Letʻs Put HIM First On Our List!

Howz it y'all!! Haha!

Can't believe that in a few days it will be March. Time is just going. The work is going great. We've found 2 new people to teach. So quick story, last month we went on exchanges with the seminary teacher, Sister Yanda. We asked her to pray about who she wanted to visit. She wanted to visit Sister Robbins who's grandson is seminary age but not attending. We talked to Sister Robbins and none of her grand kids came to talk to us till the end. We've made visits once a week since then & her grand daughters have been going to church & activities. Ella, her youngest granddaughter is 9 & not yet baptized. We are now going to start teaching her the lessons :) it's so cool to see how we went in planing to teach her grandson but now are blessed and are able to teach her granddaughters. We found that Ella's sister, Libby, loves to sing so when we go over to their home, we sing with them.  So awesome to see how powerful it is to work with members.

The Steinfels always feed them and Sister Steinfels gives them cooking lessons!

Our investigator Summer is going through a lot! PLEASE pray for
her!! We haven't been able to meet with her for 2 weeks now but, we stopped at her work place & she was so happy. The look on her

face was priceless. She told us that she just hasn't had anytime &

she misses us. We're hoping to meet with her on Wednesday after

school. Our other investigator, Jordan, is so awesome!! She's

learning & growing so much. We've committed her to pray about a date for baptism & to pray that her parents will be supportive of her

decision. Hoping all goes well when we meet with her tonight.

We've been meeting with the Hurst family & their daughter Ekko

had a friend over who didn't know what Mormons were & what we

believed in. Perfect missionary opportunity!!!  We ended up

teaching her about the first vision & we showed her the video of

Joseph Smith. The Spirit was so strong & she wants to learn more!

We're hoping to meet with her again this up coming week. We also

invited her to our "Movies with the Missionaries" activity this

Saturday :) hopefully she comes!!

I just LOVE this gospel SO much!!! I have a testimony that Jesus is

our Savior & that he & Heavenly Father, knows us & love us so much. I feel the love of my Savior everyday on my mission. I know that he is working miracles everyday. I know that our Heavenly Father, hears & answers our prayers. He's blessed my life so much. He's helped me understand that all our efforts count. Even the little ones. I know that if we put him first on our list, he will put us first on his list. At the very beginning of my mission, I was SO worried about home & about my family. I learned to just give it to the Lord & to allow him to help me. By doing so, I've seen him just take care of everything. He's blessed me with the opportunity to serve him & he has also blessed my family in so many different ways. With Bubs now preparing for his mission & with my sweet Hoewa'a family taking the discussion back home. The Lord truly works miracles if we but heed to his council & be obedient to his commandments. If we do what he wants us to do, he will help us push forward & endure well to the end so that we can receive everlasting joy.

Sister Walker (next to Kamalani) and another Sister from the Azle Ward

We have everything we need within the church of Jesus Christ and his gospel to obtain that joy for ourselves. As covenant children, we take upon ourselves the name of the Lord, which means that we take upon ourselves the work of the Lord. I know that the work of the Lord is so important! Let us seek ways & find opportunities to share the gospel with those around us each day. I testify that the gospel will change lives. It's such a humbling experience whenever I see our investigators learning & growing their faith in our Savior. Let's put him first on our list! I love y'all SO much & miss y'all everyday! Until next week my sweet ʻohana.  Thank you for the support and the love!!!!!!!

"Hurrah for Israel!"

Love,
Sister Kawa'a

P.S.
Y'all can always reply to my emails :) & I can receive them any day of the week. I just won't be able to respond till Monday's come. But
anyways, I would love to hear how y'all are doing :) have an awesome week!!!!!  Here's my address if any of y'all want to send me stuff and thank you SO much for all the letters, care packages, goodies, etc. It really means a lot!!!!!
1045 Timberoaks Dr. #3
Azle, Texas 76020

Week 7 :) Get it Together Kawaʻa! Itʻs Gonna Be Ok!

Aloha my sweet ʻohana!  Well it's official, everyone thinks I'm
Mexican (or at least all the Mexicans do LOL) It's now week 7! Where does the time go? I have no idea!!! Anyways, so this week was filled with ups and downs. Normal missionary life. The work is going good. Can't complain! They feed us a lot here....I don't know if I should be worried or thankful haha. All I have to say is thank goodness we have to workout every morning lol. Last week for Pday, we got together as a zone one last time before transfers (when some of the missionaries leave to go to another area). We played glow in the dark scatter ball.  We had to cover our selves with lots of glow sticks. It was so much fun!! And yes, we set time to do our weekly emails as well. It's always fun getting together and being around others who have the same values and goals as you do. Always so encouraging and uplifting to hear each other's testimonies and experiences with missionary work.

