These weeks are just flying by! I have just 2 more weeks of training. I am so excited to be done.
Lets start out with what happened. Everyone in our district had to go to the mayor's offices because our President of the mission was signing a contract with the mayor to continue the English class the put on for the community each week. We all had no idea why we were really there, and we kind of just told we had to be there. We waiting and then when the mayor and mission president were done, we took a picture with them. Then they told us they prepared "a little cocktail" for us. I was thinking like "cocktail?? Don't they know we don't drink?" Well, there wasn't any alcohol, but there was a HUGEE like 3 tables with the banana leaves woven as platters. On there 18 in long banana leaf platters there was fresh pineapple, papaya, grapefruit, watermelon, taro (a purple starchy fruit, it also comes in green), uroo chips (uroo is breadfruit), steamed banana chunks, fried banana things, and fresh grated coconut. It was like real Tahitian-looking. I was so tempted to take a picture, but couldn't because it just would not have been appropriate. There were also cold coconuts with just a little hole cracked into them so we could drink right from the coconut. They also had my favorite poission creu (raw tuna in coconut milk and cucumber and carrot). mmmmhhhmmm. There weren't any plates or forks because it was traditional Tahitian. My favorites were the pineapple, poissson creu, and fried banana things. We got to take some banana leaf plates home so we filled up the fridge with that. It was so fun and exciting. I really felt I was in Tahiti.
I started answering the phone this week all by myself! Yay! There is my language progress update. I also taught a good part of the Gospel Essentials class, but I am not sure if anyone really understood me. My trainer didn't say anything against it, so we will just assume that went well.
This week we had another miracle. So we teach this family, Elvina, and Yves. Elvina has had the lessons for forever, but we just recently started making it a priority to teach them together. Yves progresses really well and reads the Book of Mormon daily. They want to have an eternal family, but it soon became apparent to us going to church as a family for them was going to be a huge step and something to work towards. We found out the block. Yves had a horrible experience at church when he was young and since that he vowed he would never step into a church again. He has kept that vow for like 30 years. Tuesday we were in a lesson with them and I asked the question, "What can we do to help you get to church this Sunday?" Then my inspired companion answered with this idea, "Why don't we have the next lesson at the chapel?" They agreed! Thursday we gave the family a tour of the church and it went really well. Yves even asked us at the end, "Can we do every lesson at the church?" Wow, to hear that was awesome. He felt the peace and the God's love we could feel there. We committed them to come to church on Sunday, but we still knew that would be a huge step because we have committed them before. Sunday came and the man who vowed he would never step foot in a church again was there!!! It was a miracle. The whole family was there. I am so excited for them.
Church was great this week we had 8 people who we teach at church. The Gospel Essentials class was packed. We have been working hard since I got here to help amis come to church, because before no one was coming. It just goes to show if you focus on some things and rely on the Lord and make goals, it can happen.
I shared my Dad's conversion story in a lesson for the first time. For those who don't know, my dad is a convert. My mom who was always super faithful in going to church, even as a child (she would walk by herself if she had to) and always said she would marry a RM in the temple, married my dad when he wasn't a member. It took 4 sets of sister missionaries and some stubborn persistence of their part before my dad just decided to try out the gospel and put his faith to the test. That simple decision to put his faith to the test has affected my family TREMENDOUSLY. My family is eternal, just because of that act of faith. I got to share that wonderful story in the lesson this week. I think it was one of the most powerful moments I have felt on a mission because my family has been changed because of faith and changed because to the gospel. I am so grateful for that. Without them, I couldn't be out here in Tahiti. I wouldn't have the support I have to fall back on. To me it is incredible so much can be affected by one person's actions, because my dad decided to try something out, my family is eternal. We are happy, surely not perfect, but happy.
Being on a mission we ask people to make sacrifices, to give something of little value for something of greater worth. One of the investigators here is really starting to learn that. we showed up for a lesson and she told us she had stopped smoking. We didn't even ask her to, but she knew it was a good choice. She gave up her smoking (something of lesser value) to be a good example to her 4-year-old daughter and follow the commandments (a thing of greater worth). That was a miracle too. I am just amazed at the sacrifices and changes the Tahitian people are willing to make to have joy in their lives.
Yesterday night (Sunday) the best, ironic thing in the world happened. So there are four of us sisters who live in a house. The Soeurs of Heiri (Sr. Jarman and Sr. Taputea) and us. The Heiri sisters had their dinner dropped off at the house. I know that sounds weird, but it happens here all the time. Families just drop the missionaries off food as an opt out for having them over. We were driving back from a fireside and it was like 8pm. We were all in the car and pulled over to get the food from their member and they come back to the car with McDonald's. It was soo funny. We just started laughing. MacDonalds for the missionaries on the Sabbath. Then to make it better, the member bought 2 family meals for the 2 sisters. It was like 4 big macs, 6 cheeseburgers, 8 large cokes, 4 large fries, and 20 chicken nuggets. ohhh. my goodness. We did not eat it all. We had like 3 big macs left and 4 cokes and a frie and 4 cheeseburgers that we quickly ran over to the elders. The story of my life. Welcome to Tahiti. That food had to at least been like $50s too all for 2 sisters. Well, we fed the whole district with it on Sunday.
I hope everyone has a great week and isn't too cold. Enjoy the hot coco and what not. Be grateful you have 4 seasons and not one! I forget what month it is sometimes because the weather is all the same. Peace and blessings from Tahiti!
- Soeur Campbell
No comments:
Post a Comment