# 71 - Moorea

People, people!  I have an announcement to make!  I am actually in Paradise at this very moment!  I took a boat this morning on the real, live Pacific Ocean, and I arrived on my sweet island home for the next 6 weeks, the beautiful island of Moorea.  And I LOVE it.  And I love you, too.  We won't forget to say that first thing.  I am just pretty darn stoked to be here.  What a cool blessing to be able to finish my mission in this gorgeous place.  It is totally different from Pirae, where I just was, which is in the city.  Now I am back to true-blue Tahitian living, totally the "island cool" style of life, and I can't wait to put my heart into this area with all I've got until the end.  

The first picture is of where the boat drops you off- on the boat I was excited to be a missionary all by myself, so I tried talking to some people.  The first guy rejected me hard-core.  Shame, because he was from New Zealand, and I thought it would be cool to talk about the gospel in English.  No-go.  But the second man was extremely nice and smiley, and randomly lives right in Pirae, my area I just left.  I bought myself a quiche and ate it with the ocean wind just whippin through my hair and felt 100% happy.

The second photo is of where I actually am in this exact second, and the girl is my wonderful new companion, Soeur Paraurahi, which means "talks a lot."  We get along great so far, and I can see I'm going to love her.

Folks, I would love to write some more things, but I'm a little too excited to be here, and I just want to go explore.  Plus my companion's bike tire just blew up, so we gotta figure that out.  

Family, I was so happy to see you on Christmas, especially Grandma and the Bradleys- good surprise Christmas present!  I love you dearly.  Talking to Mill was especially cool- the one single time we'll both see each other as missionaries. Maybe. Im' pretty sure I'll have a badge on again some day.  Hopefully a couple more times.  Missions are good.

For New Years resolutions, here's my thought- we really can do anything.  Millzie played the piano and sang in Portuguese in front of a billion people in Brazil. (Amelia's Blog) Really, we can do big stuff.  Set cool resolutions this year- life is beautiful!

All my love,
Soeur Mann
(Editor's Note: You can hear about the third picture on February 23rd at 11:00 AM in the Hyde Park 1st Ward.)

#70 - Merry Christmas!

Sorry I didn't write a big letter this week because I'm going to talk to you on Wednesday.  I hope you guys have already watched "It’s a Wonderful Life" - if not, drop everything and do that.  

Jesus Christ is the reason our family is happy and will be together forever.  Our family loves Him so much.  I'm so glad I had these two Christmases away from you, because I will celebrate it differently, at least in my heart, forever.  Have a wonderful Christmas Eve Eve today and a happy, happy day tomorrow.  We have a true reason to celebrate - He lives!

I love you.
Tel

#69 - Peace and Love

Ia ora na, family! For my greeting this week I would like to quote a song I learned on Q92:
"You're the meaning in my life, you're the inspiraaaation... you bring feeling to my life, you're the inspiraaaation!"

Yesterday was a happy, happy, blissful day!  In fact, there were many happy moments this week.  Yesterday was particularly fanstastic because it was our mission Christmas get-together, and they actually brought in ALL the missionaries, from all the islands, and we got to see every single pal with a badge in French Polynesia.  It was truly Christmas.  Something swell is that our MTC group has really just gotten more and more unified over time.  Even while some of us have been out roughin' it in the middle of the ocean, we still have a tight-knit little group, and eating mashed potatoes and stuffing (thank you, couple missionaries) and laughing about MTC memories was one of the cheeriest moments I've had in a while.  It was so good to see each other and see that these missionaries really have become better people over this year.  Still the same funny personalities and stuff, still the same people, but definitely a little better.  I love, love the missionaries in my mission.  Another thought from that- stuff that was not funny in the MTC, like little points of contention and friction, is definitely funny now.  Everything's fine after the fact.  Hard to remember in the moment, but it's true.

Also, this week we got to go to the Temple. I can say with no hesitation that I know the Temple is the House of The Lord.  I felt truly like I was in another spot that isn't here in the middle of the world.  It is a sacred place, and the ordinances performed there are real and true.  Interesting too that last year I felt like a was going to die a little bit after leaving because I was still so stressed and worried about this whole being-a-missionary thing, and this year I was happy to get back to work.  Things get better with time.

Mom and Grandma- I got your Christmas packages, they both arrived safe and sound.  Thank you!!  

Now I would just like to let you know about Soeur Morgan Taylor, who was in the bike accident last week.  I know that there must be lots of people where we live that are aching for her and thinking a lot about her.  I don't know enough details about her condition to say anything on that because I don't want to give false information, but I can tell you that this island has been sending up thousands and thousands of prayers for her.  Our mission fasted together for her, and yesterday we all said a kneeling prayer together for her.  The members here love her so much, and everyone asks about her wherever we go.

