Texan in Tahiti

Ia Ora Na To'u Utuafare e Mau Hoa! 

 Life is pretty good here in the Tahiti although it’s been pretty hot lately. I shouldn't be complaining though because we have a car...

This past week was really busy and we just worked, worked, worked. 

We have taught the most lessons I ever have since I got here! It’s so great! I feel so blessed to be in a sector with SO much work and SO much potential! We won’t accomplish our 5 baptisms for January (only 3), BUT I know we'll make up for it in February.

I love my new companions! They are so fun and I love them both for different reasons. Soeur Green is like a blonde twin that's like twice my size. We have had some good times together- it’s been so great. And then Soeur Kavera is sooooo funny and keeps us laughing all the time. She still has that greenie fire and it’s been so great to keep us going. I’m dreading for when Soeur Green finishes in February because she has been such a blessing with all of her experience! I learn SO much every day from her and it will definitely be sad when she has to leave February 11th. 

So we had our miracle baptism on Saturday and it was really great! Our ward finally pulled it together and we had a lot of the members come out for the baptism. I think it’s with all the excitement with the goals and the anniversary of the church in Polynesia in May that's got them all hyped up for missionary work. It’s great! 

This Saturday we have the baptism of Kahaia (one of the girls we teach in that big extended family) who is 12 years old and has the biggest smile. She is super great and wants to get baptized, but we're still waiting on the permission from her mom. Her mom said she would tell us on Tuesday at our weekly Soiree Familiale. She’s a little unpredictable so we are not sure what she'll say but we have faith she'll say yes. Her mom is actually an old ami who has taken SO many lessons for like 5 years now but she has problems with the Word of Wisdom and doesn’t really want to change so we had to stop teaching her. When Kahaia gets baptized and her other daughter, Cynthia, in February, I know that they will be a good example for her and hopefully she'll take the lessons again. Besides the baptism of Kahaia, all of our lessons with that family are going really well. Only Kahaia and Tamira have come to church the past two weeks, but I know the others will catch on and start going. They all have been progressing pretty well! 

Remember Famille Tufariua? Well we had to put Mami on standby (stop the lessons for the moment) because she's not progressing and will not keep our commitments. We have been trying to figure out why she always accepts us and listens but won't actually accept any of our commitments. We did engage her daughter, Carole, for a baptismal date of February 15th so hopefully we can confirm that and she can be a good example for her mom as well.

Other than that, our amis are doing well! It seems like we have had to put the same numbers of amis on standby as we have had new amis but hey, its progression! There is nothing more frustrating and heart breaking than to see an ami reject the gospel and the commitments we give them. At the same time though, I feel like we tried our hardest and that eventually, they'll come around and realize the truth. 

One experience we had the other day was with our ami, Mami Louise. She believes in a lot of the same things but she will not accept at all the Book of Mormon. We had a pretty powerful lesson where we just testified of the Book of Mormon, but she wouldn’t listen. On one hand it was pretty sad because as a missionary, all you want is for them to accept the gospel but on the other hand I am trying so hard not to be distracted because two of the neighbor dogs are fighting in the background and 1 ends up getting really hurt and here we are just trying to testify and help this Mami realize the importance of the Book of Mormon. I’m just like- seriously? Ha ha well- that’s Tahiti for you- there are dogs and cats and mosquitoes and geckos and roosters EVERYWHERE. Ha ha ha sometimes I wonder if the dog population outnumbers the people population. 

Well. I think that's about it! I'm doing pretty well and just loving life here in good ol Papara, Tahiti. 

Hope yall are well, Thanks for the prayers and mail! 

 

Melodie with her cute little kitten.

Alexander with his cute little smile. Both cute kids of our Ami, Raf.

Torea! He's baptized!

My Bestie, Teuira, decided to take a selfie while Torea was being baptized. I was dying of laughter and had to share this adorable picture of one of my favorite Tahitians.

More pictures next time.

 

Faaitoito, 

Soeur Taylor