii Temple right outside. They thought that was really neat. We showed them the Book of Mormon, and simply explained that it was another Testament of Jesus Christ, around the same time period as the Bible was written, just taking place in the Ancient Americas. We explained that it started with a Prophet who lived in Jerusalem and how God commanded him to leave, because of the wickedness. The wife then said that she had been to Jerusalem, and although a beautiful and very sacred place, she could definitely see why God would want his children to leave. Bahhh, it was so perfect how prepared she and her husband already were to here this message. I especially knew this when they told us that they had been to Hawaii at least 18 times in their lives, and have been to the Polynesian Cultural Center many many times!...but never to the Visitor's Center. They said for whatever reason they decided to come in today....the day that I was there, the time that I was on shift. Pretty cool. We then shared about temples, and she said, "Well, it only makes sense, right? I mean, if God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, why wouldn't we have temples, and why wouldn't God want his children to be able to live forever in happiness." I just looked at her and told her she was exactly right. I just testified, that God loves all His children so much! He has a plan, and that although sometimes that plan may seem unfair or hard, we have God's promise that by keeping the commandments and keeping our side of the promises we make, we WILL have eternal life and happiness. So, of course, they self-referred, and said to send the missionaries on over when they get back!!!!!

Miracle #2: So one of the traditions of this mission is that the VC directors or one of the senior couples (VC directors for me) takes the new missionaries to the Polynesian Cultural Center for the Island Feast (dinner) and then the Night Show. Being that I am the new missionary, I got to be taken to the night show on Saturday!!! But, what makes this miracle so neat isssss....so, at the VC that day, Two families came into the VC...one family, but consisting of aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews, etc. So we took them through a presentation called God's Plan, which I absolutely love. It is just a 15 minute presentation that goes through the life of this family, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ has helped them through the trials that we will all face in this life. It also talks about the blessings of the temple and how families can be together forever through the sacred ordinance of sealings! This family is not LDS, are from Samoa and Hawaii, and were just in tears at the end of the presentation. One of the girls, probably about 15, opened up to us and explained how their dad died a year after she was born, and how hard that has been for them. She then explained how she loved this message, because she knew that they could be with him again. Their auntie, the dad's sister, then spoke about it a little bit more in detail. We asked if both families would like to have the missionaries teach them so that they could prepare to do the ordinances that will allow them to be with their family forever. They said they would love that. SOOOO, then, later that night, my comp and I went to the PCC for the night show, first for the Island Feast, and guess who was sitting right next to us? This family! It was amazing, we gave them all big hugs, and spoke with them all. Then we went to the Night Show, and they were sitting two rows behind us. You could just see the light in their eyes of how this message of hope and brightness made a difference in their day. They are the family in the pictures!

It was such a good week. We also got to go to what is called ward camp. The whole ward goes and camps out by the beach for a week, and so Hermana and I went for the Big Feast on the last day. Don't ask me what I ate, because I have no idea. I think it was edible...(?). It was even really cool to be at the night show, because all of the performers and dancers, being students at BYU-H are in my wards! So I knew a lot of the dancers, it was pretty sweet. And oh man, if any of you plan on going to the PCC, make sure you go see it. It was one of the most beautiful performances I have ever seen in my life. But I don't think I could have expected anything less. Seriously, the people here are just so amazing. Hah, Hermana and I had a dinner appointment with a family the other night, and we had a picnic at the Kahuku Park. Anyway, the dad,  insisted that we call him Uncle Benny, and then upon our leaving, insisted that we take food with us. We took SOOOOOOOOOOO much food home with us!! Bahhh. Then we went to go visit one of our less-actives, and somehow we left with a huge plate of Monkeybread! Hah, I love this place. I've learned so much about giving everything we have to others. I know that as we serve and give, we will gain a love for everyone and anyone! I know that is why these people have so much love in their hearts. 

Well, as I've gotten to know this culture a little better, I've started using some "slang" words of the Islands. So I thought I would share some of those words with you so that when I get home and I use them you won't think I'm crazy.

*By-da-way- by the way

*Da Kine- the "what-ch-ya-ma-call-it"

*Pau- go, or leave

*Chee-Hoo - YEAHHHH!! X 10

*Howzit - How are you?

*Ma'am

*Da tingy- same as Da Kine

*Oh-bah-dea - over there

*Auntie- Aunt

*Palangi- white person

*Kovi- bad

*Cousin- friend

Yeah, everyone pretty much says these things ALL the time. I love it.

