UPDATES

So I recognize that I'm a complete slacker! So for you faithful followers, this post will help you find out what has been happening with our dedicated Elder over the past few months! I will list the updates most recent to furthest away! Enjoy the read!!!

June 15, 2009:
well. the library computers were down so we had to use an alternate route at an inconvenient time. lee morse is his name. and the baptism recently was on friday and his name is james wilson. and it was super cool! hes really excited to grow in the gospel and hes been reading the teachings of joseph smith and cant seem to put it down!there was a slight glitch after the first week of being here with one of the members. a matter of misinterpretation but all is well now and were busy with the work! :D love you! kyle

June 8, 2009:
the baptism was great! we moved it to tuesday right before i got transfered to kona (big island) and last minute lee asked me to baptize him! he originally wanted bishop to do it but when they found out that i was leaving they asked me to do it last minute! so that was exciting, and it was my first i was present for (out of the people ive taught!)my new area is called waimea and i cover the 2nd ward there! the only problem was that in kaimuki it was hot and dry and here is cold (im on the north side) and it started raining when i got here and were in a bike area so i got sick from the weather! dang it! its a pretty bad cold and ive pretty much had it since thursday... :( but thats ok because the work here is doing awesome! we have a baptism on friday and another couple coming up soon in the near future! so thats awesome!but yeah thats my status for now and ill tell you how the baptism goes next week monday!love you kyle

June 1, 2009:

hey! haha sorry, but i didnt get any emails last week so i forget to send any out!im doing well!i just found out that im getting transferred again...off-island (i dont know which, but either maui or big island!) so thats exciting!our baptism is tomorrow at 6 so thats awesome too!im just kinda bummed because things are really starting to happen here and a few other people should be with a date soon!so thats the only downside...and i was just starting to get to know the ward...oh wellill go where the lord needs me!other than that im doing well! just getting everything packed :Doh well :Di love you sisterhave a great week!

May 18, 2009:

we just had stake conference and it was really great! our investigatoris excited for his baptism and we are too!we found a couple other investigators and have to contact some referralsso theres a lot of work to be done this week! YAY!thats the news so far! but i hope youre doing well!l yeah and i found out that some of the people ive taught in the other areas have decided to be baptized! so its really an awesome feeling to know that i made a difference!sounds like you are trying your best and just keep at it!and find some good stress relief tips (all i have is lie down and take deep slow breathes)also that audio is to the book 'an intensive course in tongan' by eric shumwaybut i gotta email pete so ill probably talk to you next week :D

May 11, 2009: (There was no real e-mail as we (as family members) were able to speak with Elder LaBarre for Mother's Day)!! I can't speak for the rest of my family, but my conversation with Kyle was great! I'm pleased to say that he is a rock solid missionary and he will be blessed for his dedicated service! As a return missionary I know how it feels to be out doing the work and it was fun to feel the missionary spirit beaming from everything he said. It was over a month ago, and I am unable to recall information that I would be willing to share with you all. This will be my entry to encourage all of you to write Kyle and you will see what I mean!!

May 4, 2009:

kauai is great! transfers are next week so ill send you my address next week if im staying and the week after if i get transfered!i dont have much time to tell you about everything but my comp is samoanfrom utah and hes been out about 3 months and we just started teachingpeople again (the whole transfer we havent had an investigator) askkelly about the one we had to drop. we dont get any referrals frommembers and its hard to get them motivated. really hard.no i didnt get a package but maybe ill get it this week! im almost out of time though and i nee d to email mom so ill write more next week and let you know about transfers! love kyle

April 27, 2009:

but i got transfered to kaimuki in honolulu, and i got to admit im really glad to be in the city! theres more people to talk to and more things to do on pday and stuff! im with elder higley and i had actually served with him in kauai the 1st transfer (in the same district) so thats cool because i already know and like him!i havent gotten mail but if you send it to the mission office through the specific carrier i can get it because the mission office is in my zone and we go there weekly for district meeting, so its not even a problem! (other than that i dont have the new address because i havent gotten mail here recently!but in good news me and e higley are working hard and are excited for the transfer!i love you heather and i hope things are well! kyle

