Thanksgiving Day on Molokai!

Hey everyone, it has been a good week.  We did have 4 Thanksgiving dinners throughout the week and 2 of them were on Thanksgiving.  We spent those 2 with the Nakayamas (who we live with) and the Apuna's fed us dinner later on.  It was pretty much the same as at home.  Just the normal traditional stuff, although nobody does deviled eggs here which makes me pretty bummed, but it's all good they are all so awesome.  They take really good care of us, probably too good because I have gained so much weight, haha.  It was a little bit slow as far as the work goes with the holiday and what not but still really good.  On Thanksgiving Day we didn't have to proselyte so we went and played "touch" football with the Hoolehua ward.  I got crushed haha, and there is a nice scratch on my forehead from being clawed by a 300 lb Polynesian.  It was a good time!  I'm getting so stoked for the Holidays!  I think that we might all get to stay again.  We will see in about 2 weeks when transfers come.

 

We decorated our pad with Christmas stuff.  It's awesome and that air freshener you gave me is the best!  We put it behind our little fake tree so it smells like a real one.  I got all of your packages!  Thanks so much.  I'm stoked to see those videos and to listen to the music.

 

That's awesome that you are reading Jesus the Christ.  I love that book so much although it's really hard for me to get the energy to read it.  It seems like when I have time it feels good to not do anything, haha but I need to get back into it.  I still have like 150 pages left. 

Today we made some sweet wooden hook necklaces out of Koa wood which is a pretty expensive wood here.  Some guy in the other ward boundaries (nonmember) let us use his stuff to make them.  If we went out and bought them they would probably cost like 50 bucks.  They are way cool. 

Have you heard from Tyler?  He's probably super stoked that the resorts are open.  Man it's weird to think I could snowboard next year... 

Well I don't know if you remember me telling you about one of our investigators but he is the one trying to quit smoking.  He is doing really good.  We gave him some vitamin c and some orange juice to clean out his system.  We also gave him some scope to swish with.  He is so funny.  He keeps telling us that he has the heeby jeebies and doesn't really know what to do with himself.  We keep telling him that's the spirit! haha  He is so stoked about being able to get baptized and to be sealed with his wife who died a few years ago.  He is doing awesome.  He is supposed to be baptized on Christmas Eve.  I'm so excited! 

Well that's all for this week.  I love you guys.  Can't wait to talk to you on the phone! 

Elder Pincock

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone, it's been a good week.  One of our investigators has a baptismal date now and he is so excited for it.  It’s on Christmas Eve!  He is the best.  He is this old, Italian guy with a strong Brooklyn accent.  I feel like I am part of the mob when I go to his house, haha.  He is a smoker of 50 years and has been trying to kick the habit.  His commitment date is Dec 3^rd and I think he will make it.  He has really had a change of heart and is excited to be baptized.  He loves to talk to "Pop" as he says referring to Heavenly Father.  Even in his prayers he will say Pop haha.  We are excited for him!

Oh, we also had a surprise baptism!  Kaz got baptized this week and got ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood!  I love that kid.  He is super excited to pass the sacrament.  Man, he has come a long way.  He has had a super hard life but he seems to be doing alright.

 

How was dad's ride?  I really need to talk to the mule guy that is here.  Buzzy is his name, haha.  You guys should name a mule Buzzy. 

Thanks for sending the packages.  I haven't got them yet but looking forward to them!

I'm stoked for the Holidays, although we have 4 Thanksgiving dinners so far...  Holy cow.... I am going to be HUGE!   I think everybody still does the same traditional stuff here but I will let you guys know how it goes.  Someone in our ward gave us a little Christmas tree.  I'm absolutely excited about it too.  Me and Elder Maybon just sat and stared at it forever last night talking about Christmas memories.  It was the best.  Christmas just makes you happy and I dig it!

The good news is… The gospel is true (the funny part of that sentence is that "gospel" means good news... I think) ...  The good news is the good news is true... hmmm)  I can't believe I am going to talk to you guys soon... and then I only talk to you on the phone 1 more time before I talk to you face to face, haha, crazy stuff.

Have an ultra good day.  I am.

Elder Pincock

I Live in Molokai!!

Hey how's it going everyone?  Sounds like you guys have been really busy this week.  I'm glad to hear real estate is going good.  You asked about the Helicopter crash and yeah it crashed in my ward boundaries on the east end of Molokai.  There were 4 tourists in it, really sad.  It was pretty crazy though because Elder Maybon's sister was in Maui at the time and that's where it came from and he was pretty scared because he thought it might be her, but no worries it wasn't.

Molokai is still awesome like I say every week.  I love the Kaunakakai ward.  The members are all so nice and love this Gospel so much.  They are so helpful.  This week we taught the most lessons I have ever taught on my mission.  And this is in an area that is supposedly really slow.  We taught 28 total.  It ended up being a really good week.  I had a little bit of a rough start.  Tuesday or Wednesday was super hard for me (can't really remember which day).  For some reason it was just a day where I didn't feel like being a missionary.  I hate to say it but I was done talking to people.  It probably started in the morning because the alarm went off and I didn't want to work out.  I just wanted to sleep all day.  But I got up anyway and did it.  After that I didn't want to put the same clothes I wear every day on, but I did it anyway.  I didn't even want to study which is something I usually love to do now, but I did it anyway.  That whole morning was just thrown off by something.  But when I decided to study, I had one of the most spiritual studies of my mission.  I was reading a lot about Christ and the Atonement, not on purpose but it just happened like that.  I read chapter 26 of Matthew which helped me to really understand the Atonement a lot better.  I decided to read that poem that I told you about a while ago called "He has been there before" except this time it was a little different.  Usually I feel the spirit from that poem because I am going through a hard time and it helps me remember Christ and what he went through but this time it was almost the opposite.  All the things mentioned in that poem seemed to be going good for me.  I didn't have a bad companion.  I didn't have to ride a bike.  I didn't get made fun of or anything like that.  It was as if Christ was saying, "What are you whining about!" haha  I was almost on the brink of tears during this time.  Well this helped me for a little while but then I, for some reason, slipped back into the "I hate everything" attitude.  It was an alright day, but we were just having a few cancellations.  Then at the end of the day we were scheduled to teach one of our recent converts and her less active family member who is now coming back to church.  We decided earlier that we would teach her about the first vision of Joseph Smith history.  Well we taught that but it ended up being geared towards her family member who was going through some really hard times.  We explained to her that when you are trying to do what's right Satan really tries to bring to you down even harder than before because he knows only good can come from us following the commandments.  This not only eased her heart but mine as well.  Even though I was teaching the lesson I felt like the one learning it.  It taught me to not give up even when I have days like this because it might be the day that matters most either for me or for somebody else.  So it actually turned out to be one of the best days of my mission, weird how God’s plan seems to happen like that.  

I love you all.  Thanks for everything.  You guys are always in my prayers.   

Elder Pincock