Recognizing the Lord's Hand

Hi hi!!!!

Hey y'all! How y'all doin? Hope all of y'all are doin well & are liking my Texas twang haha. I'm trying! I just love how fast time is just flying by on the mission. It trips me out every time how quick my week ends. Last week Monday for Pday, we all met at the park (in the hot Texas sun), & played soccer, sand volleyball & ultimate frisbee. It was so much fun, even though I was baking & I think it was like 100 degrees outside or something like that. Never complaining about Maui heat again lol. After getting all sweaty we all decided to go to the Stake Center to cool off for the remainder of our Pday. Thank goodness for AC! 

Pday in the COOL Stake Center!!!

On Tuesday we had district meeting. It was awesome as always. Sister Brohamer gave her first training & she did so great. So proud of her for sure! After district meeting, we all went to a sonic that was right in the middle of a water park called NRH20. We all decided that after the mish we were going to come back & actually swim haha. Later that night, after dinner, we planned to go & visit a family who ended up not being home & so Sister Villareal (who came on exchanges with us), had suggested that we go & visit the Nunes family. It was totally inspired cuz both Sister Brohamer & I have been trying to get in contact & visit with them but they would always never be home & just busy. Well, they ended up being home & we got to finally meet them & visit with them for a bit. Found out that they're from Hawaii & Sister Nunes teaches hula. Such a small world. I know it may not seem like a big deal to y'all but it totally was a huge blessing for us. Heavenly Fathers timing is always so perfect. It's the little things 😊

Texas mums! Kind of like corsages, I guess! LOL!

Wednesday we went to the food pantry with the district leaders & did service again. Love the food pantry & the workers their too. We had a little lesson with one of the workers name Jacob. He's super cool & we got to share with him some of our beliefs & what we do as missionaries. Gonna try & give him a Book of Mormon next time we see him. Thursday we did our weekly planning. Nothing too exciting happened. Friday we had a zone service. We did service for a sweet lady name Paulette. Most of us painted her outside porch thing, while others mowed her lawn & did some yard work. It was super fun & she even was so kind enough to feed all 20 of us 😋 Grilled some burgers & hot dogs. It was bomb!! Oh & did I mention that she has like 5 lemurs, 2 big huge tortoises, 2 parrots, a big rabbit, a dog & I think 2 cats (maybe). It's a zoo!!! It was crazy but fun for sure. Later that night we met with Lynn & got to meet his brother Tim who's moving to Texas. We got to share with time what we do as missionaries & we also talked about the Book of Mormon & ended up giving him one to read. Hopefully he'll end up in our area so we can teach him more. It was super good!!!

Dinner with Sister Bobo!

Saturday we went to the animal shelter again not knowing that they were having a big huge event & so many volunteers showed up so there really wasn't much for us to do. Later that day, we went & did service for this potential investigator name Brandy. She's super cute! Love being able to serve others 😊 later that night, we went & visited the Blackburn family. Trying to get them to come to church but it's hard cuz mom works & the kids don't wanna come by themselves. Nonetheless, we're gonna get them there one way or another! :)

Sleeping shaka! Check out Bennie making shaka in his sleep! :)

Sunday was another good Sunday.We had regular church & then meeting after meeting. It was long but still good. After dinner, we went & visited one of our investigators, Christy Martinez. Just love her! She's going through a lot right now but it's amazing how her faith in God has kept her strong through it all. That was kind of the "theme" of this week. Almost everyone that we met with this week, really opened up & shared some really hard things that they each went through in their lives. It's amazing how each person recognized the Lords hand in their lives, especially when they were faced with some of the most toughest battles. Made me think back to the Savior & what he had to go through when he atoned for our sins. We read in Alma 7:11-12, "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." It's amazing how much love he has for each of us. Only he could do such a remarkable thing. He took upon him the sins of the world so that he might know how to run to us & help us when we are faced with same difficulties. Makes me wanna live my life in total devotion to him. Makes me wanna become that much better.

Dinner with the Gromard bunch! So much fun!

I challenge y'all to ponder the atonement this week & see how you can devote your lives to the Savior. How can you make him happy & proud of you? Let me know what y'all think & how y'all feel after doing it 😊 I love all of y'all so very much!!!! Thanks for everything!!!!! Until next week my sweet 'ohana! Oh fun fact, just an interesting fact in case you guys were wondering, I did the math & it's actually now week 29 in the field & week 32 on the mish!!! I thought that was pretty cool & fun to know haha. Yay!! 🎉 have a great week everybody!!!!!! 💞

Love,
Sister Kamalani Kawa'a 😘

7 Months Already???

Hey y'all!!!

