ALOHA!

   First off, so sorry about last week. I totally forgot to send a group email. This week was great! 

1. We were able to set a wedding and baptismal date with Tunisha and Lexton. They are a young couple that we have been working with a really long time. They are so awesome. They are both very dedicated and optimistic that if they continue to work towards their goals, with Heavenly Father's help, they will be able to obtain all of the blessings that He wants to give them. 
2. We had so many people come to church on Sunday for the primary program. The spirit was so strong, and I know that many, if not all, hearts were touched. 
3. I continue to learn every day about the atonement as I see others, as well as myself, make important changes in their lives in order to follow the Savior more closely. 

    As this is the week of Thanksgiving, I have been reflecting a lot on the things that I am grateful for. I am so grateful for the time that I have to continue to share the gospel with everyone. I am grateful for the testimony that I have gained of the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for my family, who has supported me in every righteous desire that I have had. I am grateful for missionary work. For the hope and peace that it brings into the lives of everyone involved. I am grateful for church leaders who lovingly guide and direct us as to the things that will help us find the most joy in this life as well as the next. I am grateful for ward families. I am grateful for the beautiful islands of Hawaii. For the love and aloha that they are filled with. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father, who has a plan for ALL of his children. I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am grateful for his atonement which helps me to overcome weaknesses, shortcomings, sin, doubt, fear, pain, and anything else that may keep me from progressing further towards eternal joy. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church. It is the only church in which we can receive the complete truths and all of the blessings that our Father in Heaven wants to give us. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that by reading it, studying it, pondering it,and praying about it, you can gain a testimony of its divinity and truthfulness. It will change your life and it will help you through anything that you may go through in this life. I love you all. I am grateful for all that you do to support me as well as the other missionaries around the world. This work is true. It is so true. 

Love, Sister Sydney Barber

ALOHA!

ALOHA!

 This week was really great! It was busy!

 Last night at dinner, we were eating a meal that had little bones that were hidden in the meat. Well, I took a nice hard bite of what I thought was meat and cracked my tooth. There is a long fracture right down the middle of one of my top teeth. I told them that I cracked it and then they said, "That's okay" and gave me a plate of panipopos (Samoan dessert). Gotta love Hawaii. 

 We had a lesson with a family who hasn't been to church regularly in a long time. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and by the end the spirit was so strong. The mom started to cry and we asked, as a family, if they were willing to make having an eternal family a goal. They said that they were and then we asked what some goals were that they could make in order to be able to reach the ultimate goal. The first thing she said was "we need to come to church." We then committed them to come to church every Sunday. It was a miracle. 

   Sunday the chapel was so full that we had to open up the back. Everyone bore their testimonies on the temple, eternal families and church attendance. It was perfect. The Saints are definitely being gathered. I am so grateful for the gospel. It is the refuge that we all need to make it through these challenging times. 

   The gospel is true. The work is great. We are blessed to be a part of it. 

Love, Sister Barber

ALOHA!

 Aloha, my lovely family and friends!!!

    Here is an overview of last week!!!

  Monday was a regular day, so we went to visit people until the evening, when we made chili for the Trunk or Treat! We made spam chili! It was interesting, for sure! We cut our spam into little ghosts and skeletons and pumpkins and then put whatever we had into the chili! It was fun!

  We were supposed to go to the temple on Tuesday for pday, but we got stuck in traffic, so we missed our session. So, we were pretty bummed, until we were invited to do initiatories and sealings. It was amazing. I have never done them before, so it was really special! Then, we had to take our car in for a 1 o'clock appointment to get our oil changed, but then it ended up that it didn't get changed until 4... so we were there pretty much all day. It was okay though, because we got to talk to some people. Then, we had to email real fast and then go to the Trunk or Treat! It ended up being a really big turn out! Lots of non members and investigators! It was great! We also won "most creative" for the chili contest so... you know.. no big deal!