April 20, 2009:

haha i found out im getting transferred off this rock! but other than that i dont know where im going or with who until wednesday my comps name is ioelu (samoan)its his 2nd transfer and hes pretty cool. but sometimes he seems to think hes hot crap and he tries to talk like he knows things. but i try to work past that. because it really doesnt matter but it still annoys me sometimes. hahabut thats the big news of the month. me getting transferred. so next week ill give you my new address if you want to mail more stuff to me!and its almost mothers day! YAY!i love you sister, kyle

April 13, 2009:
i dont have much time to tell you about everything but my comp is samoan from utah and hes been out about 3 months and we just started teaching people again (the whole transfer we havent had an investigator) ask kelly about the one we had to drop. we dont get any referrals from members and its hard to get them motivated. really hard.no i didnt get a package but maybe ill get it this week!im almost out of time though and i need to email mom so ill write more next week and let you know about transfers! love kyle

April 6, 2009

Here is the latest and greatest from the Hawaiian Islands! It's very exciting!!

so nothing really interesting happened this week...except zone conference and we focused on the atonement! oh and conference was AWESOME! i love conference now and im never going to miss it for anything again!

March 30, 2009

So, I haven't heard from Kyle in awhile...and I suppose it is my fault as I have been so busy and haven't written him...hence the missing week! Anyway, this is the news this week!


this past week was the worst and best of my whole mission. the best near the beginning and the worst 2 days later. we got a referral from a member (you should always strive to give referrals to the missionaries!) and she was super solid with her 2 daughters and had been looking up lds.org and mormon.org and we taught the restoration and she knew it all already and at the end of the lesson we committed her for baptism in april and she said 'yeah of course!' and she wanted to pay tithing and even fast on fast sunday! but then we called her 2 days later to invite her to another ward's baptism and she said 'actually ive prayed about it and im not going to join so have a good day' *click* and we were like 'what the crap?!?!' so thats the news for this week... :/

March 9, 2009

Here is the latest & greatest from our sweet Elder LaBarre:

haha good morning!
i hope march is a good month and i hope i find some awesome people to teach!but the baptism that we had planned for next sunday fell through because hewasnt ready :( It wasn't much fun , but oh well, it is his choice and I am here to teach.things in paradise are rainy! all week...but thats bound to happen on the wettest spot on the planet!
im glad the investigator came back and hopefully he becomes committed to live the gospel. were trying to work with ours but they never seem to like being home when we go there... :(

but we found this girl who is on our records as being blessed but not baptized and were going to go there tomorrow to teach her and were bringing the yw president and the beehives president so they can fellowship her! im excited!thats pretty much the news i have for youoh! and im staying here in kalaheo for at least another 6 weeks and i think my new companion is my brother (mission lingo) elder kaiser trained elder ioelu this transfer and i think ioelu is coming over to my area now so not only is he my brother, but im going to be his step-dad! haha (thats if hes coming over here!)
kyle

New photos

Here is Elder LaBarre with a sister missionary on New Years
Elder LaBarre with a few other elders on New Years
In front of the Honolulu, HI temple
Some strange leg issue that hit all the elders...we thought it was more because of the drinks but they all have different drinks...I wonder what caused this?




A nice flower on a rainy day!
Zone Conference





Elder LaBarre staying proper! Good on ya bro!
Elder LaBarre at the beach...is that allowed!

Pinewood derby day!
Elder LaBarre with his new comp!
Thinking....

Pretty scenes in Hawaii!

March 3, 2009

Kyle sent us another update...with photos!
haha well i actually gained 20 lbs before i had that bit of food poisoning, but after that i lost 10 lbs and ive managed to keep it off and actually lose 1 or 2 more! so im working my way back down to where i was when i started! and my whole plan to keep the weight off is to not eat as much lunch! (like eat a meal replacement bar and a v8 everyday) so i should be back to where i was in a transfer or 2 unless i go to a tongan ward... haha
concerning the baptism...it isnt gonna happen for the time being. he was all ready and then when he got to the interview he wouldnt go in and have it because he said he wasnt ready. and then he said that he tried to tell us that the day before but he really didnt. but thats ok because its his choice. and no where in my call does it say im to come to hawaii and baptize as many people as i can. i was called to preach and to invite. so as long as im magnifying my calling the Lord will bless me for it in some way or another!
but ill admit it felt like when you get dumped. so i wasnt too excited...but the Lord loves me and he wont forsake me so thats enough for me!
no i havent gotten my package yet but i think it should be here today! (everything on kauai is a day behind or something like that) so we get mail on mondays (but oahu doesnt because the office doesnt work on saturdays) but if you didnt send it usps then i wont get it until transfers because it will just be in the mission office!

