Dear Family and good friends,
I went to my first Tahitian birthday this week. It was for one of the youth in the ward at our dinner Tuesday. We had poisson creu and meat and veggies, and rice. The table was all nicely decorated. We sang Happy Birthday in French, English, and then they have another song for Tahitian. The boy turning 16 gave the prayer and in it just expressed gratitude for all he had been given. It was really simple and not at all anything like the way we consume and celebrate in America. I didn't even see one present there, nor any talk about presents. The focus was clearly on the family and friends who was there. One brother in our ward had his guitar and was playing songs and singing in Tahitian. And to finish, we had a really good mousse cake.
We started teaching some youth this week. There are two sisters (14 and 15 years old) who are the daughters of one the investigators we already teach. We gave them each a Book of Mormon and started talking about Jesus Christ with them. They were excited to learn and read the book. We also took Valentina, who was just baptized in Feb. It was perfect because they already knew her and she invited them to a church activity and shared her testimony. Working with youth is wonderful. My sister in Japan was talking about the power of youth and their potential and importance of the gospel. I am convinced it is true. They need the gospel and the gospel needs them. I guess it is like that with everyone, but youth are just great.
The miracle of the week is that our investigators who fell off the bandwagon to come to church the last couple of weeks came to church this week!! It was the best thing ever, because now the members saw them there and can help them. It also was good because now we can ask them how church went.
I am really impressed by the faith of the members here. We had the sweetest 80-year-old mami pull me over yesterday after RS. She pointed at me and said, "Sr. Campbell, come here. " I thought I was in trouble or something. then she proceeded to tell me how she is home all day and that her house is the missionaries house and that if we need anything or a special meal or whatever, that we were to call her. She said it was serious and that she had a daughter serve a mission and that my family and parents worry about me and that she as a member needs to do a better job of taking care of the missionaries. I was like, "wow, that blows me away, this lady is the one who bends over backward for us and everything and she is still insisting on helping us." Another member who we had dinner with us, is a single mom and works 3 jobs and has a 15-year-old son, but was telling us how much she loves her son to find time during the vacations to take him to the temple every day of the vacation. She drops him off there to do baptisms and then she goes to work. Incredible and on top of that she goes to every church activity. I am soo blessed to be around these people.
Tomorrow (Tuesday the 24) I get to go to the temple here in Tahiti for the first time. Last time I went was in November at the MTC. I am soo soo soo excited. Normally we are supposed to go every three months, but we just go with the flow, because the temple here is really small and the mission assigns us when we can go.
Also, next Monday (the 29'th) is transfers. I don't know if I will change areas, but I think it would make sense if I got transferred because I don't know what more I can do for the people here if I stay, but I guess if I do I can find something. I am kind of torn, though because I feel like I killed the area a bit as well (we used to have a lot more lessons when I fist got here) and I would feel sad thinking I didn't leave it in better condition then I found it. Also, I really like it here and love these people, but we will just leave it at that and see what happens next week.
Also, we gained two sisters in the house last week. Now we have six here. They are waiting for visas. Sister Tau and Sister Chapman are both going to Australia on a mission and are Tahitian. They are wonderful missionaries and need to learn English. It has been fun talking to them in English and they have been teaching me French and Tahitian. Yesterday they taught me how to say "Te vai ra te ma'a i roto i te fa'ato'eto'era'a?" or in the language we all love "exists the food in the fridge (to make cold thing)" Then we reply "aita te ma'a i roto i te fa'ato'eto'era'a" or "no the food in the fridge."
It rained like almost every day this week, but somehow we managed to stay dry. I think it is all the aftermath storms of Vanuatu. Sunday
Today we went on a hike to a beautiful waterfall hidden deep in this valley of Tipearui. The whole zone went and Noeline (our investigator) took us. She was a great guide and didn't let us complain. Toimato and Kulani (who got baptized in Feb were there too). It was awesome. There got to a point where Noeline had to pull out the machete to clear the way of the trail. Tahiti is so beautiful. The whole trail was just perfect and local, so like no one really knows about it. It took an hour to hike to the waterfall and it was just us on the trail. Afterward we ate coconuts with lime and papaya and grapefruit and passion fruit that is all grown right there and made sandwiches on banana leaves. I am not joking. We stuck lime juice in our sandwiches. It tasted so gooooddd. The line here isn't the same as in America. Now I am like whipped #6monthsonamissionandoutofshape #itwillbefine ~Sœur Campbell
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