Faka Lofa Atu Family!

I absolutely loved reading your e mails this week. It is really hard sometimes being away from our family and my friends and reading your e mails is one of my highlights of the whole week. Thank you so much. I'm happy to have read all about your week and how your all doing. Thank you so much for all the nice things you said and it helps me so much. I pretty much cried through all 3 of your e mails. I really do miss you all so much but the only thing that takes away the pain is to know this is where I'm supposed to be. And I love my mission so much. I also miss my friends like crazy but I'm grateful you guys always give me updates and how they are doing in their lives.

Well as of right now I'm doing pretty good. I'm still loving Niue, the language, the culture, and I absolutely love the people but I'm kinda missing New Zealand. Mainly because there is NO other missionaries here expect me and my companion. Its hard sometimes being away from President and the other leader missionaries. But sooner or later I'll be on a plane back to NZ. Well its an adventure being the senior companion but I love it. Its really hard and I struggle a little but I always make it through. The mission really is the best two years of your life but also the hardest. I do go through trails, hard times, and sad moments...but the Lord always helps me through them.

Our week was great on the island. It has been a little cooler and rainy. But its still really humid and hot. During the week we did a lot of teaching and service. Tuesday we had an incredible spiritual experience. We were teaching Henry about the Plan of Salvation. It was a very spiritual lesson and Pres. Posemani (Henry's uncle) bore a strong powerful testimony. Then Henry said he felt something amazing and we told him it was the spirit...he said he knew what we were saying was true. I got prompted by the spirit to ask him if he would be baptized. I did and he said yes he wanted to be baptized!!! Wow it was amazing....it was the best moment. I love the feeling...its what makes missionary work worth it! So he is set for this month! We had a lot of other amazing lessons this week with investigators and less active members. We brought one of the less active members back to church. Dad your right its an incredible experience. Our investigators are moving along slowly. We see miracles daily though and I know this is the Lords work.

Wednesday the village we live in did a Sports Day. We went for a little while because we had some investigators that came. It was awesome. There was this triathlon (well it was really a biathlon) We rode bikes and ran. Guess what?! I WON!! hahahaha, it was fun. We did a coconut throwing contest and I got third. and we also did a 100 meter race and I got second. My companion Elder Havea got first...man hes really fast. It was also our branch mission leaders birthday Wednesday so we had dinner and a party at his house. Thursday we helped some investigators work on their vanilla plantation. Yup cool huh I know how vanilla grows and I did a lot of hard labor working on it. Friday was Elder Havea's Birthday! We made him a cake and sang happy birthday and everything. But during the day we did our normal teaching and service. We did heaps of service that day. We helped this investigator move, helped some members prepare for the village show day, did a ton of hard concrete work for a investigator, and helped set up big stands and tents for the village show day.

Saturday was a crazy day!! It was Alofi south Village Show day! We went to the whole thing because we live in the village and we had investigators there. Plus these show days are so big pretty much the WHOLE island goes to them. It was SO fun. There was a ton of people (a lot of tourist too) Heaps of stands where people were selling and showing off their talents. A ton of cool culture things, and a lot of island food! There was also SO much entertainment (island dances), and guess what we danced some. Me and my companion only did one dance. It was the Meceh. Its a traditional celebration dance for the village. There was over 100 dancers and we danced. It was a cool experience. And then guess what?! The Hekau family were kinda like in charge of the show day and they did a cool thing. They did a faces of Alofi south (like people represented all the different countries in Alofi) They had a bunch of different people from different countries living in Alofi. AND guess what I represented the UNITED STATES by my self...because I'm the only one from the US. So they were like now "Elder Kitchen representing the United States of America. And they played party in the USA by Miley Sirus and I ran of stage with the American flag and danced and waved at everyone. MAN there was so many people there and it was really embarrassing! HAHA a moment I'll never forget!

Well that was pretty much my week. Now there's a lot more to say about you guys and things I wanna talk about. First things first....I wanted to e mail you again last Monday but we didn't have time. But guess what?! Right after we e mailed you we walked into our house and there was the package from you guys sitting on my desk! So I already got it last week! Seriously your the best parents! Thank you so much for that amazing package. I absolutely loved it. I had such a overwhelming feeling of gratitude that I have such loving amazing parents that would do so much for me. Thanks mom for the mechanic book, scout hand book, and Cd for the members. Each and every one of them were so grateful and happy. They are not well off here and I could see their faces light up when they got those things they wanted. They all told me to tell you thank you and that your so sweet. Also I love the Joseph smith CD thanks so much. And it was so cool to get all that 4th of July things. The letter, flag, flower lee, and patriotic wand. I felt like it was the 4th of July celebration on Niue. Mom I actually wore that flower lei during the show day when I represented America! It was perfect because of the colors! I also loved the candy, gum, cookies, pringle chips, and pop tarts. They are all so of the things I love and I cant get here or in New Zealand. I loved them so much thanks!

