Comp injuries and teaching like crazy

Another week and month is in the books. Time just keeps moving along, funny how it does that!

This week was a little slow with a P-Day basketball injury recovery that was needed. Elder T messed up his ankle pretty bad but he's doing a lot better now. We had our basketball and volleyball tournament this week and it went really well. Almost all of our investigators showed up and we even got two new ones to visit and one of them has already taken all the lessons in Cali, so hopefully we have something good there.

Despite our doubts of seeing very many people at church on Sunday, (church started at 3 p.m., which was right in the middle of the Super Bowl), lots of the Ward members proved their faith and we had a pretty full chapel for Sacrament meeting. Plus the highlight of the meeting was when Tony, our recent convert, got to bless the Sacrament and he bore his testimony. That is always a good feeling.

We also got the chance to help teach the Stake Mission Prep class, which is always a good time, even if we did just find out an hour before and then prepared the wrong lesson. But that's the great thing about the Spirit, it can call audibles pretty well.


Love you all,
Elder Kingston Matua

Elder Chase Matua reports to the Provo MTC

Today we dropped off our second son, Elder Chase Matua, who will be serving in the Taiwan-Taipei Mission. He will be speaking Mandarin. We consider it a blessing that he has been taking Mandarin-Chinese lessons for the past five years.

We have had such a wonderful, spiritual time helping him to prepare for this incredible journey he is now embarking on as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was so nervous these past few days but the moment we arrived on the MTC campus his face was beaming and he could not wait to get started.

Chase has a kind heart, an even temperament and a deep love for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that he has prepared himself thoroughly for the mission field but there is so much more that he will learn in the next 24-months that will truly bless his life forever.

We can't wait to hear from Chase. We are looking forward to his first communication. We will post his updates here just like we have for Kingston. Our sincere love and appreciation to all of you who have made it possible for Chase to fulfill this lifelong dream of serving a full-time mission. May our Father in Heaven bless you for your kindness and love.

Alofa tele, aloha nui loa and xie-xie
The Matua's

Just moments before Elder Chase Matua enters the Provo MTC

Referrals and more service

So we got in all of our regular visits and contacted some of our referrals this week. We did a ton of service. There was an old couple who was in a time crunch in putting some finishing touches on their house so we helped them. We moved all their stuff, helped paint, and my personal favorite, scrub all the tile floors.

We also helped move a family (who was also in a time crunch) move stuff from one house to another. They are non-members from Brazil and they were very surprised that so many young men would be willing to sacrifice a beautiful beach day to come help them move. haha! There was also great support from the ward.

Dad, I'm doing great! It's always good to hear about you and uncle Eddie back in your glory days haha! Transfers will be on October 15th and I'm 98% sure that I am leaving Hau'ula. I have been here for a very long time but I love it.

Last nights dinner was hilarious. They knew Wayne and Kenra. The whole time it felt like was having dinner with you guys and the Tarawhiti's! They were so much like all of you guys. They were all making fun of each other and cracking Samoan and New Zealand jokes! It was the best. haha

Other than that nothing too new this week. Still love life and learning choke.

Love you all!

Elder Kingston Matua

Some photo's from the Saints in Hau'ula:

With the Moea'i family

Meeting auntie Julia Purcell-Ah You for the first time

Dinner with the Alaiasa family

Dinner with the Tapu & Liava'a families

Being in Hau'ula has truly been a blessing for Elder Matua and for us, his family. No matter where he goes in Laie and Hau'ula we know that he is being cared for. Mahalo and faafetai lava to all of our dear families, friends and all of the lovely people of Hawaii ~ The Matua's

Stake conference, farming and Samoan lessons

We did a whole lot of the same old same old this week. Visited all of our normal less-actives and were introduced to some new families with the ward mission leader. It was stake conference this weekend so we had a pretty fun and spiritual weekend. On Friday the stake had a family night where we ate tons of food and met some really cool members. Of course there were some Samoan members who knew the Matua's somehow and also an interesting lady from Australia who was the casting director for the old Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum PI. She was telling us all kinds of stories and talked our ears off while we were trying to get our last bites of taro and palusami.

Sunday we had stake conference at the BYU CAC. There were some really good talks from leadership and the Laie temple president and his wife.

We just got done helping this sweet old Hawaiian auntie clear out a patch of land and plant some new taro. I have done so much farming since being here I think I am ready to start my own taro and banana plantation. I love helping the elderly over here. They teach us a lot about the land and do everything old fashion.

