News from Chile after Earthquake

Dear Friends, Family, loved ones and parents of our dear missionaries of the Chile Santiago North Mission,We know that many of you are often on the mission blog, so we decided to post our latest news as we have it currently:Thank you for your love and concern on behalf of all the great people here in Chile. We especially appreciate your prayers for the welfare of your wonderful missionaries you have entrusted here to serve the Lord. We want you to know that all of our missionaries on the continent in our Chile Santiago North Mission are accounted for as of this moment. They are full of faith, happy and surprisingly so optimistic that it touches us to hear their wonderful outlook. We had one slight injury with an Elder, and he is happily here in the mission home doing fine, with his companion, where we can actually keep an eye on him! We are hearing of many miracles where we know they were protected by angels.Now finally, after trying all day, just spoke to the Rundquists, our senior couple we have serving on Easter Island, and they too are fine. They are bringing our small flock of the branch for an evening of FHE/activity, to their apartment that is situated up on one of the highest hills. They are trying to gear up and be prepared for the possibility of the coming tsunami there. They too are cheerful and encouraged; glad they had recently been grocery shopping and happy that they can help the other members be safe too. What great examples to us! However, our hearts are filled with prayers and concern for our last two, fine Elders we have presently serving on the Isla Juan Fernandez/Robinson Crusoe Island whom we haven’t heard from yet. There has only been spotty information rec’d here in Santiago regarding the status of all on the island, after the tsunami has already hit there. We don’t know the condition or status of our dear Elder Mitchell and Elder Marin at this time. Please, continue to pour out your hearts in prayer for their safety, well-being and protection at this time. We know that the Lord is mindful of them, and He loves His missionaries, so we are full of faith and hope and have asked our missionaries to continue to pray for them by name.Our daughter Sarah, who is with us here in Santiago, is fine, as is our son, Elder Gregory May, who is serving in Chile Concepcion Mission (epicenter of the earthquake) , along with all of the missionaries accounted for in his mission too, thankfully. We have been in constant communication with Salt Lake City, and then trying to reach and receive calls from our dear missionaries, so forgive us for not calling back, answering email, and responding individually. We have had quite a bit of experience in our lives with earthquakes, living in So. California, including the devastating challenge of having our home in Valencia destroyed in the 1994 Northridge quake. Preparing to deliver our daughter, Sarah, now 16, that very morning, we learned so much through that experience that we are seeing come into play in this time in Chile. We know that the Lord is so aware and instead of trying to hustle our four small sons out of the way of the breaking glass, swinging chandeliers, crashing bookcases like we did in 1994, we now are thrilled to hear that our 170 ‘mighty Elders and Hermanas” are also safe and moving forward with faith wherever they are. They have been contacting each other, lovingly checking on the sisters, walking to each others apartments, helping with some of the clean up, etc. What incredible young people these are and we love them dearly. We see the Lord’s hand in these miracles.Please pray for the people here in Chile, and especially our Elders Mitchell and Marin. May you parents know how we cherish and love your dear missionaries.

5th Letter - 02-22-10

Hola familia!