  We were able to meet with 2 families for the first time this week! One of the families was a part member family. The wife(the member) was a little bit nervous at first, because her and her husband just got married, but it was a really nice lesson, and he agreed to have us come again! The other family hasn't been to church in a long time, because of work, but they just got work off on Sundays, so we said, "So, you are going to be at church Sunday, right?" The husband just smiled and laughed at first, but then finally agreed. 

   Sunday was wonderful! We had more investigators and less-active members at church than I ever have in this area! Alintar and Liliana, one of our investigating couples, finally came. We really didn't expect them, because it has been a long struggle to get them there, but finally they made it! It was a miracle, really! 

   So, overall, a pretty amazing week! I love being a missionary. I hope you all are safe and have a Happy Halloween! Remember that miracles happen every day. You just have to slow down sometimes, so you can look around and recognize them. 

Love, Sister Barber

ALOHA!

  Here it is:

1. So, my new sister is Sister Brandenburg! She is from the Netherlands! Her and two other sisters came from Europe this transfer! Pretty neat! Sister B served for 9 weeks in the Netherlands/Belgium mission while she waited for her visa, but now she is here!!!! I'm pretty sure she had to wait for her visa, so that I could be companions with her. She is awesome! Such a diligent, hard working, missionary! Aah. I am so blessed. 😂 She is fluent in Dutch, so that is just another language I will add to my list that I would like to pick up some phrases from. 
2. The work is moving along! We have seen a lot of, who we thought were, our most solid investigators not keep commitments and drop us, but it has left the ones that are really looking to have the gospel in their lives shining brighter than ever! The people that we are working with, and focusing on, right now have big hurdles ahead of them, but we know that they will do wonderful once they get there! 
3. One of these individuals is struggling, because her husband wants to be the same religion as her, but he wants her to baptize Catholic (He doesn't want to change to be Mormon). So, she asked us what she should do, because she knows that the church is true and that the priesthood is necessary, but she doesn't want to be different from her husband. We read James 1:5 with her and asked her what the scripture was saying to her. She responded that it was telling her to ask God. We then asked why God would be the best person to ask, to which she responded that He would be able to answer her question better than anyone else. We then invited her to read Mosiah 18, as well as any other scripture from the BOM that she felt prompted to read and to pray specifically to receive answers to her specific questions. She is really so wonderful. I pray that she will be open to the spirit directing her to the path that will bless her and her husband's life the most. 
4. Here is a really humbling experience I had this week: Several times this week, Sister B and I have needed our Preach My Gospel in different situations, but we didn't have it with us. I kept getting the prompting, also just common sense, that I needed to have my Preach My Gospel with me all the time. Well, this happened several times, and I just never made it a priority or wrote it down, so I kept forgetting. Well, on Sunday, Sister B spoke and I sang in sacrament meeting. Also speaking was Elder Auna (area of the seventy). He had the YM sitting near us ask if he could use one of our Preach My Gospel. Of course, because I had been to lazy to remember to put my PMG in my bag, we had to respond that we didn't have it with us... I felt so silly. Of course Elder Auna was very kind and humble about it, but how different of an experience would it have been to have a General Authority use your PMG in their talk.. I even had the line that he read underlined. Oh well... it was a learning experience for sure. :/

Well, it was another wonderful week in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission. Lots of ups and downs. Lots of opportunities to learn something new. I love being a missionary. :)

Love, Sister Sydney Barber

ALOHA!!

  Unfortunately, this will be another short one! For big news:

• Sister Hwang is going to Pearl City in the Waipahu Zone! She is going to be with a Korean. She's pretty stoked about that.. :)
• I am training again. It will be good for me to train my last transfer. Keep me strong! ;) When President called he was like, "Sister Barber, I got a call from Salt Lake. You will be extending another 6 months!" I was like, "I wish!" and he was like, "Yeah, so do we.." Man.. So close! Well, I am looking forward to another wonderful transfer, full of surprises and wonderful memories to be! :)

   Love you all!!! Aloha!

Sister Sydney Barber

ALOHA!

