Whanau!!!

What up family! man I’ve missed you guys heaps ae. haha. thanks for your guys letter ae. it was really good. Good to hear how everyone are doing. Proud of all of you ae. helps me big time to know that with all the trials and struggles that you have, you keep going hard. Helps me out a lot and gives me the strength to keep pushing as well. You guys have been able to do so much and so very well, and for that i thank you guys. You guys really are my second wind. let’s just keep going hard ae. love you famz. um well for me....hahaha well yeah its sure been a huge test of faith....it’s been really stressful but i need to tell you all. not to be boastful or anything but this is what’s going down. President was told to choose someone who is humble, faithful and obedient enough to lift the mission’s vision. Was told that with this elder would have to train and open the sector that has had the most problems in the mission and that he would be an example and light to the mission. That he would be put there to explode and beast and work miracles to show the mission what is possible to achieve in spite of all problems that could possibly exist. Monday night before getting our new companions pres called me and said that this was my new calling!!!. hahahahaha how much more pressure could you put on me right? So that’s been our situation pretty much. um I’m here in my new sector, galvarino which is just a huge mess. For real’s it has to be the worse ward in the world! lol um my companion is from peru. His name is elder soto and is 25 years. he just got baptized two years ago and now he’s a full time missionary. Awesome fella ae. lol he has no idea of what he’s doing but just happy as that he’s here. for real’s he is like from the jungle jungle in peru, like one of those little Amazon native people who just live in the trees and have their own language and stuff hahaha and just one of those that has never seen a computer, doesn’t know how to read real well, and just kind of lost ae. Which has been kind of tough but it’s all good. um we had a really great week. Been on our toes the whole week ae. just working our butts off and it’s been a lot of work. Both of us being new we don’t know anything. Where the chapel is, who’s members and who’s not, where we need to go to get lunch, wash our clothes, and we didn’t even know how to get to our own house the first day. Was a crack up. Was like 10 oclok at night and we were still with all our luggage walking down ghetto back passage ways looking for our house. Too funny bro. but we´ve been good. we´ve been able to find a lot of investigators already and found one of gold that’s a guarantee baptism for next month. The rest of our investigators will require a little bit more work but it’s all good. Already have been able to see miracles in our short time here together. only one way from here and its up, so were pretty good ae. I’ve had to work on a lot of patience though lately hahahaha.... i keep forgetting that my companion is new and doesn’t know anything so i have had to be real understanding in that sense. But he’s a real humble guy which is great and always willing to learn so we’ve learnt heaps already together. Our house has surely won the trophy for the most ghetto est house in chile. i will probably finish my mission here so you all will be able to see it when you come. Where gona have a mean laugh. but yeah that’s us ae fam. I’m tired as still hahaa but never been happier. My mission has saved my life family and it means everything to me. i cherish ever day out here and strive to always to learn and grow. I’ve been going hard ae and my second winds for sure kicking in. go hard or go home ae?? no regrets ba. so ye fam i love you heaps. heres a few pics. send gramz and all the famz my love. mum dad, george, ash and lia thank you for everything that you guys do. i love you all heaps. But gotta go so next week will hear from yous. with all my love,

Elder kanahele kaka

07-17-11

Kiora family!