chehuuuuu!!!!! hahahahah got the package ae fa thanks you fellas!!!!!!!!! straight up was like gold! crackup i was full on the happiest dude in the world, had all the goodies!!! thanks family its really awesome having a change from noodles ae. hahaha it was expensive as though!! I loved everything I got. You dont need to send fruit loops because they have them here, but send heaps of cookies and poptarts and yeah the spam was mean. Maybe some corn beef hahahahaha crackup!!! family im doing good. Thanks for the letters. Its so awsome to hear from you guys. Im doing good as. Spanish is coming along mean. Im chileano already hahahaha, for real’s though everyday is getting better and better. Elder John quidara wrote me the other day and he said something that was so awesome. He said that we dont only need to endure the journey but enjoy the journey and it has really changed my perspective. I love it here. Its hard as but every day I learn and grow and its awesome. My companion is crack up, but I got a story I want to share with you guys. We contacted this girl a couple weeks back in the street and did our normal contact and gave here a book of Mormon and got her address, but she didn’t live in our sector so we felt like oh that was small kine at the time. A couple days later we gave her address to the other elders where she lived and they visited her and she had read the whole book of Mormon in three days. Her first day in church was a fast Sunday and she bore her testimony on how she knew that the book of Mormon was true and that she was waiting for this gospel her whole life. Yesterday macarena (the girl) and her sister and cousin were baptized. Family I know that the book of Mormon is true and that heavenly father is always preparing people to recieve the gospel. For us its been hard finding people hahahaha I don’t know why because we are supper obedient and work our butts off everyday but we have this one lady Carolina and this is a cool story and the first time we visited her she told us that she never closes the door on god and that's why she let us in but she will never change her religion. she was so firm and it felt like a waste of time being their but we did our thing taught her the restoration and testified, but we left and visited a few days later and things had totally changed. She had read all of 1st Nephi and was interested in the church. This past Thursday she came with us to a baptism and the spirit was so strong. We visited her again a committed her to be baptized march 14!! i know the book of Mormon changes lives, but Carolina is the only lady we got right now, so we are doing good as. I miss you guys heaps. Mum and dad thanks for everything. I love you guys. George keep going hard bro. I heard about your open mic. bro keep perfecting your talents. We are given talents to help others bro. when u get out in the field bro you will be using them all the time. I’ve been playing at all the members homes our Maori songs and all my ghetto as Hawaiian songs and sing all kine words but bro the members love it hahahaha its crackup because every body her is useless so they are so amazed at everything bro. bro try learn hymns because in sacrament we sing acapella and every body does because nobody knows how to play. So yea bro continue to magnify your talents bro. Your the man homes keep ripping it up dog. I want some pics too with u and no shirt hahaha please. ash!!! bro your the man too dog. better than george so always push yourself bro. your the man. Always work hard in all that you do because that’s the only way you’ll get better bro. keep being a good example and help your little sister. lia!!!!! hi babby!!!! i miss you! ohhhh you sound like you are growning up so fast. Thanks for picking out my food. You are the bestest!! I knew I could count on you hahahaha thanks lia, I love you. Be a good girl and listen to your brothers and mum and dad. your so beautiful lia remember to always remember who you are. Family I’m so proud of you guys., keep repping the family name. Do it for the maoris ae!!! mum and dad I love you guys heaps. Thanks for everything. Your son is doing good as don’t even worry about me. thanks for everything. I have transfers next week and if I get sent some where far I might not be able to write a lot, so just giving u a heads up. Know that I’m doing good. Growing with each passing day. Being a missionary is cool as, but thanks for everything family, for your love and your letters. I gotta bounce imma try send some more pics. I hope you like them. Ii love you family.

Elder kanahele kaka

4th letter - 02-15-10

Kia Ora Whanau,

Hey my lovely family!!!! how u guys doing ba!? hahaha im good as. thanks for your guys letters. mum and dad i still didn't get no package haha but please send one every month that would be nice hahahahah, but yeah im doing good as. Another long as week. but paola and her family are doing good. they are all members now and they all have really strong testimonies it trips me out because they live with the rest of paolas family who are all catholic but there testimonies are so strong that they don’t fall into any temptation its so awesome to see. stop smoking, drinking, read the scriptures every night and its the little things that they do that really make them happy and it really has strengthed my testimony. I really do have a testimony of the power of the book of Mormon. dang that book is where its at seriously. You can find everything and anything in there and there is no doubt in my mind that it was translated by the power of God. Paola and her family are so happy when we visit them everyday and they are always dieing to talk about things that they have learnt while reading and family it is seriously the most beautiful thing. They have nothing but are the happiest people in the world. Their example of faith has really strengthened my testimony. We also baptized this dude mauricio and this dude is the man as well....his wife is in active they were having a terrible life but we visited them cause the wife’s name was on the inactive sheet and you can tell the lord is really preparing people for us to find. my first day here was the first lesson we had with him but last Sunday he was baptized and married the day before that but ya the gospel is real. Right now where having a really hard time finding people because the members here are small kine jacked up and nobody wants to help us its so weird so days get depressing at times but never can put your head down. We found this lady Carolina and taught her and so far it looks good. They are catholic just like everybody else but you can really tell that they have a sincere desire and interest to know more about our church but i know where going to baptize them hahaha. but yeah things have been going good ae. straight up its the most hardest thing I’ve done, But the lord does guide us if we give him our all. Yesterday our speakers fell through for sacrament so me and my companion had to talk 20 minutes each and i was crapping my pants lol. but i got up their and killed it like a champ hahaha straight up i don’t know what it was but as soon as i stood at the mic and spoke like a chileano lol for 22 minutes about missionary work and just unloaded on all the members and told them how really every member is a missionary and we all need to help in this work it was crackup because my companion was tripping out. I said one word wrong though and everybody was crackin up I said that Christ suffer all pains which is dolores in spanish but i said dolares which is dollars hahaha and the peps were all cracking up but im use to people laughing at me already hahahaha. but yeah fam its all good in the neighbor hood. I miss u guys heaps. its soooo good to hear from u guys. I always print out your letters and read them thru out the week because they bring my spirits up big time. A lot of the times in the week I feel like I can’t go on. It is seriously that hard and depressing at times and I think man how did all the dummies at work do it hahahah but the atonement is where its at. always makes me wanna try harder. family continue to grow and improve. We always can be better. I love you guys so much. Every night we have a sandwich and saimin and every morning we have cereal hahahah theres no time to eat but we eat lunch at members houses everyday so yeah that my favorite part. even though the food is ugly as u gotta love the people. Awesome as. Have nothing but give everything to us....awesome man. but ya family I love you guys your son is doing good. George I love you bro..continue to work hard in all that you do bro. get your eagle that’s a must bro, I like your idea too, fa u smart guy. I think you got a better SAT score than me fa what a brainy dude. hahaha but ash keep ripping it up in bball bro you clown try be serious when you write me hahahaha na bro you keep being your self bro remember that you are alwyas an example. lia I miss u so much sorry about your history day it’s alright because you are still the prettiest hahaha I love you lia listen to your bros and mum and dad k. dad and mum I love you guys so much thanks for raising us in the gospel there’s a scripture in 2nephi:25:26 that makes me so grateful for you guys and raising us in the gospel. I love you guys so much thanks for everything, im doing good k mum hahah but I gotta bounce I love you guys. Tell grandma I miss her and thanks for her emails tell her sorry my time is short but im so grateful for her words of encouragement.
love you family!

