November 28, 2011

I am sorry to say that this week was not a very good one for the work. NOTHING gets done here. It reminds me of being with my friends before the mission. Everyone has to be together. No one wants to be "alone" in their sectors. It was just a big hangout. Any excuse to do so and we were off. I'm pretty close to giving up on my companion. Now that I push less we get along better. The work is pretty much the same though. Cool things did happen though. We had a district thanksgiving with our meeting on Friday. I never thought we could find all the ingredients here but we did. Turkey, real mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, and dessert after. That was super fun. Then Saturday president came to our sector to do a baptismal interview for a really old grandpa we taught. The poor old guy has a really hard time understanding but he really wants to get baptised. So we called in the big dog. President did the interview whilst us and the grandma laughed when we heard president trying to yell the baptismal questions to an old man that just didn't get it. I don't think he answered correctly to any of the questions but president let him pass without any question. Even after he prayed to God Jehovah in the name of The Father, and of The Son, and of the Holy Ghost amen. I guess it's all good though. That's about all that has happened. I'm sorry I don't have anything great to tell you guys for the moment. Maybe next time I will because tomorrow the transfers will be announced for the next week and Elder Hamula is coming. Maybe he'll save me. For now I'm just trying to hang in there and not give up. Also I did get those packages. But I can't freaking open them yet! Hah it's cool though. I opened Tally and Taylor's and it was great. Welp, I'll see you next time.

November 21, 2011

Things have been more nuts than ever. Our zone has calmed down at least a little bit after last week's threatenings and stuff. This week it was limited to a few sleepovers. But my companion and I get along a lot better. He even wanted to work yesterday. This could be the start of something great. I didn't even drag him around. I think his attitude is changing, it's just a really slow change. I heard him talking the other night and he said it's really because he is in his stake. I know before he did a lot of dumb stuff but at least he worked and stayed with his companion. I've heard from a few higher sources that he will be transferred. So I may be here for a really long time. It's okay though. We are working really hard with the ward leaders right now to have a serious amount of baptisms before the end of the year. There's only one guy from my district that's not really up to par but he's not in anything too serious. I won't give you details but some stuff has been happening for a while now in this mission that's much worse than what happens in my zone. I think finally something will be done. Elder Hamula is coming in a couple weeks too. Maybe things will get better before I leave. Don't try asking me what the stuff is cause I won't tell. It's a little rough on the old testimony. Anyways, this week we had our zone conference. We also got our personel DVD players. Babylon just got swords. Saturday we did our last reactivation thing for the year. We had a whole bunch of people show us and we just killed it. I went with these two guys and we were guided by the spirit for everything. I loved it. I wish I could always have that same spirit. Sunday tons of innactives and nonmembers came to church. We were all so happy. Success. The members invited nine people to take the lessons that day. Go Vairao! That night I gave a little presentation to all the ward mission leaders and ward missionaries with the help of one of the stake presidency councelers and a member of the high council. MY bishop decided we can double the stakes goal for baptisms this year. The goal was twelve and we're at sixteen. Now we're going for 24. It's so cool to work with them. Today we sang early in the morning as usual and I learned something interesting from our president - the international shipping liners are going on stike so there will be no more imports to Tahiti for a while. So we have to make food reserves and stuff before the stores run out of food. We'll see what happens. They're not officially on strike yet but it's coming. So yeah that's about everything. I realized the other day that I have just about the same time left on my mission as I had time in the MTC. Time is flying by. I just have to stay strong untill the end. I'll just keep fighting evil. Wish me luck. Also enjoy Thanksgiving. We're going to try and do one either as a zone of as a district as our district meeting. That's one thing I can support. Thanks for the email. I'll see you next week. Love y'all

