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