ALOHA!

     Last week was kind of nuts!

Monday: We went down Waipio Valley, which is this really steep road down into this beautiful valley! It is where a lot of locals live to get away from everyone, but ironically a place that tourists always go to see. We met some less active members while we were down there and saw some wild horses! It was quite the experience!

Tuesday: We had a zone meeting because we just had a meeting with the head of the missionary department. They flew in the Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders from the other islands for it, so it was interesting getting on a plane and flying over for the day. We were able to stay overnight with Sister Ogawa and Sister Smith though, so that was a treat, for sure. :) The training talked a lot about what missionary work should be and how we are spending too much time tracting and not enough time working with members. So, when we got back, we started making phone calls and setting up things with the members. It has made a great improvement in our area. 

Wednesday: We went on exchanges with the Honomu Sisters. I was able to go to Honomu to be with Sister Biggs, whom I came out with, so that was fun! We had a really neat experience, which will kind of go against what I just said that the training was, but I am still going to share it.. ;) We went tracting in the morning and we found this guy named Rowland. He is Filipino and so sweet! He listened as we shared about the restoration and asked really awesome questions! I felt the prompting to invite him to be baptized, so I did. He didn't accept, but he really considered it. We shared that that is an act of faith that will bring the light and truth into his life that he and his family need. He didn't disagree. They will be meeting with him again and I am anxious to hear how it goes. 

Thursday: Due to conflicting schedules in the past weeks, we went on exchanges with the Kilauea sisters on Thursday. So, Sister Hwang and I didn't see each other for two days in a row, pretty much. We had service in the morning. We helped this man cut down a bunch of trees in the jungle behind his house. We used machetes part of the time and then chain saws the other. It was a blast! Also, Sister Baumgardner (the Sister I exchanged with) almost got cut in half with a chain that was being used as a dog's leash... Yeah... it was quite the day.. haha

Friday: Finally Sister Hwang and I were reunited! It was lovely. We just got back to work and met with an investigator named Dianne. She has a Buddhist background, but has expressed that she wants something more in her life. We talked about the Book of Mormon and Faith. She has had all of the lessons multiple times, but has been struggling to find answers. We then found out after some questions that she has not been praying about the Book of Mormon. She explained that, if she wants specific answers, she is going to need to ask specific questions. She agreed. I look forward to seeing the progress she has made, assuming she has begun to pray as she agreed to. 

Saturday & Sunday: General Conference! It was wonderful! So many talks on faith and missionary work! I especially loved the talk by President Uchtdorf on the Plan of Salvation. It is  beautiful when our church leaders go back to the basics and explain it simply. 

Monday: We went to the temple to help clean it. Sister Hwang and I cleaned the chandeliers. It was so tedious, but so worth it! 

Well, it was another wonderful week! I hope you are all doing well and that you remember how special this gospel is! 

Love, Sister Barber

ALOHA!!

   This week was a good one! Unfortunately, I don't have time to write too much about it! So sorry! I promise next week I will write more! Something I was reminded this week: Members are ESSENTIAL in missionary work. We need the members. That is how long-lasting conversion happens. It is a joint effort to bring people unto Christ. 

I love you all!!! Hope you have a wonderful week!

Love, Sister Barber

ALOHA!!

 Here we go! Another week in the wonderful land of Honoka'a!