Truly "Sisters" in Christ!

Our investigator Summer, will now be baptized on March 12 instead of February 27. We had to move her baptism cause she had lost a very close friend of hers in a head on collision. When we met with Summer she was so upset. She's taking it very hard. Talking to her brought back so many memories for me. It was nice to talk with her and share with her what helped me and what will help her as she goes through this difficult time in her life. PLEASE pray for Summer! We also didn't get to meet with Jordan (our other investigator) she also was close to the girl who passed away and then she got really sick but, we have an appointment with her tonight so hopefully everything works out :) She noticed that Sister Matson might be getting transferred at the end of next month so she said, "oh no! That means I have 6 weeks to get baptized before she leaves!" She's so cute and hey, you never know what could happen haha.

Serving the Lord!

We've been working a lot with both members and less active members.  Did I mention that I LOVE THEM!!!!!!  I think I mention it in every email haha. We've been going to the homes of the member and sharing with them the importance of the sacrament. We share with the them the Mormon message "always remember him." I highly recommend for all of you to watch it. It's a perfect reminder to us of the importance of the sacrament and the reasons why we take it. We also ask them what they do to prepare for the sacrament and how we can improve ourselves to be more better prepared to take the sacrament. It has really opened my eyes and hearing their own testimonies is the best part.  We haven't been having much success with finding new investigators but, our relationships with this Ward has truly gotten stronger.

Sister Kawaʻa and precious Eva!  She loves the Walker ʻohana!

I've come to truly love everyone and see them the way that our Savior sees and loves us. It has changed my perspective on a lot of things.  Being on my mission has taught me so much already and I'm sure I have a lot more to learn. This week has reminded me to get over myself and let the Lord take over. The Lord is working with us everyday and I see his hand in my life each day. When it starts to get hard and I feel like giving up I often tell myself, "Get it together Kawaʻa! It's gonna be ok!" I have been praying for help to just love my mission and lose myself in the work. I was reminded that there are so many people who are longing to serve a mission but can't due to health problems or other issues. I am blessed to be able to serve my Heavenly Father each day and there is nothing that I take for granted. I am so grateful to be on his errand, doing his will. Saying what he would say, doing what he would do and being who he wants me to be. I am far from perfect and I am learning that Heavenly Father wants us, imperfect people so that he can mold us and shape us into something better. I love and miss you all and I thank y'all SO much for all the support and encouraging
words. Until next week!

Press forward! Trust in the lord with all thine heart!

Me Ke Aloha Pauʻole,
Sister Kawa'a

Sister Missionaries in the Texas Fort Worth Mission!

The Lord Doesn't Make Any Mistakes!

Aloha y'all! How's everyone doing? Hope y'all are having a good day!  So, this week went by really fast. My days go by in a blink of an eye.  Crazy! Anyways, we had a good week. Last week we had zone council and received such good, spiritual, training from other missionaries in the zone. It was really good. They really emphasized on the importance of working with members and Ward council. After the meeting we all ate lunch together at a members house (Mama Bell). We had waffles and ice cream for lunch. Talk about sore stomach haha. It's always fun and encouraging to be with other people who all have the same standards and goal as you have.

Reunited with Sister Black, her MTC companion, at Zone Council!

Zone Council

Fun tracking story. So, we went to visit a member and on our way back to our car we met a very interesting guy. I call him "duck dynasty" but he said he's name is Hippie. We later found out his name is Jack. We walked over to talk to him and his friend (who we found out is a less active) came out to talk with us. When Sister Matson shook Hippies hand, he grabbed her hand to kiss it and she quickly pulled her hand away. His friend turned to him and was like um you don't do that with them. Small kine weird, funny and awkward lol. After talking with him, we gave him a Book of Mormon and our card. He was so happy that he wanted 2 more cards to give to his friends. He even wanted us to sign the book and he wrote stuff for us on a card. We think he wasn't all there (high on something) but hey, we still tried to share the gospel with him. He even wanted to take a picture with us. Such an interesting guy for sure.

Duck Dynasty a.k.a. Hippie

This week went by quick for us even though most of our appointments fell through. They were either sick or out of town but, I am learning that working with members is such an important thing out here. I'm thankful that the members are always so eager and willing to do missionary work. Makes our job a little less stressful lol. We had awesome  spiritual lessons with members. Always learning something new every time I teach. Whenever we have dinner in a member's home we have
to share a spiritual message. When they say that the choice is ours
(which they do most of the time) we decided to share with them the importance of the sacrament. We also had them watch the Mormon message "always remember him." Such a powerful message and a testimony builder for sure. I always love hearing their testimonies and hearing how the sacrament blesses their life each day. Always so humbling. I think they strengthen me more then I strengthen them.

Sister missionaries rock!

