2-23-25 The Gangstahs

Huuuiii aloha mai me ke aloha! Another awesome week as a missionary! Its late, dont have a lot of time, but beloved Elder Johnson told me to write an email, in which I will! So much happens everyday, in which I am daily grateful, for the daily miracles the Lord allows me to experience as a missionary. In which, as always, weekly am glad to pull one out of my journal and share one :) The experience I want to share happened on exchanges with our awesome district leader Elder Manaog. Stud of an Elder. We taught, set our friends on date for baptism, and I was able to learn so much from this Elder. The experience I want to share, happened as we had about an hour left, one more appointment, but over 10 people left to find to reach our daily goal. While teaching 2 referrals we've received (also a crazy miracle), we invited his friends to join in on the lesson as well. Kids joined the lesson, and soon we had a nice group of people listening, with the nanays listening from the back. I picked up my shoe, and threw it. Whoever gets my shoe first wins. Ready... GO. Kids ran, parents laughed, referrals joined in. Got my shoe. Then told each to give me one of their own. Through them all, and had them wait to get them. About to say go, to girls walked up. About 15 years old, hat banked to the side wearing baggy cargo shorts, with a shirt spelling in all caps, " GANGSTA." Couldn't help but smile, as they asked to play the game. Ready, set, go!! The two bolted passed all the kids, picked up ALL the slippers, and took off, no where to be seen. And there Elder and I were left, with 10 kids in tears, because of their stolen slippers! Parents frustrated, walking around trying to find these ... GANGSTAHS. The funny part was, I couldn't help but laugh, with what just happened. Elder and I began to walk around, looking for these girls, until about 20 minutes later, they came walking back, dapping us up, apologizing and giving back the slippers. We met them, talked with them, smiled and laughed, and set an appointment to come and teach them and their family on another day. Miracle, 2 Finds! Plus a few more from that teaching, but with 10 minutes to spare, and more people needed to find, knowing we prayerfully designed the day in the morning we continued on walking home. "Turn back". We turned around, walked down an empty basketball court, and seen a little house on the side with people in the front, boom. Talked, shared, asked to come back. Findings, still not at the goal. 5 mins to get home, and a tryke pulls up, asking us why we are always there, and why we never visit his family! Had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to him and his family, set a return date, and passing our finding goal and home just in time for a meeting. I feel so blessed. To be able to do my best, and it being enough for the Lord. I am far from where I want to be, far from I know where the Lord sees I can be, but I am doing my best, and I do love it. I am thankful for all the Lord continues to do for me and my family, for my strengths and especially for my inadequecies. It is then, that we jahs gotta trahs, and see the fruits of what the Lord really can do with us. Rain, ends up making us smile, heat ends up giving us strength, and gangstas end up giving back slippers. So this? All this? Gotta be true. Shoot ELDER ISHIBASHI