Week 5 of MTC

Feb. 8, 2016

Bom Dia e ka 'ohana!!!

This has probably been the fastest week so far. Time is truly flying now. At the beginning it felt like we had nothin’ but time, but now it feels like there’s never enough time to do everything. We made a month this past week and it feels likes its been longer than that, and shorter than that, at the same time. We'll make 5 weeks on Wednesday! So crazy!

I've been progressing slowly in Portuguese. I've been working hard and it’s slowly starting to show. I'm still a noob, but I'm getting better haha. Learning the grammar is the most frustrating part to me, but its super rewarding when I'm able to speak it well. I'm sooo grateful for my teachers, Irmao Staples and Irma Smith, for all their love, support, and patience.

I should be getting my flight plans this Tuesday or Wednesday. When I get them, I'm allowed to email back so I'll shoot out an email when I get them. I'm sad to be delayed a week because of the social aspect. Our whole entry group will be leaving, and only the people going to Porto, 6 of us, will be left from that group. I've heard rumors of us being delayed because Porto is having an apostle over to “turn the mission”, but I really don't know. I guess I'll find out in a few weeks. Its kinda sad, cuz I left a family to get here, then I gained another one here, and now I'm losing them too. I realize though, that we all have work to do, and gotta get to it. The MTC is the in-between place, not the end destination. I'm happy to be delayed though, because it gives me more time to study, and more one-on-one teacher time. It gives me a little more time to hunker down and get some work done. BTW, I am able to see the comments on my blog but I probably won't reply back on there. To those who do comment, please know, I do read the comments, and I'm always happy to read um.

Usually every week we have TRC meetings, which is when we teach two-20min lessons to members who speak Portuguese, but this week was a little different. We still had a TRC lesson but.... WE TAUGHT THIS LADY IN BRAZIL VIA SKYPE!!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!! Going in to it I was so excited, a little nervous, but mostly excited, and right when her picture came on, I was just soo happy to be able to have the opportunity to teach someone who speaks Portuguese!  Me and my companion were stoking! The volume on the computer we were using was pretty junk, so we couldn't hear her that good, but we were able to mostly understand her, and she could understand us!!! We taught about "preseverar ate o fim" (persevering to the end) that some of the things we need to persevere to the end is: The Savior's Redemptive Power, The Holy Ghost, to serve others, and to make sure we have diligent scripture study and personal prayers! The whole time we’re just stoking and grinning ear to ear. At the end, when we asked her to bear her testimony, I kinda started to tear up cuz she bore her testimony about God's love for us, and then told us about the important work that we’re doing and that we'll do great. It just meant soo much to me to hear that from her. We then closed with our testimonies and a prayer. Afterwards we got feedback from our teacher, from the lady, that she loved it and loves us. We love her too! What was funny was that she asked our teacher "Fiexe, fiexe! O que este palavra fiexe??" (fiexe, fiexe (prounounced like fish but with an accent)! What is this word fiexe?) during the feedback, cuz we kept saying muito fiexe (super cool), which I guess isn’t really a term in Brazil, even though it is in Portugal. haha. Once she found out what it was, our teacher told us she just started bus’ laughing hahaha. 

Something else that was cool this week was that I GOT A PUKE O MOLEMONA!!!! I'M SOOOO HAPPY!!! I can't believe I haven't read it before! I started to read it this past Thursday and I'm loving it! It's like I'm in Kumu Hiapo's class but for spiritual stuff as well as language haha. Aia wau ma ka 'ao'ao 26. Akahi 'o Nepai i 'ike i ka hihio a kona makuakane, Lehi, i 'ike ai. Mio!!! Kohu mea la ke heluhelu nei wau i ka puke no ka manawa mua loa ma loko no o ko'u kama'aina mua i na mo'olelo o loko. Ma loko no o ke 'ano kahiko o ke kakau 'ia o keia puke (ka loa'a 'ole o na 'okina me na kahako) mau no ko'u hiki ke heluhelu me ka ma'alahi. Mau no ka loa'a 'o na hua'olelo a hopuna 'olelo hou, aka lilo ia mau mea i mea ho'ohoihoi i ka heluhelu 'ana hahaha. Eia kekahi lalani a'u i makemake nui ai, ma ka puke mua a Nepai, mokuna 1, pauku 20, mana lalani hope 'elua "No laila, ea, o hele, e ka'u keiki, a e ho'opomaika'i 'ia 'auane'i 'oe e ka Haku, no ka mea, 'a'ole 'oe i 'ohumu." E o'u mau kaikaina, e o'u kaikuahine, o hele aku kakou ma ke ala pono o ko kakou Haku, me ka 'ohumu 'ole i mea e hau'oli ai kakou a i mea e ho'opomaika'i 'ia kakou e Ke Akua. What's funny about me getting one of these is my friend Elder Dude, who’s going to the Phillipines, showed me he had gotten one just to collect, and showed it to me. That promptly reminded me that I should get one so I can keep up with my 'Olelo Hawai'i. When I went to get it, it was the last copy! I was soo relieved that it was still there! Elder Dude is an anjo (angel) sent of God haha, but pretty true.

I'd just like to give a shout out to Elder Vaea Enos on his call. I'M SOOOOO STOKED FOR HIM GOING TO NUKU'ALOFA, TONGA!!!! MUITO OTIMO (SUPER AWESOME)!!!! I just think that's soooo cool! I'm sure Aunty Melissa and Uncle “Peeta” are sooo proud of him. Gonna see the sole in him come out! I'd also like to tell Sister Kawena Mendiola that I'm soo stoked for her as well, and can’t wait to see her here at the MTC! Ku'ilua and 'Ohu, I hope your papers are in! I'm just so excited to hear everyone getting their calls and deciding to serve missions!

Mom please tell the family on O'ahu that I love them and that I wish I could be there to pay my respects to Aunty Marjie. I didn't really know her, but I know better now than I ever have before, that she is in a better place, and that she'll be waiting for us. Speaking of family, I was able to get the endowments done for our Portuguese family! I was sooo happy. We went early this morning and did the 6:15 session. While I was sitting in the Celestial Room, I felt a lot like I did last week, the love our Father has for us, and the love we have for our ancestors. I realized that we love our families here on earth, and that that love doesn’t end when they pass on, and that we can still help them. I am soo grateful for the opportunity to be able to help my ancestors who have passed on.

I love you, family! I'm so thankful for the packages and letters. I'll try to shoot out a response soon. I love you guys!!! Malama pono!

Me ke aloha,

Elder Kim

Ate Mais!

 Elder Kim and da mexican braddahs (Elder Fernandez and Elder Castillo)

 Elder Kim and the "newbies", Missionaries who just arrived at the MTC and are part of his zone

Shout out to Troop 7