Well Dad thank you for telling me about James farewell. I loved reading all about it. I'm glad you guys got to go. I really wish I could have been there. Thank you for telling him I'm proud of him and stuff. I'm sure his talk was great, he has always been such a good spiritual kid and I'm sure he will make a incredible missionary. But wait did you know I have already written James a letter and sent it a long time ago. Did he say anything about getting it...can you ask him?
It was also fun to read you and Ryan went golfing a lot and had a good guys night out. I miss all those times....like hunting, fishing, sports, man just all the memories with my Dad. You asked me if I like Taro...yeah at first it was really weird but they eat it so much here so I've learned to like it. Its so thick and really heavy. And I will try to send some more pictures soon.

Its weird I've eaten so many things. I've tried some other weird things I forgot to tell you about too. Mom and Dad I'm not picky at all anymore. I will pretty much eat anything now. I like almost everything I didn't really like before my mission. Even the stuff I hated I've learned to like...cuz here and New Zealand its so rude not to eat everything....so I just forced my self and then started to like it. The Mexican fiesta was awesome...Elder Havea had never tried Mexican food before...he liked it but wasn't used to it. But yeah I got ground beef, cheese, lettuce, sauce, and a lot of stuff to add to it. I took some pictures off the food so you'll see. And that's cool Susan and Jason are coming. Tell them hello and I love them. Maybe they can send me a e mail or something.

Mom I loved reading about girls camp. I'm glad you had such a great and spiritual time. I love those things and that's why a mission is so great because your having a unbelievable spiritual experience 24/7 for two whole years!! Its cool to read so many people ask about how I'm doing. I'm glad you guys tell them I'm doing good. Aw and that made me really happy to hear what Dad did for your 21st wedding anniversary! That's really nice of him. HAPPY 21st WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!! congrates!! :D that's exciting...now to celebrate after my mission we'll all have to take a holiday to NIUE! I loved your e mail mom....thank you. That was so good to read about what cam said about me. It made me cry because I miss him a lot. We were such good friends and pretty much spent the whole high school experience together. He is my very best friend and I loved reading what he said. I'm so glad hes getting ready to go on a mission. I miss him a ton....he means a lot to me. mom guess what I already wrote him a letter and sent it last week. So its probably on its way to the US. I hope he gets it soon. I miss all my friends so much also. I wish I could stay in more contact with them....

Well Ryan wrote me an email which made my day. I loved it so much. It truly makes me so happy to hear I'm a good example to him and that he is doing so good. I'm so glad to hear he's a good kid and is making good decisions in his life. He is always in my prayers.

Well thanks again for everything. We really do have the best parents and family anyone could ever ask for. Being away from you for so long makes me realize how much you mean to me and how much I love each and every one of you. I'm so happy your doing well, safe, and happy. Please keep having a good summer. Have fun and don't be sad about how I'm gone. I'm doing amazing and we'll see each other soon. Can you believe I've already been out 8 months....wow time flies.... Well please keep doing whats right and try to be missionaries yourself. Be a good example to non members and maybe try and make a goal to find someone the missionaries can teach. I promise your be so happy if you do. Well I pray for you guys all the time. I think about you a lot and miss you more than you can imagine. Have a wonderful week. Tell everyone I love them and hello. May God bless our family.

Love your son and brother Elder Kitchen

Dear Mom, Dad, Ryan, Jami, and Kaylee

How the heck is my family doing?? Wow its crazy to think it was the 4th of July yesterday. Over here in Niue no one even said anything about it. HAPPY 4th of JULY! I hope you guys all have a great holiday. It sounds like you did with BBQ's and fireworks and some things tonight! I have so many great memories on the 4th of July! Well I'm doing great and healthy and it sounds like you all are too.

I love reading that your all safe, healthy, and being blessed. I'm so glad everyone is having a great summer and that your all having fun. Thanks for the E mails, it was so good to hear from you. There was some shockers during the e mail too. My missionary work is moving forward and we still see miracles. I know the Lord is blessing us with more people to teach. We found 2 new investigators this week. Some of our investigators are doing very well while others aren't. My mission is incredible and I'm learning so many things. Its changed my life and I love it. But sometimes its really hard and I go through a lot of trails. But I know that's a part of serving the Lord and growing up. I just put my faith in God, pray really hard, and loose myself in the work. I love Niue but it is hard sometimes to serve here with only me and my companion. On a little tiny island where people struggle keeping commitments. But no worries I'm strong and I just keep on going.

