October 24, 2011

This week I seriously was almost always in Taravo with Elder Bell instead of in my sector. I guess they had an argument? So I had to do something for an open house. They promised they would come get us multiple times, but they never did so I was stuck in the same clothes for days. All I had was my scriptures and the clothes on my back. I also had to write a 15 minute talk to give in one of their wards cause his companion didn't want to come back to give his talk. He never even called to say he'd just leave me there. So yeah, my zone has fallen apart. Things should get better though. It's been kind of fun. Since Bells companion left the lock on his bike we have been walking really far and getting picked up by random members. It's an adventure for sure. It's all a part of the experience I guess.

October 17, 2011

Almost half the zone is changing but I'm not. It's okay. The sector is doing great. We've finally gotten some new people and the others are really progressing. We're working really hard to get the members in action. Without members the work is almost helpless. You should invite the missionaries to come eat sometime. They need it. Not so much for the food but they need you guys. Well the most exciting things happening right now are our lessons with Mohau who is an inactive, handicapped by the devil guy who we blessed. Now we teach him and his protestant wife and an old grandma who only speaks the purist form of Tahitian there is. Also I went on a split to Taravo the other day with Elder Bell and a 19 year old kid preparing to go on a mission. It was cool. Also yesterday the spirit guided us to a few random people that we wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Finally this morning we woke up really early and went to the very center of town to sing. Twice a week from now until Christmas we'll be doing that for two hours each time. I'm not too excited about the training process but the end results will be amazing. I'll keep you informed on that. And finally the best part of it all. I have found what I was waiting for since my first day on my mission. I found the one thing I was supposed to do here. It was my first ever contact way back in Papeari. I contacted him, he started with us, got baptised about a month after I left, and now he has gone to the temple and he is sealed with his family. I see now why I have been in the zone so much. I have seen him progress. Yeah God, Abner and he told me the same thing. So I feel good. I'll keep at it anyways. So yeah, there you go.

October 10, 2011

This weekend we had two baptisms. I got to perform both of them. The guy Friday is named Mikaele Lakina. His wife was excommunicated and her baptism will be soon. It was so awesome, we ate a pig after to celebrate. Saturday it was a kid named Manumea. He is the bomb. He has five names though and it threw me off. Later that night we were at a meeting and right during the spiritual thought a guy came pretty much into the room on his scooter asking bishop to save him. Bishop went out and then we heard someone swearing and yelling in Tahitian so we went out too. So yeah three big guys came to kill two little guys. The three were inactive members. They were pretty angry. It was cool, the cops showed up and one of the cops was their dad. They had this huge argument and the scooter got partially stolen. I'll have to tell you when I get home. It's too complicated. Our church is famous now..

October 3, 2011

This week Elder Bell and I were having an awesome time. We did a lot of great work. We did some contacting and the people did some gentle rejecting. But we had some success anyways. One family, before we even had the chance to talk invited us in to eat. They poured us a couple bowls of coffee. Thanks but no thanks. Then they served us two huge plates of food despite us telling them that we were literally on our way to eat. It was cool. After I asked if we could have a moment and I was able to testify to this whole family about the church with the help of my companion. They accepted it. Cool stuff.  We did some good work and that's the most important.  I'll give it one last go before I get transferred (normally at the end of this month). Pray that I go off to some really cool island and that I don't have to suffer in the city. It can happen. Have a good week. I'll talk to you next time when I'll only have 4 months left. Weird. Time's really moving now. And conference was awesome, but my fourth and last one of my mission. Okay I'll end there. Next week I'll tell you what happens. See ya

September 26, 2011

We had a great week this week. We taught quite a few lessons. One of our investigators just moved into the Vairao Mayor's yard. It was a cool lesson. He's getting baptised the eighth of October with two others. I'll give you the full stories after. We're also making some serious progress with a few others. Torea who found us. Has completely turned his life around. The word of wisdom was a real challenge but he just blew it out of the water. We also taught an ex Jehovah's witness the other day and she was blown away. So the work is moving right along here.  Yesterday we went around and committed their members to find people and went around finding others. There was such a strong spirit. We were very bold and we found a lot of people. I had a blast. Us two (Elder Abner) and their ward mission leader were like the dream team. Also I did an interview for a kids baptism on Friday and he wanted me to confirm him. He lives all the way in Tiare (my old sector). At first I was like "No, come on man I live in Vairao." He persisted and I confirmed him. It was the opening day of the new church in my old ward. Cool! I'm way stoked for conference. I'll let you know what happens here. The zone is nuts but the sector is sweet. Wish me luck.