Well, this letter has been long enough. But thank you again for your prayers and letters! Especially your letters! Wow, everyone has been so amazing in sending me mail. So thank you! Hermana and I have our baptism this week for our investigator, so please keep him in your prayers (Ceasar). I love you all, and hope all is well. Don't ever forget how much you are loved as a child of God, and that all of our trials will be for our good. I know that :) 

Have a great week everyone!! Maholo!!!

Mission Tan Lines

ALohaaaaaa! 

I feel like there is always so much to say, but don't know how to put everything into words! I can't even believe that I've almost been here for a month. This is already going by way too fast; especially my time with some of the sisters going home this transfer. It is crazy how close we've all gotten.

 So many amazing things have happened this week. 

Miracle #1: When I was in the referral center this week, I was making phone calls to those who have self-referred themselves during our tours, and I usually start my calls in chronological order of when they referred. So I was going down to the last person I called, but stopped at a name, who had self-referred only a week ago. I dialed her number, and sure enough she answered. I asked how she enjoyed her time at the Laie Visitor's center, then mentioned how she had marked on her comment card that she wanted to learn more about eternal families. She then interrupted and said, "Oh, the missionaries actually already stopped by yesterday! The thing is, they set an appointment with us for today, and my husband was in an accident so we're in the hospital right now.  ...but we really want to them to come teach us!!" Bah, I was so happy!!! Even more so, because they are from Honolulu, whereas, a lot of our tours are with people from another country. I asked if she had their number, or vice versa...She said she didn't even know their names, just that  they were two skinny white boys, hahah!! She then said how she was really bummed that the missionaries had no way of knowing that they would not be home for the length of time her husband was in the hospital. So sure enough, with the help of the senior couples in the mission home, we were able to figure out who those Elders were, as well as give them a call with the family's number to get them another appointment set up!! It was AMAZINGGGG!

Miracle #2: During one of our Tram tours from the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center) a couple was just standing in the "Prophets corner," where visitors can listen to the testimonies of our living Prophet and Apostles today. Applying my training from companionship study, I walked up to them, and started conversation about where they were from, what brought them here, so on and so forth. Well, we ended up talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ restored upon the earth, and then the wife just comes out and says, "So, I was actually baptized about 11 years ago, but haven't really been to church in a really long time. But the thing is I really want to, and my son has been pushing me to go! Also, my husband here is not a member, but being here just reminded me of how much this gospel can really bless our lives, and he wants to learn more about it for himself." Hah, golden. So I asked if he had a copy of the Book of Mormon, he said he had not, but would love one. So together we marched up to the front desk and got him one! He and his wife then referred themselves to have the missionaries come teach him the gospel. It was so neat. Also, just a side note...Devan, they're from Panhandle of Florida! So they live where your mission is/was. So, next week I get to call them and confirm they want the missionaries over, then send   their address over to the missionaries serving in their area! Pretty cool stuff.

Miracle #3: Hermana Rodriguez and I have an investigator, but have been really nervous about him because he didn't want to meet with us without his girlfriend being there. Unfortunately she was out of town for the past two weeks. BUT, we set an appointment with them for the day after she got back, and that was this past Wednesday! It was pretty much the best thing that has ever happened to me. He speaks little English, is about 45 years-old, from the Philippines, and is just so humble, and so kind! So we finished teaching him the restoration, and asked how he felt about it. He said that he felt really happy inside, and felt like as he has put Jesus Christ as the center of his life, he has really felt His love for him. We loved that, and bore testimony that when we have that love of Christ in our lives, that no matter what trials we go through, no matter our losses, we will always have the promise and blessing of eternal life. He then said that he has definitely been able to see that in his life! So then, I looked at Hermana, then looked at him, and asked him that if he continued to apply the principles we have taught him, and as he gains a testimony of this gospel for himself, if he would want to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by the proper authority of God?....ahh, I will never forget the look on his face! He was just beaming, with a big grin on his face, and said, "yes, definitely!" We were so happy for him, and explained how much this decision will bless his life!! We set a date for June 30th, and he accepted. We asked him how he felt? He said that he has never felt happier, and that he knew this was right! He could not stop smiling, it was so cute!! I am so excited for him, and how blessed I know his life will be because of this decision.