Our week was good. We did a lot of teaching, service, and finding activities. Dad asked about our last P day. It was really good. We went site seeing around the island. Wow this island is beautiful and definately unique. We went with our ward mission leader and his wife and another member. It was really fun and we laughed and had a great time. I took a lot of pictures. Tuesday was an amazing day. We tracked a lot, knocked on doors, and did a lot of things to find people. We prayed and the Lord seriously lead us to these people that said we could come back and teach them. Wow miracles. We also met a 80 year old guy from United States name Jeff. He had read the whole Book of Mormon and had come to church but never really had missionaries teach him. So this week we had a really good lesson with him. We also did some service for him. Oh yeah wed we planted a lot of Taro for one of our potential investigators. I got some blisters on my hand....man its hard work planting Taro. Thursday we had 4 very spiritual lessons. Friday we did a lot. But guess what we had our MEXICAN FIESTA!! I made all the Mexican food and we ate it. Wow it was SO good to have Mexican food. Thank you so much for sending that. I took a picture and even a video of all the food after I made it!

Saturday we had 3 great lessons with less active members. Then we got invited to the village BBQ. It was down by the ocean. (we didn't touch the water obviously) But wow it was like a movie. There was all these open fires and everyone roasting all these great food next to the ocean, it was awesome. Oh yeah I forgot to tell you....I eat some really weird food and sometimes I forget to tell you. Like I tired BAT a couple of days ago, and it was actually good, and I've tried some sea cucumber thing. There is some other weird food too but I forgot. Well a little update on our investigators: we haven't taught Mr Lee English yet (he's really busy), the same thing with Allen. Tave and Micka are doing great but I don't think they quite understand that its the true church. Henry is also doing great, he loved church and I think we might set him for baptism. Suta is just trying to quite smoking (please pray for him), some of our others are doing okay too we're just trying to help them.

I'm glad to hear your 4th was good, and that's fun your going to girls camp. I hope you have a blast and be safe. It was great to hear about Cam's temple experience. It really is the best thing ever. I remember my experience in the temple for the first time, I'll never forget it. It was one of the most spiritual sacred experiences I've ever had. I'm glad James was there and you guys got to go. I wish I could have been there. You said he asked for my address...did you give it to him? Man its weird to think almost all my friends are already on missions, or leaving soon. Tell James I'm so proud of him and he'll love his mission when you go to his farewell. That's sad that Ashton just barley missed Devan but yeah I cant believes he's coming home already. Oh thanks again for sending that package. When I receive it I'll let you know. Thanks for sharing the Grandpa Smith experience. I'm glad hes happy and well. Tell him hi and I love him. Wow and your right I cant believe Issac is already coming home. Nick going.....so much is going on in my friends, family, and every ones lives. Tell them all I'm so proud of them and love them.

Sounds like the Coon reunion was great and also the fireworks and Thanksgiving Point. I'm glad all of my cousins say hello and grandma is telling them about my mission...bless her heart she's so nice. You also asked if Henry has a family, he lives with his dad. his mother and other brothers and sisters are in New Zealand. It is amazing that your led exactly what to do and what to say during your mission. I've had many experiences like that. I know this is his work and not ours. But yeah we also try to work with a lot of less active members. I think your right its really important and we do teach a lot of lessons to them. Its just a miracle to see the gospel change so many lives.

I'm so glad to get to e mail you every week. Thank you for all the encouragement, prayers, and love. It really helps me on my mission. I love reading your e mails. I hope everyone is well. Thanks for everything. Your always in my prayers. I miss my friends and I'm really going to try to get caught up....I never thought I would be more busy in my life. Tell all my cousins, friends, and everyone I love them. I never have forgotten them, I'm just so busy. Maybe next e mail you can send some pictures or some up dates on family (cousins), if not that's alright. Well have a great safe week. I love you all so much.

Love your missionary Elder Kitchen

Dear Family,

Wow it was so great to read your e mails this morning! I enjoyed them very much. I love to hear your all doing great and loving your summer. It makes my week to know my family is safe, happy, healthy, and being blessed by the Lord. Thank you so much for all the prayers, love, and everything you do for me while I'm on a mission. I can truly feel your prayers and love for me, even though I'm very far away. Well I am doing great and loving every second of my mission. This past week has been an adventure as know I'm the senior companion. I'm going to e mail hopefully at this time from now on.

