Hey y'all it is me...
I am getting transferred to Kaneohe! I guess my time on big island has been fulfilled. The way I like to look at transfers is I did my best with the area I got and I would not change anything especially the mistakes. I will miss this island but I am ready for one last adventure before I am homeward bound. One experience I would like to share is this: Last night I got the chance to say goodbye to the Tilini family. They have been with me for about half of my mission. They were my ward missionary leader on Molokai and they had moved into Honomu only a few weeks before I had came. I usually don't get very sad saying goodbyes, but I definitely felt a tinge of something...a tinge of finality. I think it is a sign of what is to come. I will feel that same feeling much more intensely when I say my last goodbyes in Hawaii. They sung to me Folofola a mai Sesu, A Tongan hymn about Christ. I got a chance to share my testimony with them. While I did A thought came to my mind that hit home. As a missionary we can only do one thing, and that is to give a piece of our heart to the people we serve. This is why I believe people recollect such positive memories from serving a mission. I look back at all of the faces of those I have taught and I feel contentment with my service. A tradition I had been doing throughout my mission is to give a nametag to a select few people I have taught as a symbolic way to say I left a piece of my heart with those people. Our nametag being something we literally keep close to our heart and as a reminder of who we are for these two years. Every time I look at the tag I think of those people who have the same one. It is a source of motivation to me. It is a tradition I hope to continue in Kaneohe. (I plan on ordering a few extras before I go home so I can give each of my kids one.) I have one last thought I would like to include. Just like life, a mission is full of good times, bad times, people at their best and at their worst. God designed life to be a mixing pot of experiences. To a lot of people their own mistakes and failiures might be overwhelming. (I have met a lot of such people who lament their mistakes.) But in the end of it all we are here to learn. If we learn from our failiures we have succeeded and if we use the atonement our weaknesses will be made into strengths (weak thing become strong unto me. D and C..?) But once all is said and done the bad will fade away and only the good times will remain. Even in periods of time filled with trial and struggle it seems the good will conquor eventually, or even gradually. I think a lot of people need to see it. Our trials tend to give us tunnel vision so we cannot see the entire picture. Whenever people look back at their mission they dont think of how misrible the struggle was at some times, they feel the joy of conquoring the mountian, Someone who has the faith severely tried will not mope around in pitty, when they look back at it they will see that time of their life as a source of strength. It is ironic our hardest struggles are what give us our greatest power. Love you guys, I hope everything is going well back home! Ofa Atu. -Elder Esplin 
It sure seems like this little scrappy dude has sure grown up! Can’t believe two years is almost up and he’s about ready to come home. When is the official return date?
From: Nanette Esplin <3mnkysmom@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, December 30, 2019 8:22 PM To: Ruth Esplin; Matt Kolar Subject: Fwd:
Sent from my iPhone
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