October 11, 2010

That's AWESOME about Ryan at the JV game!!! Tell him I'm so proud of him!!!!! And let me know about his collar bone!!!! I hope he is okay, that's intense! I did get your package and thank you SO MUCH! I took some pics with the Halloween decorations :) loved it and the cookies are awesome and the shirts LOVE THEM! I'm going to send yours back though cuz I'm okay and that shirt looks too darn cute on you momma! ;) I'm going to write you a letter back to your letter cuz I don't' have too much time today. Thanks for the pics and my card!! :). Whats going on with Grandma's Eyes? give her a hug and a kiss for me and i 'll pray for her! That's awesome you've been enjoying working there! :) I love it! :)!
Well as for my week, it's been nuts! Such a crazy week, Tuesday we went on exchanges so I was with Sister Hauata again, it was a lot of fun, she is crazy! :) We committed Sapina to a baptism date of Nov 6. she is from the Philippines a really sweet lady in her 60's so we were really excited about that. Wed we were able to teach Josiah (10 year old member)'s grandma, Dora, she is soo soo sweet and has been to church twice already and says she loves it and she's noticed it's helped her out a lot during the week. We met with Charlene as well, she has a date for the 19th of this month! She is doing awesome! And we have Sia with a baptism this Friday, so we've been staying really busy. We did have to drop an investigator though, Thomas, he just isn't ready. We did feel like it was the right thing to do, but it's still sad. Especially when you know how bad they need the blessings and how the gospel can help them get through their trials. On Friday we got a new investigator names Gregg Gow, he is in the military and such a polite respectful man. He went to the Visitor Center with his brother and sister-in-law (member) and requested a Book Of Mormon, he wants to learn more and is really interested in Joseph Smith. We gave him some reading assignments cuz we won't see him again til the end of the month cuz he is going to Guam for work. Saturday was really interesting, we got Dayton, the ward missionary to come with us to some lessons, and then they all cancelled so we taught him. He is 21 years old and is trying to get out on a mission. So we taught him about Missionary work and it was AWESOME! He is so stoked and gave us his work schedule so we can let him know when we have appointments when he doesn't work so he can come with us. so he'll be like our 3 companion so to say. it'll be so nice to have a member with us. Members are SO IMPORTANT! Later that night we had a fall festival in Halawa Ward, they did a Chili Cook Off and then trunk or treating. it was so much fun, most everyone dressed up. We had the Hoffmans show up (investigators) and they just LOVED it and had such a great time. And we were able to meet another nonmember that we have an appointment with to teach so she could be an investigator soon too. :) It's so nice to have the members and ward leaders be so into missionary work. Sunday I was at church from 6:30am-3:30pm.... and went to 3 different sacrament meetings. lol. yup. It was good. we went to both of our wards as usual but Charlene slept in so we told her we would go to the Aiea Ward with her. Then we had back to back appointments the rest of the night. One was with Dora and she is still doing great, Josiah is so excited that she is taking the lessons. She also has a lot of support from her ex husband and one of her daughters who are members too. We taught a 18 year old boy, JunJun, too... and it's so neat to see the Spirit and his desire to learn more grow. He told us he wants to come to church next week and he loves how learning makes him feel. He lives with members so it's good. It helps them out so much when they have that support. Well that's a brief overview on everything so far!! Transfers are the 20th so I'll get a new companion crazy, pray that we get along lol. I'll be staying in this area for sure, wouldn't make sense to move me so that's good, i really love it here and have been able to see a lot. Well I gotta go! Love you all so much and miss you! Ya'll are great! Oh and I'm sending some of my things home that I don't' need here. I'll save up and send gifts home around Christmas but don't plan on much until I come home cuz well there is nothing Hawaiian cool in this area at least :)
Love you!

Mandy and Sister Parkin at a Zone Conf.
Mandy goofing off

Sister Stadler and Mandy in the rain
Mandy 3 weeks out Sister Stadler 3 weeks left

Me and Sister Huata (on exchanges)

