SPLASH!

This week was awesome! Last week after I finished emailing, we all went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was awesome!  Lots of fun! Also serving in Laie we get to go to the temple every month, so our district went this week and it was BEAUTIFUL! We also had a Baptism this week! This week was just full of fun and exciting things! 

At the baptism during the whole program the spirit was soo strong, you could feel the truthfulness of the words that were being spoken. It was a very cool experience for me because I did not know anything that was being said. It was all in Tongan. All of our lessons we had a translator to teach with us. It was a very special process to be a part of! 

I have been learning that there is a reason for each place we are called to. Sitting in my first Sacrament meeting in the Tongan ward I was asking myself, "Why am I here? They don’t understand me and I don’t understand them? Why?" and right now I still don’t know why I am here. But what I do know is I have learned so much about humility and love serving in the Tongan ward. There is such an incredible spirit about the meetings that take place. Although I’m not sure what’s being said, I love being a part of the spirit. It is definitely a testimony to me that the church is true. You don’t have to understand the words being spoken, you just need to understand the spirit! Friends and Family let us all evaluate our lives. Let us determine how often we feel of the spirit in our lives. Let us work towards feeling it constantly as we are entitled as we keep the commandments, take Christ’s name upon us, and follow him. Baptism is just a small step in our eternal Journey. It is a very necessary step however. Let us all enjoy this life to the fullest as we have spiritual experiences every day!

Have a wonderful week and love ya all!

Malo Apito 

Elder Porter

Honolulu, HI

Polynesian Cultural Center

 The Laie Temple with our district.

 Our baptism

 Elder Porter and Elder Jipus

 Coolers of pork at the baptism.

Malo e lelei

Well first week of the transfers are definitely the longest ones trying to learn the new area and new people. So I am Serving in Kahuku 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (Tongan). Yes… I’m covering a Tongan ward. Learning the language is not the easiest thing ever.. Anyways the area is so cool and such a change from Kohala on Big Island. 

Here in Laie it feels like EVERYONE is a member, we hear the phrase "Hey Elders" at least 100 times a day haha. In Kahuku Sports are huge! Their Football is super good and their basketball team just one the State Championships this week! There were fireworks and you could hear the whole area cheering it was nuts! #Redraiders

Even though "EVERYONE is members" we managed to find and begin teaching some people this week, it’s been CRAZY to see how much they progressed in a weeks’ time. We even had some success with some less actives this week as well. I’m so excited to continue working here in Kahuku. It’s an awesome place!... Besides the biking thing is killing me. I’m so outta shape lol

Cool things about Laie:

- I see the "7 mile miracle" every single day where people come from around the world to serf that stretch of beach.

- Many of the Youth in the wards have full ride scholarships for athletics. 

- Polynesian cultural center, Laie temple, and Visitors center is all in the area.

Those are just some fun facts for the week.

A cool experience of a man named David. We went to visit this less active family, they were not home, as we were walking down the long drive way this man mid 20s turns the corner and starts walking up. We talk story with him for a few minutes and out of the blue he pretty much cuts us off and says "Can you guys come back Saturday? I want to learn more about your church." We were so excited and said of course! When we went back Saturday we had probably one of the most spiritual conversations I have had on my mission thus far. We found out he was baptized when he was 10 years old, but hasn't gone since then. He shared his life experience with us about how he has been searching for truth and visiting all these religions and would go and they would teach something he knew wasn't 100% true so we would go to the next. He has studied the bible every day and has been praying for answers. It was so awesome to hear him before we left tell us that "This is what he has been looking for." He came to church the next day on Sunday and we will continue to meet with him. I share this story to pose a question. How much do we want to know the truth? How hard are we looking? Are we satisfied with what we have, or do we want a deeper more personal understanding? 

Friends and Family, we must choose... choose to believe. We learn that Faith is a principle or action and power and it is in that order. Action then Power. Our lives are priceless to God. We are worth the life of Jesus Christ... We are worth the life of a God. If we mean that much to him, don’t we think that Heavenly Father will give us every opportunity we need, every resource we need to make it back to him. Of course he would, and he does. All we must do is have faith, even if your faith is as small as to say you have a desire to believe. That’s all it takes to have a witness that he is there, that he loves and has a plan for you, and enough to answer any other questions we may have. If there is anything I wish everyone could know it would be that our Heavenly Father is real and he loves and cares about every single one of his children. Friends and Family let us be diligent in keeping and protecting our faith, but let us also be diligent in growing our faith our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

I hope you all have a wonderful week and experience an increase in faith. Serving in a Tongan ward now I thought I’d learn the most important words first... Ofa'atu Friends and Family I love you. Have a wonderful week!

Elder Porter

Honolulu, Hawaii

  Elder Hansen! He was my MTC companion.

Elder Klaassen. We were in the MTC together.

Our house.. it used to be a car port. They just put wood walls up and call it a house. Our humble abode... it gets soooooooo hot in there.

Our sick 2017 1 wheeled drive mustangs with some lime green reflective helmets.

First shrimp truck with some garlic shrimp.

First day in Kahuku was a down pour. Elder Jipus and I.

My snazzy pant guard my mom got me. I forgot to take it off the entire sacrament meeting. oops

Happy, Sad, and Ready

This week was the last week of the transfer. I will be leaving tomorrow to go to Kahuku/Laie on Oahu. I’m so excited and happy for the area get to go to, but it’ll be so sad to leave the people of Kohala after being here for 6 months! I am happy to say that it isn’t a good bye… just a see you later! Oh and I’m on a bike so I can lose the weight I have gained!! 

The boys in the picture we were playing basketball with and so I came up with nicknames for them as it was my first time meeting them and their names were so hard lol. Blueberry, Sunshine, Precious, and Cupcake. It was so funny they all started calling each other it too and it totally stuck. While we were playing, one of them was like okay… I got one for you. I was like okay what’s that? Blueberry said "Vanilla" and they all started busting up. Haha it was funny. They ended up calling us vanilla and ice. It was a great time meeting so many of them!

 Well time to go finish packing for the flight tomorrow. I hope you all have a wonderful week and are able to have many spiritual experiences! Smile lots and don’t forget to express your gratitude for all that you have. I have been so grateful to serve here in Kohala on Big Island, to learn from all the people about so many different things. The memories will last a life time and the stories will be shared forever! It was wonderful to spend the first 6 months of my mission in such a wonderful area!

I know our Heavenly Father is real and loves us, He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for us and take our sins upon himself. Through Christs complete willingness to do the will of the Father; we can be cleansed from all unrighteousness. There is the way, but we must be willing ourselves to take the step to begin the journey and continue to walk and press forward through anything. There is no easy road for anyone, but each road leads back to our Father in Heaven. We just have to walk the path. I bear my witness the atonement is real and can and will cleanse anyone of anything you have ever done. Let us all take the steps needed and make ourselves worthy and willing before God.

Love ya all and hope you have a wonderful week!

As for Kohala... Aloha Oe

Elder Porter

Honolulu, Hi  

Blueberry, Sunshine, Precious, and Cupcake Oh and Vanilla, Ice

Nichole Stevens... because she shocked me with a cattle prod... again

A wild bore raised from a piglet now is the family pet.

 6 moths tie burning!

 

 Keokea Beach Park with Kaimi and Maka Loo

 Uncle Danny

 The Gusmans

 The Emelianos

Helping Susan and Keoki Corotan at the farmers market. 

Kim Chee pork teri 

 Green Papaya with tripe soup

Aloha Oe at Church 

My best friend in Hawaii Kyler Grant. Not happy about saying good bye.