I love being the senior companion so far. It truly is a sacred blessing and responsibility from the Lord. It is extremely difficult sometimes and so rewarding most of the time. I do have a lot more responsibility. I know though if I put my complete faith and trust in the Lord everything will be okay. We are just trying our very best to serve faithfully, obediently, and with all our strength. Elder Havea is doing great and we're getting along very well. He is an obedient missionary and we teach very well together. He also is good at working hard and doing service when we do. He loves Niue and the people and he is trying to learn the language. For me wow I absolutely LOVE Niue and I LOVE the people so very much. I am definitely going to be sad when I leave this amazing beautiful island. My language is getting better slowly. I'm actually learning and know a lot of Niuean. Its so cool to always speak the language to the members and people.

Our week has been really busy. We have done a lot of service and a lot of teaching. We have had miracles this week also. We've found new investigators and also received more referrals. We are trying our very best to find, teach, and baptize Gods children here on Niue. I know the Lord has prepared people for us to baptize and that will accept the restored gospel. We've been teaching a wonderful Fijian Couple named Tave and Micka. They are doing great and I know they feel the spirit. We also are teaching a 14 year old boy name Henry. He came to church yesterday and really liked it. Suta is also doing good, we're just trying to help him overcome his problem. There is a lot of others that just have some small little problem otherwise they can be baptized. We are helping a lot of less active members come back to church too. During the lessons I feel the spirit so powerfully and I can feel the Holy Ghost literally telling me exactly what to say. It is a sacred experience that is so incredible. I know this is the Lords work and we are only instruments in his hands. My testimony has straightened so much. I know with all my heart this is the one and only true church. This member cleaning guy for the chapels (he's from New Zealand) came to Niue and we helped him work on the chapel this week. We cleaned our missionary house also. We painted to chapels ceiling and did some other clean up work. He also got us a referral here, his name is Mr. Lee and he is from China. He wants us to teach him English and then he agreed that we can teach him about the church.

Well even though me and my companion can't really dance we decided just to dance in one dance for the village show day (Alofi its the village we live in). Its called a Mecah, a lot of people do the dance. Its a cultural Niuean dance. Its fun and we get to see a lot of non members. Well we even tracked here in Niue this week. We are really trying to qualify for miracles from God. We knocked on some doors. Most are not interested. But they are really nice. Our week was just really good. Yesterday church was great and then I had a really spiritual experience. After lunch I got prompted by the spirit to go to this house I had never been to before. We knocked and they let us right in. It was a guy name Allen and he is Niuean. We sat down and long story short we found out he had been experiencing difficultly with his relationship with his wife that very morning. He had prayed for help and then there we were knocked at his door. We had a very spiritual and incredible lesson with him. The spirit was SO strong. I could feel the spirit tell me exactly what to say. I felt like a instrument in Heavenly Fathers hand to answer a humble prayer of one of his sons. We are going to come back latter this week. This week has just been amazing.

That's enough about me. Wow your week sounded like it went great. I'm glad to read and hear everything you've been doing. Well first ill just answer some of the questions from last week. You did put the candles in my birthday package...so I have them. I am actually making my birthday cake today! I'm excited to make it and then lite the candles. Oh yeah and I love the sandals, they are nice so thank you so much. And I did receive Grandma and Grandpa's birthday card. Well I didn't get much time to say much about their mission call. Seriously I was shocked. That is incredible that they will be serving another full time mission. I'm very happy for them and that will be a blessing to be able to serve a mission during the same time as them. Please let me know as soon as you find out where they will be serving.

Oh yeah I loved reading about Samantha's heritage tours trip. I wish I could talk to her about it. Just tell her I'm so happy that she loved it and it truly is the best thing that I had ever done besides my mission. I'm jealous she got to go I would love to go again. You had a question last week, we do exercise in the morning. We run sometimes, lift weights, and do other exercises. And its cool your preparing for girls camp. Man they must really love your cooking. We're lucky your our mom and we get to eat your cooking all the time. Thanks for keeping a list of movies I should watch when I get home. But yeah don't worry I don't care about movies right now. But when I get home I would love to watch them.

Awe your lucky you get to go to Cams temple endowment session. Wow I hope he has a very spiritual experience. Tell him I'm so proud of him, miss him so much, and I'm so glad hes going on a mission. I'm very grateful we are friends and that he has changed my life. Tell him I'm so incredibly sorry I have not written him. I'm trying.....ugh. I'm so bad at writing friends.

Dad you asked if I have gained any weight. I can't believe it but I haven't really. I eat so much....but its probably because I work a lot doing service and sweat so much. Thanks for everything you said in your e mail and all the good encouragement.