It has truly been an amazing week, yet again. I am so grateful to be a part of this work, as I have been able to see the joy this gospel can bring into our lives. Life is definitely not easy, and can bring us some difficult trials, but that is the greatest thing about the gospel, is that, even if I had nothing else but my testimony and knowledge of the true and living God, and His plan for each of us, that would be enough. I have met some amazing people here, who have gone through harder times than I plan to see in my own life. They are a living testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel. I love it, and I love Heavenly Father. I love knowing that we are all children of God, and that He knows each of us personally. We can know this for ourselves by simply getting down on our knees, having a sincere heart, with the desire to know, and asking God for ourselves! I know that Heavenly Father will help you see the love He has for you, as long as we are willing to act upon those blessings. I am so grateful to be here, and am even grateful for the wonderful tan lines I have on my arms, legs and feet, that help remind me of the marks that this gospel has left in my life!  I love you all, and am so grateful for your prayers!! Can't wait to here from ya'll next week!! Mahalo!

Word of the week: Pulani= white person

A Week Full of Miracles

ALoha friends and family!!! Wow, so uhm, this week has pretty much been incredible! We have witnessed some amazing miracles all over the place here in the Visitor's Center.

Miracle #1: Thank you everyone who prayed for Sister Johnson. Looks like she was meant to be here on the Lord's errand! So, the doctors diagnosed her with an immunization disease...it has a really weird name; resulting in an inability to move the body, while suffering in extreme amounts of swelling and pain. This disease on average takes about 5-7 months to recover from. Sister Johnson is back in the VC after one week of being hospitalized, up and going, doing the work, as if nothing had ever happened. It has been such a testament of the miracles that our prayers and faith in Jesus Christ can bring. Pretty cool stuff. 

Miracle #2 We found two HUGEEEEE cockroches in our pad, and i'm still alive ;) Hahah. 

Miracle #3 Yesterday a girl walked in, who was just visiting Hawaii before school starts back up again. We taught her about the restoration of the gospel, about temples, and of course about the Book of Mormon. I explained to her that the Book of Mormon is so amazing because it can give us the strength and comfort we need, come any trial we will face in our lives. I explained that life is not easy, as she already knew, but that this book gives us the guidance and strength to overcome those trials as we put Christ as the center of our lives. For whatever reason I then said that reading this book can even help us with little things like boy problems!...haha, she grabbed the book and said, "I NEED TO READ THIS!" Haha, it was awesome. So we got her a copy, and she recorded her information so we can get those missionaries to her in California!

Miracle #4: I don't know if you would consider this a miracle, but I definitely do. So my companion and I went tracting on our area day, and we saw a lady out in her yard with her horse and dogs. So we started walking up her dirt driveway leading to her house, but she had walked inside. When we continued walking closer, the dogs started barking, so she had come back out asking if she could help us. We asked if we could share a message about Jesus Christ with her, and she just said no thank you, I'm Catholic (already seeing that we are missionaries), then started to head back inside.... Unnnntil, she saw that I was admiring her horse. Hah, because as we all know, i'm obsessed. She then kind of changed her attitude, and said, you can go ahead and pet him! You're more than welcome to come by any time and feed him apples and such! I was so happy. Not only am I definitely going to take her up on that offer, but I pray that as we continue to go back, that we will be able to talk to her more, and just get to know her. She seemed so sweet, and I think it would be really cool to simply become friends, and hopefully one day be able to share our testimonies of the gospel. Pretty AWESOMEEE!

I love the work that I get to do here. It is truly amazing. I wish I had time to share more miracles that I get to see and witness every day. I am meeting people from all over the world, and as I do, it is so cool to feel unity with them in the love of our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. I know that we are our Heavenly Father's children, and that He knows each of us individually. I know that if we are keeping his commandments, that the blessings are so worth the sacrifices we make to live those commandments. I know that we go through trials for a reason. Without sorrow, we have no knowledge of joy. I know that we show our faith in God through our works; our works of faith, of hope, of service, and gratitude. God's plan is a plan of happiness!! I love that. I KNOW that as we follow His path towards eternal glory, that we will see the blessings of that plan. I love you all so much, and pray for all of my friends and family daily. 

Thank you everyone for sending those e-mails! It means the world to me! If you did send me an email, if you could email back with your snail mail addresses so I can write you back, that would be awesome! 

Keep being great, and keep moving the work along!! Mahalo (Thank you and Goodbye ;) !!

14 MIRACLES IN THE LAIE ZONE

Aloha!!! This week has been absolutely crazy! 

Just a P.S., My P-day for this transfer is on Monday, and friends as well as family are more than welcome to email me at anne.moyes@myldsmail.net !! If you want a response, be sure to leave your address.