Awesome letter whanau! i love you guys so much ae...like you were saying mum. being here I’ve also been able to see a difference in each and every one of you through your letters. i really don’t know how to put it into words but I’m just so eternally grateful for our family and for being so blessed to have been born and raised in such a loving home. I never want to leave you guys again ae. hahhaha i tell all my boys that when i go home imma live at home forever....lol they just laugh, but seriously family i love you all so much. My memories are always fading but it’s a good thing cause that means that I’ve been out for a long time and i only got little bit of time left. hahaha Family i got to let you all know. last night we had transfers, and president switched me out. Straight up sucked man. I’m not going to lie i was a little bit bothered ae. i had everything good. had a mean companion, had the best sector, had 7 amazing investigators who all will be getting baptized, have 7 converts there, and just was having the time of my life working my butt off. i had only been there for 1 month and my man pulled me out....at first i was a little bit bugged ae but last night i was really able to see how i as a person have grown....one often doesn’t really notice the progress that he makes, and last night was just one of those opportunities in which it just hit me. if this would have happened to me a year ago or even six months ago i would have been upset ae, straight up furious, but last night i got the call, accepted it, and just went with it ae. My companion couldn’t understand how i wasn’t mad. As missionaries we teach all the time of the commandments of the lord and how the lord gives them to us to bless us, that no matter what he asks us to do we need to do it no questions asked. if he ask us to climb a mountain every day we need to climb the mountain, and last night it was just natural. As soon as i got the call to pack, i did so. not going to lie it was hard leaving what i left but family i know with no doubt that the lord blesses us as we are obedient....i have come to really understand and more appreciate the importance and need for obedience. really there is no other way to do the lords work, or to do things the lords way if we are not obedient....i know that when we are obedient we have no limits... that when we are humble, put our trust in the lord and are obedient to what he wants us to do, is when he uses us to accomplish anything and everything he wants done in spite of our own weakness. i don’t know why i got sent here but i know that here is where i have been called to be, and here is where i will obediently serve. i love this gospel family and the blessings that I’ve been able to receive as I’ve lived it. i love our savior so much. i know that he really does know and love us....he loves us so much that he gave his life for us, and for a sacrifice so great has only asked us in return to be obedient. i admire you family for your willingness and desires to be obedient to the lord. Obviously nobody is perfect, and i know that it’s not easy to always strive and be like Jesus, but family it sure is worth it. Love you guys so much and so grateful for your examples and for your love for our savior. let’s keep going hard ae. um i got switched to a sector named galvarino and its right next to one of my old sectors(los conquistadores) hahaha crackup ae. i will be training a new elder and excited and ready to just beast. um we also had an awesome baptism yesterday. We baptized this fella named manuel. and ill send you guys the photos next week. He has been a miracle. A great example to us and huge evidence that god lives and that this is his gospel and that this same gospel does change lives as we our let it do so. huge dude, tattoos also all over, drug addict, alcoholic but just like victor has been able to find the strength to change and has felt the happiness that comes as we are obedient and live the gospel. Awesome guy ae. but yeah other than that all good ae family. I’m good ae. More than happy and forever grateful to be a representative of the lord. i will cherish these two years for the rest of my life. My time has come to an end. so ill talk to you next week family. Love you guys heaps! with all my love,

Elder kanahele kaka

07-11-11

Aloha Family!