Well I got to go now. We are going to explore the island today for P day. Elder Havea hasn't seen any sites or cool things on the island so were going today with our branch mission leader. I hope you all have a great week. AND, Happy 4th of July!! Have so much fun and do some fireworks. I'm sure New Zealand recognizes it but I don't think Niue does. I'll be thinking of you guys on the 4th. I love you all so much. Have a great summer and love every second of it. Be safe and keep doing whats right. miss you a lot and I love you.
Love Elder Kitchen

Dear Family,

Wow!! Hey guys how is everyone doing in Utah?! Sounds like its getting warmer and the weather is finally getting nicer....that's good to hear. Sorry my E mail is late today I'll explain why a little bit latter on. I'm just so glad to have heard from my family today. I really hope and pray everyone of you is happy and doing great. I really do miss you all so much and hope everyday your all blessed and everything good is happening in your lives.

My heart is really full this afternoon. I know you already know this but I just love you all so much. I truly am so blessed to have been raised and sent to a incredible family like ours. Mom and Dad your both incredible parents and you do so much for us children. I thank the Lord everyday for you two and the rest of our family. I also thank him everyday for my life. We truly are so blessed to have been raised in such amazing circumstances and to such wonderful parents. We have so much blessings in our family, physical and spiritual. Just know I am so grateful for everything you all do for me and for our family. I would never want to trade any one of you, I love each and everyone of you so much. And mom there really is no better mom in the universe. I can never repay what you've done for me. Like I always say your wonder-mom and I have no idea how you do what you do. Dad I cant tell you how thankful I am for everything you've sacrificed and done for our family. You've been such a great father, example, provider, and shown so much love to us children. I know that a lot of what I've had throughout my life is because your hard work everyday at your job. I love you dad and just know even if you search the world you really could never find a better dad than you. And i just want to tell you HAPPY FATHERS DAY YESTERDAY!! I hope you had a wonderful fathers day. I love you dad and that makes me so happy to hear you say your a happy dad. I wish I could have spent the day with you but just know your son out in the middle of the pacific ocean is very grateful for you and wishes you a happy fathers day. I am also so eternally grateful you both have raised us your children in the gospel. I'm so thankful for your righteous example in obeying our Heavenly Fathers commandments, being Christ like, and trying your best to be faith Latter day saints. I hope someday I will become a great parent like the ones I have.

My week out on the rock was great. Another wonderful week of missionary work. Great news!! I have a new companion!! His name is Elder Havea. He is from Liahona Tonga, he lives right next to the temple in Tonga. He has 8 children in his family and his parents are both converts to the church. They got married while they were non-members, then had missionary's over and joined together. They got sealed in the temple and have raised all 8 of their children in the church. Elder Havea's older siblings are all sealed in the temple to their spouses. Well Elder Havea is awesome! He is a great Elder and we get along very well. He is really funny, incredibly nice, very obedient, and has a very strong testimony. He loves playing rugby, does welding, and know how to do all the islander things. He has been on his mission about 4 months now. He loves Niue already and is excited to serve here with me. Its so cool I get to have the experience of having two missionary companions from Tonga.

Well I am the senior companion. Wow it is a lot different then being the Jr one. I have a lot more responsibility now and more things to do. I am a little nervous but I know and have faith I can do anything the Lord commands. I have only been out for 7 months and now I'm the senior companion in a little tiny island where its just me and my companion. So its kinda like I'm the district, zone leader, and AP for Niue. President Porter told me last Sunday (on the phone) that he really trusts me. He has extremely great faith in me and knows I will be exactly obedient. He thanked me for being such a great missionary. A couple of weeks ago one of the senior missionary ladies from the mission office told me that President Porter told her that I was an exactly obedient trustworthy missionary, she said that he said a lot of good things about me and even said "he's one of the best". I'm not letting that make me proud or anything its just good to know President Porter trusts me. I know I am here on the Lords errand, I'm his servant, this is his work, and I can only succeed if I'm exactly obedient, am completely worthy, and qualify for the Holy Ghost to guide me throughout the work. I'm not going to lie its really hard sometimes to only be out here on this tiny island with only us two missionaries. This place is a hard place to serve a mission, and its even a harder place to be the senior companion. But I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I know that every trial, hard experience, and difficult thing I do is a blessing from the Lord to help me become stronger, a better missionary, and a better person. I'm learning so much on my mission its unbelievable.

