Transferred to Kona

Hello Hello everybody! Howzit?

Anywho catching up on two weeks is never fun. Well I'll start at the top and work my way through I guess! A weekend before transfers I got a call from President, he released me as District Leader and gave me another assignment in Kona.  So I bid my adieus to Elder C. and transferred to Kealakekua, Kona, Big Island (also known as Hawaii), Hawaii. I am now with Elder A. and he's super cool!

I'm excited to be here in Kona, and I'm sorry I didn't email last week, there was a lot of junk going on. It shouldn't happen again. You guys should be getting a package in the mail full of books of mine and letters, it's getting too heavy to carry around and with the 50lbs limit for go'in off island it makes it tough, so sorry.  There's not much exciting in there, but you can thumb through it I guess haha. Well this computer is being dumb, so I'll send this and then go to a different one to send some pictures.

But it now brings us to where I am now.  LOVING life in Kona.  It's country here which I LOVE and my companion is very chill. 

The area is great, the people are awesome, but the work is much slower here than in Lulu, but I'll just have to speed it up a little bit haha:)

It was REALLY hard to say goodbye to the people in the Makiki ward.  I really loved that place a lot.  I'm sure you all had those areas in your mission that you got really attached to and Makiki is one of those places for me.  It was nice in a way because I knew I was leaving before everybody else in the mission knew what transfers were going to be, so normally you'd find out on Sunday night, where you were going but I found out Friday night.  So in ward council Bishop asked if one of us could give a "missionary moment" in sacrament meeting.  Elder C. doesn't like speaking so I volunteered (which is funny because that made 3 weeks in a row that I'd spoken in Sacrament) and so a lot of people in the ward already knew that I was leaving (because I had told a couple of them and word spreads fast haha) so when I spoke it was pretty much giving my "dying testimony" to the ward. I cried and so did a bunch of other people.  Saying goodbye to everyone was REALLY hard.  It was tough to do a clean break.  I guess that's why they do transfers.

I love you all soooo much and miss you a lot.  Thank you for keeping me in your prayers!

Aloha!

Eleta Puipui

Me and Stephanie, the recent convert!  She's the best haha.

The Johnsons, Stephanie, Elder C. and I.  This was my "last supper" in Makiki haha.

Me cruiz'in on my last p-day on the rock.  Our whole zone went to a member's home right on the beach with a huge backyard (no sand don't worry) and we played rugby, volleyball and grilled up burgers and brats.  It was superb and a great way to end a transfer.

   One of my favorite pics ever, the two whitest kids ever who both served in Tongan wards and love Tongans, with two full Tongan Elders.  And they both love cruiz'in with us cause of our love of the Tongan people.  From bottom to top: Elder W. (they give him a Tongan name because they love him, Eleta Viliami) Elder S., Elder L., and me, Eleta Puipui:)

 

Me and the Failings, I call them Auntie and Uncle Failings because they're like family:)

Easter!

Hello Hello errbody. What's new in the Hills? Er... Howzit? Welp, maybe I'll send the pictures first and then send my email.

The first pic is a very happy me with your package:) Thanks! Yes I did indeed wait till Easter, although that's one of the hardest things ever to do, get a package only to find out that it says "Do not open till...." God is never done trying my patience haha.

The next picture is of the "Easter Basket" after I put the "Handle" back on.
Unfortunately, the "handle" could not handle the stress ahyuk hyuk hyuk:)

The next pic is of the view that we could see from "Mariner's Ridge"
a hike we did earlier this morning.

Then there's me again!

Then there's Elder G. (pronounced ngatolowhy, it's one of those back of the mouth sounds like singing) and you can barely make out the head of my companion Elder C.

Well Well Well. Another week is come and gone. There's really not much to report. Usually I'd have more to say, but there were no crazy stories or super spiritual experiences. Easter was VERY good, and I really enjoyed our Sacrament meeting a lot, but I have to say it's very different when there's no family around.

Transfers come in a week, so I'll be sure to let you know if anything exciting happens haha. Chances are that I'm going to stay in Makiki for a very. long. time.

Welp. I Love you all a lot:) Thanks for your support, and I hope you're not having too much fun without me;)

Love and Aloha,

Elder Jared Brooksby

Happy April Fool's Day!

Hello everybody back in the mainland! Howzit?

Well April Fool's came and went pretty much without any notice, nobody pulled pranks on us at all so I didn't even remember that it was April Fool's Day till I looked at my watch and it had a 1 displayed on the date dial, so then I pulled out this thing that Dad gave me my senior year of high school full of all these famous pranks that people pulled, read it, and went about my day haha.

It was very interesting being in the EXACT spot that Elder Hallstrom (a speaker in the LDS General Conference) was referring to. And it was very interesting to think about how I've spoken from the same pulpit that 70's, Apostles, and Prophets have all spoken from as well.