Love,
Kyle

February 23, 2009

More news from the island of Kauai:

well im not in a polynesian ward but if tongan is a thing president wants me to do then i will be in one! haha my ward here is predominantly hao le (white). ive gained about 10 lbs so far on my mission (most of it is muscle because of my first area) but im trying hard not to gain anymore!!!
im so glad amelia is healthy! i pray for her and lily pretty much every night!
i think we might have a baptism coming up in march with this guy! (all we were waiting for was for he and his fiancee to get married) so now they are and we can get him ready for baptism (he's ready for it) we just have to do a recap on the lessons and commitments! but im excited because its my first baptism. but ill try not to count my chickens before they hatch!
no i didnt get a package yet but now i know i need to look forward to one! maybe ill get it today!

i love you sister!
kyle

February 9, 2009

Here is the latest and greatest from the Hawaiian Island of Kaui:

its hard some days with my companion ... so i just lead by example and try to be the best i can be...but its hard and it can be discouraging sometimes...:/ oh well i know that God loves me and will bless me for my efforts!
we found a potential investigator this past weekend and we have a return appointment with him on saturday! hopefully he is receptive!
also we found this woman who tried to bash with us and we destroyed her doctrinally and all she could come up with is 'why wont your church let the hill cumorah be excavated and how come there arent any bones or armor from that battle there?' and then she said that a friend of her mother in law apparently 'dug up some false documents in the church records and because he found them the church sent him a mail bomb!' wow. thats so believable! haha and then she sent my companion some anti stuff that claims the church contradicts itself on several points so we just told her to check out lds.org and mormon.org to find out info on our views as a church. i used the anology of you dont go to a foot doctor for open heart surgery. (further clarification about the "bashing"):
we didnt really bash. she just raised the questions and we answered them with true doctrines. (she couldnt get a comback to those) and it wasnt an atmosphere of anger or anything, but she sent the anti stuff and its kind of runny because the guy she used as a source is an ex-mormon atheist. and yet she views him as a viable source of info on our faith! haha she did ask us how joseph smith died and i told her and bore my testimony of the divinity of his call and work and his death sealing his testimony in blood! and the Spirit was very strong in that moment (for me at least) and it renewed my testimony!
i dont know if that is his case but i know i havent had many opportunities to teach and i havent baptized anyone so far! but thats ok because im not here to baptize. im hear to invite!
hopefully she finds real truth and stops being an enemy of truth. :D
i love you sister and i thank you for your prayers and support!
kyle

February 2, 2009

Kyle has been transferred as we all know, and he is doing GREAT! Here are some words from our missionary!

the letters (in Tongan) are a,e,i,o,u,m,n,ng,t,k,f,l,s,p,v

haha im already learning some tongan words and i know how to pronounce it already so that has helped me!
i have a tongan preach my gospel book and im gonna be getting a tongan learning packet for effective teaching! As far as i know ill be on kauai for the rest of my mission... or maybe ill go to big island or maui! haha but who knows? ofa i api (i's are pronounced as an e sound) that means love at home!im super excited to learn the language though! and i cant wait till im fluent!haha
town called kalaheo. with the area were teaching 3 people and we plan to commit one for baptism at the next appointment for march (she has a word of wisdom problem) the area is pretty big! i went from covering like 1/3 of a town to covering about 5 towns! haha half the members are less active over here... oh also we email a whole lot earlier than in mililani! we usually email around 8-9 am so thats fun!
my comp isnt as bad as i had been prepared to deal with. im working on him subtlely because i want the end of his mission to be good and i want him to work hard. so i just suggest things (and i drive) and he is cool with what i suggest (i present it in a way that makes it desireable to do!) and ive also learned to pick my battles. some things arent worth fighting for. like if he doesnt get up in the morning to exercise then im not gonna fight him over it because thats his time. so thats a valuable lesson ive learned... pick your battles!
haha other than that things are great and im excited for the transfer!