Well before Fanguna left we did a lot of service, some teaching, and saying goodbye to members. Wow he was really sad to leave the island. He loved it here so much and he cried when he left. I'm going to miss him but I'm really glad I have a new companion. On Saturday we were able to do some service for some members and introduced Elder Havea to some members. We also got invited to go to this members mom's 90 birthday!! Wow it was a huge Niuean Party!! Heaps of food and a lot of dancing. It was cool. Sunday was a crazy experience. I am driving the van now and it was a cool experience to drive all the members. Its a manual van (stick shift) and the roads a little plus they drive on the left side! Scary eh. well I did good and I'm getting used to it. I'm getting so much better driving a stick shift already.

Well the reason why the e mail was late and I kind of have to get off now is because today was a crazy busy day. Members asked us if we could help them do service, so I have to get off now. I will answer some of your questions next week. Oh yeah and that's so amazing that Grandpa and Grandma Ellsworth are going on another mission. I wish I could say more about it. Well I'm sorry about I have to go. Thanks for everything.

I love you all. Have a great week.
Love Elder Kitchen

Dear Family,

Hey guys! How is everyone doing?! Its crazy its been about 7 months since I've seen any of you.....but its a blessing each and every week we get to e mail to each other about everything going on in our lives. Well I'm sorry to hear the weather has been bad again, I really hope it gets better for you. I wish you could send me some cool air from Utah and I could send you some hot air from Niue. Well I'm doing really well right now. Just staying happy and I'm healthy. My week was also good. It sounds like your week was also a great week. I truly am so grateful your all so happy and doing great. I miss you all so much but I know the Lord is blessing our family for my service.

Well I'll let you know first off! I GOT MY BIRTHDAY PACKAGE!!! I got it last Tuesday June 8th! On dad's birthday!! Ohhhh my gosh hahahahaha!! I loved the package! Thank you so much! Really it was an awesome birthday package and I loved everything about it. So I was like what is this....I opened the Huge letter and I probably almost fell off my seat laughing so hard. The balloon pictures of you guys were absolutely hilarious! They looked so jacked up I'm sorry but they were so funny!! It was so funny cuz the card was playing some silly music and I looked at your pictures and just about died laughing hahahaha!! How did you guys do the pictures? Oh yeah my companion Elder Fanguna was laughing too. I loved the card and letters you wrote me. And the sandals are really nice, I love them thank you. OH and the FOOD!! I was SO happy!! I love Mexican food and theirs HEAPS of it!! I was laughing you even sent me everything to make a cake...your so sweet mom and everyone. The candy was also amazing too...none of that candy you can get here....well nothing in the package you can get here. Its all American and all stuff I love! I cant wait to have a Mexican fiesta! I looks like you all spent a lot of time and money on it....so from the bottom of my heart thank you so much and I loved it. It was awesome cuz you sang to me (the written song and notes), gave me balloons, and a cake! Your an incredible family!

Well my week was really good. We did a lot of service as usual, taught a lot of lessons (more than usual), and got some new investigators!! We have been helping a lot of less active members come back to church and some of them have children not baptized yet so that will be a miracle if we could baptize them. We had a branch activity with the Lakepa Toi branch this week. It was fun we played cricket (its a game we don't have in the states, its like baseball) and rugby. We had a really incredible lesson with our two new investigators. Their names are Tave and Micka, they are a Fijian couple. They were a referral from one of the members here. Saturday morning we cut their grass because they had no way to do it themselves. They called us angels sent from heaven and they were so grateful. They made us breakfast, and lunch. Later that evening we went back with the member Brother Posemani and they made us dinner. They are just amazing people. We then had a absolutely incredible spiritual lesson with them. We taught them the restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith. The spirit was so strong. I could feel power and authority as I bore my testimony to them. We bore strong testimony about the savior and his atonement also. I hope and pray they will pray and ask if what we taught them is true. Church was great and we had 3 great lessons yesterday. This week was great. We are just trying so hard to find new people to teach. We are going to set Suta for baptism our next lesson with him!!

Well we found out today that Elder Fanguna will be leaving this Friday. So during my next e mail I will have a new companion. Man its weird to think I'm going to be the senior companion. I'm nervous a little but I know anything is possible with faith in the Lord. I'm going to miss Elder Fanguna...he was a great companion. Well that's pretty much everything I can think of what happened this week.

I'm glad your weeks were very good. I loved reading your e mails as always. Sounds like your enjoying life and having fun. I cant believe your planning to hike up Tim again!! That's funny I can just remember how you hated going down mom and were so scared at the top. Who is all going....when are you guys going? Guess what, today I received a birthday package and another letter from Kenzy! wow shes such a good friend. Yeah I miss Jazzi and Zoe....there is a lot of dogs just running around the island. They have no owner just stray dogs. So yeah all the yacht people are gone now. And no I'm not the only white person on the island. There is actually quite a few white people that live on Niue. And there are a lot of visitors and tourists.

