Elder Kingston Matua - Returns home

Kingston returned home to us after serving an honorable full-time mission this past weekend. He was released from his full-time service as a missionary on Saturday, July 26, 2015 but says that he will always look for opportunities to serve the Lord for the rest of his life.

His mission has taught him many things. He left a young boy and returned a man. We are so grateful to all of those who uttered silent or vocal prayers on his behalf. We are extremely thankful to those who sponsored him monetarily or through in-kind donations, sending him gifts. letters and emails. We are humbled by the outpouring of love shown by the wonderful people of Hawaii who watched over him, fed him and showered him with the special aloha spirit. Most importantly, we are eternally grateful to our Heavenly Father for watching over him and bringing him home safely.

We love you all!

The Matua's

Final Aloha!

Pretty good week!

We our first official lesson with a family that we have been trying to see for a very long time. They had some great questions and we had some great conversation. We also finished up the lessons with another investigator so now we just keep with her until her baptism date comes around. She is super solid and has been active in coming to church and other activities for the last three months.

We had some good media referrals come in lately. We got to meet some really nice people who show some great potential. It has been very hot here so everyone is just trying to stay cool. Sadly the best way to do that is off limits for us so we just get to look at the beautiful ocean every day, but its all good. Everything is going great over here.

Love you all so much! Thank you for all the love and support while I have been here in Hawaii. Thank you so much to all the family that bombed we with letters. It is always nice to get the nice refreshing love from the little ones. Even though most of them aren't to little anymore.

I love the gospel with all my heart. The fullness of the gospel has truly been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is there as the most valuable gift and tool that our Heavenly Father has given us. We can all become better by recognizing it and taking advantage of it fully. We have the word of God through the Book of Mormon, Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. Nothing is too hard with the Lord on our side.

Love you all again. Hopefully this email makes up for the bad one last week. Some of you gave me some trouble for that so I wanted to do better. I'll tell all my stories when I get home. I guess I'm like mom, better with my speaking and not so much the writing. Not sure if that is a good thing or not haha! I guess I will be coming from 90 degrees hot and humid to 100 degrees hot and dry.


Love,
Elder Kingston Matua

T-Minus two weeks

But who's counting? haha

Great week! We were able to go up to ward camp for a couple of nights for dinner and activities. The Makawao ward is awesome! The week, other than that was pretty normal.

Love you all! Until next week!


Elder Kingston Matua

Gift tee shirt #1 from the Robinson family

Gift tee shirt #2 and card from the Robinson family

Nearing the end

Pretty cherry week!

We got to contact a few people we haven't been able to see lately. Transfer news keeps me here in Maui. Glad to be able to spend some more time with the amazing people of the Makawao Ward. Sad to see a lot of my really good mission friends leaving this transfer. We are losing 26 missionaries and only getting eight so things are kinda hectic around here. Lots of combining of areas.

We got to go to a homecoming party for an Elder in our ward. If that won't make you trunky I don't know what will haha! J/K Just doing what I can with what time I have left. We went to Hana again for p-day but we took the other way and I like that a lot better. Every day I love Hawaii more and

more, new beauty every day.

It is pretty hot here so we try and stay away from town and up in the mountains where it's cool. Things in Hawaii are slow and coming but the few people that we are working with are doing great. I am loving the ward more and more every day. I am coming back here for sure. I got some mean hookups here now too. Maui can be our island now haha! I don't think it is going to be easy to

leave Hawaii. The feeling that I have right now is that it is never going to end. I feel like I'm just going to be on to my next area in a few weeks. It is a hard thing to comprehend that my Hawaii missionary life is going to be over in a few short weeks. I am just keeping busy. I feel like I just want it to end quick like taking off a band-aid, like that will help it hurt less. I also can't wait to come home and help the people there.

Love you all! Make it a great week! "If you're not making someone else's life better, then you are wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other people's lives better." - Will Smith. That's why the church is so amazing. Everyday it teaches us how to do just that and gives us opportunities to do so.


Aloha!
Elder Kingston Matua

More work and a visit to Lanai

Aloha my friends!

Maui in the background en route to Lanai

Not to much new to say this week. Our ward was gone all week for a temple trip on the Big Island. All of our progressing investigators are doing great, still progressing.

We had interviews on Saturday so that's always nice. Got to see President and Sister Warner.

On Wednesday we got to go to Lanai for some exchanges. We were with my old friend Elder Talatau and his companion Elder Saludis.

Coming closer and closer to the end of the transfer. Just doing what I can with the time that I have left.

Here are some pics.


