This past week, for me as well, has been quite uneventful to be honest. We had several awesome visits with the Naiaga family, and we talked about temples this past week! I love teaching about the temple, the importance of IT and the ordinances done therein. My favorite thing about teaching is that as I study and execute these lessons, I'm also reminding myself of these things. As I bear testimony to those I see every day, I remind myself of the reason that I'm out here dong this great work. I've learned in the mission that missionary success isn't based off how bible/Preach My Gospel/Book of Mormon smart you are. It is not based off how much you know. Missionary success truly is based off how much you love the people and how much you desire THEIR happiness and salvation. It's based off your motivation to work and bring people to Christ. HOWEVER, boys, it's still more important than I can even express to study these things as you prepare for a mission. These books have built the testimony I hold dear and share today. These books have wiped away any and all of the slightest of doubts I've ever had about Joseph Smith and this church and this gospel.
I'm reminded of the Alma scripture I shared with yous weeks back (which I learned was the entire chapter of Alma 29. Check it out, it's wayy good), about Alma the Younger just WISHING that he could preach repentance unto all the world with the voice of a trump. Alma just wants to be the ULTIMATE missionary and reach out to EVERYONE so EVERYONE can be saved. This scripture has been coming into my head lately because a good majority of our work nowadays consists of finding and working with less-active members. Finding is tough because our area is mostly methodist and Hindu homes and families. HOWEVER, Alma recognizes that the work moves at the Lord's pace and not ours, and we WILL do whatever the Lord wills that we should do. He WILL guide us IF we are sensitive to his Spirit and obedient to his commandments. Also, something that is also really important to remember is that this work is NOT about numbers. At all. Something that bugs me is when missionaries focus on the numbers more than the needs of the people. We need to get X amount of lessons this week and do X amount of this and teach these people X amount of lessons before we can reach our X number of saints this month. Yes, it is very very important to reach out to as many people as possible and share this gospel with as many souls as possible, but not NEARLY as important as it is to prayerfully seek guidance and strength and knowledge. When you follow numbers, people often go appointment to appointment blindly to get the numbers in for the week. EVERY appointment and EVERY contact needs to be prayerfully thought out and planned. EVERY lesson must be based on the needs of the person. They are people, they are sons and daughters of God in need of the gospel and the sweet joy it can bring them and their families, they are NOT marks on a page. In closing of this little rant, Alma then goes to tell that the amount of people he brings to Christ does not matter. What matters is that he loves the people and desires their salvation. Numbers do not bring him joy. Knowing the blessings that this gospel has in store for those who are willing to hear and accept it brings him joy, and a joy that fills his entire soul.
In regards to the letters:
Ahre, papa!
Which, translated into Hawaiian, I understand would be:
Ai aue, makuakane!
I'm glad you're safe, dad! That's way scary!
Lehia, you're unbelievable. Hand gets ripped up by an eel one weekend, stung up by jellyfish the next. YOUS JUST STAY INSIDE, OI LEI. Seriously though, I'm super glad you're both safe and unharmed for the most part. Do me a favor and wait a week or a year or two to do something like that again, ay? Vinaka vakalevu.
Other than that little thing, I'm glad everyone's doing well!! In closing, what the heck, ek chota gawahi.
Ham apaan gawahi maangta share kare, ham janta hai ki ee susu machaar sachey hai. Hamar paas ek bahut gawahi ki Bhagwaan aur Ishu Masih uulog rahe, aur uulog humlogke bahut bahut pyaar karta hai. Ham janta hai ki Bhagwaan mangta ki humlog kushihro, aur humlog sakta kushiharo kab humlog Bhagwaan ke commandments picha picha chale karo. Ham ee susu machar bahut pyaar karta hai, aur ham ee mission bahut pyaar karta hai. Ham bahut kushi hai, aur ham kam karta hai. Ham ye sub ishu Masih ke naam se kyete hai, Amen.
I'm actually impressed with how much I was able to write without assistance. Guess I'm improving! I can't wait to speak it to you folks personally in a few months! Oh man, Diwali is next week Sunday. Apparently, sleep is discouraged on Diwali. Nobody will try to stop you, but they blow off massive fireworks all day everywhere until about 6amthe next morning. BUT people go around handing out sweets to houses, which is exciting. It's kind of like reverse Halloween.
ANYWAYS, we'll be heading out soon so I'll end here. This week, heaps of work will get done! I feel it. I can't believe that in a week, I'll only have as much time left as a sister missionary has altogether. Still salty about that, being cheated of a month.
I love you guys so much, thank you for everything yous have done for me. Give my love to the ward and the rest of the family! Until next week!
Ham aaplogke bahut pyaar karta hai, moce!!
Elder Ishibashi
Also, can you please have Herbert send me a list of his areas here? Thank you!
-Na beka (bats) There were HEAPS in the sky on Saturday evening!
-Poor guy. Never made it back to the ocean.
-It's hard to take a squad selfie because you have to angle it and look up, and up is where the sun is
-Caught this baby in the chapel a few Preparation days ago and never got around to sharing it. I released it immediately after because it pooped in my hand.
-LOOK AT THIS FRIEND I MADE IN THE SHOWER LAST WEEK. I THINK HE WANTS A PET.
-LOOK AT THIS FRIEND I MADE IN THE HALLWAY YESTERDAY. I DON'T KNOW THAT HE WANTED A PET BUT I GAVE HIM ONE ANYWAY.
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