Well I just want you all to know I'm so glad to hear your all doing great. It truly makes me so incredibly happy and its answers to my prayers. Satan is everywhere....and its so hard sometimes to do what is right. I pray for you all every day. I have had so many spiritual experiences on my mission. I have studied so much about the Saviors Atonement and I have come to know so much about his life. He truly is the son of God and we all have to put his atonement in the center of our lives. I love Jesus Christ so much. I am so thankful for what he did for us. He suffered and died so we could repent and have a chance to enter back into his presence and live an eternal life. I love my mission and I am truly grateful to be in his service.
Well I got to go now....but I just want to let you know that what you say to me during your e mails means a lot. I love hearing you bare your testimonies. I love reading all the nice and incredible things you say about me. It means more to me than you know. I love you all with all my heart. I'm grateful to call you my family. I miss you all so much. Have a great safe week.
Love your son and brother Elder Tyler Kitchen

Faka Lofa Lahi Atu and much love and greetings from the beautiful island of Niue!

Hello my dear Kitchen Family! How the heck is everyone this week??!

I hope you all are loving the warm weather and loving your summer vacation! I always loved the summer and I have so many priceless memories with all our family adventures, vacations, and all the good times we've had during the summer. I hope this email gets all of you safe, well, and happy!
Dad, Mom, Ryan, Jami, Kaylee, I just want to let you all know I love you so very much and I'm truly grateful our Heavenly Father sent me down to this earth to be apart of your family. You all mean everything to me and I don't know what I'd do without even one of you. Thanks for everything and just know your always in my prayers and in my heart!!

Oh yeah I wanted to tell you since I've been on my mission a lot of people think that out last name is unusual or really cool ....I don't think there is any last name Kitchen in New Zealand or here. Because I know there are other Kitchens in America, I just think its funny. Here in Niue I kinda have a nickname...in the Niuean Language Kitchen is Peito so people here call me Peito haha :) and whats even more funny is some of the little Niuean kids don't speak English really so they cant say kitchen so they call me chicken HAHAHA. Sometimes adults or other people call me chicken on accident or for a joke.

Well I'm doing very good out on the rock. Its warm, hot weather as usual and a very beautiful island. Dad your right I'm really used to living here. I never thought I'd live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I'm healthy and happy. My week went really good also. Elder Fanguna is still here and we think he might leave this Friday or next. Last Monday was fun because we got a chance to play some Rugby! We played just touch rugby, not tackle. But it was really fun...It has completely different rules than football. Not just rules just everything...but I started getting the hang of it. Tuesday we did service and taught lessons. We got to watch a Joseph Smith movie with one of our investigators. Also on Tuesday the Hekaus (a very strong member family) opened their new restaurant on the island. Tuesday night was their grand opening so me and Elder Fanguna went and helped. There was a ton of people there. A lot were from the yachts. The food was absolutely amazing and there was also cool dancing entertainment. I went around and got to meet all the people from around the world. I met this couple that have already traveled around the whole entire world in a yacht!! Crazy huh? This is now their second time around. Well Elder Fanguna fire danced again and it was really cool except he burnt his hand really bad. The rest of the week we did a lot of service and lessons. Suta unfortunately has smoked again....and most of our investigators right now have stopped progressing. We have had a lot of miracles though in getting referrals and we have a bunch of potential investigators. So we are just praying really hard we will be able to teach them and they will feel the spirit. We have gotten a lot of referrals from some members. Its an extremely hard place to serve a mission but I know we can still baptize and see miracles.

My week was great and I'm just trying my hardest to serve faithfully and serve with all my heart might mind and strength. My studies are incredible and I've straightened my faith, testimony, and knowledge of the gospel so much. I love my mission so much. I'm not only saving souls and changing others lives I'm changing my life, learning so much, and becoming more of a righteous son of God. I'm being trying extra hard lately to live like the savior, to show love to everyone, to go about doing good, serving everyone I see, and just being a Christlike person.

Dad that's cool that you talked to Paulette and Mandy. Aw I miss them a lot. Tell them hello and hope everything is going good with them. Samantha is so lucky she is on heritage tours...she will love it. It was a life changing thing for me. I loved every second of it. Let me know more about how she is liking it when you hear.

