Hi, Everyone!
I remembered last week after I already sent my email that I failed to give a shout out to my sister Kadee for her birthday! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kadee. shoutout! I love you! As you are 18 now, welcome to being independent.
Now as for this week. So many miracles happened. I don't know if I will be able to write about them all, but I will try.
To start out the week Monday night we had a branch family home evening. Sr. Sommers and I were in charge, so we delegated out the lesson and activity and watched one of the best activities I have been to here unfold. We asked 2 young adults to take charge of the lesson and activity and the turnout was just so good. They went above and beyond what we would have done as missionaries. It was also great because there were 5 investigators there too.
Then after the family home evening, our ward mission leader pulled out a chair for Sr. Sommers to sit on. What happened next was fun to watch. Because Sr. Sommers was getting transferred and leaving Takapoto, everyone came up and put shell necklaces around her neck that they had either bought or made by collecting little shells, then piercing them and stringing them. It was awesome. We took a bunch of pictures and by the end of the night, she had like 30 pounds of shell necklaces on her. As she was drenched in necklaces, the members wanted her to eat with all them on. We didn't do that. I helped her take them off, which was quite a task. That is what happens when you leave Takapoto.
Then Tuesday we really ran out of water. Our house has 2 black cylinders that collect water and the one we were using were completely out...oopppss. So we called our zone leaders to get permission to shower at a member's house and we prayed for rain. Then we found out there was still water in the other black cylinder, which was good. I was worried I would have to tell my new American companion as she got off the plane, "Welcome to Takapoto! It is like paradise here, but we don't have water."
So Thursday we went to the little airport here to send off my dear companion Sr. Sommers and pick up my new companion Sr. Stosich.
Almost everyone on the island was at the airport to send her off and put another 20 pounds of shells necklaces and leis around her neck.
So my new companion is Sr. Stosich. She just got finished training that means she has been out for like 5 months as a missionary. She really has the gift of tongues and works hard. She comes from a small town called Lima, Montana where there are like 200 people that live here.
So with Sr. Sommers (who is Tahitian) gone that has left me with the responsibility to teach in Tahitian. Good grief. I am grateful for the gift of tongues because I have fasted for it and all the sudden I LOVE teaching in Tahitian. Before I would have trouble understanding in Tahitian lessons, but now, miracles happen and things have changed.
Friday, Sr. Stosich remembered she had my letters from the mission office with her!!! YESS! It was a happy day because the mission office doesn't send our letters often, because it is a whole thing to send them on the boat.
Also Friday we learned one of our amis, who didn't really want the "missionary lessons" at first, is determined to stop smoking. He has started reading the Book of Mormon and feels the power of it. Within the last month as he has been learning about the gospel with us he has decreased his smoking habit from 3 packs of cigarettes a week to 2 packs a week and wants to continue. We encouraged him to pray and ask God for help to continue to stop smoking. It is wonderful because he is already having that change in his life and becoming converted.
OHHHH. The craziest thing happened this week. Friday Sr. Stosich and I went to go see Yves, who speaks only Tahitian and is like 50 years old. He has had missionary lessons for months now. We went over there and the spirit was so strong. We talked about 1 Nephi 10:6 and how Christ has saved us from death. At one point he asked his daughter in law to translate and she came and left because we ended up not needing it. That lesson was just full of miracles. I could feel God's love so strong. At the end of the lesson Yves was so touched he told my companion and I, "Ua here au ia orua" or "I love you guys." I have never heard those words spoken by a Tahitian before. Yves had truly felt charity, the pure love of Christ during that lesson and was changed by it. That was probably one of most marvelous experiences of my mission so far, to hear those simple words in Tahitian.
Saturday we put on another branch activity. The branch walked about 40 minutes together to a beautiful lagoon. It was really pretty. My companion and I then taught the members how to play signs. A couple other members played the ukelele and jammed out to Tahitian songs as we were there. Some other members took advantage of the beautiful lagoon water and went swimming. We didn't. haha.
Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. I knew I needed to bear my testimony because I was really touched by a letter my dad sent me explaining how my family is praying for the people of Takapoto and that my family also loves the people here. So I got up to bear my testimony and started with, "J'ai recu un lettre de mon pere.." (I got a letter from my dad), then I continued to explain through tears with my American accent how much love God has for His children here in Takapoto and how much my family loves them too, then of course how much I love them. The spirit was strong and had touched my heart. I felt soo much love for the people.
Then we had a miracle, because not very many usually stay for the Gospel Principle's class for the 2nd hour, but so many people stayed. It was kind of intimidating because we as missionaries were supposed to teach the class, but everyone participated and learned something. We talked about service. Later that day we ended up at our ami, Mami Gloria's house. Mami Gloria has taken the lessons since Sr. Kimball served here, so about a year. Sr. Sommers and I have been praying to have a miracle with her for 3 months now. We haven't known what to do, because the lessons are in Tahitian and sometimes we don't understand or she doesn't understand, but last week we asked her to read Mosiah 18:8-10 about the people of Alma and baptism. She had already read those verses like 2 other times. Well, Sunday I was asking her about what she read and baptism and she tells us she wants to be baptized! I have no idea where that came from, but I was studying about charity this morning and really thinking about Gloria and I think I have and idea.
1 Cor 13:13 talks about faith, hope, and charity, and that out of the three charity is the greatest. For the last 3 months, we have prayed and visited Gloria with faith and hope that God would work a miracle. About 1 month ago Gloria was sick and had to go to Tahiti to get medical help. Ever since that trail, Sr. Sommers and I were there for her to encourage her with her sickness and get a priesthood blessing and everything, going to her house just every now and then to check up on her. Put simply: we were really trying to serve her. Then she came back from Tahiti pretty much healed. God orchestrated a miracle for us because now she has just had a huge change of heart.
Being with her yesterday was just an awesome feeling. I was able to speak with her in Tahitian and encourage her. That was a miracle too.
I could just go on and on. My mind is blown by thing changes we have seen in the amis this week. Surely God is in the details of our lives and is mindful of His people here in the isles of the sea.
Love,
Tuahine Campbell
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