Malo e lelei

We made it to Maui! For the next while you can write me at 104 Wahikuli st apt M, Lahaina HI 96761. Well this is definitely going to be a different experience. The first couple of days were pretty difficult it's pretty hard to white wash( two new missionaries in a new area) but were starting to get it. Sister Sekona and I are still trying to figure things out. Who we should be meeting how we can find new investigators and how to make the most of our time. I love my comp though she's really great, and she's really just having to take over :). The thing that makes this really hard is that we are in a language ward which means 1. Everything is in Tongan haha. This is hard for me because my companion does a lot of the teaching, calling and talking in general and I just have to try to not fall asleep! Still trying to figure that part out. Church was a great experience though I love hearing them sing they all have beautiful voices and they dont use instruments or anything. 2. We can't really tract because the people we would tract into belong to the other sisters ward. We found a wonderful couple tracting the other day-keep in mind that we are both from the VC so we are learning to do all these things on our own- we were very excited that our hard work paid off. Then we found out we will only be able to teach them once, then have to pass them off to the other sister since they will be in their ward. Were really just going to have to work through the members.

Then the other day we were getting some things from our trunk to be able to pass out to people we met. Well we ended up locking our keys in the trunk! What a way to start out. We had to call various people to get help. I was having a hard day and that didn't really help. Thanks for the money dad it was put to good use haha. Lahaina is a pretty place but we are on the dry side so I was a bit surprised to see what it looks like over here. When you think of Maui you think luscious and green. Our drive to district meeting is very yellow and dead. But the ocean is very beautiful. The home that we have to live in is also one of the nicest yet. I will say though that I HATE ants! They are even worse over here than in Laie they were crawling all over my journal and when I picked it up they were all over me! Makes me paranoid I feel like they are crawling on me all the time haha. But at least they aren't roaches. ;)

There are definitely going to be challenges and Im still learning why God needs me in this particular ward, part of it is to support my companion but its hard to feel invisible. I am so grateful though for a loving Father in Heaven who hears our prayers and knows what we need and what we can handle. I love this gospel and will do anything my Father needs me to do.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. Our Savior sacrificed the most for us so the least we can do is to give a little of ourselves to really make that change that brings us closer to him. Make a goal of something you will change to be more like our savior and promise it as a gift to God. I love you all and look forward to talking with you next week.

I will be calling sometime this week to set up a time to call you. It will probably be Sunday around 4-5. I love you!

Sister Pinder.

Where in the world?!

Wow do I have a lot to tell you! This week has been very interesting, in fact this transfer has been interesting it's had it's challenges, in ways that it really shouldn't have been but Ive learned a lot. So because sister Sandstrom and I are the sister Trainers we got to find out the transfer news before the other sisters. That was very nice because we have worked very close with these sisters and were very curious how the Lord would pair them up to make the most success here. Let me just tell you I am so grateful God is in control because even though we know these sisters we don't know them as well as God does and he puts things together so beautifully! So I told you I wasn't sure what was going to happen right? Well from that meeting on Saturday I found out that I will be going out full Proselyting. But I had to wait for my call from President to find out the details. We learned that two new sisters will be coming and that 4 VC sisters will be going out. This means there are 28 VC sister- 8 out full pros. that's a lot! This next transfer will be so much smoother than the past ones I'm a bit sad that I wont be here. So Sunday night I received my call from President. He said "Sister Pinder the Lord has a new assignment for you." sounds good bring it on "sister Pinder you are going out full Proselyting and your going to Maui" haha AWESOME!! "There's more, you will be companions with sister Sekona" (sister Sekona is also a visitor center sister, she was in the beach pad with sister Sandstrom and I very loud, fun Tongan :)) Wow if I'm with a sister from here that means we are white washing the area. " There are two other sisters there but they just have more work than they can handle". Sounds good to me, we have no idea how full pros works but if they are so busy that means we will also have a lot of work; I'm okay with that. "There's more sister Pinder, you will be serving in a TONGAN ward." huh ? Excuse me? "Don't worry they mostly speak English" ha ha oh boy... Well I guess you could say your little girl is not going to be so little anymore! One sister said she is going to measure my cheeks so she can compare if I come back. ha ha I must admit I'm a little worried about my stomach, the way to these peoples hearts is how much you can eat and I can't eat much :(. Man these last few transfers God has really kept me on my toes I didn't expect this. I'm excited to go to Maui but I'm a bit nervous for the first few weeks. I'm sure things will work out they way they are supposed to. So I will be getting on a plane tomorrow at 8 am. This means we have to leave here by 5:30, phew.

Have a Maui Christmas! ha ha

Love Sister Pinder.

17 Miracles

Aloha family

Things are going well. Thanks for your email, it was funny and a bit sad to hear about brother Williams funeral. I hope that mom is feeling better as well.

I had been thinking for a while about how blessed our family has been since we have come on missions. I thought about how busy work had been for you dad before Tucker and I left and how that was very unusual since things should have gotten worse. And now things continue and I hope the blessings wont stop when we come home :) I'm excited to hear about what you won dad! That's not very nice to leave us hanging for a whole week. Don't forget to tell us next week. :)

This week was very nice we had zone conference on Wednesday. I LOVE Christmas zone conference it is always good and President usually shows us a really good movies. ;) Last year we watched the other side of Heaven. This year we watched 17 miracles. It was the most amazing movie ever. It had everyone just sobbing. It caused some laughing too because we all felt a bit weird tears streaming down our faces and trying to not make any noise as we cried and tried not to get snot everywhere haha. It was a really great video. And a bit surprising because I saw one of my friends from school in the opening scene. That's the second time on my mission that I have seen this particular friend in a Church related movie. Any way it's really great to think about our history and see how blessed we are to be where were at. It also makes us look to the present and recognize the blessings and miracles that God has given us now.

I'm grateful for this season and for the opportunity that we each have to ask, how does God play a role in my life? Why is this season any different than the other holidays we celebrate. I'm grateful for Christ and the time I have to share with others his importance and influence he has had in my life.

I love you all and if you get the chance to watch 17 miracles bring a box of tissues and then let me know what your favorite miracle was. :)

I'm a bit anxious for transfer news, sister Sandstrom and I will know this weekend what's going to happen. But when President was here for zone conference something kind of funny happened. My companion told President she would be very willing to go out, he laughed and said I don't think so. There were three other sisters standing there plus me. He pointed to the three and said none of you have been out have you? He said sister Pinder went out and did a great job. I said actually President I haven't gone out yet. He said oh oh that's right. I was thinking of someone else, but you only have about three more transfers right? It was a interesting conversation and I really don't know what's in store for me. Elder Eubank keeps asking me how I would feel if I don't go out or if I would be okay if I stayed out till the end of my mission. I really don't know what the Lord has planned but it should be interesting.