Pastor Malakai Pahulu, wife Linda and daughters

Vika (left) & Katrina (right)

Dear Mesquite UMC Family,

My name is Pastor Malakai Pahulu, and I am delighted to be here with my wife, Linda, and our two daughters, Katrina and Vika. Firstly.  I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Lay Leader Bruce Reid, and his wife, Linda, Chair of the SPRC, LuAnne Bender, Sue Compton, church Secretary, Ken Augustine, Trustee, and  Don Upton, for setting up a new computer in my office. Also, thanks to Gladys Smith for donating all the furniture to the parsonage. I also want to thank all the church members who helped arrange and set up the parsonage. We feel truly blessed to be here and to start working with all of you.

My family felt so happy and welcomed on our first day when we met Lay Leader Bruce and the rest of the members who showed us the church and the parsonage. We are deeply thankful for the blessings from the women’s group who donated a gift card for food. From the bottom of our hearts, we all say thank you so much. May God bless each and every one of you who reached out with love and support.

During my first month here, I am focused on getting to know each of you and learning your names. I am observing and familiarizing myself with all the important aspects of our journey together. One of my priorities is to visit members who are shut in or in the hospital. I also plan to conduct home visitations for those who are unable to come to church. I am glad that I have met the Chair of Trustees, Jim Rice, in the hospital and also had a home visitation with Karen and Warren Weigand. There are still more of our members to reach out to at St. George Hospital. It is essential to me that no one feels left behind, and that we hold hands together as a community.

I am looking forward to working closely with all the committees to meet our needs and achieve our goals. I want to extend my gratitude to all the committee chairs and members who have been working hard from last year until now. I am here to work together with every member of the church. I know that our committees are very dependable and pretty much run themselves.

As I continue to learn about my new appointment, I want to encourage all church members to reach out to me if there is anything you would like to discuss. Please feel free to call and schedule an appointment with me during office hours. In case of an emergency, you can reach me anytime, and I will be happy to assist you.

Lastly, I have a favorite verse that gives me strength: Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This verse reassures us that with God’s strength, we can overcome any challenge, face any difficulty, and accomplish any task. It’s a source of encouragement and empowerment, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles, but that God is always with us, giving us the strength we need to persevere and thrive.

Blessings,
Pastor Malakai Pahulu