So Sister Rodriguez and I cover three wards: the Married Singles 6th Ward, the YSA 2nd Ward, and the BYU 1st ward here in Laie. I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of weird serving in single's wards, haha, but the work is just as good. And it helps that Sister Rodriguez already served in the YSA 2nd ward, so EVERYONE loves her! So we got our dinner appointments with no problem, haha. We are currently teaching a lot of less actives, and one investigator, hopefully soon to be two! One of the guys in our YSA ward is living with a roommate who is not LDS, so we're gonna get a lesson set up with him!! At the VC you get so many opportunities to share you testimony, and it has been so great. Sometimes you don't think the person would have any interest, and then you give them a referral card and they self-refer themselves!

One man came in all the way from Belgium! He said there was a building in Belgium that looks just like the temple, and so he was driving by and wanted to learn more about it. So we taught him about the temple, and how it plays a key role into our eternal happiness, and the blessings that come from it. We asked him questions, and continued to see what he was feeling. He just said it was really cool, and he liked how uplifting and positive our message is; especially with the world, today. So we then asked if he wanted to learn more about the gospel when he returned to Belgium, and he said, yeah, why not...so we gave him a card, and sure enough put his contact info for us!! It was pretty neat.

OHHHH andddddd!! I gave a deaf tour!!!! I was a nervous wreck the whole time, but it was so cool. I was able to teach about temples, and the priesthood, and the whole time the husband of the couple was just super interested, and I continued to ask him if he wanted to keep learning more, and he said sure! So I did. Then at the end of the tour, I grabbed a referral card, asking him he would like to learn more from representatives in his area (he's from Chicago), and sadly he said no =( Even more sad, during one of our PCC tram tours, a couple from Australia was talking to me the whole time, and asking me a ton of questions. I ended up teaching them the Restoration, because they wanted to learn more about Temples, so I taught the restoration, explaining the restoration of the Priesthood, leading to temples...oh and Sister Rodriguez was giving the tour during this time....I cant' give them yet because I don't have anything memorized, haha. SO I asked the couple at the end if they wanted to learn more when they went home, and both said yes, definitely! I explained to them that if they could fill out their cards we could do that. At the end of the tour, everyone got off the bus, and we took everyone's cards, and when I went through them afterwards, I found hers. She had checked a box saying she would love to have missionaries come teach her more about Jesus Christ. She left her name....but no number or address =( Bah, but I hope that if the opportunity arrives, they will be prepared for other missionaries.

I think the biggest reason this week has been so crazy is because my bestest friend and companion Sister Johnson got really sick =/ She is in the hospital, and will be for about another month. If everyone who reads this can keep her in your prayers, that would mean the world to me, as well as her and her family. She is seriously one of the strongest, most amazing Sisters/girls I have ever met. It has been really heartbreaking not having her here with me right now, but I know that as we continue to have faith, and pray for her, and ask for God's will, that everything will turn out for the best! After she is stable enough to fly, she will be sent back home to Salt Lake so her family can be with her while she is in the hospital. But, please please PLEASE keep her in your prayers, so that hopefully she can come back out soon!! 

So the reason this is titled 14 miracles, is because our Zone/district (same thing in this area) which is absolutely amazing...has a goal of 14 Baptisms this month. Our whole mission has a "high water-mark" of 100, and so if every companionship gets one baptism, we can totally get that! Every night everyone in the zone calls into a conference call at 10:14 to have zone prayer, and we always chant 14 MIRACLES, 14 MIRACLES, 14 MIRACLESSSSSS!...before hanging up, haha. So I invite everyone to pray, that we can get those 14 baptisms, or 14 miracles. This is about those people having a true conversion to come unto Christ...and that can be counted with baptisms. I know that Baptism by immersion, through the proper authority of God, is the gateway to Eternal salvation. It is through that first covenant and commandment that we can follow the path towards God. I am so grateful to be here, and so grateful for the people in this mission who have blessed my life. I'm noticing every day how imperfect I am, but am so grateful to know that I can renew my baptismal covenants each Sunday through the Sacrament, as well as getting down on my knees, asking my Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ's name, for forgiveness. I know that this gospel is true, and I know that as we continue to follow the spirit, and strive to have it in our lives, that we WILL feel peace and joy in all things...even our trials. 

I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for the wonderful examples I have in my life. Keep those letters coming! Until next week! 

ALOHA!

14 MIRACLES

ALOHAAAAAAA from HAWAII

Aloha!! Yup, it's official, I am in Hawaii, and I am in Heaven. I feel so overwhelmed with blessings right now! I've attached pictures with my traveling group, mission president and his wife, with Sister Johnson (my companion for a week in the MTC and first day in the field) my apartment...or how they say it here, a pad... and the beautiful view I get to look at every single morning through my window!!! So, enjoy! 

