Rescue

It's a fact of missionary life that the young elders and sisters you work closely with come and go, as their assignments within the mission change or they return home at the conclusion of their mission. The one constant for us since we arrived has been Elder Tela Mulitalo from West Valley, Utah. He has been serving in the Waimanalo ward with us, and had three different companions during that time. But this week we learned he was being transferred to the big island of Hawaii, and we were sad to see him go. It was as if part of our own mission was leaving with him. Elder Mulitalo was an excellent missionary, someone his parants and siblings can be very proud of. He was exceptional not because he was able to baptize dozens of converts, but because of the influence he had with the youth in the ward, both members and non-members. They admired and trusted him because of his gentle efforts to bring them closer to Christ, and onto the covenant path. We often give advice and counsel to the elders and sisters who visit our apartment, and we told Elder Mulitalo that we could tell he would be a bishop one day, probably very soon, because of how well he connects with and inspires the youth in the church. We treasure our opportunity to associate with the young missionaries in Hawaii.

Our Saturday morning started very early at 5:30 am to observe a seminary class taught by Sister Nette Makua for online students who meet together every week for a face-to-face class. We were amazed by the way she directed the classroom instruction by initiating discussion and then allowing the students to take the lead in sharing the lessons they learned from the past week. Seminary has changed quite a bit (for the better) since we were students, and we have a lot to learn before taking the assignment to teach seminary classes in January, starting a new term with the Book of Mormon. Aunty Nette is a great example for us to follow as we strive to teach in the Savior's way. She has been teaching seminary here for over 20 years, she loves to share her testimony, she loves to teach, and most important of all, she loves the kids in her classes. Our biggest challenge initially will be getting up around 5 am three times a week because Sister Mundell is definitely not a morning person. Hopefully that will change soon.

We also watched the Kaneohe Christmas parade on Saturday, which was quite a spectacle. There were thousands of people there, both lining the streets and participating in the parade. Later that day the Waimanalo ward had its Christmas activity, with food and traditional Hawaiian entertainment. We brought four elderly sisters to the event, and we also had a chance to sit and visit with two less active members of the ward who had been baptized more than a year ago. We make it a priority to listen to each of these individuals, try to get to know them well, and become their true friends so they enjoy sharing their lives, thoughts and feelings freely with us. That's our real purpose as MLS missionaries, to help rescue the lost sheep and bring them back into the fold where they can feel the warmth and love of their ward families. We will be focusing our efforts toward these ward members over the next several months.