September 19, 2011

 I'm with Elder Mo now. He's a cool guy. He told me if his companion wants to work hard he'll do it. Sounds good enouph to me. We've gotten stuff done since he got here. New investigators have been flowing in. It's the best feeling in the world to find people that accept us and then accept the message on top of that. We also ate with the Mata family the other day and they brought someone along. She was just a little interested in the lessons. Then she came to our stake conference yesterday and she was so touched by the spirit that she cried, accapted the lessons, and even wanted to bear her testimony infront of everyone later that night. But she couldn't because the stake presidency failed to announce it and then after being informed just shrugged their shoulders and smiled. Come on guys. It's okay whatever. I'm sorry I really have to hurry today. I'll just finish by saying the gospel is still true, and the mission is still awesome.

September 12, 2011

 I pick up my new companion Thursday. His name is Elder Mo. I don't know him very well but I do know his parents. They live in Hitia'a, meaning he'll be serving in his stake. And his parents (who are awesome) already have the bad habit of going to visit their son no matter where he serves. Whatever though, I'm sure things will work out great, even better than now. President is my friend. Oh by the way- transfers are next week and now we'll have four assistants. Three of which are from my district. Frischknecht and Coulson are serving in the center of Papeete as an office couple, they at least have a sector though. Then Redding and Elder Tahiata are going to be travelling assistants. Cool for them!We're still juggling two sectors but normally that will change this week. They're sending the Elder that the members didn't like back with someone else. It was weird being in the other's sector. We taught someone the other day with a baptismal date fixed. I had never met them but it was up to me to share the message. During the prayer I felt that I really needed to ask them about the Book of Mormon. By the way, since Elder Hamula came I feel like each lesson is 100 percent inspired. It's so cool. Anyways after asking a few questions I found out that they didn't read the BOM nor did they know what it is. Wow.. Just wow. Well we took care of the situation but it makes me wonder. We're also starting a new program with our ward mission leader where we now share messages every Wednesday on the radio. Pretty soon we'll go worldwide. But for the time being it's just a few communities. I'm stoked on the idea. Other than that someone died so we had to go to the funeral. It's different here. They invite different religions and each one is given a time to explain there idea of what happens to the dead guy. I'm pretty sure we won. Fortunately I didn't have to talk or anything. It was crazy when they put him in the ground one of his four wives fainted. I really thought we might have to dig another hole for her. She got it back together though. Also I just saw my blog and it's awesome! Way to go mom.

-Orometua Oldroyd

September 5, 2011

Happy labor day! The holiday I've never understood. Home sounds chill. Our house is going to be totally different when I get there huh? I'm glad you can follow other blogs, that way you can get a more complete picture of how it is here. Speaking of pictures I sent home those three usb keys full of goodness this week. You should probably get them about two weeks from now. Also just randomly, I got a whole bunch of spiritual music from Elders Frischneckt and Redding. I'm almost positive I'll only have one more transfer. I'll be getting my new companion next Thursday when mine finishes, suspense. Mine's good, even though he's finishing he's fighting till the end. But my next companion will have the ability to make or break the sector. I'll devote at least 90 percent of my prayers for Tally. Lots of kids in our family now. Tell Liz she doesn't have to wait for me... but I'd really really love to be there. Tell her to hang in there until February. Oh and by the way- president asked us if we'd like to extent our missions until March. At first I said yes but after actually thinking about it I decided I prefer sometime in February. I hope you guys support my decision. Everyone except for Coulson decided the same thing too. We'll see though, it's still a long ways away (in not mission terms). Anyways here's my week in a nutshell. Monday we had our super zone council dealy, Tuesday an Elder was sick so I spent the whole day with him receiving spiritual enlightenment while my companion and Elder Abner did their lessons. Wednesday we had our big conference with Hamula and all the missionaries on Tahiti. Also incredible. That night we had a fireside with him and afterwords we slept in Papeete with the assistants and Zone leaders (Coulson and Redding). Also an Elder from our Zone got sent home to have an operation because he has cancer. He's still a missionary though. That would be as hard as it gets. There with his family and all. Then he should be coming back. They also took his companion. When I called to see what would happen with the sector they asked us to watch over it. so yeah now we do both sides of the presqu'ile. Pueu and Tautira as well as our normal side. So we spent a lot of time trying to find their investigators. We pulled it off alright with the members and all. So yeah that's the big news. Thanks for the package, I'm stoked. Also a guy asked me to ask you guys to send one of those oil holder dealys that's metal on the outside and glass on the inside with the Christmas Package. Weird huh? One more package and it's doneski. Anyways tell me how the Utes to and all, I'll talk to you next week. Love, Elder Oldroyd

