May 30, 2011

Things here continue as normal. Almost every day this week we worked on finding old investigators and contacting people. We had a lot of success especially with our ward mission leader. We've got a lot of following through to do this next week. Also I guess we drove like four times too far last month in all of our business. They probably should have told us that there even was a limit before giving us the keys.. Since we have a huge sector and a zone that covers half the island I guess it was bound to happen. Well now we've got to find a bike for Elder. Where as my bike is looking sweeter than ever before. Otherwise the work moves on. We've got more and more people committed to baptism every week. And we have at least two baptismal dates fixed for June with a third and a fourth possible. Things are looking good before the dreaded month of July. I love seeing so many of our investigators come to an understanding of the gospel and know that it's true. Things are really moving along here. Just to end on a non-spiritual note- The chickens around our house are getting bolder every day. There's this one that keeps flying up on an old fridge right by our front door and every time I walk outside it spazes out and flies away. Well after about the fifth time of me trying to kill it with water bottles and brooms I was angry and disappointed. So this morning after chasing it into the jungle I hit where it sleeps with the broom and splat, I ruined breakfast. Little did I realize it had been laying eggs there. Well next time I'm eating the chicken and the eggs, cause we're going to borrow a blow gun from an Elder in our zone. I'm totally stoked on the idea of eating my problems instead of throwing things at them. Here's my finally goodbye thought for the week. Yesterday was Mothers day and everyone lied in there testimonies cause they said there mom was the best and most beautiful. They hadn't met mine. Seriously though mom, it's only after coming here and cleaning up after a bunch of slobs that I have realized how much you did for me. I will NEVER leave a dirty dish in the sink again. Neither will I put anything anywhere it doesn't belong. Thanks for your days of sacrifice but it's over when I get home. Happy Tahitian Mother's Day and remember that you smoke them all.

May 23, 2011

Ia ora na family. Uhhhh, let me just start by asking- what the crap happened to our ward?! Then I'll move on because I'm actually way super bummed about that. Good job on the marathon. People here are always amazed when I tell them you run those things since like no one here does. Can you also send the way super cool new Joseph Smith movie? And also The Other Side of Heaven. I don't know if I can watch the latter but I know our investigators/ward can. Everyone who has ever seen that movie here finds an instant testimony so i think that would be a major success. That's all. Thanks so much. There are three Zones here on Tahiti and then one huge one that covers all the other islands. There are two districts in each zone. Our zone (Zone 3) covers about half the island. It's just the wild less peopled side. In my sector and the one on the other side there are places only accessible by foot; where you have to cross rivers and stuff. It's pretty cool, actually. I don't talk to president all that often, he's a busy guy since he finishes next week. Then we'll be over-taken by a Chinese guy. I speak a little English with the few people in the ward that know how. Otherwise I talk to the American Elders a little when I see them around. Oh by the way Elder Coulson (the only smart one in our district) is now assistant. Therefore proving all of our assumptions. Well this week was just as any other. We went golfing Monday and I have got some pretty funny videos from it. Also we had a big meeting Wednesday with all the leaders from the whole mission. My whole district was there EXCEPT Elder Frischknecht. Poor guy. He missed the A-46 Boyz Reunion. Also Thursday the only Australian missionary in our whole mission got sent home. It was sad cause we were good buds and then I had to take him away. Having a car can suck too. Yeah so basically the whole first half of our week we did no lessons because of that stuff.Friday Saturday and Yesterday were full of lessons though so it was great. This sector is doing well, we've got a ton of new investigators and a ton of baptisms coming up. Hard work pays off. Also this week I got really lucky and saw a lot of old friends from old sectors. Even the work I did over a year ago is still paying off. Almost everyone I have ever taught has been baptised by the other missionaries and I couldn't be more stoked. Also Our neighbors in Hitia'a are still waiting for us next June. Well that's all for this week. Hang in there family. I'll speak to you guys by phone in 7 months, then I'll come home like right after.. I can't believe It's already been 15 months and soon to be 16. Well anyways I'll seeya

