Texan in Tahiti

Bonjour tout le monde!
 

This week was interesting. It wasn’t our best week but you know, we can only do better this week. The work is getting better here at Mahina. Yesterday, right after sacrament meeting, all of the ward stayed in the chapel and we had a special hour focused on missionary work. It was great! We talked about how the members can participate in missionary work and how important it is that we share the gospel with our friends and family. Right after we gave our talks and had our training? (I cannot find the word in English.... c'est formation en français... hahaha) we had a few members come up and ask us how they could be member integrators. We were like YES, it worked.

We've been really focusing on building the relationships with the members because here in Mahina, I know that that is the key to finding success. It’s a lot different here than in Papara so we've been trying different things to help the work move forward.

Our amis are doing good and its really incredible to have so many great experiences with them every day. When I’m not feeling well or our day hasn’t been going super great- it’s always our amis who really lift us up.

One of my favorite amis is Marguarita. She is INCREDIBLE. Not only is she really talented and kind, but she is so ready to receive the gospel. The Sisters right before me found her by contacting so I was there when we had our second lesson. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and she was so touched by it that she asked us, “what do I have to do to go there” (the Celestial Kingdom)??? So we taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how we have to follow him in order to live with him, our Heavenly Father, and our families forever. She was so touched but when we asked her if she wanted to be baptized like Christ, she told us she wasn’t sure. She had never thought about it but she told us she would think about it. After this lesson- it has always been so difficult to get a hold of her or to pass by her house when she’s there. Sometimes, we would pass and share a little message before she went and picked up her kids or just have time to share part of a lesson. We FINALLY saw her this past week and we shared with her the lesson of the Restoration (because we hadn't had the opportunity to share the most important lesson!) and she was so touched and filled with the Spirit that she told us to stop at the end. We finished the lesson and she was so touched that she told us to stop, she couldn’t take it. It was something that’s never happened to me before but it was cool because I knew that right then and there, she knew it was true. She knows that it’s true but she is just too scared of what that will mean for her. We invited her to be baptized again and she said that she respects her grandparents who baptized her Catholic too much to convert. And to add to that, she’s moving in a few months to an island called Rikitea. It’s in the Gambier Islands and there are no missionaries or a chapel on this island. SO it is not even really possible for her to be baptized unless she doesn’t end up moving to Rikitea. Complicated. #islanderproblems

Anyways I’m interested to see how things work out with her. I really hope she can get baptized because I know how much that will change and help her family.

I know that despite all of the trials and how hard it is sometimes, nothing will ever beat the experiences and everything that I’m learning here on my mission. It really is one of the greatest times of my life and I’m excited for everything that still rests for me to accomplish here at Tahiti.

This weekend we celebrate 170 years since the first missionaries arrived here at French Polynesia. There is a huge cultural night on Friday and then we have a huge event Saturday night where we get to march in. Ha ha, today we had a practice and it was literally like a marching band practice, or at least it felt like it. Briana, I thought of youuuu! Hahaha

Love yall and I hope yall have a great week!

Soeur Taylor

 

Anavaihere! I think y'all should just change my blog to "The kids of Tahiti" because those are the only pictures I send home... ha ha ha.

 

 

Marguarita! We had apple crumble with her and while we waited for it to cook, she did my hair. It was a little crazy and extravagant so I didn't keep it in all day. It was fun having her do my hair.

 

 

Service project.  We planted plants and I made a new friend, Mahiata. She is super cute and talked with me the whole time.

 

We had fun pulling weeds and planting plants.