Kelly's journey

Kelly

About 15 years ago God started me on a completely different road than I had originally planned.  It has been a sometimes scary, sometimes sad, and sometimes overwhelming road.  This road was one of chronic Lyme disease.  It would seem that illness would bring nothing but sorrow however; it has really brought me more joy than I could have ever imagined.  This road has brought me closer to God and given me a deeper understanding of His amazing unconditional love.

Gigi's Story

Gigi

After my dad passed away I realized the wish for my dad through my eyes to come visit Hawaii!

At 35 years old I had never traveled outside of Canada:  mean, no passport, never take plane and of course no speak English!!

Went to agency buy plane tickets, do everything for get my passport.  Adventure started.

On August 2000 luggage and the pictures of my dad and my mom in my purse ready for going to Hawaii.

Take my first plane so look all over and I get the window seat so look everything!

Take a second plane and everything is English : ( everything look good.

Reach Hawaii Oahu in the night go hotel…..Morning return to airport for fly to my last plane to Kauai

I put my dad picture in the cave at glass beach and stay 2 weeks on Kauai and visit Maui for a day.

2 more planes.

My stories of love starting on this trip with my tourist guide and before leaving back to Canada, I receive proposal and I accept.

After, time to return I take 3 more flights.  A total of 8 plane rides for my baptism of air!!

Yes my goal was victory and God bless me by giving  a great LDS man for bonus!!

Dawn's Story

Dawn

A long time ago, I sacrificed being a good friend for being a “cool kid”.  It didn’t take me very long to recognize that I had made a wrong choice.  Over the years, I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what it means to be a good friend.

And I have been blessed to have wonderful examples of the kind of friend I want to be!

Allison's Story

Allison S

I am 13 years old.  I was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I am so incredibly grateful for that, and I can’t imagine my life without the church.  I was born in the McKay-Dee Hospital which was in Ogden, Utah.  I lived in Farmington for 5 years until I moved to Kauai when I was 6.  I love Kauai, it is like paradise.  As hard as it was to leave all of my cousins and my best friend in Utah, I quickly fell in love with Kauai.  I love my ward, and they are a second family to me.  Having the Gospel in my life is such a huge, huge blessing, and I take it for granted, seeing other people who don’t have family supporting them, and encouraging them to attend church, and things like Seminary really makes me appreciate that I do have a family who encourages me to go to church, I am so thankful.  That is my story ( :

Sister Duke's Story

Sister Duke

January 2011 I was sitting in a sacrament meeting listening to this sister talk and she referred to her mission.  Automatically I got a surge of energy and emotions and a very distinct voice saying “you need to go on a mission.”   I just blew it off and kept on with my life.  I was writing to my boyfriend on his mission and he had only a few months left.  March 18, 2011 he arrived home from his mission in Japan.  He came home and we started dating immediately.  In May we got engaged to be married in August.  In a short month with lots of unsettled feelings and on a huge emotional rollercoaster, I called off my wedding.  It was the right thing to do and I had no doubt in my mind but then I was lost.  I think I was at my lowest point I’d yet experienced and I had no idea what to do.  It took a few months and I turned to my patriarchal blessing once I put my pride aside.  I read through it and doing so always made me feel happy but this time it was different.   This line stuck out to me ‘The Atonement will benefit you in your life.’  I came to a conclusion and that was that I didn’t really know all that much about the Atonement.  It was at this time that the thought of a mission came back.  This time I didn’t brush it off as quickly but I still didn’t do anything drastic- also at the same time President Uchtdorf gave a talk about “Forget Me Not” and the 5^th petal is what pushed me to my pathway.  “Forget not that the Lord loves you.”  I struggled for months to move on from my broken heart and step by step I finally understood.  The Savior knows me and all I’m suffering with in my emotional side.  So I took action, I went and talked to my bishop and talked about a mission.  I walked out of his door and overwhelming sense of peace and love flowed into my heart and spirit.  A mission was my chapter to write.  I‘ve never been happier in my life and every day I’m so grateful to the Lord for blessing me with this experience.  This is the best chapter I’ve written.

Sister Mallory's Story

Sister Mallory

Last year I was trying to decide what to do with my life.  I told Heavenly Father that I wanted to dedicate my life to serving Him.

On July 20^th 2001, I went to the Temple to be endowed.  Shortly after, I received three very strong promptings to go on a mission.  I argued with the Lord at first because I was scared and didn’t want to leave home.

However, after the third impression, I decided that rather than disappointing the One I love most, I put my faith in Him and put my papers in.

My mom had health issues and two weeks after I arrived in Hawaii, I got a call from my mission president that my mom was diagnosed with cancer.  Once I got off the phone with the president and called my mom, I felt strongly that I needed to stay on my mission and trust that God would take care of my mom while I was doing His work.

Two weeks ago, I got an email from my mom saying that she had a CT scan showing that the largest tumor in her liver had been reduced by 50% , the second largest had been reduced by 33% and the rest of the tumors were gone.

Heavenly Father answers prayers.  Miracles do happen today when we show faith and trust in Him and do our part to serve Him and keep His commandments!  I’m grateful to be His servant here in the Kalaheo ward on Kauai!  The gospel is true!

You can 't help but love someone once you know their story!

So much service is done in our ward.  A lot I am sure that I will never hear about.  That that I do hear about is often in the past, and that that isn't, I rarely have my camera or think to document it.     .....So after receiving and hearing so many wonderful stories last night I decided to record them here, because... As we get to know each other, we get to hear each other's stories, and once we hear each other's stories we can't help but love each other, and once we know each other and love each other then we can protect each other and look out for each other! -and this is Wonderful!