One of the Last

Bonjour and Iaorana everybody.

 There aren't very many of these emails home left for me on a mission. I am going to try to make this one good. hehe. 

  This week was incredible. I got teach the branch how to  play the piano. We started by playing by numbers and have been working our way up to playing with the grand staff (the line in music).

The first day of the music lessons was Tuesday and there were so many people that we decided to make two classes, one for the adults and one for the youth. Everyone was so excited to try playing on a real piano. For many of the students, it was their first time ever in their life touching the piano. Everyone left the first class having played a little song on the piano!

Wednesday we met again for a lesson. I have been using the keyboard course book that the church puts out. It is perfect for the situation that I am in, to teach in a classroom setting the piano and it is in French. Thursday and Friday we continued with the course. Everyone is progressing and getting the base of piano down really well. 

Friday Sr. Xowi fell on her bike because there were like 7 dogs in the middle of the road barking like crazy. She tried to avoid hitting them and ended up falling on her foot. The weekend we took care of her foot at the house by putting some frozen water bottles around it. I found some medicine that is good for muscle aches in my companion's suitcase. (We had to pack up her stuff to put on the boat, that will be here tomorrow, Tuesday) The clinic is only open on weekdays. Today we finally made it to the clinic. Sr. Tina, one of the members, drove us there and they took an x-ray of her foot. Her big toe might be fractured. In the mean time, we have been making good memories together. 

The assistants called Friday too and told us the area was going to be closing for a little bit, maybe like two weeks until the next real transfer. The day I come home isn't a real transfer, Pres. Bize made that up especially for me and Sr. Kofford and Sr. Arbuckle (who were in the MTC with us), because we all have obligations to get home for. 

This coming week in the last week of my mission we are going to be sure to leave the house clean for the next missionaries and make some good records in the area book for the next missionaries. I am really just concerned about leaving the area in a good spot for the next missionaries who are going to white wash. 

One of our amis, Hervue, prayed about what we had taught him and felt good about it. He wants to get baptized and go on a mission. The trouble is that he is still a minor and needs the permission from his parents who live on another island to get baptized. The district president here has been mentoring him. Hervue goes to middle school here and lives with a host family. When the middle schoolers go to school here they either live in the dorms or with a host family. Hervue is lucky at least he lives with a host family and can be in a functioning family. It is a small world because I actually taught Hervue's brother when I was in Tahiti. The island that Hervue's family is from, Rikitea, though doesn't have the church on it. 

Well, I really don't know how to feel only having a week left. I got up and bore my testimony yesterday at church and just felt so surreal and then a whole wave of emotion hit me, like "your finishing your mission,"  "your area is closing," "this is your last time bearing your testimony in sacrament meeting as a missionary."  Yeah after church we went home, well the church is at our house. I rubbed my companion's hurt foot and just like cried. Ohhh.. It sounds so sad but it was really like that. Then thankfully we have cell phone service here because I called some of my old companions and missionaries I love and Sister Jones (one of the couple missionaries) and we talked and it felt better. She told me the story of the sons of Mosiah and how they got thrown in prison, while Alma in another city was converting many. The scriptures say for the sons of Mosiah that "it was their lot." Not something they did wrong, but that that was just the way it was. bon. We'll take what we get and roll with it.

So in the week to come I am just going to do my best. I always thought I would finish sprinting to the finish line, but I guess the Lord doesn't have that in mind for me. I want to talk more with the branch Pres. and teach lots of piano, and since we can't really leave the church courtyard and we will set up some splits with the members and clean our house really really good and make a nice little set up for the next missionaries. 

Next Sunday the 13th Sr. Arbuckle, Sr. Xowi and I fly to Papeete Tahiti (the flight is about 3 hours long). Then Monday Sr. Arbuckle, Sr. Kofford and I have our last interview with President and Tuesday night around 11pm we fly out to the states. I'll probably email again next Monday, but IDK how much time I will have.

We took the plane for Tahiti yesterday with Sr. Xowi. We made a stop on another island and picked up Sr. Arbuckle.

Saturday we went fishing on The motus with members. We killed little crabs with our bare hands for fish bait. We saw a ton of sharks in The lagoon. It was really like paradise.

Things are happening fast! 

I love you all. I am truly  grateful for The past 18 months I have had to Serve The people here in Polynesia. My attitude has changed and my faith has grown.  I love these islands and love my Savior.

For one last Time 

Love,

Tuahine or sœur Campbell 

How to Take Down a Shark (based on a true story) and Other Things That Happened This Week

Iaorana Tou utuafare.

You all are never going to believe the stories that Pres. Chong and his son told me last night. It was wonderful and they were all about sharks.

In the tuamotus, many of the islanders here go spear fishing with sharks and Pres. Chong is one of them. The sharks are attracted to spear fishing, because when the arrow wounds the fish it creates a scent and the sharks come. 

Apparently, the lagoon sharks aren't that bad, they just tap then and they swim away, but if you are scared they can sense it. 

Here is the story of how Pres. Chong took down a shark bigger than him. He was spear fishing with a friend and while in the water he saw his friend swim quickly to the shore, then saw the reason why. There was a shark on the attack because his friend had a little boat full of dead fish that they caught and it had tipped over. When sharks attack they close their eyes and just follow their instincts and so that is how the shark attacked.

Well, the friend made it safely to shore and then the shark turned back around to attack Pres. Then this is the part that is super duper crazy. Pres. took his spear gun and shoot the arrow into the shark's gills to get a hold of it. Then took the shark attached to his arrow and dragged the shark to shore, where his friend was waiting and beat the shark up. 

Both survived and the shark was conquered. 

There you go a good story for you. I was also thoroughly briefed all about the sharks in the lagoon and ocean and many other stories were told. They talk about it like it is nothing here. I am just still in awe.

The work here in Hao is still in the process. We are starting the 21-day prayer with the branch to get references of people we can teach, as that is what the mission is focusing on right now. We have been working hard with branch counsel to move the work forward here.

It seems like a good part of the people we teach aren't very serious. We were mocked quite a few times this week.

The people here are so kind, though. Natalie, one of the inactives we work with, took us to one of the restaurants here this week. It was quite the event and we felt honored to have been invited. As people don't go to the restaurant often here. We ate raw fish and steak and fries. The meat here on the island is super expensive, so it was quite the treat. 

Thursday I put my suitcase on the NUKU HAU, a cargo ship. to get to Tahiti before I do. It will arrive in Tahiti March 5. 

I really just want to cry thinking about this mission being over. It has been the best thing I have done in my whole life. I have felt closer to the Lord than ever before. The people here have stolen my heart and even though it has been really really hard sometimes, I have seen how much God really loves these people and my family and me. He is always there to bless us and give us comfort and to move His work forward. 

The NUKU HAU also brought a huge blessing for HAO. The first ever piano for the atoll came on it. You can guess it was the branch's piano and I got to play piano in sacrament meeting!!!!!! YES YES YES. What a huge miracle. I have missed playing the piano and everyone agreed that having the piano as prelude music on Sunday gave the whole meeting a different and more reverent atmosphere. 

So Pres. Ine (the branch president) and I talked and made the arrangement for me to teach piano every day before I leave for the members. 

That was a miracle for me, because it helps me feel like I am contributing something. What a blessing!!

Well, my family and friends. I love you all  so much. Have a fantastic week!

Love,

Sr. Campbell