Letter #26: 9.9.13

ALOHA family,

Well I want to start off with a thank you for all you do for me and letting me be here right now on my mission in the Tacoma Washington Mission.  It is the best thing that Is happening in my life right now.  It’s also one great growing experience.  One of the scriptures I hold very close to my heart is “And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things, therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”  Alma 32:21

Right now as a mission we are reading the Book of Mormon, 5 pg a day.  So reading it as a book new things are popping out at me.  They all are great examples to me...even Laman and Lemuel.  My testimony has grown so much.  It’s a wonderful thing.  Every day I’m trying to be like Nephi just like my patriarchal blessing talks about.  I always say “Be like Nephi”.  He always said “I will” I want to be just like Nephi one day and right away I will just say “I Will”.  I’m getting there I think.  Well I hope I’m much better then I was in high school.  I tried to change my 3rd year in high school cause I did not like the person I was... I had a bad attitude.  And I did not treat my family the way I should.  So I’m sorry that you all had to put up with me.  Mostly to my mommy.  I want to be a better daughter to you mommy and papa and to my Heavenly Father.

That is so sweet of my old comp to write you a letter.  Some times I think I’m doing nothing here... or found no one.  Well that made me feel much better.  I am trying my very best every where I go to be happy.  Showing my love and Aloha spirit.  I just want to make everyone proud of me just like my wonderful brothers.  They put up a high bar up for me my whole life.....and to put a good name for the 2 names I put on every day...to know who I am.

Well, its hard for me to watch what I eat cause the members feed us.  And I can’t be picky at the food.  But I’m trying to eat good.  And I know I am dehydrated.  But I got a glass pitcher for my mint water and thats helping me.  And I already tried to put some lavender on my pimples... it helped a little but still there ...but I thought it would help... but never thought of using melaleuca....I hope one of them will help me.  My headaches are the same, just like at home I always had it.  But it is not keeping me from doing the work.  You know me,,,, I can handle the pain.  But yes I do use “do terra” and it helps a lot.  Thank you mommy for all the good tips.

Funny story...well you all know me and my bad ankle... right.... so a few weeks ago tracting my ankle gave out...down a very very steep hill... well I think you can see where this is going right.  I took pic of it.  The bruise went away ... so now I have another funny story that happened today for p-day.  Me and an Elder in my zone was talking for a long time and then we wanted to play pass the football...well I’m going all out playing having some very nice passes....they all think I played in high school.  I said no but I have 7 brothers.  Well I gave an elder a bloody nose...lol.  He is butter fingers :(  But he is all okay...but my body never played like that in a long time .... so my body is all sore now... I guess thats what I get for playing with the elders in my zone.There are 6 sisters and 16 elders... only me that plays with them.  I’m so just one of the guys.  The elders always tell me every thing....well after they found out I wrestled they do not mess with me.

Okay every comp I had wants to write Ira or Helam.  And all the elders wants to write my work friends.  I’m just the match maker....jk jk ...well the comp that wrote you want to write Ira and she keeps on asking for his address.

It’s Tuesday and it was an amazing day.  We are so busy this pass and up coming weeks.  I’m finding more to teach so we have so much more lessons a week now.  At first when I first moved here to Silverdale, Fridays was the only day we had set apt. only 3.  Well now we still have the same 3 on Fridays but now we have 3 on Tuesday and about 4 more on other days.  And just tonight we got 3 referrals from a member who are so golden.  They talked to our members about baptism and they all want to get baptized together ... a grandma and 2 grand daughters.  And tomorrow we are going to go and talk to them and give a BOM and they want us and the elders to teach them but the only thing is the youngest turns 8 in December so most likely I would be transfered out before we can baptize them.  But I’m going to teach them all the lessons.  so that’s awesome.  I’m just going to make it easy for the new sister that would come in

So I love you all so much

Always with love and Aloha,  Sister Casey

Letter #25: 9.2.13

Aloha,

So yeah today is p-day and it’s getting pretty boring.  We as a zone went to Keyport to the Navy Museum.  That was somewhat fun.  The we went to the Stake Center just like every p-day and play b-ball, but not that many play so its not that fun so I’m writing you this letter.  I love you so much and miss you so much.  I just want tosay mommy for always being here for me.  Thank you so much for teaching me how to clean.  I think I’m a little OCD...ha ha.  Every comp I had or have don’t clean or if they do it’s the very minimum / not good.  I’m doing deep cleaning or I just can’t think at home.  I’m always doing every thing but I want to do all the cleaning cause they don’t know how to clean good.  So I do the bathroom, kitchen, living room, bedroom, porch, door way and all in between.  I think you would be proud of me if you see how much I clean.  Thank you mommy for teaching me and loving me so muich.  And always have faith in me.  I would love to share one of my favorite scriptures. Alma 32:21 for me faith plays a big part of my life.  It has helped me in times at high school.  I ask Heavenly Father a question about 3 years ago now the time of the house fire.  I don’t even remember the question, but I read that scripture.  From reading it helped me realize that as I have faith as small as a seed it will grow and how deep my roots are in the ground I can stand through any storm that comes my way and there is not an ending point of its growth and the fruit that my tree provideds is the examples.  Thank you mommy for watering me so my roots can grow.  I love sharing that with families but I go more in dept into it.  

I cried about Aunty Ipo.  I’m so happy I met her in Tahiti.  I love her so much.  She was so proud of my dancing and how I just get up to show my culture.  She told me to start my own halau with Lana.  I am still sad but I know I will see Aunty Ipo some time.

