success in saipan

Hey mom,

Thank you so much for the great packages you sent me and my companion.  Elder Garcia absolutely loved it and so did I.  He was so happy and the canadian shirt fits him just fine!  He is already sending you a letter today! 

So this week has been good.  We didn't find any new investigators but we do have a baptism for this coming week!  Its Lester!!!  He is so awesome.  He and the Ocaya kids are like my little philipino brothers!  I love them all so much!  

President Dowdle has gave us special permission to take James Ocaya with us to teach Lester even though he is only 14.  He has been very helpful in fellowshipping Lester.  One day after giving a discussion, James said he just wanted to talk so we went by the skate park and Golds Gym.  We talked about lots of things but mostly what he can do to help his family!  His family doesn't get along very well, so we encouraged him to do Family Prayer every night and before every meal!  He told us that since they have been doing that, they are getting along better.  I hope they will keep it up!  

Mom, I am so grateful that we always did Family Prayer and Family Home Evening in our home.   We have been helping their family do Family Home Evening as well.  We now give them assignments so that if the missionaries stop teaching them they can continue doing it on their own.  I can testify that Family Home Evening helps save marriages and families!  

Well I gotta go,

sipwap chufengen

Upwe Kuna En Sefan

Ai Tong Ngoruk

Seni Elder Kearl

thinking of dan

this week I have had dan on my mind more than usual.  don't know why, just can't stop thinking about him.  could be because he is reaching the six month mark soon, or because my good friend janelle hopkins is getting ready to send tanner off and I am thinking of her.

we had ward conference on sunday and president miller was asking me how dan was doing and we had a good visit.  we laughed about dan cutting the coconut with a machete wearing only flip flops (he had seen dan's blog).  he is a doctor and was not aware of how premature dan was; 12 weeks early, weighing only 1 1/2 pounds.  he commented on what a miracle boy dan really is and i agree.  i shared with him that when dan was born and his future very uncertain, i would pray that one day he would be well enough to serve a mission and that's exactly what he is doing and he's doing it very well.

on Sunday we had dinner at Laura's house and Dad, Derek, Jamie, Laura and myself had a fun time sharing our favorite  DAN memories.  we were laughing so hard.  derek and I could seriously write a bestselling book on raising that boy.

that night, James Ocaya (in previous post pictures) sent me a message on facebook that said 'he misses you really much'.  he is scott's age and his helping Dan fellowship one of his investigators.  that just melted my heart to pieces.

we received in the mail today, a birthday greeting for derek and emily from elder kearl.  i loved it so much that i thought i would scan and post it.  so very dan.

i so wish my mom was here to see dan on a mission.  she would be his biggest cheerleader.  she would probably driving my dad crazy with all the packages she would send him.  she would print out every email and carry it with her to show all her friends in Cardston.  she died too young.

i miss him but wouldn't want him anywhere else right now.  my dad always told me 'you will never know how much i love you until you have your own kids' and that is 100% true.
julie

new investigator

Lestor, one of our investigators

Hey mom,

Thanks for forwarding tyson and brett's mission updates, i like reading them.  Can you send me their addresses? I want to write them a letter! 

I am doing good here in saipan.   We finally found some new investigators....well only one!  His name is Tatson and he is from the island of Chuuk!!  We taught him and he asked a really good question about baptism so Elder Garcia answered it by telling him that baptism is not complete with out the Holy Ghost, the gift of the Holy Ghost!  It was interesting how we committed him to baptism.  We simply asked...."Brother Tatson, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by proper authority and then afterwards receive the Gift of the Hioly Ghost by the Laying on of Hands?  He accepted and it was great!   It made me so happy!  

I am doing fine but a mission can be very hard at times!  Elder Garcia's brother sent him an email which he liked.  However, his family is still not going to church and that is hard for him.

  

Tyler Henry also sent me an email and told me about going to the temple and receiving his endowment.   I am not gonna lie, it made me super Trunky!  I haven't been to the temple in over 4 months!  I got to once a week in the MTC, and then my last week there we went to the Salt Lake Temple.  I walked by one of the sealing rooms in there and it was really special seeing where you and dad were married.  

I loved seeing the pictures from Emily and Ryan's joint birthday party.  The wedding cake was hilarious.  Thanks for sending them.

I am really happy right now.......why?  Because my friends are all going on missions pretty soon!  Oh by the way, can you send me Kent, Tyler, Tanner, Tyler and Steven Crane's MTC addreses so I can write them in the MTC?  I would really appreciate that.

Can you also send me some pictures of the family in print, not email, so I can put them up in my apartment? I would love that.

Now I am going to go,

I love u, bye

Ai Tong ngoruk

Seni

Elder Kearl

P.S.  These pictures are with our Investigator, Lester.   He is the tall one in the black shirt and the other Tall one is James OCaya.  Scott is friends with him on facebook, they are the same age.  He is our fellowshipper and is really helpful.  He has a really strong testimony.  He was baptized by my trainer Elder Deo Campo and this little brother Jordan is 10 and then there is a picture of little Lance,  Lesters Brother!

Lestors little brother, Lance

Jordan O Caya

James O Caya, our fellowshipper

Having fun!

