Texan in Tahiti

Ia Ora Na tout le monde!
 

Life is good here in Papara, Tahiti and I've really been enjoying the work lately. I think it helps when the languages start to come faster and easier and also seeing my first ami get baptized this past weekend was so great!! Definitely one of the happiest moments since I've been here.

Baptism day for Willy CHARLES!! Such a happy day.

He wasn't sporting his usual Colgate smile in the font, but I think he was just trying to play it cool. Haha

Other than that our amis are doing pretty well! We've been having a hard time getting to church on Sundays but we've been trying to work on that. Its just hard because nobody has a car and tout le monde is sick right now with ZIKA (sickness passed by mosquitoes). Soeur Carter has been sick with it but has been a real trooper and still went to church and everything. So anyways, it definitely is just the worst feeling when an ami says they're coming to church but don't show up! Haha especially when you know how badly they need to come to church to progress. But anyways...

I had an interesting experience the other day that has just really made me realize how important and urgent this work is. It was last Tuesday and we were on the bikes. It was super hot and I had been sick all that day. But we still kept going because Tuesdays are one of our busiest days right after Pday. We were at the chapel and we were waiting on an ami for a lesson and so we were just going to do our studies until he got there. I was exhausted because I hadn't been able to keep any food or liquids down and so I just decided that I was going to lay down for 10 minutes and then continue studying. We were outside the chapel because it was cooler and so I layed myself down on the concrete and put my bag as a pillow. I was feeling pretty crappy but as I was laying there, I kind of just had a question pop in my head -" Where am I? How did I even get to this point?" Haha it was just one of those times when I just had a realization that I was in Tahiti and that I was a missionary. I had that moment of questioning why I was here but the second I questioned, I was just immediately filled with the Spirit and the love of my Heavenly Father. It was the same feeling and confirmation that I felt when I decided to serve a mission. It was great too because in that moment where I was just feeling like a complete mess laying outside the church building, I really felt like I was exactly where I needed to be and that I wouldn't be anywhere else. I imagine every missionary goes through these moments every now and then but ever since then, I have just been so happy and loving being a missionary. Its not always easy and it seems like every other day I'm sick again BUT I have never met so many wonderful people and been so happy to be living and teaching the gospel in such a beautiful place.

Speaking of the beauty of Tahiti, we went and visited these two wonderful sisters who are amis in Mahaiatea this morning and they took us up to this place on their property which is way back in the mountains. It was so great and they were so fun to hang out with for a few hours. When we got to their faaapu (field is the translation but its basically like just a nice clearing I guess haha) they surprised us with some of the greatest and sweetest Tahitian fruit I have ever eaten! Man it was so good.

Cutting sugar cane...

Eating the sugar cane.

The best way to cut a pineapple.

We had interviews this past week too with President Sinjoux which was pretty cool. He is definitely somebody who just looks straight into your soul. Haha just like President Lauck from back home! Haha if I had anything I was trying to hide from him it would be IMPOSSIBLE because I mean he just gets you and you don't even have to say anything. I asked him what he could tell me about the future (because transfers are coming up at the end of December because they are every 3 months) and he told me that I'll be staying in Papara (which I already knew because Soeur Carter will have been in Papara for 9 months at the end of this transfer) and he gave me an indefinite answer when he brought up training. Haha he asked me if I could and I said that if he needed me to train, I could train. So we'll see what happens but it's definitely a lot of pressure to train haha Luckily I have the best trainer in the world sooo at least that's good! I'm actually getting pretty sad because Soeur Weller (in Mahaiatea) ENDS her mission Dec 17 (the day after Noel for all the missionaries in the mission) and then Soeur Carter is getting transferred at the end of the month. SO SAD. We've had some good times and I'll definitely miss them but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the time we have left :)

We celebrated Thanksgiving this past week and it was so much fun. We cooked up some good chicken, corn, bread, and I made your famous Fettuccine mom! It was sooooo good and so fun to have a dinner all together.

Thanksgiving dinner in Tahiti

Other than that, life is pretty good! Ive gotten SO much better driving manual which is such a stress reliever now hahaha Dad, you would be so proud. Thanks for the advice! :)

Well that's all folks.

We've got the baptism of Nuihau on Saturday and I'm SUPER excited for that. He's one of our favorite amis (if that's even possible). Ill explain his story next week!

Tahitian babies are the cutest!

 

Love y'all!!

Tuahine Taylor