Maybe you guys will have to come out and have Dad release me and I'll take you on a tour of true Hawaii in roughly a year.

Can you believe that? IN ROUGHLY A YEAR I'M PAU! For the longest time it's been "How long have you been out for Elder?" "Oh about half a year." But no longer!

But yeah I LOVED conference. I could tell how much I was enjoying it based off of how many notes I took and how few times I glanced at my watch. There were some very good talks given, I think my favorite would have to be a tie between Elder Cook's and President Uchtdorf's. All the talks were very good though. As I said, I LOVED it.

It was very interesting during conference. I thought about marriage and missionary work a lot. Those were two common themes but I was more thinking of them through the lens of this: If I can't show God that I can be trusted with a companion who I can respect and work with and learn to love then that gives him no evidence to base his decision of an eternal companion for me on. I will have given him nothing to speak to my good. Likewise if I cannot teach and love an investigator no matter their background or knowledge or abilities and can't teach them simply through the Spirit, then why would God trust me with children later on down the road? Just something to keep my engine in gear right now I guess haha, that's why I'm trying as hard as I can.

It sounds like you all had a pretty crazy week this week haha. Especially Lauren with doing all those things to get ready for the trip and therefore you guys as well for driving here and there and everywhere to get it done:) Ah, what a life:)

Well I have a story for you that is amazing and wonderful.

Today while at a doctor's appointment for Elder C. (I haven't gotten sick since I've been in Hawaii... hope I don't jinx myself...) I ran into the wife and son of my ward mission leader on Molokai! It was the best, I got to ask them all about people we had been working with and people we had found and amidst all the conversing I found out that two Investigators Elder T. and I found and Elder D. and I taught were just baptized two weeks ago!!!! R. and P. got married and then baptized! WHAT A BLESSING!!!!!!!!! When we found them the first thing that happened was I knocked the door and R. saw who it was and tried to dodge behind her refrigerator so that I couldn't see her, but then when I saw her I called out "How are you doing today miss?" and so she came out and talked to us. Eventually we began teaching her outside of here house and her boyfriend wouldn't listen, eventually she became comfortable enough with us that she let us in and we taught her in her house, but her boyfriend would stay in another room. Then eventually we met the boyfriend and got him interested and when I left Molokai we had just committed her to marriage and baptism. Now here they are! HOW AMAZING! It is one of the best feelings in the world to see this family united in the gospel, I'm just so happy:)

But yeah it's another week in the books here. I'm doing alright so no need to worry about me too much:) Thanks for all your support and prayers on my behalf though it makes a huge difference:)

I Love you all and Miss you SOOOO much!

LOVE, Elder Brooksby

Happy Spring!

Hello hello everybody! Howzit?

Before I forget, Brighton Brooksby should be getting an email from Brooke Barton, a woman in our ward here with a picture of me. Here's the story. Brooke saw me at church one Sunday and she noticed that my name was Brooksby. She approached me and said, "Huh! My cousin just married a Brooksby!" Me:"Really? Well what's your cousin's name?" "Brighton." "Well yup, Brighton married my brother Brett back in September" Then a week later I saw a picture of Brooke Barton's wedding (good thing Brooke didn't get married to Brett, I couldn't deal with having to say Brooke Brooksby more than once a month) and guess who was in the picture? Yup. Brighton. So kinda weird in a random family's house in the middle of Hawaii, there's a picture of my sister-in-law (which is cool cause I've still never met the girl in person) and it just happens to be the same mission that Brighton's sister served in. Coincidence? I THINK NOT! Good pick Brett.

Jared with Brooke Barton

Anywho, yes there is definitely a difference in the seasons here. We are in the bitter end of the wet season and let me tell you what, Hawaii doesn't mess around when it's wet season.

Also I found someone who had a Trumpet and they're going to let me play it woot woot!

So I'm glad that you like Lauren's concert, but don't forget who played Vesuvius first;)

Anyways that's all I've got for this week! Things are going... going well I guess or at least getting there haha.

Love you all so much!!!

Elder Brooksby

The Temple

Hello Hello Hello! Howzit?

Everything is fine here. The weather has been overbearingly WET. But not much you can do about that I suppose. I busted out the rain jacket and I have used it frequently in combination with my umbrella so they've been getting a good workout lately. So yeah other than a few flash floods that kept us from leaving our house things have been fine. Just wet.

Yeah I took a few photos with Elder R. but I don't have my cord today so I'll have to send the photos on next Monday.

Anywho I guess a little belated b-day present to myself was we got to go to the Temple today which of course explains why I didn't email you yesterday, because our p-day was today! The Temple is always the best I look forward greatly to going through the temple with you guys again in a year and change:)

That's so sad to hear about Sister J. and I'll definitely write Elder J. and send my condolences to him. There's been a lot of drama lately in the Empire State I'm glad to hear that everything for the most part is good and that no trees have fallen on our house haha.