Elder kaka kanahele

Fresh, new Missionaries talk with Enthusiasm! 02-05-10

Today was our new missionary Fase 1 training. These great 4 missionaries have been here about 2 weeks. They return to the mission home with their trainers/companions to learn more of the basics, orientation, and details of the work in this mission.We discuss many things, but this is what we learned from them:These mighty missionaries; Hermana Buckner, Elder Kanehele, Elder Tialavea, y Elder Wagner all are happy, healthy and smiling with enthusiasm. We enjoyed hearing of their reports of success, where they share things they have learned and observed here in the mission, in just a short time. Quotes used, but these are paraphrased notes:

Elder W-"I was sitting in a lesson, and couldn't really understand too much of the lesson, my companion was sharing and talking with the investigator. I felt prompted by the spirit to share a couple of scriptures, about lifting up our head, and be of good cheer, and then later my companion told me that that was just what she needed. The investigator was discouraged, and sad, but this scripture was given to me to share.

"Elder K-"We are teaching this woman who is very happy. Se lives in a house with 18 people with barely anything in their home. She has 8 children, and they are really poor (at this point he gets teary eyed sharing how this touched him.) She was smoking 3 packs of cigaretts daily, and gallons of tea, but now that she has the gospel, she has given it all up, and is really happy. It makes me happy to see how the gospel really can change people's lives and it does.

"Elder T- "A scripture my brother shared with me from Mosiah 24:14. The Lord will ease our burdens. This mission is the hardest thing I have ever done. I felt that the first week here I had the weight of the world on my shoulders and it was SO hard. I also know that if we come to the Lord, on our knees to ask for help, he ALWAYS lifts us and helps lighten our burden. I know that is true, since I have felt it again in the mission.

"Hermana B-"We were talking in the street with a man who wanted to argue. We refused to get involved, so we said goodbye and walked away, continuing to talk to others in the street. Then a man made a bee-line over to us and said that he had been watching us and that he saw how we had worked, taught and talked to people. He told us he was an inactive member for more than 20 years, but now felt prompted to have us come teach his family. He has some health problems, but we have been teaching his children and wife, and she tells us when they become discouraged or fearful of the cancer thoughts, they read the Book of Mormon and find great peace."

3rd Letter - 02-08-10

hola familia!

Sup whanz!!! thanks for your guys letters. Its always awesome to read and hear from you guys. Man i miss yous heaps aye!! dang you all sound so great. I just want you guys to know that im doing good. hahahaha missionary work is hard as lol but its all good. The language is coming along. Its been a blessing having a latino companion even though its hard at times cause i cant understand a word that hes saying but its good cause it always forces me to speak spanish. Everyday i learn something new and even though its hard its so worth it at the end of the day. This week we had two baptisms. Paola was baptized as well. She is awesome aye family. She really strengthened my testimony to see the little things that we take for granted in the gospel change peoples lives and makes them happy is the most rewarding thing ever. Paola has nothing. 17 people in her one room raggady house, use to smoke 5 packets a day. Works 12 hours everyday just to put food on the table for her family. Single mother and they absolutly have nothing, and for us when we visit her every day to see her happy because of the little truths that she finds in the book of mormon or for the answer to prayers that she recieves is just so rewarding. She has given up all her habits and we have baptized her and her two daughters. The rest of her family give her a hard time for letting us come over every day and she works double time on saturday so she can go to chuch on Sunday and i have really seen the lord bless her for her sacrifices. This gospel is so real family and its awesome. We need to always be grateful for what we have. We have everything and its only because of our heavenly father. My testimony has really been strengthened and theres no other place in the world id rather be right now than being a servant of the lord serving the people here in chile. We also baptized this dude name mauricio. Him and his wife werent married and that was the hardest thing for us to show them why they needed to be married but we did it. They were married on Friday and mauricio was baptized yeasterday and they have a son who turns 8 in a few months so yeah exciting as. The work is real. I love the people. Its my favorite part of my day to get out and procolite. The kids are ugly as, dirty as, and stink as but you just gotta love em ae hahaha stepping all over my shoes and grabbing my ties with their crap hands but all you gotta do is have a laugh hahaha no use getting mad anymore lol but yeah the work is moving family. I wanna tell all of you that i love you so much. Remember who we are. love eachother. I miss you guys so much. Continue too improve each day. Mum and Dad i love you guys so much. Gearge your the man bro i miss u hard. Ash you ounce hahaha i love you heaps bro. lia i miss u and i love you so much. Family i love you guys keep growing and being examples to those around you. Im doing good, so dont worry about me. But i got to go cause my companion needs to go to the doctor so i love you guys.