August 30, 2011

                                                                Elder James J. Hamula                                                      

I'll just say for president I am figuring it out little by little. He's a good guy.  It's all good. All I'll really tell you is what happened yesterday.We woke up at three and got there (Papeete) really early. I don't really know why... But it was way super cool. Elder Hamula taught us some pretty incredible stuff. Most of which isn't worthy of being transmitted by email. But let's just say I went there with a lot of questions in my heart and he responded to each one of them as if I had asked him to do so. He prepared nothing coming in but definitely received some inspiration. That meeting will change both my mission and my life. It was cool too since there were probably 20 of us all there sitting on a couch being taught how to be leaders in the mission. Afterwords all of us zone leaders had one on one interviews with him. Too bad for the district leaders. That was a first for me. I learned a whole lot and I'm really sorry that you have to wait to hear it. I definitely felt important though. I gotta bounce. Elder Abner needs us. His companion is either dead or dying of sickness. We'll see. See you next week. I love you all.

August 22, 2011

We had to go to Papeete three times this week. That's an all-day ordeal. It takes almost two hours to get there. Then it takes time and money to find parking and finally we have to walk quite a ways to get where we want to go. So yeah, we had to cancel all or most of our lessons for all of those days. And why did we go you might ask? To buy wedding rings! We also had to buy shoes for the bride and find pants and shirts for the groom. We had some crazy adventures running around in town on foot and even taking other missionaries bikes on occasion to get through traffic quicker.  Friday we had an open house that had so many problems it almost didn't happen. No us, no computer, no dvd, no projector, nobody there, etc. But it happened. We taught the first lesson and watched the first vision movie. Two people there accepted the lessons and one of our investigators who we didn't think would come did and he brought a friend and took him on a tour of the church. Awesome! I gave a Book of Mormon to him and he thumbed through it and said "hmmm this should take me until September."  I was just like go for it dude. He scares me way bad. Normally we can't even get him to look at us or acknowledge our presence even when we're right next door or walking past his house saying hello. Finally after all this nightmare, Sunday was one of the better days of my whole mission. We had a baptism early in the morning for our investigator Tevaria. His father who we baptised two weeks prior was able to perform the ordinance. You could tell his father was the happiest one there. Then at church came the confirmation. So we all get in the circle and then the stake president called his father up with us. I had no idea what was happening. He allowed him to participate the the confirmation telling my companion to change the prayer a little bit to include the Aaronic priesthood as well. Everyone was confused but mostly touched. Especially Toto. He was crying after because he was just so surprised and happy. I was way moved by the experience. Finally that night we ate with an inactive family. We ate a ton. It was almost time to go home and the wife asked for a blessing. Now keep in mind we've done like thirty school blessings this week so I wasn't expecting anything new. She chose me and when I laid my hands on her I felt the spirit just as normal but then something happened and I was completely overtaken. I was pushed to say some things I would have never thought of saying. When it was all over she was totally in tears. I couldn't stop crying even as we were driving away. It was amazing how strong the spirit was. Okay, well I'll leave off with that. Also Elder Abner's email got deleted so he has requested that you put a little "Hi mom" in my blog for him. I'll talk to you next week.