May 16, 2011

Well anyways this week was alright. Tuesday we had to drive all the way up to Papeete to take a couple of elders in for interviews. I guess some members saw them doing some stuff.. So I didn't think it was that big of a deal until the first elder took like two hours with president. I guess they were actually into some pretty bad stuff and he told everything to president. It was good actually, he cleared our whole zone of lap tops, cell phones, and movies. There's definitely plenty of stuff left but it's a lot better now. That day we just drove around and around the island doing transfers and picking up the goods. It sucked though cause we had to cancel three lessons and a baptismal interview. I guess the zone is lookin a little cleaner though. Otherwise it was kind of a hard week. My companion who was involved in some of the problems had a kind of breakdown and decided he couldn't continue his mission as zone leader. He was really down this week. Then he told president and he changed his mind. Friday was great. We went up to Papara for our little district meeting. I taught it. It was cool since I haven't taught a district meeting in like eight months since I was all alone on a desert island. After Our meeting we baptised a kid named Temarii. The elder before me came all the way down here to baptise him so it was sweet. Everything went perfectly. Saturday we had yet another baptism for a girl named Anna. A few of our investigators came so we were stoked. The only problem was that the guy who baptised her messed up seven times before doing it correctly. But finally she got baptised. We decided she must have had lots of sins if she needed to be baptised 8 times. After we celebrated by eating tacos. Maybe that doesn't sound so special to all those missionaries in Mexico and South America but to me it was a big deal. Plus that night I found my future business. I'll do just like Dad and many others have said and I'll export cheap American and Chinese goods to Tahiti. Since things are about three times more expensive here I don't think I can lose. Well that's all for this week. I'm still here working away. Life goes on. I'm bummed I probably won't hear from you today but I'll try again. Otherwise have a nice week. Also tell Liz her scripture was awesome because I was in bonds and I was stoned. Hah, I loved that scripture. Well seeya

May 9, 2011

Hey, everyone. I don't have a ton of time so I'll be brief. So Rurutu is finally behind me. I am glad to be done with that. But I know I learned a lot. You'd think it would be hard to learn anything stuck on an island with two companions from Babylon with some of the ward members working against you but you'd be wrong. I really learned a lot about patience and endurance amidst all the problems. And I really learned a lot about farming weird island plants. But that's all behind me now. I got transferred to Vairao as a zone leader. It's a humbling call but mostly a relief. I can finally feel the spirit when we teach. My companion listens when I teach instead of distracting the investigator. There are no more cell phones or late night movies. Life is good here. We've got some serious problems in the zone but it's much better than my last sector. I'm so excited to go out and work everyday with the spirit. I look forward to the rest of my mission being better than ever.

April 25, 2011

Life on Rurutu never gets any easier. I'm still dealing with two really large rocks tied around my ankles whilst trying to work, although last week and this week we did have a little bit of success in contacting some lost investigators and we did a lot of service projects. Oh and two food miracles have happened recently. I now like taro almost as much as potatoes (even if it is a gross plant). I think the more and more I plant the more and more I respect the beast. Also I did receive a package. It was awesome! Especially the camera. Much better quality. And we downed all the food probably within one or two days. Otherwise despite all of the disappointments we at least have one investigator who I have complete faith in. Unlike the rest he is not in Tahiti, he's not crazy, and he's not eternal. It's Hearii, the kid who had a vision when he prayed about Joseph Smith. He's reading the Book of Mormon and he understands everything. He read Lehi's vision and he said he couldn't stop thinking about it. So I wanted to see how much he had understood before explaining it. He understood EVERYTHING. All the comparisons and weird things. Keep in mind he has no religious background. He's definitely going to be something great. Also this nightmare will finally end. President called me the other day to inform me of my transfer. I'll be going to Vairao as Zone Leader. That's a humbling call. But I couldn't be more stoked. Vairao is the sector that I have always wanted to serve in since I started. But I never thought I would be able to serve there since I've already served twice in that Zone and even twice in that stake. Well I got lucky. Also I will have to go on splits to my first sector! I am really so excited to go there. Just leaving here would be good enough. So I'll be leaving Monday. Please write the emails Sunday so that I can see them in the morning if I have time. Well that's all for today, I hope this long email and the other one make up for last week. Hopefully I'll talk to you next week.