A Pretty Pic

Sister Stadler and I

Mandy and Sister Fielding

When I got lost lol

Kaneohe

October 4 2010

As for my week........ hahaha you ready for this? So Tuesday we had exchanges again and Sister Fielding was my companion, she has never served in my area so it was up to me to get us around. so we needed to get on the Highway to get to an appt. I thought Kaneohe was the right exit cuz it sounded so familiar.... yup, nope,we got on that exit and there is no way to get off til you get there. So I got to see the other side of the island, it's really pretty lol. I'll send some pics, we just laughed about it and rescheduled, it was with a member so not too big of a deal. I got a package from Brittney today, she sent me a tape with Branson talking to me on it, it was so cute!!!!! and made my day! she sent pics too.... pics and letters are seriously everything, ha, we love it. Conference was amazing, as you all better know we had to get up at 4:30 to watch it, they only have it live unless you record it so be proud I stayed awake and watched conference at 6 and 10, awesome. I slept so good last night lol, but I really liked Pres Monsons talk and Elder Utchdorfs...... amazing! Yesterday after conference we had a previous investigator call us and tell us she wants to be baptized, ya her name is Charlene and her date is Oct 19th. It was a miracle, she is such a funny lady and has been through a lot. So we are so excited for her. I had exchanges again on Saturday with Sister Edwards, we had an amazing day, we taught a mother and her daughter Sapina and Dansley, the spirit was insanely strong and we will teach them again on Tuesday. They are from Chuke. It was the first lesson we have ever had with them, and we taught Dora for the first time too, she is Josiahs Grandma he is a 10 year old convert so that is very exciting. We stay really busy here in this area and the members really take good care of us :) I don't know if I already told you but I got to go into the Pear Harbor base and see the bullet holes on the pavement from the Pearl Harbor attack. It was awesome, I'll send pics next time. It's so cool cuz you have to have a pass to get on base so civilians don't get to see it. Well that sums up my week. Thank you for all your prayers and support!!!! I've needed it!! Write me letters they are awesome to get :) Love and miss ya'll so much!!!!!
Sister Brough

Sept 27th 2010

Sorry this has gotten behind, I will try to get it all caught up in the coming month. Sandy

Mom Whats up Ohaha!?!?!?! aka family
They have a Ross, Target and Kmart in my area so I was able to find a white dress shirt and a black dress shirt for $5 each so that helped out a lot. Please send pics of the family and my dogs!!!!! I would really really love some.
Last Monday we had dinner at the Baravilala's they are from Fiji and know Reed and have met Terri ( she is a friend of Mandy's that Married Reed and now lives in Hawaii) before so that was really cool. We had lunch with our investigator Christin Hoffman, she is a doll, I've mentioned her before. It would be awesome if ya'll would include her and her family in your prayers, her husbands heart needs to be softened, they love everything about our religion but the Book of Mormon they don't understand why we need anything else since we have the Bible. Then that night we did FHE with the Smith and Lung Ohana (families) it was so fun!!! So we did Scripture charades . We stopped by the Gibbsons house to drop of our progress report (Brother Gibbson is the war mission leader) and his wife loaded us up with food, it was so nice!!!!! Oh and guess what her maiden name is Brough lol. she went on a mission too. It excites her every time she sees me cause I am wearing her name tag. Then we went and taught the Hocketts and they just take us in like family too.... Brother Hockett got upset cuz we don't drink enough water so he went and grabbed us each a watter bottle that is pretty nice. They are recent converts. Such a fun family. he is in the Air force and Brother Gibbson in is the army. On Friday we did exchanges again and I went to New Town area and was with Sister Huata (from Tihiti) she is awesome we had so much fun, got two new investigators, and talked to one for quite a while, I'm excited to hear what happens with them. Then we went and taught a family they've been working with I felt so at home, they are islanders, It's Leslie the mom and her 6 kids and as soon as we got there the kids ran out and gave us hugs, just a very humble and loving family. I'm sad they are not in my area. Mile (meal-a) gave me a picture of her so I can remember her always, so cute. I don't talk to many islanders because in our area most of it is on base so they are mostly from the main land.
On Sundays we have to be to meetings at 6:30 and we don't get out til 3:30 cause we are in 2 wards, that's a lot of church mom, it's good though.
Ohhhh so I just found out that there are gigantic centipedes here..... with horns!!!!!! and they are aggressive, the only way to kill them pretty much is to cut them in half with a shovel!!!! you know how I feel about worms!!!!!!! worms with legs and horns that will come after me... I don't know about that!!!!! Geckos are everywhere, other than that it hasn't been bad so hopefully it'll stay that way! Well that's all for now, you are awesome and thanks for everything!!!! Love YOU SO MUCH and keep me posted on everything! Tell Ryan that I LOVE the bruises and I'm so proud of him sounds like he is killin it out there :) Keep me posted Love you!!!!!
Sister Brough