Love my companion so much!!!

How's everyone doing??? I hope everyone is having a good Monday! 😊 dang, this was yet again, another quick week. I hit that 7 month mark this past Saturday. It's crazy to think that I've been out 7 months now. Time is flying by! Anyways, this week was a blur so I apologize in advance if this email will seem short (it probably won't though.) Last week Monday was a normal fun Pday, playing sports & stuff. Tuesday we had our first Zone Council for the transfer. We talked about planning. Weekly planning, nightly planning, daily planning & hourly planning & how it's so important for us to have comp (companion) unity so the work can get done. It was an awesome topic. 

After Zone Council we went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders. I stayed in Watauga with Sister Eaton & Sister Brohamer went to Highland Station with Sister Clark. We had a busy afternoon full of visits, exchanges & teaching. It was good!!!

The Sister  Training Leaders!

Wednesday morning for workout, I taught Sister Eaton how to hula since she's obsessed with the Polynesian culture. She's so cute & it was so fun. Didn't realize how much I missed dancing hula. Talk about out of shape too....weh! Haha. Anyways, after studies & stuff, we went to the food pantry & did service with the elders. Love service!!! Then, we went to Highland Station to finish up exchanges. I always love being around other missionaries & learning & growing from them. It's so motivating!

My crazy Zone!

Thursday we had our first interviews with President Whitney. Very different from President Ames but nonetheless, it was still good! We also got to visit with Sister Whitney while our companion got interviewed. They're both so cute & so inspired.  Friday we went & did service at the animal shelter. I know what y'all are thinking, "Tita went to the animal shelter?" That's right! I was totally scared but eh, I sucked it up & I ended up having lots of fun 😁 it was awesome even though it really isn't my first choice. So I don't know if I mentioned this in my email last week but, about a week ago, a sweet recent convert named Cheryl (who got baptized out in Houston), came to church with her non member parents who live in our area. So like good missionaries, we felt inspired to seek out their address & drop by. Well, we did & the meeting went awesome!!! Cheryl & her parents were surprised to see us. They welcomed us in & talked with us. We even gave her parents a Book of Mormon & asked them to read it. They willingly took it & thanked us for stopping by. It was inspired cuz her mum kept saying, "Gods timing. We were gone all day & we had just gotten home & then we were going to be out again." Her mum knew that the Lord had us come by at just the right time. We're hoping to return to their home soon to teach them more about the gospel 😊

Sweet Cheryl (recent convert)

Saturday we did lots of contacting but no one wanted to open their door & let us in. It's okay though! We'll just keep bugging them lol. We went to a baptism all in Spanish. Thought that was cool. We even invited one of our investigators who speaks Spanish but she didn't come :( it was still a good day though! Sunday was yet again another great one. We did a zone fast for missionary work & let me tell you, I just love fasting. I use to complain cuz I was ALWAYS hungry, but I've learned to appreciate the power of fasting & what it can really do for us both spiritually & mentally. It's a great opportunity for us to become even that much more closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to leave y'all with a challenge, the next time you have an opportunity to fast, think about what it means to "fast with real intent." I promise you & I testify, that as y'all do so, you will gain a more better understanding of what our Heavenly Father means to us. You will truly feel his love for you as you continue to strengthen your relationship with him. Rely upon the atonement & open the door to eternal life. 

I love y'all so, so, so much!!!! Let us remember the little things!!!! Have a fabulous week my beautiful family 💞 until next week!!! Hurrah for Israel!!!

Love,
Sister Kamalani Kawa'a 😘

Willing to do Whatever it Takes!

What's up my sweet family!!!

Well, it's now week 27 on the Lords errand 😊 another quick week. This week consisted of service & contacting. Last week Monday for Pday, we all hung out at the church as a zone & played basketball, volleyball, scatter ball & ultimate frisbee. It was fun cuz I got to meet everyone. So far, I am loving Watauga a lot. Itʻs awesome! We ended the night with a nice 4th of July bbq & the Wagner home. It was good food!!!

PDay Fun with our zone leader!

Fourth of July BBQ Dinner at the Wagners home!