Last night before we went home, I got to go on an exchange with Elder Young Yen to see a Samoan family. I loved sitting there and listening to them speak to see what I could pick up. I'm getting better at listening and can answer simple questions, but I hope I can continue to improve. I have loved being so close to the Samoan culture over here in Laie. I'm learning so much and hearing so many great things about the Matua family (mostly just how good dad and uncle Eddie were at basketball).

Love,
Elder Kingston Matua

Thanksgiving fun and more teaching moments

Another delicious breakfast with
the Harris family

We have had a great week filled with service. We have been on fire with Marshallese lessons as well. My new companion is doing awesome, but he is having to go though some culture adjustments. Nothing wrong with that it will just take some time. We get along well and we are both learning lessons around every corner. It also helps that we have an amazing ward that backs us up all the time.

We go out with a few of our members that are Marshallese speaking and they teach the lessons with Elder Seremai. From what I can see the lessons go great and we are invited back every time. Elder Seremai is a great teacher and continues to help me improve my teaching with every lesson we teach.

I got to play in a pretty awesome turkey bowl tournament on Saturday. They painted the field and broke into 10 teams and we played for most of the day. It was super fun and there was a good amount of less actives and non members there.

Sorry for the late email today. Me, Elder Humpherys, Elder Christensen, and Ikaika McClure (A less active member) went golfing for most the day. I suck at golf but it was still great fun. There is an older couple in the ward, the McMillans, that is awesome; on the first P-day of every month they take us to breakfast at Hawaiian Style. They have some crazy good grinds and they take the whole zone so it's pretty fun.

For the most part we haven't really had any new progression with our investigators other than the Marshallese, which sucks but that's okay. We are going to keep being faithful and obedient and the Lord will bless us.

Love you all,

Elder Matua

Spiritual reading - Letter to Dad

Dear Dad,

Is it bad that reading your letters still pushes me to tears? I miss you all so much. However I am really loving the mission life. I can honestly say that I have now lost myself out here in the work. I love it more than I ever could have imagined. Not only are President and Sister Warner amazing, the food is amazing - but the it is the Spirit out here that beats everything.

I am growing like I would never have believed. I have developed an amazing love for the Atonement and my Savior Jesus Christ. I don't know what I would do without that knowledge. I want so bad to bring every single person in Waikoloa to that same knowledge. I can't do it alone though. With the Lord's help I can do my little part to serve the people of the HHM and while I am on Heavenly Fathers' time I will do whatever small part of His work that I can.

While I have been out here I know what it really means to study. I love studying the words of the Book of Mormon and the Bible but I have also really been studying the Ensigns a lot too. I'm almost done with the whole May 2013 Conference issue. While I listened to those talks I was just going through the motions, sometimes tuning out the lesser known leaders and waiting to hear the 'heavy hitters' like Elder Holland or Elder Bednar. But now that I have read through most of them I've realized that every talk has something for me. I am so grateful for living prophets here on earth. My testimony of the Book of Mormon and living prophets has grown tremendously.

Dad, I love you so much. You and mom are my greatest blessings. I miss and love you and my brothers. One day we will all be together laughing again. I love this gospel and hope that I can continue to serve in a way that is pleasing to my Heavenly Father.


Love,
Elder Matua

Treats from home - Letter to mom

Dear Mom,

Thank you so much for the treats. Your package was very helpful - I needed them so bad.

I'm doing great! Now that I'm adjusted and realize that this is my life I love it. Missionary life is great. It's so freakin' hard but great. I seriously know that this is where I'm supposed to be. This is where I want to be but I still love and miss you.

I'm glad to hear that Chase and Mica are living up to the family name. I knew it would just take Mica awhile to figure it out. You and dad have done a phenomenal job at raising us boys even though I can't spell :-) I am so proud to be a Matua boy. I loved the pics of the 'wanna be buff boys'.

President and Sister Warner are amazing! They remind me a lot of every awesome senior couple from our Granger and Sego Lily Wards. Whenever President Warner talks to us it seems like he is always looking directly at me. Maybe because I feel like I'm the only one who keeps eye contact with him. But I feel like we have a good connection.

Sister Warner is one of those awesome "Mormon Mom's". She is sweet, loving, outgoing, a choir teacher and she's so funny. I'm so glad to be serving with them.