It’s so funny I have been getting so into deep doctrine.  Its crazy stuff.  There is so much that we do not know.  I want to write all about it that us missionaries talk about, but it is just so much to write about.  There is some pretty cool books that I want some day to read.  But first I want an endure to the end ring.....it looks like ETTE  7 1/2

Love you  Sister Casey

Companion Letter #1: 8.31.13

Dear Sister Casey,

Hello!  I know you don’t know me, but I was your daughter’s last companion.  I just wanted to write ya and tell ya what an amazing daughter you have.  Kawehi taught me so much I can’t express to you the gratitude in my heart.  You have truely raised a daughter in such a way she is literally changing lives eveyday.  She has taught me what true unconditional love is; and by the way she talks about you I’m certain she learned it all from you.  I was truely blessed to have had the opportunity to have spent 3 months with her.  She is so kind, so loving, and so patient.  I do not know what I would have done the last three months if not for Kawehi!  I love her like a true sister and one will always have a very special place in my heart.

Thank you for your sacrifice in letting her go  so she could serve the Lord.  She has quite literally changed my life for forever!!  She speaks of you and her family with such love,  I hope one day I get to meet you all!

Proverb 31:10

A sister,  Dani Chapman

Letter #24: 08.26.13

Aloha Mommy

Well I never got the goodies or SD card yet.  But the mail at the mission homes I don’t get it till about transfers.  Make sure the address is right.  so I have a list for you to send to me.  

1. pidgin vocab book (2)
2. GPS  (a GPS will help me a lot in my areas so maybe Ammon can look for a good GPS for me)

So yeah, I mailed a box to you.  You should have it Thursday well you should have it by time you get this.  So the skirts is for when I come back....cuz we can not have long ones now.

Oh yeah, and ask Helam where he got his CD case that red, yellow, green.  I want one like it.  I need a CD case.  Oh yeah, I had Hawaiian food from the Hew-lens, a family in my ward.  So my pidgin came out very bad at dinner.  So funny.

My comp, sister Stoks, is the best.  I love her.  And it’s only been a week.  So on P-Day we were punished as a mission... So funny.  Sunday night pres told us we could not leave our area except to email and shop for food.  so we could not hang out with the zone.  Cuz at transfer no one was with their comp and he got very mad at us.  So for p-day we had to be with our comps....so we did not do much but write letters all day.  But we had dinner at the Graves and I had to do a talent so I danced hula and Tahitian.  It was fun:)  and I got to know the new missionaries I’m serving with and Elder Rich looks so much like my highschool friend Kini.  So how did you hear about me from Elder Pederson’s mom?  I want to know how you and papa met too.  I still did not get the answer you have about my patriarchal blessing?  I love you so much and miss you to mommy.

Your Baby Girl in Tacoma

And also with the do Terra....I’m only half way finish with the oils.  Thank you mommy for getting the do Terra for me.  I’m always drinking the mint water.  You know all that lavender I sent you, I still have a bucket of lavender in our apartment.  So it smells good.  I don’t know what I’ll do without you mommy.  Sorry it’s a lot of things I’m asking for.  The GPS can take some time cuz right now my comp has one that we are using.  I have been lucky to have comps with GPS.  But there were a few times I had to borrow someone’s GPS.  So I thought it would be good to have my own.  but this transfer is all good.  Write me if you have any questions.  We are reading the BOM as a mission starting on Sunday 5 pages a day.  So I’m still reading it for myself I’m in 3rd Nephi starting Sunday I’ll be doing it both.  So we are suposed to finish as a mission at our Christmas party.

Letter #23: 08.25.13

Aloha,

Okay, so today is Sunday and it’s the best Sunday ever.  I was so happy.  You want to know why I was so happy today...well I’ll start off from this morning.  I did my study today on “song of Solomon”... lol... I’m just joking...  mission humor... but I did have a good study in 3rd Nephi.  But I had a feeling to text Tim Jensen.  He is one of the families on base I’m trying to teach his girls.  Well I text him, “Aloha, we would love to see you and your family at church @ 1.”  Well he text me back and said, “I hope but there is drama right now”  so we said, “Well, we promise you will have a good day if you come to church.”  So we went on with our meetings before church.  And THEY DID COME.... I WAS SO HAPPY and his girls were so happy to see me and to be there at church.  She gave me a hug and then plus 2 other families that I’ve been seeing on base and trying to get them to church and they always say they going come. WELL TODAY THEY ALL CAME!  And then I also had some other LARC’s that came to church...but total of 5 investigators.  This is why I love being a missionary.  Having this feeling is the best and seeing them with their families in church.  The spirit was so strong today and every thing feels that it went right.  I can not even explain how I feel today.  Even though they are LARC and PMF, but just to see the families at church and that’s why I’m so happy today.  Oh yeah, Tim Jensen said thank you to me for the text.  I know it was the spirit that told me to text Tim.  I got to see Makana at transfer.  My comp is wonderful.  She is 24 yr old and very shy.  She is so sweet.  I do miss my other comp Chapman. I love you so much and miss you.  I can see it changing here in the Silverdale 6th ward.  Oh yeah guess what to day I was asked to speak on Sept 22 in Sacrament meeting.  And pres and sister Weaver are also speaking with me in our ward.  I need to speak on missionary work.

Always with love and Aloha,  sister Casey  your baby