Week 9/10 First Transfer

Aloha Friends and Family:  We love and miss you all very much.  Life here in Honolulu is feeling more comfortable; we can often get around the city without Google maps guiding our every turn.  That’s progress.

We just finished our first transfer, welcoming 23 new missionaries and saying goodbye to just 4.  Where to put them?  New areas were created and trios formed to accommodate them all.  This emptied almost the entire fleet of vehicles for the mission, a problem for down the road when we receive more missionaries in November.  The weeks before and during transfers the mission office is abuzz with activity scheduling flights, arranging new housing, moving vehicles around, pairing up companionships, feeding new and outgoing missionaries-it’s a whirlwind, but also very exciting as new energies are brought to the mission.  We said goodbye to one of the Assistants to the President, Elder Rudd, a terrific young man from Springville UT, who helped lead the mission with so much love and joy.  Elder Katoa and Elder Bean will do a great job moving forward.

We attended another zone conference last week with three zones attending.   President and Sister Anderson shared their sincere love as well as the successes of the mission which far exceed the work from a year ago.  We are so proud of these missionaries and know the Lord is guiding them to those who are seeking for strong connections with our Savior Jesus Christ.

Yesterday Michael and I hiked a beautiful trail just about 12 minutes from our apartment called the Manoa Trail which leads to a beautiful waterfall . .  when there is water.  Unfortunately the fall was a trickle, but the hike was so gorgeous; we can’t wait to go back again when the falls are running.  We also attended the University of Hawaii/Utah State football game with our fellow missionaries, the Lowrys who are alumni of Utah State (so we were very outnumbered) but we enjoyed the back and forth game nonetheless.  Hawaii won, by the way.

 We enjoyed conference last weekend, watching the first session at 6am on Saturday morning in our apartment, but we decided to go to the beach for the final session and enjoyed listening while surrounded by God’s glorious creations.  On Sunday we gathered with our office senior couples for a nice meal hosted by the Edwards.  We truly are grateful for the beauties of our new home, here in Hawaii.  Admittedly we miss the changing of the fall colors and the crisp morning air of Eagle, Idaho, but as most of you know, it’s still warm and beautiful here and we don’t take that for granted.

We share our love for Jesus Christ and His amazing plan of happiness which leads us to eternal life with Him and with our Heavenly Parents.  We continue to pray for you and your families, trusting you are well and happy.  God bless each of you.