Texan in Tahiti

Bonjour tout le monde!

So this week I will hit my 1 month mark of being here in Tahiti. WHAT? Time is crazy. And so was this last week! Ha ha let me tell you...

Walking on the beach.

We can still enjoy the beach even though we can't go in the water.

First Sector: Papara

So this past Tuesday night we were trying to figure out everything for our split again because Soeur Carter had her STL meeting with all the other leaders with President en ville (in Papeete). We originally just planned for me to go on a split with our DMP and his wife, Soeur Mathilde, but of course she calls at 8:30 Tuesday night and tells us that their car has broken down. So then Soeur Carter tells me that Ill just have to drive our car (and they would ride with other sisters) and pick up the DMP and Soeur Mathilde because they can't drive the mission cars too . I was like UMM WHAT. I can't drive a manual!! Ha ha so you can guess what we did for the last 30 minutes before we had to be back at the house. It was pretty terrifying but hey, I learned how to drive manual!

But after all of that, they ended up needing to take the car and so I just went on a split with Soeur Fisher again and we spent half of the day teaching her amis and the other half teaching my amis in Papara on our bikes. That wasn't too bad except for the fact that Papara is huggeee and we had to bike like all the way to the end of our sector. But more of that to come.

So the lessons with Soeur Fisher's amis went well in Mahaiatea and we had a lesson with Charly Willy at the church at 4. We got to the church at 4 but of course Charly Willy and Soeur Evelynne (his mom) weren't there yet. So we were waiting outside and this truck drives up and this guy is trying to talk to us with the window barely cracked and the engine roaring and we were just not getting ANY of what he was saying. Ha ha so he pulls over and turns off the car. He rolls down the window and starts explaining how he's got this evil spirit inside of him and he needs us to give him a blessing. I was like uhhh, we don't hold the priesthood so we can't give you a blessing! But of course he kept going and Soeur Fisher and I were just like what in the world is going on?! Ha ha and then his wife is in the front seat and she spins her finger by her head motioning to us that this guy is crazy so Soeur Fisher and I were just like greaaaatttt. But I told him that I would get the Bishop's number and he could help him out. Long story short, NOBODY answers and I just about gave up but Soeur Evelynne and Charly Willy finally showed up and so she talked to him and got it all figured out.

We gave the lesson and that went really well but after the lesson, we had to book it to our next lesson pretty far away. So we are biking pretty fast and I was in front. Keep in mind that we are riding on the side of the road which is super sketchy with cars whizzing past. Well I totally misjudged the space behind this trash can and I rode RIGHT INTO THE DITCH. LOL. Luckily, it was a grassy ditch and it was a small one so I wasn't hurt or anything. Soeur Fisher and I were totally dying for a good 5 minutes before I realized that I had crashed right in front of the house of an ami that I forgot we needed to stop by and reschedule our lesson. Ha ha ha so now I can say that I've crashed my bike just the 2nd time I've ever ridden it. Man am I good. Don't worry mom, the bike's totally fine.

After everything that's happened, not only with the split but with all the other crazy things that happen every day, I really do know that Heavenly Father protects his servants and we really are surrounded by angels watching out for us every day. I really do know that there is a reason that I'm here and that Heavenly Father will make sure that I accomplish all that I need to when I'm obedient and do my best to be worthy of the spirit when I teach. Being a missionary definitely isn't hard and I am still waiting for when I can speak all the French and Tahitian that I want to, but for now- I'll just keep moving forward.

Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts!

Beaucoup d'amour,

Soeur Taylor