November 14, 2011

Anyways here I am again. My life is one eternal round. We had our big meeting with president on Thursday where he challenged us to more than double our baptisms next year. This year was a record year but he wants to go wayyyyyyyyyy higher. I honestly think it's possible but not at the rate things are going right now. We are in the heart of Babylon! I've tried talking to my companion and that's not working either. He told me as soon as I am no longer here to slow him down he's going full out against the rules. He almost punched me in the face the other night in the car but rather he bruised his hand hitting the roof while swearing at me. He apologized after and promised he'd never touch me and I believe him. But come on. He was mad because he didn't hear me earlier that day when I told him president wanted him to call him. President showed up randomly and saw me and Bell sitting their at their house without companions, bikes or phones. I'm happy despite all this madness going on around me things are good. The best thing that happened this week was our welfare missionary thing where we did a little free car wash for random people that came by. We didn't have a lot but at least some people came. The problem was that most of our zone with my companion left because "it was stupid" so no one talked to these random people. I think it still had an effect on them. Also on an even brighter note- Elder Hamula is coming again. I guess we have some other great meeting with him on the third. I'm stoked. He's such a cool guy. Also your guy's vacation sounds totally awesome. I would love to go there sometime. Only in reading Jesus the Christ did I realize that the apostles and church literally covered the entire eastern Hemisphere. Have an awesome vacation. Tell Andrew what up for me if you see him. That's so cool. I'll talk to you next week.

November 7, 2011

This week has been interesting. For Halloween me and Elder Baldridge bought candy at the the Tahitian equivalent of Walmart and gave it to each other.That night our companions took the reins and had us have a little party in Taravo. We let it slide because at least everyone was unified.... in sin! It was just between missionaries so it was alright; no one did anything too stupid. The zone unity was at an all time high. We sang and played family night games and then we made dinner together and stayed up talking.Tuesday we finally committed one of our investigators to baptism and we have many more waiting. Then another split began. Despite the direct orders of president (who was is Australia) Elder Bell's companion begged us to do another split because he was sick and it was concerning "his salvation" whatever that means. So I spent a couple days in Taravo with Elder Bell again. He has a death threat from another missionary so it was a weird couple of days. Saturday we had a mix of miracles and confusion. Lakina, who we baptised a couple weeks ago, needed us to come over and teach him how to baptise because he was going to baptise his wife later that day. Surprise! She's an excommunicated member who we taught for quite some time and no one decided to tell us she was going to be baptised... We he baptised her and it was awesome. There was almost no one there and almost no water in the thing but we got it worked out. Also I did two sketchy baptismal interviews the weekend. One for a kid who wasn't prepared at all. And the other for a lady that had broken every commandment in the book. It worked out though. Finally today after our singing thing president wanted to see me, my companion, and many others in interviews. He chose me out of everyone to go first and asked me a ton of questions. I feel like he knows something that I don't. He just asks all these questions and he never seems satisfied with my short one or two word answers. It worked out though. I think he got whatever he was looking for. When I got out everyone was at a table and they said it was my second interview. They only had one question- what did he say? The only thing I learned from that interview was that he probably doesn't hate me anymore and that he has no idea when and where I'll be transferred. Also he doesn't trust my companion anymore. My companion is great when I am with him but whenever he does splits he goes a little wild. I guess they watched Saw last week with an investigator. Whatever. Well that's about it for this crazy week. I guess my Halloween is just starting. Omer is in Vairao. I don't know why. I don't know where. But he's here. So help me. Also I can't believe it but after this week I only have three months left. Weird. I'll try not to think about it though. I'm more concentrated on the chaos all around me. The missions pretty cool.

October 31, 2011

Me and my companion are back together and just killing it in Vairao. Plus he even drives better now because a lot of members were kind of freaking. I guess the Lord just waited until I honestly couldn't take it anymore. He had armies just waiting and on his command they all came. So the mission is great. A painting wouldn't look very good if it was only bright colors. The dark colors are what give it contrast. Anyways this week one of our eternal investigators gave us a golden investigator. She's got a lot of questions but she listens really well and takes notes. We did the first lesson and she was totally convinced. We asked her to pray as well. The next day she called us and said she wanted a lesson immediately, we couldn't so we planned the next day. After a few minutes I asked if she had prayed and she was like "well yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have come back". My bad, I guess the spirit totally rocked her world. We've now taught her three times. Vairao is still the best. We lead the stake in baptisms. It's hard work but it totally pays off. I'm going to finish here strong but I think I'll be transferred pretty soon here. That'll be weird to be in my last sector. I hope your prayers are answered mom. The gift of tongues one is sure working. I feel great in French and pretty confident in Tahitian, especially for gospel stuff. Well that about does it for this Halloween afternoon. The work keeps on moving. I can't believe it's November tomorrow. I also can't believe the awesome trip your going on. And I really can't believe I'm only finishing with Redding, on the tenth! President always wanted to separate us all... And I thought a lot of Dad today because me and Baldridge after waking up at like four this morning went to a Porsche dealership in town. Anyways have a fun trip. I'll talk to you next month. Thanks for your support, I'll be sure to not let up.