I hope everyone continues to do good things there at home. You would kill me if you saw how I just cut my hair. I'll send you pics but just remember I'm still learning this whole missionary thing so it's been a month of 'firsts' for me so even the haircut is a missionary 'first'. Let's just say that I'm in the Army now - The Lord's Army :-) Don't worry it looks good - different but good. I'm still your handsome son I hope.

I don't need too much just more addresses for my friends and maybe a dictionary so I can learn how to spell. We are officially making the switch to shoulder bags in October. No backpacks allowed while we are out proselyting. No rush though since we have a car and we're are driving most places and most of my stuff can stay in the car. So if you happen to stumble across a decent shoulder bag please send it my way. It would also be cool to have one of those calendars with everyone's birthday, special days and their pictures for 2014 but whatever you can do.

Please keep the letters coming. I can't wait to hear from the boys. It's so awesome to see Chase play too. I try not to miss you all too much.


Love,
Elder Matua

Happy Anniversary

I just wanted to pen out a quick letter and say ... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

How does it feel to know that you have spent 20 years with your eternal companion? Now I'm truly grateful that I get to choose my eternal companion because if I was assigned an eternal companion like out here in the mission field eternity would be even longer LOL

I've really learned to miss and appreciate my brothers out here in the field. If you keep doing what you are doing, those four boys are going to be amazing missionaries. I'm so glad that I have a set of good examples in you two to follow after my mission when I'm at the marriage stage in life which Heavenly Father informed me will happen in due time (according to my Patriarchal Blessing).

I love you both more than you could ever know. I'm so blessed with all the lessons that I have learned from both of you. I am out here doing what I am doing, the way that I am doing it because of you.

Have a good 20th anniversary - you old love birds.


Love Elder Matua

Mission President's welcome letter

It's Monday morning so we're chomping at the bit wondering if we will get an email or a letter from Elder Matua. We did however get a letter from President Warner and thought we would share excerpts from it with you, Elder Matua's family and friends.

Dear Brother and Sister Matua:

It is a pleasure to write to you of your son's arrival in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission. He was met at the airport where he arrived well and in good spirits. His companion picked him up and he is now in his new area of labor. His companion was carefully selected to insure him of a proper introduction to missionary work here and we are confident that their relationship will be a mutual blessing.

At the Mission Home we took a snapshot of Elder Matua with Sister Warner and me, which we enclose for you.

Thank you for sharing your son with us. We already love him as one of our own and are thrilled to have him in this mission.


Sincerely,
President Stephen R. Warner
Mission President

We see you Elder!

Don't believe in small miracles or in God's tender mercies?

As a family we have struggled through the first week since Elder Matua left the M.T.C. bound for Hawaii. It was a blessing to have the Sape family travel with him but once he arrived in Honolulu and was carted off to the mission home we were in the dark wondering where he ended up and how he was faring in his first few days in the field.

Yesterday we were truly blessed to come in contact with the Naumu family and Rachel Cody-Harris while attending our nephew Elder Dillon Filiaga's homecoming (Kobe, Japan) in Pocatello, ID. After listening to Elder Filiaga's powerful testimony of missionary work and his experiences of growing closer to our Heavenly Father while out in the field, we were approached by the Naumu family who informed us that their son Elder Naumu was in the M.T.C. and left for Hawaii on the same day with Elder Matua. Small world right? Wait, it gets smaller.

Rachel Cody-Harris' in laws live on the Big Island and the Naumu's were hoping that Elder Naumu would end up serving in their ward. Sister Harris, who is best friends with our niece Emma Filiaga-Naeata got word back from Hawaii that Elder Naumu did not end up on the Big Island as they had all hoped, but that they had a fun Elder from Utah named Elder Matua! So many connections led to so many pictures of our Elder and so many tears of joy as we saw the smile on his face. We are blessed and so is he to be among the lovely people of Hawaii.

Here are some photo's shared by the Naumu's and the Harris':

Arrival in Honolulu

Elder Matua had the awesome experience of flying to Hawaii with our dear family the Sape's. Another one of God's tender mercies and a testimony to us that our son will always be watched over and cared for in the islands.

Elder Matua arrives with fellow missionaries - Honolulu, HI
Photo courtesy Lauvale & Sarah Sape

Breathing a sigh of relief before heading to the mission home - Honolulu, HI
Photo courtesy Lauvale & Sarah Sape