Matahiti Api! or in English Happy New Year. We made it to another glorious year.
The week started out great. After our preparation day (which ends at 6 pm), Soeur Richards and I set out to go see a couple, Elvina and Eve. We hiked up to get to their house through the jungle of Tahiti to get there. Both of them had met with the missionaries before and Elvina was currently being taught, but we were excited because we planned to teach the both of them together. We wanted to just start out painting a vision for them, or something to work for, so we taught about eternal families and how that is possible through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We used "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" to help them understand how this was possible. The spirit was so strong in that room. They wanted that eternal family. Then we talked with them how there were steps to make it there. It was easier to explain that there were things necessary to do once they had a "vision" or goal in mind. They even asked us for a specific reading assignment in the Book of Mormon. We met with them again this week and read more about the gospel in 3 Nephi 11. Again the Spirit was so strong. We literally just read the whole chapter and stopped and talked about what we read. So good!
They also gave us stinking hugeeeeee pieces of chocolate cake. It was crazy!! I couldn't even eat the whole thing.
This week we also welcomed a new sister into the house and she is from Bora Bora. I have yet to learn how to say and spell her name, but she is way stinking fun!!
For New Year's, we had to be in before dark, because of all the drunks. We came and watched my training videos, The District, and ate Tahitian jams with crackers. Them we went to bed at 10:30. I could literally hear people up all night though partying.
Funny story yesterday we were walking to church all nice and lovely and then we passed some drunks and we said "hi" and then we walked away and we heard (in broken English) "I loooveee yoouuuu." We just ignored that and kept walking, but all I could think was, "woww this is real life, drunk people are kind of funny."
I don't know what else to say. We had a lot of good lessons this week. My bike is getting fixed because it was in the garage and our garage is small and when the car was being parked it got hit.
I think one of the members here needs a banana tree cut down and I told them we could help with that and they wanted to get the elders to come and do it. I thought of how many times we have cut down trees in Georgia for service projects and told them we would be more than happy to help. I was grateful for all them tree cutting experience my dad had been giving throughout my whole life. I am so glad for all my upbringing and all the people in my life who have helped shaped me to be here, or even just set a quiet example. I am grateful for all the ward members in Fayetteville who read Preach My Gospel even if it has nothing to do with your calling. We challenged our ward mission leader here to read Preach My Gospel so we could be on the same page and my companion announced that in our district meeting and all the missionaries were surprised by it. I was like, "WHATT?!! that is normal!" I remember for a mutual activity in YW when Sis. Okonkwo was YW president and she made sure every YW had a Preach My Gospel. At the time it was just like yeah that is good, but now it is really like wow that was inspired. Preach My Gospel is a good tool.
I also have been using Ashlyn Weisler's story when she had her sickness with her lung and how the ward fasted for her as an example when we teach about fasting.
Miracles are happening out here. We have three investigators right now working on following the Word of Wisdom as a step of preparation for baptism. They are trying so hard each day to gradually stop smoking. It is amazing to see how their lives are changing and they recognize it.
New Year's Day we were out and about and saw a family roasting a lamb and a calf over a bonfire outside of their home. It was a pretty cool site and not like anything you would see in America. Yesterday we were with Noeline, one of the investigators we work with, and we shared with her a nice little lesson on her patio. Afterward though she fed us a whole meal. It was the kindest thing ever. She gave us her best of the best and had a swollen foot. We had rice, lentils, bread, fries, and lamb. I can't imagine how much time it took her to do all of that. (note: cooking food in Tahiti is harder than in America because it isn't America) She could barely walk. It really touched me how much she did for us because she loves us.
Then for dinner, we went to a couple in our ward who is from New Zealand and we spoke English the whole meal. It was a great thing because I could actually speak. I did their dishes and it was like a vacation because they had a dishwasher. They also gave us New Zealand chocolate with coconut in it. It seriously like the best chocolate ever. Again people are so nice to us, it is crazy.
I found out why our chapel is the only one without AC. Our electricity bill is super cheap because of that (only $200). The other chapel around here has AC, but they have electric bills of like $5000 a month. I thought that was interesting.
Other good things about Tahiti that I want to mention: I found a new favorite thing... DUPLOs. It is like a cross between a Ferro Rocher and a kinder beuno. It is good. Also, they have banana vanilla juice here from the islands. That is stinking good! It is one of the flavors from Rotui.
Now to answer a couple of questions I was asked. How is where I live?? Honestly, we have the most American house in the mission and it is a house that you would like to find in America, but nothing super fancy. Not many people live like us missionaries do. For example, many people have their washers outside, and also like their kitchens outside. Have people had contact with the church before? Here on Tahiti pretty much yes. There are 7 stakes here for about 250000 people. Many people have like Mormon friends and have seen church buildings and what not, but don't really understand doctrine. That is where we come in to teach. In our little 1 km radius sector we have a LDS church, a catholic church, and 7th Day Adventist church, and I think a protestant church.
Have a great week, and remember who you are and what you stand for!!
love,
Tuahine Campbell
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