I cannot even begin to explain how beautiful it is here. Not just the place, but the people! Everyone is just so nice and so humble. Especially where I am...which is in the Laie Zone! I will be serving here for the next three months with my fabulous and AMAZING companion Sister Rodriguez! She has already taught me so much, and I could not have asked for a better trainer. She is from Guatemala, is the oldest of three sisters, and is just as crazy as I am, haha. Well, let me tell you about my adventures!!

So first, simply on the plane ride here, Sister Johnson and I sat next to this awesome guy, Jared, who is from Hawaii, 26 years old, and was just coming home for the summer! I felt sooooo impressed to teach him the gospel, and so I turned to Sister Johnson, and I just said, lets do it! So we had already been talking to him, and had gotten to know him, and asked him a thousand questions about Hawaii and the culture and the food and the animals, and so on a so forth. So then we asked him if he had ever been to the polynesian culture center (PCC), and said that he had. So then we asked if he had gone to the Visitor Center for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He admitted that he had not, but that he has a friend who went on a mission like us! Long story short, he had told us that he believed in God, but just didn't really feel like what he was raised learning in his church could be true. So we taught him the restoration of this gospel, and taught him that this church is the true and everlasting gospel that Jesus Christ himself established on the earth during His ministry, and that it had been restored upon the earth because of a boy that felt just like him. Eventually he allowed us to give him a Book of Mormon, said it couldn't hurt to try it...and then we promised him, after reading Moroni 10:3-5, that if he prayed to know these things were or were not true, that he would receive an answer! He said he would !!! We told him to add us on Facebook, and that when we get home from the mission, we'd love to keep in touch! It was pretty amazing. He is the one we have a picture with on the airplane!

So when we landed, the assistants and President Dalton and his wife came to pick us up!! It was pretty much the best day of my life. He did things with us that he said he had never done with arriving missionaries. But, being memorial day, he took us to the "Punch bowl," which is an inactive volcano that has been turned into a cemetery for all those who died in Pearl Harbor and in Vietnam and WWII. Of course, being my mother's child, I was bawling. It made me feel so appreciative of my amazing brother, Devan, and my cousin Al for their service to this country, my heroic Grandpa Nichols who was a pilot for the Navy in WWII and the Korean War, and my  Uncles Bruce and Paul , who served our country during the Vietnam War. The spirit was so strong, and I felt so close to you, family!

We then went to a baptism...yeah. I know. The very first few hours I'm in this beautiful place, and I get to witness a baptism. It was in the Tongan ward, and I just fell in love with the people here. Bahhh! It was great. The rest of the day was training! Then yesterday, I met my companion, did more training, then we went tracting, got rejected by like a thousand people, and it was AWESOME! Haha. Two people listened to us, and accepted a pass along card, though. And THAT is what it's all about. Then we drove to my beautiful home for the next three months, in Laie, got myself oriented with the beautiful visitor's center....stared at the temple forever, pinching myself over and over again, and then got my muumuu at the VC director's (Elder and Sister McDonough). This mission is amazing, my Mission President is amazing, and I love it. There is SOOOOOOO much work to be done, though !! But I cannot wait. You all are so amazing...and I know I say this every time, but I can truly feel your prayers every day. I know that this is where I am supposed to be, and life has never felt so good and so right. This gospel is true!!! I know that. Heavenly Father loves His children so much, and wants us to be happy. Something I've truly felt is that even if I had nothing in the world, at least I would have this gospel. Seriously, that is all that matters. God will take care of the rest in the end, as long as we are willing to give everything we have to Him. The Hawaiian people have taught me that. They don't care about their homes, or what their car looks like....but, what is shameful, is not sharing everything you have with company and friends. I LOVE that....except for the fact that the average weight gain for this mission is 40 pounds, hahah. But hey, if that's what it takes to gain trust, I'm on the Lord's errand, not mine. So many times we get caught up in what we don't have. Instead, we should be asking ourselves, what do I have that I can give and share with others. I know that as we forget ourselves, forget our weaknesses, forget our accomplishments, everything, and focus on the well-being of our friends as well as our enemies, that we will feel soooooo much more love and joy than we could possibly imagine.

I love you family and friends. I pray for you every day!  I cannot wait to move this gospel along. 1 Nephi 3:7, as we keep God's commandments, He will alwaysssss prepare a way for us! Mahalo!A