i love you

kyle

January 26, 2009

heres my news!

so ive been on a water diet for the past 2 days and the only food ive had since yesterday is a thing of ritz crackers...yes i am getting transferred on wednesday and guess where im going?!?! im leavin on a jet plane! thats right baby! im going kauai! hahaha im so excited to go off-island! and my mission president called this morning and told me hes sending me to a dying missionary (he goes home after this transfer) and that im to push him hard everyday and make him die strong! and that while im there im to learn as much tongan from him as i can and judge on my abilities after the 6 weeks will determine if i become a tongan speaking missionary! haha so cool! he said 'elder labarre this is a chance for you to really step up!' so im excited!
yeah i hope mirna moves up her date too! that would be cool! but im kinda bummed wont get to see her get baptized... but thats alright. as long as she does get baptized ill be happy! yeah thats all my news for the week so :D
i love you!
kyle

January 20, 2009

Here is the note from Kyle this week:
haha its alright! you have to worry about more things than me! that stinks about amelia but good thing its just her baby teeth! things out here are good! mirna has a baptism date in april (that will hopefully move up to feb before she goes to OTS) and mari should get baptized in feb (she wants to go to relief society before getting baptized because thats what it will be like the rest of her life) so thats understandable. and were helping jen quit smoking and she said shed read the bom once a day everyday! i dont know if she came to stake conference but she wants to come but has some trouble because of her son (severely handicapped)
this sunday we find out who gets transfered so monday ill be able to let you know if im going!
i love you sister!
kyle

January 12, 2009

Kyle sent this e-mail to our mom:

well we havent been able to talk to mari for the past 2 weeks because the timeschanged for the meetings and she has to drive about an hour to get to church soshe hasnt been able to make it...but were going to suggest the 24th for her (ifits not too late) and hopefully shes ok with that! things are going good!transfers are coming up on the 28 so the night of the 25 ill know whats happening! i dont really have any stories right now haha but ill definitely let you knowwhen i get some! haha i love you mom! have a wonderful week!also! thank you so much for not letting us as children watch the filth that is on tv. because of that i never really watched much tv that everyone else seems to watch. it has always been cartoon network, history channel and disney channel, and if not those i wouldnt watch tv! so thank you for your stirctness in that because if you had let us i would have been de-sensitized and would have been sucked into it! so thank you!love you :Dkyle

January 5, 2009

We didn't hear about any crazy missionary New Year's celebrations this week, maybe next week! This is the word from Hawaii this week (as you can see short and to the point):
we just have to schedule the date for mari and then she will be set! so we'll give her a call this week to see what she decided! im superexcited and i seriously hope that it goes through! :D love you

December 29, 2008

Okay, so I have been really slack getting updates on here for the past two weeks. No excuses, and I will attempt to be better!
Here is the letter from Kyle:
so guess what happened on friday? we had an island wide thunder/lightning storm (very rare in hawaii) and because of that we had an island wide black out! and it lasted from 7pm friday night to saturday noon! we were about to start cooking at a members house when it happened and so we whipped out the camping stove and cooked on there! i make schweineschnitzel! it was sooo good! haha and then on sunday we talked to mari and shes ready to get baptized!!! in january!!! woot! shes looking over the saturdays in the month and will let us know which one she wants to do it on! and we had a lesson with mirna and weve taught her everything and i told her so, and that we feel that she would be ready for baptism but its her choice and we dont want her to feel pushed but we asked her to pray about baptism this week and also about the truthfulness of the book of mormon. i told her that if the bom isnt true than joseph smith was a liar and we dont have the authority to baptize but if it is true then he was a prophet and we do have the authority from God to perform saving ordinances. so she said shed pray about it this week and we have a lesson with her this coming weekend so itll should be good! so we very well might have 2 baptisms this coming month! woot!
other than that i just talked to you less than a week ago so i dont have much else to say :D love kyle

December 22, 2008

Elder LaBarre informed me that his new companion is Elder Stoddard who is from Clearfield, Utah. That was the extent of the information since we will be talking with him on Thursday! I will have more updates after that! He did say though, that if you e-mail him to please e-mail him at kyle_308@myldsmail.net because his hotmail account isn't working right. Thanks and Merry Christmas!