1. This week we were able to meet with one of our investigators who wasn't sure if she had been baptized or not. It turns out she was not baptized, so we committed her to be baptized on the 22nd of October. She is so sweet. She does, however, have an addiction to smoking cigarettes. One of our members is also recovering/struggling with an addiction to cigarettes. So, we decided to take her with us to the lesson. When we walked in, they saw each other and just lit up! They had worked together for over 5 years and were good friends! They instantly connected and now are a great support for one another.
2. Sister Hwang and I were asked to speak in sacrament meeting on Sunday. As I wrote my talk, I reflected on my mission. Things that made me want to serve a mission since I was little, things that got me out on my mission, things that kept me on my mission, and things that I want to take home with me after my mission. It was very special for me to be able to share these thoughts with Honoka'a ward. I enjoyed listening to Sister Hwang's talk, in which she made a connection between kimchee and the salt of the earth. Genious, if you ask me. I love her so much. :)
3. Another investigator that we have also committed to be baptized. She is Pohnpein. She is the sweetest. She is 22 and she told us the very first day that we met her that she wants to serve a mission. So, we told her we could help her do that. As we taught the restoration, she understood it so well and asked the perfect questions. By the end, she was excited to accept the baptismal date and was grateful to have the opportunity to part of the church of Jesus Christ. 

 My heart is so full.. full of gratitude for these people, for the gospel, for the Savior, for my family, and for my Heavenly Father, who has trusted me with this sacred calling as a full-time missionary in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love it. 

  Sister Sydney Barber

ALOHA!

    Here are the highlights of this week:

1. It is so country here! We see horses and cows every single day on the side of the road and all of the guys wear cowboy boots! It doesn't get any better than that!
2. There is an investigator here who only speak Spanish. I have to brush up on my Spanish skills, but I was able to hold a VERY simple conversation with him. They seem pretty interested! I am excited to see them again... I pray constantly for the gift of tongues! Who knew that I would need to speak Spanish in Hawaii?
3. We met a father and son on the street in Honoka'a. They are Filipino and SO sweet. They had taken the lessons before, but then their house burnt down, so they had to move while it is being rebuilt. They lost contact with the Sisters because of it. So, we are going to start teaching them again!
4. Last Friday was my last Zone Conference. All of the departing missionaries bore their testimonies. I was one of them... I couldn't even talk. I just got choked up and stood there for a minute. It didn't even seem real.. I still feel like I am brand new in the mission..
5. Sacrament meeting was amazing. A family who is moving away each spoke on families. There were a lot of people in the congregation who needed that topic to be spoke on. Then, one of the members who lost their father and daughter only two days apart, had time at the end to bear his testimony on the Plan of Salvation. It was a beautiful sacrament meeting. 
6. The Bishop is awesome! A very humble man. We were talking to him about ward missionaries and we had a name we wanted to bring up (Brother Bungitak), but when we were asking him about who he felt would be good, he was quiet for a minute and then said, "Brother Bungitak would be great, wouldn't he?" So in tune. It was awesome. :)

  Something that has been on my mind lately is the principle of commitment. If you commit to do something, it is more likely that that thing will happen. There are so many people that we talk to who, when we extend commitments say, "I know that it is important, but I will not promise anything. I don't want to promise to do it, and then not do it." To me, that is so sad, because I know that if they do commit, that it will be so much easier to follow through, and as a result, receive blessings. I have committed to commit. I will commit to do the things that the Lord has asked me to do, and not think twice. 

  I love you all! I hope you have a safe and wonderful week!

Love, Sister Barber

ALOOHA!

     

     This week we saw so many miracles!!

1. We saw an investigator who was struggling with recognizing answers to his prayers about the Book of Mormon. We asked him what he was looking for as an answer and then we helped him to see that he did receive an answer. Then, Sister Hwang started to teach the restoration. After we finished teaching him the restoration, we invited him to be baptized. He said, "Well, I guess I need to, don't I?" We of course said yes!!! He was really happy when he saw that God did answer his prayer and that he was on the right path! He has a date set for the 8th of October.
2. We met with an investigator who when we asked if she what she felt about the Book of Mormon as she read it, we responded that it was... interesting.. Then, Sister Hwang said, "Sister Barber is Hawaiian!" Then she started talking about her nationality and then it went on and on and on. It was good though, because as she was talking she ended up saying that her mom was mormon and that she isn't sure if she was baptized mormon, but she remembers going to church in the mormon church. We asked if she is not a member if she would want to be baptized.  She said yes! We asked the ward clerk if she is a member and he said that there are no records for her. So, we are excited for our next appointment!
3. Sister Hwang is just amazing. We have been working really hard and it is so easy to keep pushing forward when you are both on the same page. I love Honoka'a. It is so lovely. The people and the scenery. I miss Honolulu a lot, but I know that I will come to love these people too. 

