Week 60: August 21, 2017

First off, I apologize for not having emailed in a very very long time. We had zone sports and such out in San Leandro and details details details, a dash of excuses, and a quarter cup of apology. Alrighty! Glad we are all caught up to speed! However, in all honesty, I apologize that I haven't emailed in a while. I will try to get better at that. 

This week, or should I say these past few weeks, have been really awesome. The family that we are meeting with has expressed their desire to be baptized! We are planning a trip to the Visitor's Center in Oakland next week. We are very excited. There are so many amazing families that reach out to them and are great friends with them. They've expressed a few concerns about certain doctrines that they've had questions about and has been holding them back from baptism. However, during our gospel doctrine class during Sundayschool, two weeks in a row there have been some awesome discussions. Many of the people that go to that class are recent converts who, at one point or another, struggled themselves with those same questions and were able to help answer them. The spirit was able to testify boldly and powerfully in that classroom and we are excited to help them come unto Christ.

We are looking forward to another week of blessings and miracles that the Lord has in store for each of us. To all my friends and family that are starting school right now, I have this to say: HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAVE FUUUUUUUUUUUN SUCKAZ!! hahaha just kiddin just kidding. In all honesty, I wish you all the best regardless of what level of education you are at right now. Love you all and thank you for your support and prayers!

-Elder Kaitoku

Week 57: August 1, 2017

This week was pretty great! We were able to visit a lot of people who we hadn't seen in a long time and make contact with a lot of ward families. Because we cover two wards, it can be difficult to get to know everyone in both wards. We put together an online spreadsheet of the ward directory so that we can access it and put in new information weekly to help us and to help future missionaries that may get transferred here. Often times in between transfers, there is a lot of information lost. Hopefully this will help. The technical side of missionary work is very unspoken of and yet still rewarding.

We have a new greenie in the district, Elder Scott, who is waiting for a VISA to go to Samoa. He knew Jay Reid, a friend from home in the MTC who is already in Samoa. We also got a visit from Carson Cobabe, my former companion who went home due to health issues. His brother is coming back from his mission and the family is meeting him here and so I got to go to lunch with them and get to know them.

We also had temple day today, hence the email on a Tuesday versus on a Monday this week. It was a wonderful experience as always and we had our own little district BBQ afterwards and ya boi made some kalbi ribs. Good stuff. 

Hope all y'all had a great week! I am thankful for your prayers and love and support. Shout-out to my Grandma Chong, who came through with socks in my package this week. I know for a fact that I am now an adult because I have never been so excited in my life to receive socks. Also, did I mention that I now have a camera?? Thanks to my wonderful parents again! Love you guys!

Until next week,

Elder Kaitoku

Week 56: July 24, 2017

This past week was a pretty exciting and a pretty hectic one. We received transfer calls and Elder Stokes and I will be staying. 

President and Sister Frandsen went around t​he mission and met with random companionship in an effort to get to know the missionaries on a more personal basis this past week. Elder Stokes and I were the last stop. They came around dinner time and called a bit ahead and decided to meet us at our apartment. Naturally, I had to make sure that the Mission President and his wife were well taken care of. As soon as they came inside, they were greeted with (what I hoped to be) the wonderful aroma of salmon, pan seared with a butter/garlic spread, topped with lemon citrus and a touch of parsley. The salmon was plated on a bed of soft and steamy brown rice, a healthy alternative (plus we ran out of white rice). Aside from that, we had a mixture of vegetables pan seared in olive oil with a touch of basil. Quite exquisite if I do say so myself. Paired with a fine red wine from the finest vineyards of Sicilly, dated to 1964 (very good year indeed), hahaha just kidding. We didn't have wine. But we did get to have a sit down dinner with President Frandsen and his wife. We have received several training seminars on how to have an effective dinner appointment with members. We were sure to make sure that President Frandsen shared specific miracles and a wonderful message at the end of dinner all while using proper etiquette. He hasn't sent me home yet and last I saw, he wasn't deathly ill so I suppose all is well.

We also did service at a rest home where we sing for them. It was really sweet. They really look forward to us coming. I got to sing a few Hawaiian songs which was nice. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is quite the hit. 

We had a cool miracle just this morning. A member called and excitedly asked for a Spanish Book of Mormon. He is renovating his home and one of the workers was super interested. The member served a Spanish speaking mission years ago and was able to make conversation with the guy. We delivered it and the gentleman said he would input his information online to receive Spanish speaking missionaries!

The work is going really really well! I'm loving everyday of it. The time is going way too fast. Hope you're all doing well!

Week 55: July 17, 2017

Hey everybody!

It was another jolly good week in good old Danville. We saw another Lamborghini because why not. It's been getting hotter and hotter but luckily we have a car that cranks out the AC as well as an apartment that works just as well. There was some construction going on in our apartment the past week or so so we had to have our studies at the chapel instead. The apartment complex was installing a washer and dryer into our room. Whoo! Any missionary will tell you that that is a true blessing indeed. 

I had the privilege of going out on exchanges with Elder Galaz, our zone leader this past week. We had a really great time. 

I love you all and I love this work!

-Elder Kaitoku

P.S. this is a GREAT talk by Elder Holland. If you'd like, skip to the header "The Missionary Speech of All Time"

https://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-shares-account-of-missionary-speech-of-all-time-with-new-misson-presidents?lang=eng

Week 54: July 10, 2017

Hello everybody!

Sorry I haven't emailed in a really long time, I've been super busy and lost track of time several times. Things are going really great! It started out as kind of a slow area but things are really picking up and there are a lot of exciting things happening. A member of the Elders' quorum shared a really cool story that has thus far summed up my experience in this area. It's all about perspective!

How I finally taught the big guy a lesson
“I did not provoke the fight, so I feel no remorse for
what I was forced to do. We were arguing, and since I
was right and he was wrong, he decided to fight to
cover his stupidity.

He swung at me first, but because I was in top
physical condition, I was able to act quickly and
block the punch neatly with my head.

I then jumped to the ground, knocking him down on top
of me. I placed my ear in his mouth and poked his
finger several times with my eye.

His teeth hurt so much from the strength of my ear
that he became irate and tried to kick me, but I
cleverly blocked the onslaught with my ribs and face.

I scrambled to my feet and ran to my car in hopes I
would get away and save this man from my deadly hands.
Before I could start the car he pulled me from the
still open door. I then proceeded to swing at him, but
only managed to hit myself in the head.

To this I said, “What’s this two against one?” That
was the final straw—I lost all control. There will be
no mercy!!

Taking him in my death grip, I pounded him in the knee
with my stomach—then I hit him two or three times in
the fist with my teeth! He had had it! I could tell.
After that he didn’t even try to pick me up off the
ground. He was too chicken!!

Perspective is everything!

No matter what life throws at us, it's all about how we look at it! I love you all and I promise I'll write more next week!