Nothin more to say really. Love you all!
Elder Kingston Matua

I don't know what to make of this

Getting goofy on P-Day

Enjoying the beauty of the islands

More aloha!

With a family friend
visiting Maui from Utah

Another great week is in the books! We were able to meet and teach a new investigator....well she's kinda new. She has lots of family in our ward and has been coming to church almost every Sunday since I've been in Makawao. She actually came to us last Sunday and told us that she wanted to take the lessons. We will be teaching all the lessons as Pres. Takitaki's house, her uncle. As part of the first lesson she told us that she is planning on getting baptized!! So I'm pretty pumped for this next week, hopefully we can get her to commit to a date and start getting ready.

Lots of good potential coming up this week and we can't wait to see how everything goes. All of our other investigators and less-actives are doing great and are making some good progress. Hope all is well for all of you at home and all my fellow missionaries in the field. Keep on keeping on folks!


Love,
Elder Kingston Matua

Aloha my friends

First off, Happy Birthday pops! Looks like you guys had some fun for the day.

A little sad to hear about Elder L. Tom Perry. Always tough for us to see an amazing leader and Apostle of the Lord leave us, but since we have the restored gospel we truly understand that he is in a better place and we will see him again.

This week was pretty awesome! We were able to see our new friend Lani that we gave a Book of Mormon to last week and guess what...she did some good reading. Awesome lady. Read the Plan of Salvation pamphlet and even looked for the scriptures in the back (which doesn't usually happen). She loved it and asked why we shorted her one of the books. She was asking where she was suppose to find the scriptures marked D&C. haha! Good stuff!

So she will have a full set of scriptures next week when we go see here and hopefully we can make some good progress with her.

There have been some tragedies lately over here in the ward, loosing loved ones and things like that. But through all those trials nothing can help more than the gospel, so hopefully we can be lead to the people who have had their hearts softened. But good week for the most part, planning on having an even better one this week!


Love you all!
Elder Kingston Matua!  

Makawao update

Well we had a good transfer week. Made some progress with a few of our newer investigators and also had some good visits with the members of the bishopric.

We are having a tough time with some of our less-actives. We're just not getting much commitment from anyone right now. But even with all of that, we can still see the Lord's hand in His work, and we are able to have quality lessons every week.

We were also able to contact a media referral, and she actually wanted the Book of Mormon! That doesn't happen too often on the first try ;)! She told us that she has family that are members and that she is open to learning more about our church. So hopefully we can have a chance to help her learn from the spirit.

All is well here in Makawao. We get choke rain everyday, everywhere we go. Every week I love the Makawao Ward more and more. There are wo many great people here. Elder Batac is doing good over here. Very nice kid from the Philippines.

Hope everyone is having a great memorial day!


Love you all!
Elder Kingston Matua

Aloha everyone

So transfers are this week and as far as we know elder Mitchell will be leaving and I will be getting Elder Batac.

Things in Makawao are going great, we are slowly moving along with our few investigators and really starting to work with the ward to see and meet new people. Yesterday we went out with Brother Savou and met a good number of new less actives that we can now go back and see.

Can't wait to see what is in store for the next transfer! Lots of investigators that should have things open up now that the summer is here. The next two weeks will be tough with graduation and stuff like that, but we will make it work.

Congrats to Mica and the United boys on the good run at nationals. Always tough when you can't come home with the big one but keep working and let it fuel you. Love you all!


Aloha!
Elder Kingston Matua

Working hard in Maui

On the road to Hana

Sorry for the late email today, we woke up early for a special p-day trip. We drove out to Hana. Man there were some beautiful views throughout the drive. Great adventure! We even got to stop by the chapel in Hana that the branch uses.

The rest of the week was great. We were able to pick up some solid new investigators, all through member referrals (that is the best way to do things wink wink). Hope all of you are getting involved in you member missionary work haha!

Me and Snell from A.F.

We had choke service on Saturday and an exchange, I was with
Elder Snell from AF! So I got to sleep at Pulehu chapel. That is an awesome place. On Wednesday we did walking Wednesday. I think we easily walked 12 miles the whole day. I have mad respect to all you elders that walk and ride bikes. I am also grateful for the nice air conditioned car the we are blessed with. Heavenly Father really does know me, He knew that I would complain every day for two years if I had to walk all the time haha!

This upcoming week should be a good one. We hope to make some progress with our current investigators and also continue to expand our pool.

Congrats to the BYU boys on another win and good luck to dad, Mica, and the United boys as they go through their post season.


Love you all so much!!
Elder Kingston Matua

In my 'recreation clothes'
This is a beautiful place

Cancel, cancel, cancel

Zone conference

This week was pretty rough!

