I'm leaving Lahaina

Aloha 😊,

I'm leaving Lahaina and I am so disappointed! I will miss Sister Fifita more than I can say and we have 4 baptisms coming up. I asked Sister Fifita to send me pictures of all the baptisms but it's just not the same. 

I am being transferred to.....get ready......Honolulu! I will be serving right in the heart of the city in the Honolulu 2nd ward and I will also be serving in a Chukees branch. I'm excited for the new adventure. My zone leader Elder Wills said Honolulu was one of his favorite areas and one of the other elders was so excited that I was serving in the Chukees branch. He said I will be changed so much by them. My new companion is Sister Eberhard, who Sister Wilson trained and I've met at MLC. She a hard worker and all of her companions have loved her so I think we will get along great. Not to mention the apartment that the Honolulu sisters stay at is beautiful and right in the middle of the city, so I have the best view in the mission ;) 

This week I said goodbye to the Swenson, who I am going to miss so so much and the Honda family who we were very close with. I also said goodbye to the Hayes family yesterday and it is the first time since we finally got permission to have Brother Hayes baptized (Permission we didn't think we were going to get) that we taught a lesson and he is a changed man. I can't explain how different he is from when I first came to the area and met him and who he is now. He is happy and talkative and so full of hope. I never understood how much I took the hope that comes from baptism for granted until I met Randy. He has changed me and given me fire to find those in Honolulu that need hope. I am so grateful for the hope of the gospel that is not only something I get to teach everyday, but deeply apart of who I am.  

Molokai now only has 1 set of elders instead of 2 and Lanai is getting their own set of elders! I think it would be so hard to serve on a whole island by yourself but the missionaries there are going to do great.

It rained so much here this week, in fact there hasn't been a day that it hasn't rained since the beginning of this transfer, I love it. We also made sure to do a mochi ice cream run for one final time and ran across a palm tree forest while trying to find a referral for a new investigator. Lahaina and Sister Fifita time is something I will never forget. 

I hope all is well at home and I was so happy to see that you took a trip for Flat Stanley in St. George! :) Tell everyone I said hi and I miss them more and more every week :)

Love, 

Sister Bowen