Right now we are still working with our investigators. Summer's
baptism is coming up on the 27th so please keep her in your prayers.  We don't have any new investigators yet but we will keep trying.  Tracking is different then I thought it was going to be. Most of them wouldn't open their door to talk to us. I think they get scared when they see us. If only they knew that we're actually a lot more scared then they are haha. But anyways, tracking is fun. I like meeting new people and telling them what we believe in and how God has blessed our lives. Most of the people here in Texas already believe in God so they think their good. I've learned that having a belief in God is much more than just knowing him. It's constantly remembering him, remembering who he was, what he did and how he overcame so much. His
love is everlasting. He loves us no matter how many times we turn away from him. This mission is teaching me to truly change my heart. I'm learning how to love unconditionally.  Heavenly Father has blessed me with so much an now I have the opportunity to share my happiness with others. I love you all and I hope y'all are continuing to put the Lord first in all things. Always remember, the Lord doesn't make any mistakes. Never doubt and don't give up! Remember your worth and that God loves you, yesterday, today and forever. Have a good week my
'ohana!

Me ke aloha pauʻole,
Sister Kawaʻa

P.S.
Happy 18th birthday to my "Brudder" Kamaehu love & miss you Buds!  I hope you have a special day spent with the fam. Aloha au iā ʻoe! 

Get Out of the Way and Get Over Ourselves!

Texas livin'!

Aloha family! This week was filled with ups and downs. Normal missionary life haha. I must say this, I am learning to truly love everyone and to have patience. If you know me patience is something that I always need to work on. I've always been told that patience is a virtue. My patience really was tested this week. On a positive note, I love the members here. I know I say that in every email but it's true! They are SO awesome and they call me Sister Poly (don't ask). Oh and I got to teach the activity girls how to hula :) That was definitely the highlight of my week. They were SO happy and so grateful. It was so much fun and funny too haha. 

Hula lessons with the Primary Activity girls!

Last week we had exchanges and so I stayed in Azle and Sister Matson went to Hudson Oaks. Yes I had to drive and I also had to take the lead which was my goal for the exchange. We went with Sister Walser who's a member, and visited 2 less active families. The first family was the Hickey family. We met an awesome older lady who had been away from church for years. She had been doing her family history and was very grateful for us stopping by and helping her. We talked to her about the blessing of the temple and encouraged her to make it a goal to go to the temple. She's so awesome. We also went and visited the Smith family. An older couple who hadn't been to church because of health issues. It was so nice to visit Brother & Sister Smith. Brother Smith is doing much better then the first time I met him. Sister Smith was willing to come to church after we start getting her husband back to church so that's a start. We invited Brother Smith to come to church now that he's feeling better & guess what? He came :) it was so nice to see him there with a big smile on his face. 

The Dynamic Duo!  Sister Kawa'a and Sister Matson!

Later in the week I was having a hard time. I felt like we were doing very little to find those to teach. It was frustrating for me and I was very impatient with myself. I ended up asking for a Priesthood blessing because I was just not feeling good. I broke down and felt like giving up. I remember praying and asking Heavenly Father what I am doing wrong? That blessing was exactly what I needed. It reassured me that it wasn't that I was doing something wrong, I just need to stop being stubborn and stop being so hard on myself. I fasted yesterday (which felt like forever lol) but I sincerely and specifically fasted for one of our investigators Jordan and for opportunities to teach. I prayed and asked for her to come to church and to have her questions answered. Well, she came to church, stayed all 3 hours and she said she loved it :) We also had another lesson with her but Sister Matson and I were unsure of what to teach her so, we prayed really hard and we got the answer to show her the Restoration video. After watching it, we asked her what she thought and she said it was just what she needed because it answered the little questions that she had. My prayers were answered! Seeing her faith grow each time we meet with her is so humbling for me. My MTC teacher once said, "It's not about you. Get out of the way and get over yourself!" I just love that because if we get over ourselves and make room for the Spirit, we will see little miracles happen right in front of our eyes.

Teaching investigators!

Missionary work is not an easy one but it sure will be worth it. I was told that this time is a time that will prepare me for the rest of my life and it's something that I will NEVER regret. I was humbled and I am learning that we should never dwell on things that don't really matter in Gods eyes. In the October 2015 General Conference, Elder Larry R. Lawrence said, "If spiritual growth is not a priority in our lives, if we are not on a course of steady improvement, we will miss out on the important experiences that God wants to give us. Sometimes, we need to ask what we are doing right so that the Lord can lift and encourage us." My sweet 'ohana, let us continue to press forward and always remember that all is well. Let's get out of the way and get over ourselves. We can't always have a good day. We need to have rough times so that we can grow, change and become better. I testify that as we seek for opportunities to grow, our prayers will be answered and Heavenly Father will allow us to become who we were meant to be. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord. I love y'all so much and I'm so grateful for your support, your emails, your letters and your encouragement. Til next week! Y'all have a good week :) Hurrah for Israel! 