e kou makou makua i loko o kalani! bahahaha. crackup story family. I’ve been walking around saying my hawaiian prayer lines acting like i speak Hawaiian and everybody believes me. lol waste time me ae. hahaha but sweet as. Awesome letter family. Good as, as always to hear from you all again. So happy to find you all in good health and of good spirits. i miss you guys heaps and just so grateful for what you guys do and for who you are. Proud to be part of the kakas! love you guys heaps family....so don’t let our bikes get stolen you dumb buggers. Haha but family everything’s going good for us here. Another long as week but way worth it. um we baptized again yesterday. such an awesome experience man. their names are victor and felipe maturana. they are brothers and have progressed hard. Victor is twenty one years old and his little brother felipe is ten. One day in my first week here in this sector we were visiting a bunch of less active members in a ghetto as Brooklyn Bronx department complex and none of them were home. as we were coming down from the third story of this building we passed a door and we don’t know why but me and my companion both stopped, looked at it, and felt that we needed to knock it. As we knocked the door this victor had opened it....no shirt, tattoos all over his body, and those huge massive emo earrings that just stretch the crap out of your ears.....lol looking at him we were like...."frek what kind of prompting was that" hahahaha.."followed the spirit and it led us to this creep weirdo!" lol but we started to talked to him, and asked him if we could share something with him about Jesus Christ, and he let us in....so we walk in and started talking with him you know, we asked him questions and things really got worse ae. hahaha he didn’t believe in nothing. He said that he doesn’t believe in god, or a Jesus Christ, nothing. He believed that were born, live, then die and that’s it. so we really started to think that there was no hope nor cause with this fella you know, but we shared of the doctrine of Christ. of how god as our loving father loves us and blesses us as we are obedient to him and do what he wants us to do. He sat there obviously not giving rats but we left him with alma 32 and invited him to just experiment, to just try and really see for himself, and left. Family within 4 weeks victors’ life has changed completely........a full 180 degrees. We went back a few days later and he had done his reading and he had prayed. We invited him to be baptized, he didn’t want to, so we left him with a reading and invited him to ask god. We taught him the restoration and he didn’t believe it, so we left him another reading and invited him to ask god. We taught him the plan of salvation, it blew his mind and he felt like it was to perfect to really exist, so what did we do? We left him another reading and invited him again to ask god. Victor has been one of the hugest examples to me here on the mission of faith. he Believed in zero, nada, absolutely nothing but since our first visit has had the desires to know, and has had the faith, sufficient enough to act....he has simply done so, simply experimented upon the word, has simply read and prayed, and done his part and little by little has been able to change his life. We taught him about the law of chastity, and he was having a few problems but understanding perfectly that what he was doing was wrong decided to break up with his girlfriend. We taught him about the word of wisdom, and how our bodies our temples and immediately he took out all six of his piercings. Taught him about the Sabbath day and what the lord expects us to do to keep it holy and as soon as he could called for a release from his job that made him work on Sundays. shared with him lehis dream and the joy that comes from not only by partaking of the fruit but by sharing it with others, and this same victor has been sharing with his cousins, ex girlfriend, and his brother. Family thru just exercising a little particle of faith, and experimenting upon the word the lord has brought to past miracles in this young man’s life. From believing in zero, victor and his little brother felipe were baptized yesterday in the church of Jesus Christ. Family there’s no doubt in my mind that this is the lords work and that he has prepared a way for all of us to return back to him. I’m so very grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to be a representative of Jesus Christ. i really don’t know where I’d be without the mission. i really don’t. i know that there’s no other way to be happy in this life and to return back to our heavenly father, other than our obedience through faith in our savior Jesus Christ and his in gospel. no other way family. i love you guys heaps ae. I’m happy as and am cherishing every minute of every day here in the mission field. We are the hope of Israel! let’s go hard this week family. Let’s be better every day. Let’s serve and love more every day. Let’s be more willing to sacrifice every day. Let’s just do it. Send my love to grams and all the family. My time has come to an end so until next week my beautiful family. With all my love,