Every single appointment that we had set up the week before got cancelled and rescheduled so that was pretty rough for us. But the Lord always provides a way to get things done and we were able to see some people who we haven't been able to meet in the last two weeks.

One family that we had scheduled to go see was a part-member family. When we got there it was pretty normal, but we could tell that something was up. When we asked what we could do to help their family the mom stopped and told us she'd be right back. She came out with her husband (who is not a member) and asked if we could give him blessing. It was a great

Having fun at Zone Conference

opportunity to serve this family and plant some seeds. The husband excused himself right after, but with every blessing we know that the spirit is present and that he felt it.

That is just another example of how the Lord puts us where He needs us and when He needs us. We had a few experiences like that even though all of our lessons fell through. There is always work to do.

Yesterday was a great day of stake conference. Elder Costa came to speak. There were some great talks and a lot of topics were covered. We also had zone conference on Thursday, again lots of training and lots learned.

All is well, all is well!


Love you all!
Elder Kingston Matua

Makawao, Maui

Week two in Makawao was pretty good. Not too many opportunities to teach but we were able to contact a good amount of people, set some appointments for this upcoming week, and get some of our records in order.

We have met almost all of the investigators in the area. There are just a few more that we haven't been able to contact. We got to do some service on Saturday with the ward. We helped clean up a truck full of trash from a members yard and take it to the dump.

While we were unloading at the dump, the guy next to us had a trailer that was twice the size of ours, three times as full, and he was unloading and sorting through it was an old tennis racket. While my comp and brother Adams finished off our load, I was able to hop on the other guys trailer with him and with some pitchforks we knocked out his trailer in about 15 minutes. He would have been there all day.

He asked me where we were from and and we told him a bit about the church we're serving in. It was just a great example of how Heavenly Father puts us exactly where he needs us to make a difference in the world. I guess this guy had just volunteered to take this truck load for a family in need but had no clue what he was getting himself into. I was grateful for the chance to be there and help.

Lesson for the week, always be in a position to help your fellow man.


Love you all!
Elder Kingston Matua

Transfer week - In the Valley Isle

I have been transferred to the beautiful Valley Isle of Maui! Everything about Maui is just cherry. My new companion is Elder Mitchell. He has been out for a little over twelve weeks now and just finished his training. He is from Ohio and is a very solid missionary.

The area is on fire! All of our members are doing so much to help the work and everyone has a missionary mind.

This week was a little rough with seeing people. We didn't have too much luck. But I got to meet most of the investigators in the area. We are working with a couple of families, couples and a whole lot of less actives. We had a very interesting discussion with a JW the other day. He kinda snuck up on us. But Elder Mitchell handled it very well.

So far so good here in Makawao. We cover a pretty big area of up country. It is very country.

With Love and Aloha,
Elder Kingston Matua

One more week 'til conference

Serving the Lord is fun to do

Unfortunately people don't come at us in mobs, it's more like they avoid us in mobs. Almost everyone knows to turn and run when they see the white shirts coming. But I guess that's a good way to distinguish who's ready and who's not. Those who linger get exactly what they need haha! I was laughing last week when Quinn was bummed that he wasn't able to get ordained. I'm glad that he was so pumped to get the priesthood.

We are losing missionary numbers. When I first got here we were at 250, by the end of this year we are supposed to be down to 150. So president has been forced to shut more and more areas down. Don't know what the future holds right now but I love all of the lessons that I have learned here in Moanalua 2nd.

Hon-West Elders

My State of mind is so scrambled right now its not even funny. I can't grasp all that is really going on so I'm just trying to stick to the basics and get through the next three months. I swear every time I look at the calendar a week has just slipped right on by. It's all pretty crazy. But we are all doing good over here. Dad told me about the Loos (Big Island). They are an awesome family!

It is weird everything is starting to blur. I have also committed myself to writing in my journal every day from here on out. I have to confess that I have been horrible at writing. But every time I go back and read, I have so many flashbacks and great memories. I regret not listening to you more there. But it was so hard!

Can't wait for conference.


Anyways Love you choke!
Elder Kingston Matua

More service...and I guess my eyes are tired LOL

Baptisms and missionary moments

Another week in the books!

Our new young convert baptism and his family

This week was business as usual. We were invited to attend the baptism of a member boy. We have been visiting the family and were more than happy to attend when we were invited. They asked us to give two talks and then surprised us when they asked us to give a missionary moment that we usual do at convert baptisms. We had no problem with it, it was just last minute. We were able to step up and give the message and we found out that there were some less actives and non members there. hopefully we were able to make a difference.