Tuesday we did service for a sweet lady named Toni who's married to a member. We helped her organize her business things while the elders did some work outside. Then we had a really good discussion with her about prayer & how Heavenly Father is always so mindful of us. She's so sweet.  Wednesday we had district meeting. It was good. We talked about the importance of having full purpose mornings, in order to be prepared & ready for the day ahead. Pretty good topic if you ask me. Later that evening, we went out & contacted a few people & then we met with the Saafi family. Brother Saafi is a very recent convert & we don't really get to see them that much cuz they transferred their records to the Tongan Ward. They're still so awesome & such a sweet family.

I love my zone!

Thursday we had our weekly planning which always seems like forever. Still very important though for sure. We went out & tried to contact & find more people before dinner. After dinner, we met with another sweet lady, Sister Merrifield. We had a great lesson about enduring well to the end & recognizing the Lords hand in all things. It was great.  Friday we went & did service at the food pantry. It was so much fun! The whole district shows up too. We got a lot done & we stayed longer than usual to help out with the clean up part. It always brings so much happiness to me whenever I get to serve those around me. After service, we had to get our tires checked at Firestone & while we were there, we ended talking to this guy name Lifford. He's super cool & right before we were about to leave, he ended up giving us his number & invited us over to his house for some gumbo. Too bad he's out of our area 🙁 we did tell him that if we were ever in his area, that we would stop by. I just loving meeting new people who get interested in learning about what we do for 18-24 months & what we believe in. It blows people's minds sometimes when they hear that we're so young yet, we choose to give up a short amount of our time on this earth to fully serve the Lord. It makes me proud of the decision that I made to share the gospel with those who are unaware or who are searching for it. It makes all the hard times worth it!

My companion, Sister Brohamer, is the best!

Saturday we met with Lynn & his friend Lisa. It was a good lesson but Lynn did tell us that he won't be getting baptized into our church. Sad! We aren't gonna give up though. Maybe it's not his time right now. We are going to continue to work with him & figure things out. Please pray for him!!!!! Sunday was yet again another good Sabbath Day. The talks that were given & the lessons taught were all about being obedient & being willing to accept whatever the Lord asks of us. Kind of cool cuz I've been pondering that a lot this week. Are we willing to do what the Lord asks of us? I was reading a talk earlier in the week from President Monson about how obedience truly does bring blessings. One example of this is found in the story of Lehi when he was commanded by the Lord to leave all that he knew & take his family & depart into the wilderness. I'm sure if I was Lehi, I would probably question, wonder & worry about a lot of things but nevertheless, Lehi willing obeyed & did what the Lord commanded him. Let us be like Lehi & be willing to do whatever the Lord asks of us. I've seen the blessings that come from being obedient. It can be a hard thing but remember what I've always said, life is hard, not the gospel. Teaching is rough here in Watauga but we aren't giving up. Determined to find those who are ready to hear the gospel. I love you all SO MUCH!!! I miss you guys everyday but I am so grateful for the love & the support that I've received while on this amazing journey. Have a great week my sweet family!!!! Until next week 😚 hurrah for Israel!!!

Love,
Sister Kamalani Kawa'a 😘

Let it Go and Let Him In

Aloha e ku'u 'Ohana! WEEK 26!!! (I think?) 🤔

How's everyone doing? I hope that you all are staying safe & having a good 4th of July weekend so far. Well, my first few days here in Watauga was great! It's very different from Azle but, it's a good different. I love it so far! My week was a little slower then usual. We're mostly just trying to find people to teach. So, here's how my week went. Last week Monday, we had our last zone Pday before transfers. It was so much fun. We did the normal, volleyball & scatter ball. 

Our last PDay together!

Later that night, Sister Slade & I had dinner with the Haughwout family. After we said our goodbyes to them, we walked out & saw a beautiful big double rainbow. It was my very first rainbow that I saw one here in Texas. It was a perfect reminder to me of how much our Heavenly Father loves his children. I just love the little things 😊

The Haughwout Family

Beautiful double rainbow! Thank you, Heavenly Father!

On Tuesday we went & saw Sister Bartlett. Itʻs been so long & it was so nice to visit with her for a bit & share a message with her. After lunch, we had my last lesson with Don. Sister Walser came along with us & got Donʻs mom to sit in on the lesson. It was such a spiritual lesson about the Word of Wisdom & the Law of Chasity. His mom even agreed with the things that we were teaching him & it was such a huge blessing for Don cuz, she wanʻt so supportive when she found out that he was interested in "joining a cult." She was able to see that we worship Jesus Christ & that we arenʻt so weird after all! As we were getting ready to leave, he got sad when he found out that I was being transferred. He said that he is so grateful for everything & that he will miss me a lot. I thought about how most of the time, we never fully realize the impact that we can have  on someone & how we have the power as missionaries, to testify & teach by the Spirit. I know that as we do so, we can help & bless the lives of those we come in contact with each & every day. I know this to be true cuz I have seen it happen. It's so awesome!