Best companion ever!  Sister Matson!

P-Day fun with the other missionaries!

Me Ke Aloha,

Sister Kawa'a 

My Favorite Calling is Being a Missionary!

Aloha my sweet family :) how are y'all? I hope y'all are having a good
day so far! Well, this coming Saturday will mark my 1 month out here
in Texas. It is so crazy how fast this month went by. I am learning
and growing each and every day of my mission. Missionary work is hard
work but always worth it. This week was full of ups and downs. But it
was good. I like to say, "if you don't have a bad day then you ain't
working hard enough" lol. I had been having a hard time cause I guess
I was being too hard on myself. Being stubborn of course, and not
being able to allow myself to recognize or see the Lords hand in my
life. We had a busy week ahead of us and planned on visiting with
lots of people but what we forgot to do was have back up plans. The
most important part.

Giving service!  Is that trash???  LOL!

Last week, we taught a new investigator, another young woman. Her name
is Jordan and she's friends with Ally. We shared with her about the
Restoration and we talked about the Book of Mormon. I gave her a Book
of Mormon with my testimony in it. Really hope she felt something when
reading it. We asked her about her thoughts on being baptized and she
says that she wants to but, she just needs to talk with her parents
more about it. So, it is a start lol. The next day we taught Summer :)
She is SO awesome. We talked about the Plan of Salvation. The
Pre-Earth life, our life on Earth, and the Spirit World. She's getting
very excited. We also showed her the baptismal font and her face just
lit up. It's very cool to see the light of Christ just shine through
her. We also taught Betty Riley again (the 81 year old). We're helping
her understand the prophet Joseph Smith. We showed her the video about
his first vision and she definitely felt something. She's getting
there and hopefully she will be ready for her baptism in March.


We met with a really awesome, crazy sister. Her name is Sister Kordes.
She's so funny. Sister Abraham (who we love) took us to go meet her
and help her get started with her family history. Sister Kordes is a
less active due to health problems. Getting to know her was probably
the high light of my week :) She's so diligent and wants to learn more
and more about the gospel. She's been going through a lot so it's nice
to help her recognize the Lord and help her understand that he has
been there and continues to be there every step of the way. We invited
her to the Relief Society activity but she couldn't come cause she
ended up getting really badly hurt so praying for her. We ended going
to the Relief Society enrichment. It was so much fun!They had a speed
meeting activity, almost like speed dating. It was a perfect way to
get to know the Sisters in the Ward. They're so cute!

On Thursday, we had interviews with President Ames. It was SO awesome.
We got some awesome council from our district leaders and zone leaders
on how to work better with our investigators as well. My interview
with President was amazing. I know it sounds like I'm over
exaggerating, but it really was something else. Anyways, before
meeting with him I had prayerfully thought about some questions that I
wanted to talk about since we only had 15 minutes each with him. So I
went in to the interview ready and so pumped to get some spiritual
guidance and council. As we talked I was able to receive revelation
and answers to my questions. He reassured me that our Heavenly Father
wants us to be patient with our selves and he wants us to take each
day and make it the best. We talked about how important it is for us
missionaries (and members) to NEVER FORGET that Heavenly Father sees
our efforts each day and blesses us for it. It's important for us to
recognize his hand in our lives.

I was asked what my favorite calling is in the church and I
immediately said, "My favorite calling is being a missionary!" I truly
love it. It is so awesome to wake up every morning, put my name tag
on, study the scriptures and then go out and share with people and
families about the restored gospel. We don't always have perfect days
but we always do our best in opening our mouths. I am realizing that
it's our job as members and missionaries to not be afraid. We need to
be confident in bearing our testimonies and sharing with others the
joys that we experience everyday. God is our loving Heavenly Father
and we are his children. He wants us to be happy. Not temporarily buy
eternally happy. Everyday is a new day for us to start over and try
again. My dear friends and family, let us never forget how important
we are to God and that he sees us and he walks with us each day. Let
us be obedient to his teachings. I love you all and I thank you all SO
much for your emails and letters. Thank you for the encouragement and
for supporting me. Let us open our mouths and talk with anyone and
everyone about the gospel of Jesus Christ. In closing I'll leave with
you this scripture, D&C 18:15 "For if it so be that you should labor
all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring save it
be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the
kingdom of my Father!" Have a beautiful week my sweet family. Aloha au
iā ʻoukou pākahi a pau. Haʻo au iā ʻoukou a aloha nui au iā ʻoukou. Ke
Akua pū. I love y'all :)

Me ke Aloha,
Sister Kawa'a