They feed me plenty over here, I am just doing everything that I can to keep the weight off. I am still in pretty bad shape but I can fix all that when I get home.

With Elder Swenson from West Jordan

Looks like life is moving on for everyone back home. At church yesterday we ran into a father and son from Arizona. The son had just gotten back from his mission two weeks earlier. He said that when you come home it feels like you never left but you have all your memories of you mission. I feel like that's exactly how it's going to be for me. For the most part everyone is going to be right where they were and I will continue my life but I will have so much more knowledge and experience to work with. Plus my testimony is 100 times stronger.

Have a great week everyone. Love you all!!

Temple trip and the Lord's work

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We had a temple trip today so our P-Day is today instead of yesterday. The temple this morning was great as usual. I got to see the Selu family while I was there. It was great to see them in the session this morning.

Bro & Sis Selu
(photo: M. Selu)

This past week was kinda rough. None of our investigators came to church and that's never fun. But life goes on and the work continues. Elder Talatau and I are still doing good together. Both of us are still trying to grasp the fact that our time is so short. We just keep moving and forget about it.

Everything is great here as far as how me and Elder T. are doing. I just received a letter from Pres. Warner that there is a possibility that they might close our area, mostly due to the fact that we are going down in missionary numbers. There is a good amount of work in this ward but them members must be involved. But we will do what we can while we are here and see what happens.

Congratulations to the BYU Rugby boys on your big win last week [against St. Mary's]. A big Happy Birthday to Mica and Quinn! Sorry I'm still working on getting more post cards for birthdays so I'll try and send those out asap.

Love you all! The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored and His work is moving forward!


Aloha
Elder Kingston Matua

Exploring Hawaii

Good to see the Selu boys
(photo: M. Selu)

P-Day fun

Finding success

Well another week in 2015 has come and gone.

I was getting my days all mixed up this week it went by so fast. We got to meet with all of our investigators this week. Some of them were short visits but every contact counts when you are fighting against peoples every day temptations.

All of our investigators are doing good. We still have a date set for our young friend Fasia.

Hope all will continue to go well there. Time is short, lets go live it my friends. No time to waste time, even Hawaiian time.

Love you all! The church is most definitely true and fully restored!


Elder Kingston Matua

Working hard on the aloha spirit

We had some new prospects but some new challenges as well. These people in this Samoan ward keep scaring everyone away! LOL We have really been struggling this week with the ward but all is well. If I have learned anything it is that the Lords work can never be stopped. It can be slowed by the people, but never stopped. We just keep doing our thing and pushing along knowing that the Lord has a plan and that everything will fit right in the end.

I'm so grateful for you dad and mom! You guys kept it together through thick and thin and showed us boys that no matter what we are going through their is a way to be happy and overcome our trails. I pray that we can all find our way no matter what the difficulties may be.

That's awesome that the [United Rugby] team is looking good this year. Sounds like there were a lot of teams at the spring warm up this year. Keep those boys on track.

Send my love to Dillon and the newest member of this crazy family! Wish I could be there but the work moves forward.


Alofa tele
Elder Kingston Matua

Aloha 'oe and still in Hon-West

We had a good last week of the transfer!

We had a good lesson with our friend Fasia and were able to set a [baptism] date with him in March. We hope everything goes well there. He has a lot of support from the YM in the ward and the leaders. We have a couple of other investigators that we will set dates for this week.

We had a new investigator come to our gospel principles class. She is an older lady. The lesson was kinda confusing with some different members in the class all on different wavelengths, but the spirit was there and it ended pretty well. She is what we call a 'dry Mormon'. She comes to church every Sunday and comes to every activity. She should be solid.

Transfer came and me and Elder Talatau will be staying together for one more transfer. Looking forward to the next couple of weeks. Seeing that I only have a few more transfers left is kinda freaking me out. Time flies way to fast!

Other than occasional fatigue I am doing great here. Like I said it is just scary thinking that I am so close to the end and soon my life is going to take another step up and change again. I think that is the hardest part about coming on a mission was the adjustment, now I am finally adjusted and its almost done. Then I have to come home and adjust all over again. But I know that doing it the Lord's way will make it easy as pie.

Love you all!
Elder Kingston Matua

Short note...as usual

Another week in the books and things are still going great!

We are still just working with our same group of investigators and still working with some less-actives and recent converts. Elder T's ankle is back to normal so there is no more limping.

Hope every one has a great week and good Luck to all the boys going down to Vegas to play rugby. Hope you all do you best and have fun!

Elder King Matua