Elder kanahele kaka

New Apartment

Family!!!!
what up my beautiful family! Man awesome as to hear from you guys ae...really am so grateful for the family that i have and for who you guys are and what you guys do. Makes me so proud and happy knowing that i have a family who does the right things and that love each other. Getting here to the internet place it hit me that i was going to hear from you guys. I’ve been so busy that really haven’t had time to think about nothing outside of the work and getting here and reading your letters really just hit me and reminded me of the beautiful family that i have. i love you guys so much ae. Ready to do hard again, balls to the walls for another week. Go hard or go home ae family. but yeah awesome letters and fotos. Man you guys have changed so much. lia you are so beautiful. For real’s my comp was checking you out! hahahaha na but seriously family you guys look all so good. happy as that you guys had a good as week....gotta let gramz know that i got her box and its all already gone hahahaha sorry bout it. but thank her for that ae. look at all the pics that she sent as well and it was three mean. um as for me this week was another great week. Our new president arrived Tuesday, president Essig, and family he is the man. President may was the man too but pres. essig is the man in his own way. the most humblest guy that I’ve ever met in my whole entire life and just seeing and listening to him makes me want to be more like our savior Jesus Christ....he honestly is the man ae. We love him heaps already and excited as to work under his guidance and direction. The funny thing is that he doesn’t speak Spanish to well, and his wife doesn’t speak nothing so they are lost hard. For real’s and here in chile they speak like a whole nother language in its self so they’ve been having a hard time with that a lot. they’re worse than i was when i first got here! hahaha but this fellas gotta run a whole mission....crackup ae....but hes gonna be awesome. he’s won everybody’s trust and as a mission we are all on the same page so it’s gonna be good as. For us on the week. well family still busy as crazy, working harder than i ever have in my whole entire life and never been so happy. um we were really blessed again by the lord and found 25 new investigators!!! crazy ae. Yesterday in 4 hours we just went to work hard as and just were running around like crazy and found 8. We taught over 30 lessons with a member again and just progressing mean as. Our zone too has been improving big time. i really have a testimony of the importance of being an example. We have strived and have been able to maintain big achievements to be an example to our zone and show them what the lord really expects us to achieve and it’s really inspired them to do better. This week as a zone there were a lot of things that we improved on big time. Doing good as ae. all the missionaries are getting more excited and as a zone we are getting more unified and on the same page with the same vision and working hard together to achieve it. Seeing those missionaries with bad attitudes change and really want to do better and do it, is what’s happening and me and my comp and happy as to see such changes. Nothing better than seeing those you serve finally get it and see the big picture. We also had a baptism this Sunday. Had to have been one of the most spiritual baptismal services that I’ve ever been a part of. we’ve been helping a less active family and the dad yesterday was able to baptize his little daughter. Her name is danae osorio and the happiness that was present yesterday as her dad was able to baptize her was immense. The whole family has now been going back to church and they were all just balling. The spirit was definitely there and they could all feel it and was just an awesome experience. family here in this sector lo matta 2 with elder anderson I’ve really come to understand the meaning of true happiness....the source of true happiness and where it comes from.....something i really didn’t fully understand before i got here.....what I’ve come to understand is that everybody in the world wakes up in search of happiness. Nobody wakes up wanting to be sad for the day, everybody wants to be happy. Gods sent us here to be happy and a lot of people find this happiness in many different ways. In their jobs, with their family, in worldy things, money, cars, and drugs. All these things people do to be happy. what I’ve come to learn is that yes, maybe you can be happy with a lot of money, maybe you can be happy working, maybe you can be happy being with your family but this happiness is temporal and always ends. these same people know that without money, working and being with there family they dont receive that same happiness. what ive come to really understand family is that true happiness only comes as we obey our father in heaven. Happiness that never ends only comes as we keep the commandments......there’s no other way in which someone can be happy forever. As a missionary I’ve really come to gain my testimony of this never-ending happiness. being here in chile I’ve really had nothing ae, i don’t have my family (my most prized possessions), i don’t have my friends, i don’t have my own time to do what i want, i don’t have a lot of money, i don’t get to eat my favorite foods, and the list goes on and on of things that i DONT have but family i can testify to you that ive never been so happy in my whole entire life. in spite of all these things that i don’t have, of all the trials that i face day in and day out, there’s no greater happiness and satisfaction that one can have than the happiness that comes from being obedient to the things that the lord wants me to do. I’ve never been so happier. i know that god loves us and wants us to be happy and for this very reason gives us commandments, for this reason gives us missionary rules. And i know that as we are obedient to him is when we are truly happy. Something that i wanted to share with you guys family. a lot of people want to be happy, a lot of people look for this happiness, i was one of them not to long ago looking for happiness even here in the mission, doing things my own way thinking that it would make me happy. Doing the lords work my way without being obedient, putting more trust in myself than in him, being prideful and family i may have been successful but i sure wasn’t as happy then as i am now. "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and a happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." family if the lord tells us to eat pizza every Wednesday night we gotta eat pizza every Wednesday night, if the lord tells us to jump the point 5 times every day we have to jump the point 5 times every day. Whatever the lord says we need to do with exactness, and as we do it, he has promised us this never ending happiness. this week lets strive to find more ways in which we can as a family be more obedient with exactness to the lord. i know that as we do so we will be happy. Family i love you guys so much. Really i am so grateful for all that you guys do to better be like Christ. Thank you for your sacrifice in having me here serving him. i love you all with my whole heart and soul. gotta go even harder, and give even more this week ae you black maoris. my times come to an end so until next week my beautiful whanau. send my love to gramz and all the family. with all my love,

Elder kanahele kaka

Monday 27 June, 201

Kia Ora Whanau!

