Bonjour!
This was a crazy p-day! I was trying to get myself organized for Tahiti, and in the end it just looks like a wild hog got loose in my room. And the point is that I didn't write a big letter for a weekly update. I'm sorry, fam! I can guarantee that next week will be a nice, juicy letter, though, because I asked my branch pres if I could just keep a list of things I want to say throughout the week and then send it off. He said that would be fine. So I'm going to try and just jot down thoughts and things throughout the week.
But here are some things I can say this week:
- I am leaving for Tahiti in 10 days. It feels so surreal. I am so excited. I am so nervous! It's so weird because I still feel like I have no concept of where I'm headed. I can't even imagine what it's going to look like or feel like, or anything! But I am much more excited than nervous! I wonder what the first meal I eat there will be. Probably fish. Oh! And guess what? This is the scariest thing ever! You know how I HATE chickens?! Like haaaaate chickens? Well apparently there are chickens everywhere! Just roaming around pecking feet! (Actually, I made up the pecking feet thing. But I really am worried about that.) Those are the things I'm worried about. The fish and the chickens. And the fact that I'm not even close to speaking Tahitian. But those are just little things. So it's alright.
- Speaking of Tahitian- it is so hard. If you want to do a fun activity and learn more about speaking Tahitian, try this: Spend 5 minutes trying to teach about the Plan of Salvation without using the words am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, has, have, should, will, or could. Because those words don't exist in Tahitian. Ha ha! It's so crazy! Ít's so cool, though! It's such a sincere language. Nothing fluffy. My favorite Tahitian word is "faahanahanahia." It means "glorified." Doesn't that word just seem glorified?
- So, I love the mission so far. It has been wonderful and fun, and I have learned a lot. I should let you know, though, that it's not always a piece of cake. Everyone says that when they get home, and it's true. The MTC is wonderful most of the time, and a little bit of the time it is so utterly, 100% hard. One day this week I was plain old annoyed. It really was a rough day. Soeur Barker was sick so me and Soeur Green were doing gym in teh hallway of our residence. It was miserable. But then guess what? The other two soeurs came along and started working out with us, and pretty soon we were rolling on the floor, laughing so hard! And I thought, "Friends are the best thing in the world." In the end, friends are all that matter. If you are reading this, it means you're my friend. And I want you to know that I truly, truly love you. I''m so thankful Heavenly Father gave us friends.
Much love! -Soeur Mann
