January 30, 2012

Well hey family. Here I am again. With only one time left this is kind of weird. The rest will just be in person. But like the gospel, you could study my mission your whole life and not understand the half of it (I filter). So sounds like things are pretty normal at home. That's funny the Mulford's dad called. He's a great guy. I love Mully; we talk every morning and every night for way longer than is necessary. It'll be weird to see all of those people when I get back. Maybe the Tongan guy will understand some of it. I have done a little thinking about the whole pilot thing as well as a couple others and I have realized I'm just going to have to hit google hard when I get home. Then I can make a justified decision. Maybe I'll do insurance... Also for the skis it's the white and black ones. The boots are dark grey or blackish I guess. I can do it though. They probably don't even need it though do they? I am just so excited to go skiing. That is my real desire. That's what I want to do for my P-days, which will be every day. So this week was cool I guess. After email last week my companion pulled a couple ligaments in his knee so he has been super gimp and we have had to find members to drive us around. It's a new experience. It also gave me time to repair my bike so I'm back in action now. We taught some great lessons this week. We got a few new investigators as well. One of them is the brother of a guy I taught and baptised in Vairao. How random. We contacted him and started the lessons and it's going really well. I like it too cause we're teaching a lot in Tahitian right now and the spirit knows that language man. We also got a third guy with us. He's my replacement so it's kind of like sitting on a lawn chair next to your grave. Elder Saxton. I hope this rising sector will keep on rising is all. I dunno I'll be sure and tell you all about it. I'm still hanging in there and working the best I can with my current circumstances. Also just randomly- today we went shark-feeding with a member. It was a bummer that we couldn't get it but it was way cool anyways. After feeding some sharks and manta rays we went to his boss's private motu and ate sandwiches. It was true paradise. After we did some shopping and I realized that I forgot my pin code for my credit card! please send that to me so I can buy cool stuff. Also as for a cruise I would be totally down. Just don't forget that I have reserved houses for us in Tahiti, Rurutu and here on a motu all for free all with people who are willing to take us on private tours anywhere we want to go. a cruise is kind of unnecessary. It's probably better to save the money for plane or boat tickets. I dunno. Anyways I'll see you next week for reals. I'll send an email Monday and I'll come right behind it. I leave here next Thursday so from then on I am on my way home.

-Orometua

January 24, 2012

                                         Intercontinental or Thalasso Hotel

Hey mom, sorry this is super late and probably short. I'm so happy it snowed there. Finally. I don't want to keep living in this eternal summer. It's been really really hot here the last couple of days. Today we went and visited a hotel with a couple members. It was everything I ever could have imagined. It's called the Intercontinental or Thalasso. Check her out. This week went as usual. We got some great work done with the members and we are finally finding people to teach. I'm guessing there will be a whole bunch of baptisms in a couple months. Everyone gets really excited when I tell them that someday I'll come here with you guys so I'm sure we'll be accepted somewhere. The health care system here is awful. They don't know anything other than ibuprofen and sleep. I don't want to talk for a long time at my homecoming. I'll just talk about stuff. I'll bear my testimony though. Whatever you chose for food is good but I really would like lasagna or tacos. I go back to Tahiti the day before I come home. I'm sorry this is short. We only have two more after this. Crazy stuff man. I'll talk to you next week.

