The Miracles Just Keep Getting Bigger

Hi family and friends,

  So this week has been miracle after miracle and hard work and slammed packed. Since Thursday we have just go go go. 

    Lets start out with Monday. It is our pday, but usually, at the end of the day we end up at a family home evening. We have been encouraging members to invite investigators to their FHEs and it has been pretty effective. Sr. Marrett ended up at one house and me at another, so we did a split. I went to the TEATOs, which is a convert family of 1 year, but they have been doing missionary work like crazy. The father who got baptized is trying to share the gospel with all his family. His mom, Mami Louise (who we crashed her birthday party and made cookies for) has been super active in the church going to activities and everything but hasn't wanted the missionary lessons yet. Missionaries have been asking her for at least a year. Well, her son told me a couple months ago that she would tell us when she wanted the lessons and just to lay off. That is what we did, but honestly, it was super hard for me personally, because I have had this super big "ami crush" on Mami. I just love  her so much and wanted to start the lessons with her, but couldn't. Ok. One other thing last Thursday we were planning and I told Sr. Marrett that we were going to make Mami more of a priority, even if she didn't want the lessons, we were going to do something for her this week. Now back to Monday night. I was over there and miracles happen. Mami asked for the lessons!!!!!!!! I was soooo excited like literally, it has been my little dream to start the lessons with her because she is just awesome. These miracles just keep getting better and better. Who ever knew that would happen. I know that is part of the reason I stayed here another transfer. 

    At that same FHE, there was another mother who was looking for comfort in her life and found it through the example of Fr. Teato. Now she too wants the missionary lessons and the gospel. Voila. Two new investigators Monday night and a split. It was a perfect way to start the week and not only that is was Mami Louise! So excited. 

   Also last Friday (9 April) during weekly planning, Sr. Marrett had the idea to go give out some Book of Mormons to find people. We blocked out some hours of this week to go do that as a finding intuitive and went this Thursday (April 16). Lets be honest we needed to give a little bit more love to finding, because we teach so much we can easily book ourselves with people we already know will accept us and personal study, companionship study, and langue study, and do all that stuff and call it a day. Thursday we went out with our goal to give out 3 copies ofhTe Book of Mormon. We made a plan to go to two places. 1. a little neighborhood where they keep all the Tahiti Tour buses 2. the apartment building right next to the chapel that we walk past all the time. Then we headed out. We started with the neighborhood. It was typical tracting here in Tahiti. People would hear you trying to get their attention and ignore. Then we talked to a lady and gave her a book, but she didn't want to fix a time for us to come back. So we set off the apartment. We were walking there and were like a block away and I saw this little neon yellow thing and had a thought/impression/determination that we were going to go there. I didn't say anything to Sr. Marrett, but just took the lead and went. So the yellow thing was at the top level of the apt. building and there was a little spiral staircase that led up to it. We knocked on the door, no answer. People were there but didn't want to answer. Ok. The stairs only led to one door on each floor, so we descended. Still, knock and no answer. Descend, knock and after a good effort of knocking a lady openings the door covered in sweat, but so excited to see us. Then started with< "I am a huge catholic." Then proceeded to tell us her experiences with how no one can answer her question< "how do I know if a church is really God's church?" Perfect, we knew how to help her. She also had a lot of other questions, so we pulled out the Book of Mormon telling her she could find the answers inside. She recognized the book and told us, "I have that book!" Then we asked her how. Come to find out 3weeks ago her drunk nephew knocked on her door at 1 am to give her one. She thought it was like a Bible, but we told her she could read it and pray. It was amazing how God prepares people. It also gave me lots of determination, because I also thought those finding stories were rare and for special missionaries because up to my mission I haven't experienced that. We got a return appointment for the next day, but she wasn't there. We found time to see her yesterday and gave her the restoration pamphlet and talked abut faith. 

   Now Pres. Bize wants us to find 15 new investigators in the next three weeks, so we are making finding more of a priority to do that, but holy cow we are packed. Next week is already booked with appointments and we have to find people too. Thankfully, though, we did the survey with the ward. We asked people 13 questions and at the end if the want the missionaries to come over and talk about the things more. Like one of the questions is "would you like to have a free Book of Mormon?" We already have 4 appointments fix from that. 

  Next crazy thing that happened this week was Saturday. We had a lesson at the chapel with a recent convert. He is 17 and the only member in his family that he lives with. His dad is a member but lives on another island. His commitment is incredible. We asked him how his scripture study is going and he read 40 sections in Doctrine and Covenants. He started Tuesday and we asked him Saturday. He is not trying to show off of anything too. Then he started asking us about fasting like "is it okay to fast more than 24 hours?" We told him no and asked, "why do you ask?" Then come to find out he fasted 3 days, from Tuesday to Saturday morn! No food or water and he had a purpose and everything for it. I was blown away. I have never heard of anyone doing that, but this humble recent convert did.

   Also Saturday we taught our English class for the city and then went to the little visitor's center at the temple with the ward and investigators. We had 7 investigators there and they enjoyed it. We had a little program too. I ended up playing piano for a youth in our ward to sing. That was a little crazy because I had to sight read the whole thing. Anyways there was an investigator there I didn't know and asked him if he wanted to learn more about what they talked about in the visitor's center and he said yes. We fixed an appointment and got a member to be there in the lesson too. 

  This area is having a finding turnover and it is really a miracle. Like I said before we could teach people we already have all day, no problem, but this week things have changed finding is booming and the ward is right behind us. I am just overly grateful to be here.  

  I hope you all are doing well too.

Love,

Soeur Campbell