-Elder kanahele Kaka

2nd Letter 02-01-10

Hi family!

Whats up bullehs!! hahaha you guys are nails lol mum im all sweet. I promise, the only thing i need is your guys prayers. Im sweet as, the living conditions and all are ghetto, the food is ghetto but u just got to have a laugh bahahaha im sweet. physically im sweet as. Emotionally i miss you guys alot sometimes hahaha theres alot of people here who remind me of you guys and i show them all my pictures and for reals it makes me miss you guys heaps but i just gotta get hard because you know im just soft like that hahahaha but yeah thanks for the email family....i was dying to hear from you guys. im doing good. working hard ae. i dont think ive everydone anything harder than this in my entire life. the mission seriously breaks you down till you have nothing left but the lord to depend on and from there your testimonies just grows. ive had a few opportunities thus far to see this gospel, this knowledge that we sometimes take for granted change peoples lives family and its the best thing. to see the atonement of Jesus Christ change a persons life and to see it give them hope is the best thing to see. I know that this Church is true im so grateful for our Savior and his sacrifice. im so grateful for your examples and for your willingness to continue to always want to be better. Family im good as. things are hard but every day it gets better. we get home at night and everynight i want to die! hahaha and every morning its so hard to wake up but when i get on my knees to pray thats when i get my strength. things arent about me anymore. even though i have no idea about what is going on cuz they are speaking a language that is out of it hahaha i know that the lord prepares people and its our job to always be worthy of the spirit and to always be worthy of its promptings because its only through the promptings of the spirit where we will have success. we are teaching this lady paola everyday we visit her she always has a glow to her and she shares with us everyday something new that she has learned from the book of mormon and it has really strengthend my testimony to see people with absolutely nothing, but so happy with this gospel, I know its true. This up coming week we got two more baptism...hahhaahaha i got to sing "I like to look for rainbows"....everybody hear is tone deaf so everywhere we go i sing for everybody hahaha and they just think im the coolest thing hahahaha but yeah family i love you guys. George thanks for your letters bro. i love you dog and go hard with everything. always be an example bro because even when you dont know it you are planting seeds bro. i love you .a quote that i like goes...we dont know everything but we know enough and bro we have the gospel and elder holland teaches us to cleave on to the things you know bro. I love you dog and i´ll give my companion a hiding for you hahahaha watch over as bro and teach him everything you know dog. You guys are big time bu!!! going to make awesome missionaries. Perfect your talents because the lord needs u to use them. keep going hard in everything dog. love you.

Ash! sup bulleh....dont tell me your dumb as nacho lines hahahaha but bro they were pretty crackup i must admit hahaha sole i hope you being one good boy. hows basketball coming? rip it up bro. sole your the man just dont let it get to your head. always be humble. be good to lia and always love her k.

Family tell lia that i love her and i miss her. Theres this little girl in my ward looks exactly like her and i like cry everythime i see her cuz i always get reminded of lia but tell her that i miss her and i love her. Tell gramz that i love her and ive been getting all her dear elders, and i got one of dads dear elders i dont know the date on it but ya i got one from him. i hoped you guys like the pictures. mum im fine. dont worry about me k. hahahaha its all good. but family i love you all so very much and remember to love each other. Thank you for you sacrifices for me to be here. i love you all and the Church is true.

Oh and famz i only get an hour and a bit but i gotta write President every week and that takes a while but foods...um im good for reals but if your really want to hahaha like pop tarts and just goodies like anykine goodies for reals. and my shoes will be sweet uncle martin bought me a pair when i was with him and they are the real deal haha the adapter works sweet as and yeah you guys are nails hahahaha i love you guys

Elder kaka