I am grateful for the gospel and the life that it has given me. 

Love, Sister Barber

ALOOOOHA!

  So, this week was pretty eventful! 

1. I got food poisoning! Yay!! It was Tuesday. Luckily, it only lasted for about a day, so it didn't effect the work too much. It was pretty miserable for a while, but it is all good now!
2. Richard was baptized! I am so amazed every time someone gets baptized. Not because they wanted to, but because of the sacrifices that people make in order to. I think that that truly just goes to show how much God loves us and how the gospel is 100% true. It was a beautiful service. The talks were perfect and Richard's mom came! On Sunday, he was confirmed and the blessing was beautiful. I am so happy for him.
3. We met a new family this week! They were a referral from a couple of the other missionaries. The mom is super sweet and super open. Following our lesson on the restoration, she said that she would be baptized, but that she really wants to know if Joseph Smith was really a prophet of God. She is so amazing. She is a really wonderful example to her to girls and the spirit was so strong in their home. 
4. We met another family who is interested in the gospel! They are sisters who are both living with their boyfriends, but they are so open! They also agreed to be baptized. They are really seeking the truth, and I know that they will find it in this gospel, as they continue to receive the lessons. 
5. I am getting transferred.. I am going to Honoka'a in Kona on the Big Island. I am not too happy, to be honest. I really love it here, and I was hoping to die here, but it's okay. I know that God needs me in Honoka'a, and just like every area that I have served in, I will come to love my next area. I am excited to see another island and I am going to be companions with Sister Hwang (the Korean sister that Sis. Jolley/Alldrege and I shared a pad with in Waianae). It will be good. I am excited to continue to learn in a new area with new people. 

   This week I was thinking a lot about the things that have kept my testimony continually growing. I think one of the biggest causes of my growth in my testimony and depth in my conversion is the Book of Mormon. So, I am going to start it all over again and read, and study deeply, one chapter every day until the end of my mission. I want to invite my family to do this with me, so that we can discuss it when I get home and continue to read together after I get home. I would like to invite everyone else who is reading this to do it as well. I know that as we do this, that our testimonies of this gospel will continue to grow and we will begin to receive even more inspiration than we already do! I love the Book of Mormon so much. It has been my lifeline in times of doubt and questioning and it has given me strength and comfort in the hardest and darkest of times. I know it can be the same for anyone who reads it, ponders it, and prays sincerely about it. So, today, I started with 1 Nephi Chapter 1. I invite you all to also read 1 Nephi Chapter 1, ponder about the things that it says and then to pray about it with a sincere heart.

 

    I love you all so much! I hope you have a wonderful week and that you are able to recognize the blessings that come as we read the Book of Mormon together. 

 

Love, Sister Sydney Barber

 

 

 

ALOHA!

   This week was really...good. :) We said goodbye to Sister Kaitaua on Tuesday morning and then went to work again!

• We did service at a library for one of the members! It seemed like it took forever, but it looked really good afterwards! 
• We had a lesson with Linsel and we taught about the Law of Chastity. She told us that she was going to talk to her boyfriend and get married, because she knows that the church is true and that she needs to get baptized. So golden. :) Her 15 year old daughter also wants to get baptized. Their family is so awesome. 
• Richard, one of our investigators in Kahala, was supposed to get baptized last week, but he got back from China later than expected, so we changed it for this week instead. He is so awesome. He has really grown so much as he has lived the gospel. 
• We were able to meet with a lot of new people this week who have a lot of potential! That's always exciting! Transfer news is this week... I am really nervous, like always, but I know it will all be good. I am hoping I can spend my last two transfers in this area, but I know that I will love my next area, if I get transferred. 
• Sister Ogawa is as amazing as ever. I continue to learn from her every day. 