Okay about my birthday package. I called the mission office and I found out that they changed mail providers and so it takes longer now. Its really annoying and frustrating I know but with this new mail provider thing I cant get mail until Mondays. The old one sometimes delivered the day it came on the plane (Friday). Well I think and really hope it came on this last plane but the problem is its a holiday here in Niue so the post office is not open. I don't know weather it came or not and I wont be able to see until tomorrow. So if its here I will receive it tomorrow otherwise hopefully next week. But please don't worry and don't be sad. I'm really excited to get it.

Well it sounds like everyone is doing great! I love reading your e mails. I miss our extended family so much too. If you can get a chance maybe tell me a little about my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. How they are doing and what they have been up to. Tell them I really do love them and I'm trying to write as always. If you could you guys should send some pictures of you, extended family, or friends.

Well I know you all probably miss me a lot and I sure miss you so much. But its only two years and when I get back we will do some really fun things. Just keep praying for me and know I'm very happy here. Please be safe this summer. And have so much fun. I'm grateful to serve so I can get blessings for our family. I really hope you all are happy and safe. Let me know everything going on with your lives. I'm having experiences here and I love telling you about them. Thanks really for everything you do. Please do everything you can to be righteous, obey the commandments, and live like the Savior. I've experienced reading my scriptures and saying my prayers everyday and it has increased every good thing in my life. I'm so much happier and EVERYTHING is better. Please read and say your prayers everyday. I promise you'll be happy, blessed, and everything will be better in your life. I love you all so much. I'm grateful your my family. Have a great safe week.
Love Your son and brother Elder Kitchen

Faka Lofa Lahi Atu Kitchen Family!!

Things are great out here on the Rock of Polynesia (that's what they call Niue) because I don't know if I told you but its like a huge rock shooting straight out of the ocean. My week has been another great week. I've been trying to do better with the language. Some members have been helping with it. Malolo a koe? (it means how are you?) I've know that every since I've been here but I don't really know how to spell the Niuean language...just speak some of it. Otherwise I would type a lot more Niuean.

It sounds like all six of you are doing great!! Dad and Ryan just chilling at home enjoying golfing, eating out, and just being guys I'm sure. And mom and the girls had a incredible time in California and St. George. It sounds like Disneyland was really fun and also relaxing on the beach. I'm sure you were glad to get out of the snow finally. There is a lot of people here that have never even seen snow in their lives crazy huh?! Well I hope Kaylee and mom both had amazing birthdays! I'm glad you were able to do some fun things. It sounds like both of your birthdays were great! :) I thought of you both a lot on your birthdays. I wish I could have been there to give ya a big hug. And yeah mom I can still remember when we went to Disneyland and ate those really good frozen lemonade things. Its weird to think its summer there and everyone is out of school. I hope you guys LOVE your summer vacation.

Ugh I really don't want to tell you this but I haven't received your package yet. I'm really confused why I haven't gotten it. Today we went around again to the DHL, Post office, and even this other place looking for it. We also called the mission office and they said that the area office said they already sent it to Niue. She is going to call me back because they are going to track it and see where it is. Maybe its still in Auckland Airport and will come this Friday. But please don't worry and be sad. Its really okay I know its coming and I'm just so grateful you sent me one.

Well this week was good. Elder Fanguna is still here and we don't know exactly when he will be leaving. We helped some members set up and decorate this restaurant for a wedding on Tuesday. Wednesday we taught and visited people all day. Oh yeah we received a good potential investigator. He's from the Philippines, we haven't had a chance to teach him but hopefully this week. We have been helping some less active members come back to church too. Its hard because Niue is such a small place and not a lot of people. We have had the same investigators for a while. And some have stopped progressing...its sad. But we have gotten a couple potential ones so we will pray for miracles. Suta is still doing good and we hope to set him for baptism during our next lesson with him. I still see the Lords hand in our work everyday. I see miracles and I feel the Holy Ghost working through me a lot. I love my mission, it has strengthened my testimony so much. I love sharing my testimony with others, teaching them about the gospel, and saving souls. We truly are bringing our Heavenly Fathers children back to him.

Saturday night we had a cool Niuean Party. There are a bunch of Yachts (really nice boats) here at Niue. They are people from mainly Europe that are traveling the world in Yachts. Cool huh and right now they are in Niue. So Saturday night the people here threw them a big party. There was great food and a lot of Niuean dancing. On Sunday I gave a talk in Church, so I gave a talk on your birthday mom. It was on baring your testimony. Its crazy where I am now since I've been on my mission....I'm not nervous at all now. I almost looked up at them the whole time. I feel very comfortable up on the stand. I know the spirit directed my talking. It was a cool experience.

Well your all amazing. I love you all. Thanks again for everything. I hope you all have another great week. Niue is great and I'm loving it. Just remember your always in my prayers.
Love Elder Kitchen