My last lesson with our investigator, Don!

Saying good bye to Sister Queen Deb and Brother Honeybun! I will carry you in my heart always!

Wednesday was TRANSFERS!!!!! Got up, packed up my last minute stuff, took one last look around the apartment, said my goodbyes to my daughter Slade (missionary terms), said goodbye to the beautiful country side & headed off to the Hurst Stake center. I was filled with so many mixed emotions. I never expected to feel like I was once again leaving home & leaving family. Early in my mission, as most of you know, I was very homesick & always longed to be home with the ones I loved. I remember my first day here in Texas & while we were at the mission home with President & Sister Ames, I had asked President for a priesthood blessing. In the blessing, he said, "you will cry more tears when you leave, then you did while coming here." couldn't help but think of how true that was. Although it was a sad goodbye, I know that I will have that same feeling no matter where I go. It's just amazing to see how the Lord works. It's always not what you wanna hear at the time but what you need to hear. 

Good bye, Stutz 'ohana!

The Sanborn/Johnson 'ohana

Saying a hui hou to my comp/daughter, Sister Slade.

Transfers!!! And my MTC companion, Sister Black (all the way in the back).

Anyways, my new companions name is Sister Brohamer 😁 & guess where's she's from? Utah! She is so cute & so far we've been having way too much fun with each other. My first day in Watauga was great! Did service & went out & visited people. Fun!

My beautiful new companion, Sister Brohamer!

Mission tour!

Thursday was our weekly planning. We went through our entire area book & organized everything up to make plans to visit & contact people. It was good!!  Friday we went & did service at the food pantry. I just love helping people & seeing how much they appreciate the little things that are given to them. After service, we went home, got ready & headed to the Stake Center to meet our new mission President & his wife. I LOVE THEM!!! They are the cutest. Hearing President & Sister Whitney speak & bear their testimonies about their new calling & how much they love the Lord was amazing. They have so much love for one another & you can just feel their gratitude for the opportunity that they now have to serve the Lord. I'm excited to see what he has in store for us missionaries 😊 Later that evening, we got stood up by one of our only investigators, Lynn. He's pretty cool though if you ask me, even though we only got to talk for a little bit.

Some of Lynn's artwork.

Saturday we finished up organizing all of the area books. We then went & showed up to help a family move but once again we got stood up cuz we found out later that the members ended up postponing the move. It's all good though cuz we ended up having the opportunity to attend a baptism all in Spanish & we also got to see President & Sister Witney again. I ended up giving Sister Whitney my clip with the Texas flag painted on it & we showed President how to put it on haha. They're so cute!

I love my new companion, Sister Brohamer!

Sunday was a good Sunday! My first sacrament meeting in Watauga. Everyone was surprised to see a new sister but welcomed me with open & loving arms. I always love fast & testimony cuz we get to hear the testimonies of others & help each other learn & grow in the gospel. So far, it has been great here in civilization. I'm loving every minute that I have here. Heavenly Father sure works in mysterious ways. I've been thinking a lot about this quote this week, "if you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. If you want me but no longer need me, then I must go." I know that Heavenly Father knows each of his children personally. He knows what we need, what we want & he knows the desires of our hearts. He places us not where we want to be, but where we need to be. It's always uncomfortable at first but once we allow the Savior into our lives & into our hearts, we will have the opportunity to become who we were sent here to become. I love my Savior so much & I am humbled by the sacrifices that he made in order for me to be able to return to live with my Heavenly Father some day. Life is hard & we all know that, but let us strive each day to become that much more closer to reaching our true potential. Let it go & let him in. I love y'all so much & I am blessed to have each of you as part of my life. Thanks for the updates & for the emails. Keep them coming!!! 👌🏽 have a blessed week my sweet family. 

Aloha nui au iā ʻoukou pākahi a pau. I lā maikaʻi!!! HAPPY 4TH
🎉🍾🎆🇺🇸 stay safe y'all!!!! Until next week!!!
Love,
Sister Kamalani Kawa'a 😘

My last dinner in Azle with Sister Wolfe and Sister Sherill.