  I have been thinking a lot about the Savior's way of teaching. He was so good at being bold and loving at the same time. He never condoned sin or wrongdoing, but he was understanding of people's weaknesses as human beings. He did not allow himself to become angry or frustrated with the flaws and ignorance of those around him. He was patient and loving. The perfect teacher. The perfect friend. 

  I know that this gospel is true. It is the only way to return to God with our families. If we live it to the best of our ability, we will be blessed and we will be saved.

 I love you all!!

Sister Sydney Barber

Aloooooha

ALOOOOHA!

       So here is the update for this week:

• We will have a baptism this Saturday! Yay! It is for a 10 year old girl. Her name is Nei. Her mom is Doniva, whom I have mentioned before. She is such a good girl. Their family has really been going through a lot lately, but she has still been strong in her desire/decision to be baptized. She's so great. :)
• We also will be having Richard's baptism the following week. He has been in China, where we cannot communicate with him, so we have been praying a lot. We are really hoping that he still has a desire to be baptized when he gets home. 
• The following week after Richard's baptism, we will have another baptism. The woman getting baptized is Linsel. She is a Chuukese woman who is family with one of our members. She has come to church every week and you can tell that her testimony is growing rapidly. Her son has joined her at church, but we are going to work on getting the rest of the family to come as well. 
• We met a woman at church today, who is the niece of one of our investigators. She took lessons before, but the missionaries lost touch eventually. We went to see her yesterday and she told us that she knows that the BOM is true. Also, she knows that this is the true church. So many wonderful elect people out here! 

 We also had the opportunity to go to the temple today. It was, as usual, a very special experience. I am so grateful to be able to go to the temple once a quarter. The temple is such a blessing. Every time I go, I have an even stronger desire to help every family in Hawaii to be able to go to the temple with their families some day. The church is true. Jesus Christ is our Savior. Missionary work is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. I am so grateful to be a part of it every day. 

 I love you all! Thank you for your love, prayers and support!!

Love, Sister Barber

ALOOOOHA!

   Boy... this week was crazy. It was good though! So...to start out

1.  Pokemon Go.... Lots of our members have been talking about it and it sounds like the biggest waste of time. We were at dinner and one of our members was saying how it was super popular. When we left dinner, he texted us and told us that every person we stopped playing Pokemon Go he would give us a good referral. We accepted, of course! It should make tracting an even more interesting experience.
2. Hurricane! We kind of had a hurricane.. It just rained a lot, but it was pretty crazy. Lots of thunder and lightning. Kind of like the storm in "The Testaments" video...maybe a little less extreme. 
3. We met two women this week who committed to baptism. Their names are Tela and Melody. They are Chuukese. They are super super sweet. They said that they had come to our church before, but they hadn't been in a while, but that they wanted to come and that they wanted to get baptized.. They didn't come to church on Sunday, but we have an appointment with them this week, so I will let you know how it goes!
4. We had a lesson with one of our part member families. The grandmother, Doniba(the member), is such a sweet woman and her daughter and daughter's children are so prepared. We brought Sister Bekker with us, which was awesome! We taught about the Atonement and we used the lesson where you have someone do push-ups for every piece of candy that you pass out to the people in the room, whether they want it or not. I remember having that lesson in Sunday school and then another time for one of our Zone Meetings. It is very powerful. The spirit was so strong and when Sister Bekker bore her testimony, I felt that there was no way that they would not be at sacrament meeting on Sunday.Well, Sister Bekker came to the branch on Sunday so that she could be there when they came to church. We waited...and waited...and waited... they sang the hymn before the sacrament and we kept waiting.. I was praying as the sacrament was passed that they would come...but they still didn't... After sacrament, Sister Bekker came and gave us both hugs and President Bekker said that he looks forward to being able to meet them in the future. Then, I turned around and Doniba was standing with her daughter! We introduced them to President Bekker and Sister Bekker was so sweet to them! They didn't make it to sacrament meeting, but they are making steps towards it. I know that they will make it as they continue to try. The church is true! The gospel changes lives!
5. I have been thinking a lot about the atonement lately. There is nothing like the peace that fills your heart when you know that you are doing all that you can to apply the atonement of Jesus Christ in your life. So many people make the claim that they know Jesus, so they are saved. They don't need to learn anything more, because there are no immediate results to that attitude and lifestyle. This is one of the saddest most disappointing things I have seen on my mission. They don't understand that Christ didn't suffer for us so that we can sin. He suffered so that, through him, we can overcome sin. We have to do our part. Even if we don't always see immediate results from choosing against what we know to be right, there will always be consequences. 

