We are down to just three more MTC emails! It is pretty crazy to think I have almost been out two months! This week it will be two months. My district and the other American elder district going to Tahiti are now the oldest people at the MTC. It feels great. Being here so long - many people write and ask about how is the food. Well, it is better than nothing! haha. No, we joke around that the main dishes are for the missionaries here 2 weeks, the wrap bar is for the missionaries here 6 weeks, the PBJ counter is for when all the 9 weekers get sick of the main dishes and entrees and the 11 weekers (which is just us) are stuck to scavenge the share boxes to survive. That is just about what we do!
My district has expanded. We have another elder! Elder Barben joined us, he is from Utah and waiting to go to Leon, France. All the other Frenchies in our zone left Monday, so all that is left and will be left is us going to Tahiti. It is kind of funny because they came in 3 weeks after we had been here and left three weeks before we are leaving. Just like that, they were all grown up. When they were leaving they told us, "three weeks,, go by fast!" We were just like, "yeah, haha, we have watched you come and go!"
This week has been filled with Book of Mormon reading. Tuahine Arbuckle and I read Le Livre de Mormon together each day and it is powerful. It has been so uplifting and helped me learn French better, I decided to read Te Buka A Mormona this week by myself. I am almost to page 50, and even though I don't understand a ton of it, I try. Just like with reading it in French, it was an act of faith and the first week was rough, but now we just blaze through that book like none other. It has helped my French in miraculous ways. I hope taking this leap of faith will also help me with Tahitian. Oh, and this week we will hit our 100-page mark in Le Livre De Mormon!! It is super cool to think we have read all of that out loud.
Lessons this week continue to be in French. On Saturday we had a sub. teacher, so our normal "investigator" wasn't there. We taught an inactive member (really the sub teacher) and we didn't really know what we were going to teach so I just opened up the Book of Mormon and there highlighted was the verse, when Jesus Christ is teaching the people in America, "blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 12:6). So that was our game plan. Sure enough, we get in there and "John-Noel" went to church on Sunday, but was super bored during it. Well, that scripture worked perfectly, because everyone walks into church holding a cup. It is the person holding the cup's choice to either turn the cup upside down or keep it right side up so the cup can be filled with all the spiritual goodness of the preparation. I would have loved to say that in French, but I am just not there yet, so the scripture made up for that. I think Christ's words were definitely more powerful, then my feeble attempt to explain that. The Spirit was so strong. Tuahine Arbuckle bore a great testimony and we had Soeur Stevens there acting as a member present. Soeur Stevens also bore testimony about gong to church. Then Soeur Arbuckle explained how Soeur Stevens would walk 3 hours one way to go to church in Vanuatu (that part is true). It was powerful.
This week we were challenged to memorize a scripture a day. I have been working hard to do this and it is another act of faith because it is not my strength to do that at all, but I try.
We are making an effort to use the Book of Mormon in lessons. Wednesday we had a lesson with "John" (really brother Honey) and we used 2 Nephi 2 to teach about the Plan of Happiness. It is amazing how much we can learn.
I found out after that lesson that I STILL continue to drop Tahitian and English words in the lesson. It is a huge struggle, but hilarious how I don't notice until after when Tuahine Arbuckle explains to me why the "investigator" was cracking a smile. We laugh way too much during our lessons.
I ran into Elder Weisler at a devotional on Sunday. It was so good to see him. He seems happy and healthy.
With being here for three weeks, nothing is really new anymore. We have started to memorize things that are super routine. For example, before Relief Society each Sunday they make announcements. Every Sunday it is the exact same things and it takes quite a while to go through them all. This Sunday I turned to Tuahine Arbuckle and was like, "now they are going to ask all the sisters who just got here to stand, then all the sisters who are leaving to stand, ask us to not wear spandex to gym, announce the morning gym classes, announce when departing sisters are supposed to pack (which is during their last gym time), check lds.org for sister apparel guidelines (and do that during our free time), and announce the new Sister Training leader meeting that happens every Sunday at 4:30. They also have a new sister meeting about dress and grooming every Sunday after Relief Society. While I am on the topic, they always have a speaker come for RS and this week it was the YW General President. We also watch Music and the Spoken Word before RS. This Sunday's was the best yet, because the Mormon Tab. sang "Down to the River to Pray" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic." I haven't been able to hear those songs in 8 weeks. I was super excited when that happened.
Yesterday was hilarious. Tuahine Arbuckle and I skipped gym because I had my first entree here, the spaghetti and meatballs, (yeah I was desperate) and then I didn't feel very well. We stayed in the residence and Sister Stevens joined us. We got her talking about Vanuatu which is super fun. We always have a blast around Sister Stevens, but then she was telling us she "killed" someone after she was baptized in 2007, and the way she was saying it was like in a joking tone and she kept on saying it like that. I was thinking, "like are our cultures really that different where that is acceptable?" We asked her if the boy was ok and if she repented. She said she did and that after she "killed him" she would tell the boy every day apologies. Then I was like, "I don't think she knows what she is saying." I asked her what "kill" meant and she motioned that is was punching or hitting, and I just started cracking up. Apparently, the word "kill" in Baslama (she language she speaks), means to hit. Tuahine Arbuckle and I were wondering because she would always joke with us saying she would "kill" us. I would be like, "I don't think that is mission appropriate." Now we know she wasn't making death threats, but that we have a culture difference.
Monday was long to be really honest. I was really praying I could just make it through because three weeks is so close, but yet so far. My day was made by one of the Chefs I used to work with (Chef Brian) sharing some fresh apples from his farm. I shared with the girls in my district and we were so thankful for the "real fruit." Also, I came back after dinner to SEVEN dearelders. Thanks for those. They are much much much appreciated.
I am continually thankful for all the prayers and letters. I hope you are all loving life especially as we are heading right into the holidays.
Love,
Tuahine Campbell
Sister Arbuckle's mom sent us Listerine spray because we can chew gum and we love it!! haha. We started to coordinate spraying it during class and just started cracking up. No one had any idea. Now we freshen up before each lesson and one of our teachers caught us doing it and was like, "that is an interesting ritual." Yeah, it is pretty great!!
Skirt swap this week and trying to keep up the momentum. I feel like I have really tried my hardest this week, and don't want to waste time, but at the same time am just ready for Tahiti.
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