Well I love you all and there's not much new in my life. Just missionary work as usual. Sister Dalton (his Mission President's wife) called me on my birthday and said "Well you should go and do something nice for yourself and tell your companion you can cause it's your birthday!" Then I said well I guess I'll just do missionary work and call it good haha.

Thanks for all your prayers, I guess keep me in your prayers cause it's been kinda hard lately. Just another growing experience:)

Love you all soooo much and look forward to talking to you in about two months:)

Love Elder Brooksby

Transfers!

Well hello hello my family!

Here's the big news... I'm staying District Leader in Makiki. I'm getting a new companion. I really liked Elder R., so I'm sad that we were only together for one transfer.

Anyways we had a baptism Saturday and it went FLAWLESSLY!!!!! I mean it could not have been any more perfect. The talks were poignant and concise, the baptism itself went off without a hitch, and there was a beautiful musical number (a rendition of "Come Thou Fount") in the midst of it all. I really think that it couldn't have been better:) So Sister B. was confirmed yesterday and then she bore her testimony since it was Fast and Testimony meeting (or open mic night as she calls it hahaha) and everything is going well there:)

Can't ask for much more than that haha:)

Well it sounds like you had to have a small companionship inventory on Saturday but I'm glad that everything is working out back on the home front. It's interesting the effects that things like that can have on people. There are some things that have happened that I remember so vividly it's like I'm always carrying a video of it in my pocket and I watch the whole video any time I think of the memory. Mom, I don't know if you remember this but it's one of those things that I will never forget all the days of my life. We were going to pick some Boy Scout thing up for Brett and had to drive to the offices in Albany to get it. I was a very young child at the time, I think I was in a car seat, and I cant remember if we were on the way there or on the way back, but we were lost (Mom was driving the green devil at the time haha). I was eating a graham cracker and I looked up, you had pulled off to the side of the road and you were crying. Well that was enough for me so I started crying which I'm sure only added some more stress to the predicament. Obviously we got home, and obviously it all worked out, although I don't remember how it worked out, I just remember that moment, eating a graham cracker, seeing you crying, thinking we were lost. And I have plenty more of those small moments which, for one reason or another, will never leave me. So yeah it's interesting the impact that actions can have and the way we're going to remember them.

Well I love you all so much, thanks for all the support and birthday wishes I've received and I hope all is well for you guys:) Take it easy!

Love Elder Jared Brooksby

What a Discussion!

Hey Hey Hey everybody!!! Hopefully you all got my photos OK, haha. I was really glad to be on a good computer this week. (So here are some of the ones he sent).

This one is from when he hiked Koko Head a couple of weeks ago.

This one was a little bird that Jared tried unsuccessfully to nurse back to health.

And I put this one on because I thought it was really funny!

Well it seemed like everybody has a pretty good week this week, I'm so jealous that you all got to visit E, J, & B. But I guess that I'll get my fill when I get back, not that that's anytime soon haha.

Well I feel bad because I haven't been able to give you any good stories lately but don't worry I have a good one this week:)

So we have an investigator who's getting baptized on March 3rd (woot!) and we met her at a park to teach her. We get seated and begin our lesson which is about Temples. Just as we begin discussing things two groups of people sit down on either side of us and all of a sudden the first group (a young couple to our left) starts making out ferociously. Like we're 10 feet away and we can hear. We look over and she's sitting on his lap now and they are REALLY going at it. I laugh a little at how awkward this is and she turns to me and says "Didn't know you were going to get first row seats to the show did you?" I start laughing pretty hard and then I look over at my companion and he's flat out staring at them! She turns to my comp and says "Hey you just taught me the Law of Chastity and I know you're not supposed to be watching that." Then we all start laughing and try to refocus on the lesson. Then Group 2 (4 kids in their early teens) all simultaneously light up their joints and start smoking their homegrown pacalolo. We can tell what it is because, well it's got a very distinct smell... I smell it on a daily basis here honestly, and we were down wind so all their smoke is blowing our way. We can't focus on the lesson because of this and then she laughs and says "Man now we're in real trouble, Law of Chastity and Word of Wisdom at the same time! Now I've REALLY got to speak to Bishop." Then she jokes "Bishop, I've come today because I broke the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom at the same time. But don't worry the Missionaries were there the whole time so it's OK right?" Then we all BUST UP laughing and that pretty much wrapped up the lesson for that day. We re-scheduled for another day, she bought us dinner at the farmer's market and then we were on our way. Sooo yeah that's definitely the funniest (not the most spiritual however) lesson I've been in so far hahaha:)

Anyways my time is just about up but transfers are on my birthday actually so that'll be fun! You'll know next Monday what's happening here:) Oh and we're going to a zoo today so hopefully next week there will be some good pictures:)

I love and miss you all sooooooo much but I'm doing well here!

Love, Elder Brooksby