• There is a family in Kahala ward who just got sealed. The husband served a mission and said that he never went to the temple after he got home. Because of this, he didn't see a need to keep his temple recommend renewed. Without an active temple recommend, it became easier for him to slip in and out of activity. Eventually, he stopped coming to church all together. He and his wife had 4 children, and they were not sealed. She took them to church all by herself for years. Finally, he realized that in order to have his family forever, he would need to get active again and go back to the temple. He shared how he knew that having an active temple recommend and consistently going to the temple with his wife is what will help them to stay on track and bring them the most joy in this life as well as the next. I know that that is true. 
• If there is anything that we need to change in our lives, to bring ourselves more in line with Christ's teachings, we need to change it now. Not later. The more we procrastinate repentance, the harder it will be to change in the future. We will be the same person in the next life that we are now. So, we need to make who we are now, someone that can stand with confidence in front of God. Alma 34:32-34

I love you all. I hope that you all have a great week and that we can all find one way to become more like our Savior. I know that I have a lot to change, but I know that through God, all things are possible. I know that through Jesus Christ, even I can become like God someday. 

ALOOOOHA!

    This week we saw so many miracles! One of these miracles happened Sunday evening. So, on Saturday, we had the baptism for Jiayu! He is really wonderful. If I didn't say before, he is 19 years old and he is deaf. He was taught by the deaf missionary couple who were in the ward before, but they left before they finished his lessons, so we were able to pick up where they left off. He is a great addition to the Kahala ward. He has a very special spirit and strong testimony. 

   Because Jiayu was baptized on Saturday, we no longer had 10 investigators with a date. We wanted to have 10 before the end of the week, and we had an appointment at 7pm. So, we went to our appointment, but the girl who we had originally set the appointment with was sleeping. However, her sister answered the door. She introduced herself as Mimi and she accepted our invitation for us to share the message with her her that we were going to share with her sister. Mimi listened very closely to everything we said and when we invited her to read a verse from the Book of Mormon, she excitedly grabbed the Book from my hand. We invited her to pray and read about the Book of Mormon as well as what we shared with her that night. She accepted. We then invited her to be baptized on the 20th of August. She also accepted that invitation. She is such an amazing example of those who are elect, whom God has prepared to hear the lessons and act on the message that they contain. These kinds of experiences are what make any hardship in the mission worth it. 

  I know the church is true! It is such an honor to be able to see others come to know that the church is true. God is so good. He truly does love us.

Love, 

Sister Sydney Barber

Aloha

Alrighty! I am going to have to keep things short this week, but here is a quick overview!

1. We have a new mission president and wife! The Bekkers! Sister Bekker is so so sweet and President Bekker is super nice as well!

2. We brought Sister Bekker out with us! Remember that drunk guy? We took her to see his family! Guess what?? He was drunk again! It was actually really sad. She was very awesome about it though. I really admire her. I hope I can be at least a little bit like Sister Bekker by the time I finish my mission.

3. We were able to set another baptismal date this week! Her name is Nona. She is such a sweet girl! I am excited to tell you more about her next week! 

So sorry that I can't write more! I love you all! Happy 4th!

Love, Sister B

ALOHA!