Elder Oldroyd

January 16, 2012

Yo mom. Happy Birthday! That came up really fast. Since we don't have any calendars in our house and the only ones are those weird Chinese ones I have a hard time knowing where we are in the month. I bought you some stuff last year and I'll be sure to get you some more stuff this year. There is some really cool stuff here. I'll finally get that credit card to use. I can't believe how weak that snow is. I guess I was gone at a good time. For the leaving information I only know what you sent me. I'll call the office couple to get the other details. In Bora there are only two wards and it's in the same building. I never thought it was THAT small.. But most things bigger than a car here seem huge to me. We do Vaitape and the others do Anau. It's pretty much right down the middle. I've done two wards only twice in my first two sectors. After it's just been one or in Rurutu's case less. I've certainly learned and changed my attitude a lot on my mission. The blessing was right. Also speaking of pictures- did I send you guys the ones from when we were on that boat watching surfers in Teahupoo? Because the memory card short-circuits anything I put it in and I don't have the pictures saved on my current USB and the other one with those photos got stollen (I love missiopnaries). Thanks for the doctors appointments, and the Keith one. That way he can interview me phsychologically and I'll be able to ask him some questions of my own. Anyways, this week was amazing. We worked with members every day and got a ton of new investigators. These members are in action and awesome. The go to their friends and just say "when can we come back and teach you?" Simple and direct. We're going to do some great things here in Bora. A lot of which will be before I go home. We have some great investigators now. And normally all of the other ones will be coming back finally from the other islands. We've even had success with the people we have contacted randomly on the road and stuff (that almost never works here). So I am way happy and pushing it until the end. I think that this ward will profit from this work for a very long time. I'm going to miss being a missionary. Also way random. There is a family from here that is coming to America in April and they want us to show there kids a "larger vision" of things. It's kind of a secret though cause they want to surprise their kids. They also don't want to tell them and then not be able to go. I think that would be pretty cool though. Plus everyone says to contact them before we come (for hotels and stuff). I don't know when but it will be pretty sweet. Also I decided what I want to eat when I get home. Home made enchiladas. Possible? I miss Mexican food really bad. Okay I should go; we're going to eat at Bloody Mary's and go see a cannon. Happy Birthday again mom. Talk to you next week.

-Elder Oldroyd

January 9, 2012

Hello from the coldest wettest place on earth. It has been raining like crazy for the past few days. Like all the banana trees on the whole island have been blown over and there is just mud and water everywhere. I feel so bad for the tourists (who represent like a quarter of the population). I'm so stoked for Liz's wedding and Tally's baby. I feel like finally all the things everyone has been worried about have come to an end. Since I left those have been the primary family concerns. And of course the U. Things here have been pretty interesting. We went to Raiatea for two days and it was all for an interview that lasted five minutes. He asked how I was and if I was worthy like four times. We get along great. I just ignore the past and so does he. Raiatea was really fun though. Everyone was there- us, Tahaa, Huahine, and of coarse Raiatea. We did some shopping and some walking around aimlessly. That night a few of us ate and slept over at a members house. It was funny because president didn't even know we had to spend the night until the very day. Anyways, the work here is hard as normal. Contacting in the rain and trying to get out of the rain and crazy wind. Finally Saturday something great happened. We went out with the ward leadership to reactivate inactive members in the morning and then we went out and looked for new investigators the afternoon. It was really successful. The two guys I went with were total clowns and we had a really fun time. We did some great work, saw some miracles, and even got kind of lost in the jungle looking for a house that we never found. It was sweet. Well there you go for this week. I'm way stoked (and kind of nervous) that President Smith will be there at my homecoming. It's gonna be great when I get home. But that doesn't mean that I won't finish strong.. It's cool, the reality of it hasn't hit me yet and I'm pretty sure it won't until I actually am on the plane. Also, can you fix a doctor and a dentist and maybe a psychologist appointment for me as soon as I get home? I'll probably need them all after this crazy place. Thanks and I'll talk to you next week.

January 2, 2012

I'll warn you now I won't be talking a whole lot about Bora today cause this week was lame. The whole island was totally wasted all day and all night blasting music and partying in the streets. People were making bombs in the neighborhood next door and lighting them off almost every 30 minutes. There were tons of tourists and tons of random house parties everywhere. Plus it rained a ton. New Year's Eve the fireworks woke me up and I was able to watch them from my window. People here are crazy though it was kind of fun to see it all but it was destructive to our already lacking sector. Things should get better though. So here's my news - Wednesday we are flying down to Raiatea (a pretty big island not to far away) for interviews and not coming back until Thursday afternoon. Then we're going back down there February 3rd for a Zone Conference. Cool stuff. I'm excited to see what it's like there. Plus Bell will be there. Also transfers are next week and Frischkneckt is going back to his first sector. Redding is going to Moorea for like four weeks. Anyways, I want Liz's room for sure. I guess we'll just figure everything out when I get back. Should be interesting. I've got a lot of decisions to make when I get back. It'll probably work out in the end. I love being in a house of four. And finally President Smith coming to my homecoming would mean the world to me. How freaking cool would that be. Okay, well I'll talk to you next week then four more times...

-Elder Oldroyd