Elder Garcia and Lestor

James, me and Jordan O Caya

joking around in our apartment

me and Elder Garcia

SHORT update from Saipan

Hey mom!
This transfer has been pretty hard so far, I am not gonna lie!  BUT.....I am still happy to be here on Saipan!

Yeah, Eric did email me, it was so nice to hear from him!

I loved seeing the pictures of the Calgary Temple under construction, they really made me happy!  Thanks for sending them.

We watched General Conference this weekend and it was awesome.  I really like how they do it here, even though we have to wait a week and watch a recording!  We watch it at 10-12 and then 1-3 in the afternoon.  Between the sessions, everyone brings food and we have a big potluck; I brought rice.  We watched priesthood on saturday night at 6.  At 5, we have an ice cream social.  People do not go out to eat here because they can't afford it.  So nice to go to the chapel,  its better then being at home for Conference!

So are you going to write Elder Garcia?

well I gotta go c ya

Love Elder Kearl

p.s Love you, bye....

still in SAIPAN

Hey Mom!

I did not get to watch conference yet,  we get it recorded and will watch it this coming saturday and sunday!!

I am doing fine though this has been a pretty hard week!  Not very much success.  

Transfers just happened and I am with Elder Garcia again for the 3rd transfer in a row!  But thats good, I am enjoying having him as a companion!  Elder Donakey went back to Pohnpei  and we now have a new guy, Elder Cook.  He is an interesting person.   Saipan now has two zone leaders, Elder Cook and Elder Nicerio!  

Whats up with the Temple in Calgary?  I would love to see some pictures!!  I really would love to be able to go to the temple, it's weird not having one close by.  Our stake goal is to get a temple in Guam, Pohnpei or Chuuk.  

I am doing fine! 

Scott and Emily, did James Ocaya add u on facebook?   I know him quite well, he got baptized 6 months
ago and he is a great guy! 

I was wondering if you could do me a favour?   Elder Garcia,  my companion, gets no letters from home and his family is less active.  He is leaving his mission in 5 months.  I would really appreicate it if you would send him a letter with something from everyone and maybe a picture!  He is quite lonely and maybe you could get some other people to do it too, like kids or young women.  He understands English pretty good.  He is pretty awesome so I would love it if you could do this for him!  He is from the Phillipines.  This would be awesome!

well I gotta go

c ya later

love ya,

Elder Kearl 

oh and Elder Cook said something weird yesterday. He said "Elder Kearl...can u believe this your fourth transfer already!"  Time is definitely flying by.

Elder Garcia

testimony in chuukese

Hey Mom!

Ifa Soum?  

Hey, that sounds great that you did a blog for me.  I can't look at the blog since I'm not allowed on the internet but I'm sure it looks good!  Thank you. 

Today my camera ran out of batteries and I don't have enough money to buy new ones,  so unfortunately I can't send pictures this week.  

Well it has been a pretty discouraging week,  I am not gonna lie,  but we are still happy! 

Alvonny, an investigator is having a hard time drinking tea, and he's only nine years old.  We are trying to find ways to help him quit!  I actually think it is quite funny.  We are also still working with Lester and teaching Alvonnys mom (Alvins wife)!  So not so bad.  We are probably going to have a baptism or two in the next couple of weeks!   

Transfer calls are coming up on wednesday night!  The other missionaries think I am going to Chuuk or Guam.  I really want to stay here on Saipan though and will be sad when I leave this Island. 

I know this Church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God  and that this church is led by a living Prophet Thomas S. Monson and that Joseph Smith really did restore the true church!  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen!

now in Chuukese:  nang mei sinei Mwichefen mi ennet me pwe ewe Puken Mormon mi ewe Kapasen Kot me pwe ei mi emwen mi manau sofouson Kot Thomas S. Monson me pwe Josef Smit feri niwiniseni ( I think thats restore) ewe ennet Mwichefen! Ua apasa ekkei mettoch non ewe fan iten nom Sias Kraist Amen

Love you guys so much,

Tong

Elder Kearl

short update and more pictures sent in the mail

Hey mom!

How are you?  Ifa soum ewe famini?  Hows the family?  

I am doing great.  So this week is probably one of the best weeks of my mission so far.... alot happening here on the island of Saipan!  

First and foremost...yesterday Saipan branch became a ward!! We have a bishopric now with Bishop Esplin as Bishop (he was branch president) and Bro Lumbanyia as First Counsellor.  They have not called a Second Counsellor yet for some one reason!  

We also had zone conference on Tuesday!  I was able to see my mission president, it's been weird not being able to see him for three months.  We had a good talk together.  He said our area has lots of potential.  He is a really funny man!  When he arrived, he and Sister Dowdle came out of the car they were eating McDonalds.   During our interview he was still eating McDonalds!  We talked about the fall and the importance of having a positive attitude. 

We are finding some new investigators.  We have to delay Alvonnys baptism for a couple of weeks so his dad can get the priesthood and baptize him.   We are also working with his dad (have actually been doing that since I got here).  He has some word of wisdom problems but together we are working on it.  We told Alvonny he can help too.   When he sees his dad chew beetlenut,  he can take it away from him!  

Well I gotta go I luv you

Sipwap Chufengen

Tong

Elder Kearl

side note:  Del Benson sent me another card in the mail with pictures of the missionaries serving in Saipan.  Very kind of him indeed....
julie