Amazing letter family. always great you know getting here at these ghetto internet places breathing in second hand smoke, and listening to worldly music cause i always get to hear from you fellas!!! hahaha always the highlight of my week and the best way to start it off....i miss you guys heaps ae family. was great hearing from each of yous. Sound like everything’s going good as. Busy, which is always good. Proud of all of yous ae. keep going hard faimly. im happy you guys had a good time with the little cuzzies. I’m sure that they felt something different being around you fellas. ( the spirit i hope! haha) but yeah family as for me, I’m doing good as ae......had another amazing week this week!! lol still tired as the heck and there’s still a bunch of moaners but really never been so happy as i loose myself in the service of others. i don’t think I’ve ever been so busy, hungry, and tired before but in turn i don’t think I’ve every been so blessed in my entire mission. I’m learning so much ae and for real’s just loving every single second of it. Time is flying way to fast and i really do not want to finish ae family....the spiritual experiences that i have every day as i testify of Christ and his restored gospel and feeling the spirit testify through me of the truthfulness of everything we say really wouldn’t change for anything else in this world. The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost really is the fountain of true happiness in this life and just being so privileged to have it in great abundance really has opened my eyes and understanding of god’s love for us as his children. Family we are so blessed to have this gospel, for real’s nothing else in this life matters nor could match up with the temporal and eternal blessings that we receive as we live its basic principles. Family i love you guys so much and just happy as to be here. i thank you guys for everything. straight up everything. I have been so blessed to have a family like you guys who have supported me day in and day out here on the mission. Really i don’t know who nor where I’d be if i didn’t serve a mission. It has changed my life forever,but thank you so much family, love you guys heaps. um as for president, he leaves tomorrow! crazy ae! hahaha he’s been an awesome president...for real’s....it’s taken me along time to realize it but he really is the man. Taught me so much and i will miss that fella hard. New pres. comes in tomorrow too and we have a huge leadership council meeting with him on Wednesday, so it’s going to be crackup to see all the changes. um me and elder Anderson are doing good as ae family. um with the work we have changed the missions vision of what we can really achieve and servants of the lord. here on the mission we have like a standard that president has put of certain amount of things we need to be achieving weekly, like a certain amount of lessons taught with a member, a certain amount of people with a baptismal date, and just bunch of stuff like that to help motivate us to really keep a high standard of expectations and just to make us work hard week in and week out. This standard obviously is hard to get but not impossible, just requires a lot of faith with a lot of action, and just missionaries who want to work. okay so that’s the standard, and in our zone the problem that we have noticed is that missionaries really don’t have the faith that they can achieve it which is why they don’t which results in a weakling of their faith and they just always walking around sad at the world. So this week me and elder Anderson made some huge as goals to not only achieve it but to DOUBLE IT! Just to smash it to show everybody that it’s not only possible but it’s easy......so family started off this past week working like crazy. Every single second of every single day, we knew what we needed to accomplish and we worked our buts off. family I’ve never worked so hard before.,....hahaha never been so antzy, urgent before and we just worked every second that we could and yesterday as our day came to an end we were able to double the standard. We were buggered hard but it was way worth it. Broke mission records for lessons taught, new investigators found, and people in church. In this month of July we should be having 7 baptisms so we are so excited ae. lol half our sacrament meeting yesterday were all investigators. Almost had over twenty investigators with us yesterday. 4 benches full of just investigators. Was such a miracle as me and my comp sat there, but i really have come to learn and understand that the more you give to the lord the more he gives back and the happier you really are. He really does bless us when we put in our part. he’s actually obligated to bless us when we do so which is our point that we want to show our zone tomorrow in our zone conference. That this is the lord’s work and that if you are giving your all to him, that the standard is not only possible but easy to hit and that at the end of the day you are happy just knowing that you left it all out on the field. Family i know this is the lord’s work and that he blesses us according to our love, faith, and dedication to him. Other than that it’s still freezing as....actually getting way cold, um our hot water works now.hahaha we were showering in cold water for ages but now it’s all good, but yeah family love my sector, zone, companion, and above all the chileans that I’ve been called to serve. I love this country so much. So grateful to be a servant of the lord and to be here representing him. i love you so much ae family. Keep going hard. Love one another, and take care of each other. My times come to an end so until next week my family. Love you guys with all my heart. tumeke
Elder kanahele kaka

Monday 20 June, 211

HAPPY FATHERS DAY BRO!!