 This week was a very VERY good week! We had Zone Conference (the Warner's last zone conference). It was really emotional for a lot of us. A lot of us are going home in the next few months, so we had the Warners for almost our whole missions. We sang "Aloha Oe" at the end of the conference and we all brought leis for the Warners. They were completely covered up to their chins. That was the last time that I will probably see them. It is so crazy to me that we are going to have a new mission president. I feel like as soon as I start to get to know them, I will be going home. Oh well. I will just continue to do what I have, I suppose. :) 

  We were able to set a couple more baptismal dates this week. We are really seeing so many miracles in this area every day. I have really gained a testimony that, if you put your all into serving the Lord, He will put his all into blessing you. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that He will bless you the way that you expect or want, but He will bless you. 

  In one of our lessons, we were talking about counseling with the Lord. What a great privilege it is to be able to counsel with the most powerful being in the universe. Not only that, but He wants us to counsel with Him. Not only that, but He wants us to counsel with Him because He loves us. How amazing is that? We may be insignificant in many aspects, but to Him, we are absolutely priceless. 

  The strength of our relationship with God is up to us. He will love us no matter what, but we must show and develop our love for Him if we are to receive the blessings He wants, so badly, to give us. 

   I love you all so much! Thank you again for your love and your prayers! 

 Aloha nui loa!

Sister Barber

ALOHA!

   Once again, I am very limited in my time, but here are some highlights:

1. We are in charge of the song for Zone Conference. We will be singing the Emily Brown version of "I'm Trying to be like Jesus." I thought it was a good idea, until I found out that I would be doing most of the singing. Pray for me and wish me luck.
2. Tomorrow is Pres. & Sis. Warner's last Zone Conference. So strange... I'll have a new President for the last 5 months of my mission. It will for sure be an adjustment, but it will be good. I guess we all get to teach a part of the restoration when we meet him. Should be fun.
3. We have a lot of new investigators from this week 6 of them have committed to dates. We just need to help them come to church regularly and help them to continue to grow in their testimonies. 
4. Sister Ogawa is still amazing. Not much news there.

Love you all! Hopefully I'll be able to explain about the investigators in more detail next week! 

Sister B

ALOHA!

 Oh my.... I have so much to tell you... This week we:

1. Had a lesson with a drunk Chuukese man. We didn't actually realize that he was drunk until halfway through the lesson, when he started hiccuping and burping a lot and repeating the same thing over and over. Oh.. and when he started blasting a mix of Justin Beiber and Carly Rae Jepson on his stereo... yeah... we realized then that it was probably time to leave. So, we testified, said a prayer and started to leave. 
2. Had my shoes stolen after a lesson with a drunk Chuukese man. After we walked out the door, I noticed that my shoes were no longer outside their door.... Yeah. We looked for a few minutes and then I gave up. So, I walked back to the car barefoot.
3. Lost Sister Ogawa's wallet. Well, the next morning, Sister Ogawa and I were getting ready to leave the house and she couldn't find her wallet. So, we looked in the house, the car, the various areas we visited the day before. We even went back to the drunk Chuukese man's house. No wallet.. We still haven't found it, so if you happen to see a rectangular wallet with pink pineapples on it, please let us know.
4. Met a deaf Chuukese girl. You know, I have always kind wondered why the Micronesian branch and ASL ward were sharing missionaries. It just seemed like there would be an easier option. Well, I think I got my answer this week. We were trying to kidnap a LA member to come to church, but he wasn't home. Iolani, however, was home. Iolani is Chuukese and she is deaf. We communicated by writing in my journal. She told us we can come back on Tuesday. What a miracle! Hopefully she will be receptive to the signing member we bring and also, we hope that MI, the less-active member, will come back as a result. 
5. Met an apostle of the Lord. Elder Renlund came and spoke to us on Saturday. He is such an inspirational man. He spoke with complete confidence, but also with great humility. It really strengthened my testimony that our church leaders are called of God. 

Well, I am just about out of time. I hope that you are all doing well and that you enjoy this week. I love you all!

Love, Sister Barber