Kia Ora Whanau!

g´day my beautiful family. Awesome as to hear from you all again ae. still crying ae pops? hahaha same here bro.sweet as. Sounds like you guys had an awesome week though....fa miss you guys hard ae. but just wanted to say happy father’s day dad....the other day we had a leadership concil with president may and in our meeting we did an exercise and went around the room talking about people who have inspired us in our lives, and as i sat there bro you and mum were the only people that i could think of. as we went one by one sharing of those who have inspired us i couldn’t help but express my love and appreciation for yous, my parents. Honestly grateful dad for all that you have done for us bro and for teaching me the importance of not only being a worthy priesthood holder, but the importance of using it to serve and love those we live with. You really are my best friend bro and i love you hard ae. i love you too mum but you already had your day last month. Haha, but yeah family i was happy as ae looking at the photos that you guys have sent me. Uncle ashes boys are all grown up man...fa so cool to see pics of them. Handsome little mongrels to ae. cool man. make sure you let gramz know that i got her letter and read it. love gramz heaps ae., but yeah family as for me another great week ae. i don’t even know where to start man. um my companion Elder Anderson is the man ae. For real’s. one of the best that ive had. Learn so much from him ae and we just have a good time. When it’s time to work we work hard as a mother, but when its time to play we go even harder. There’s no such thing as sleep for us ae. always on the move, waking up early as every day, and going to bed late every night just trying to get done everything we need to do to help those we’ve been called to serve. If anything in this big scheme of busyness I’ve really come to better understand that as you lose yourself in the service of others you really forget about yourself and your own problems that you have. As i told you guys last week in my letter i felt really inadequate and everything but I’ve been able to live and really gain a testimony that the secret to every problem is to work and serve others. For real’s I’ve never been so happier in my entire life than i am now. i don’t get enough sleep, don’t get to eat some times, and even worse don’t even get to shower to be able to help others and life has never been better. um a cool experience that helped me big time this past week. After our leadership council with president he took all of us out to a restaurant to have a mean feed and me and my companion got to ride with him in his car. Just us and him, and while we were in his car we were talking about the new mission president coming next week and how nervous he should be, and pres started talking about his own experience of when he got called to be the new mission president and the things that helped him and something he said was just awesome ae. he said "the basics prepare anybody for any calling." it was just what i needed. the basics ae family,no secrets. So yeah was an awesome experience and its obviously helped me as I’ve applied it with my new calling, as for us in our sector, we are just smashing the work ae. for real’s just setting all kinds of amazing records for things never done in our mission. We baptized 3 people yesterday; two little girls named camila and katerine, and a old lady named orenilda and were awesome baptisms ae. um found over twenty people this past week, taught almost forty lessons and we are just beasting ae. love the work and never felt the spirit so strong as me and my companion give our heart and soul to the lord by working. We got so many investigators i forget what they’re all called it’s so crazy. For real’s every half work hour of every day is just appointments, appointments and more appointments. Never been so happy doing the work of the lord. it’s made us really to be well organized and make really good planes. But yeah we are doing good as. um something that I’ve really come to learn this past week is the importance that a leader has to teach by example and to be the example. i can’t push my missionaries to accomplish something that I’m not accomplishing so it’s really forced us to work our buts off. obedience is everything ae. For real’s could talk for days and days of the importance of obedience. A missionaries level of success = his level of obedience and dedication. That’s how it is. No other secrets to this work. if you want to be a happy and successful missionary you have to be obedient! No other way you can do it. So yeah its been awesome. I’ve been having some mean as experiences ae. love the work and just going hard family. gotta go hard or go home ae. lol i know that our savior lives and his love for me, his atoning sacrifice and his example of perfection is what makes me want to be better each day. Go hard this week family. i love you all so very much. My time has come to an end so until next week my beautiful family, with all my love,
Elder kanahele kaka