I actually had the rare chance to get to visit her in the hospital, which I think was a tender mercy from Heavenly Father so I could let some fellow Cache Valley people know that I have seen her, and that she is being taken care of.  Seeing her was actually a very spiritual experience.  We saw her Sunday afternoon, and she was in a coma while we talked to her, but it was good to be in the room with her and let her know she is loved.  Afterwords Soeur Chytraus and I said a prayer for her, and I felt an enormous peace fill me up.  I'm sending all my love and prayers to her family and all the people in Cache Valley who love her.  What an incredibly hard thing.  I can't imagine how her family must be hurting and worrying.  I do know, and I felt so clearly with her, that it will be okay.  Heavenly Father is in control, He loves her, and He will take care of her and her loved ones.

I love you all dearly.  Thank you for being in my beautiful life.
All my love, 
Soeur Mann

#68 - Salt

Hi, folks!  I love you with all my soul.  

This morning I finally understood a scripture that I think everyone else has understood this whole time, and maybe it wasn't even a correct interpretation, but it gave me a lot of light, so I think it counts no matter what.  I was reading in 3rd Nephi 12:13- "I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor, wherewith shall the earth be salted?"  My whole life I have wondered what Christ was talking about there.  I finally understood thanks to my lunch yesterday, which was an avocado.  Soeur Chytraus kindly shared her avocado with me, and even though it was good plain, it was great with a little salt sprinkled on top.  Today as I read that verse I thought about that salt and how it brought out the delicious flavor of the avocado.

Now I'm going to tell you about another experience I had this week and what that has to do with the salt thing.  Friday after our district meeting, Soeur Chy and I were leaving the chapel to walk back to our house for lunch.  Right as we came out of the chapel gate, I noticed a young girl walking really fast down the sidewalk, and I was so excited to see that it was a cute little girl that I taught in Puurai. I sped over to give her a hug but realized immediately that she was not okay.  She was shaking and crying, and obviously very scared.  I asked her where she was going and she said she was going to walk home to Puurai from Papeete, which is a far too-long distance to walk for a little girl.  I didn't know, but she's been moved to a sort-of foster home now, and that morning a member of her foster family beat her.  They thought she'd stolen a cell-phone, and she hadn't.  She was too scared to go back to the house. It was a literal miracle that I crossed her path right at the moment she was on the sidewalk.  We took her straight in to the chapel, where there is a little self-reliance office and a couple missionary from St. George serving.  We sat with her and held her hand, gave her some water and oranges and got her calmed down.  Our stake president happened to be there, so he came and made some calls and tried to see what he could do.  It was a horrible situation, but I am so thankful that Heavenly Father arranged things so we could take her in.  I felt horrible that there was nothing I could really do because of legal issues, but I promised her that even though she might have some very hard things to go through, Heavenly Father would listen to her prayers and help her like He just had.  Then we had to leave.

As we walked home, I just could not even take it.  I was so burning angry, and so sad.  I went upstairs in our apartment and just cried.  One of the hardest things about my mission has been seeing people hurt.  I hate it.  I was really overcome with how plain sad life is sometimes, and for a moment I felt totally helpless.  But I decided to say a prayer, and that prayer brought filled me up with peace.  I realized that even though the world is a sad place sometimes, the hope of Christ is bigger than that.   A very strange feeling- feeling deeply the need for Christ's atonement and then looking down at your badge and remembering that you are one of His missionaries.  That's a cool feeling.  So we got up and went out and taught one of the best lessons I've ever taught on my mission.  I realized that what I am sharing is the one, the literal only thing, that can make things fully and permanently better.  That's true.  The Savior's Atonement, which completes the beautiful plan of Heavenly Father makes this life make sense.  He is what gives us the hope that we have a reason to live, even when things are hard, and that things will always get better.  For some, and depending on the period of our lives, His love is what pulls us out of the extreme pain of abuse or neglect, and other times it is what pushes us through a stressful day at work.  Either way we need Him.  

So I realize a little better what it means when Christ tells us, His believers, that we are the salt of the earth.  Many people are just trying to get through this life.  It's like a bland avocado- you can do it, you can survive, you can eat and sleep and keep going, because there is no other choice.  But when you know the Savior, you know that this life is so much more than that.  It is rich and deep, and there is a reason we are here.  We are loved.  We belong to God's family, and this experience is to make us more like Him.  

People need to know that.  They need to know that this life is better than they think it is, or at least it's going to get better.  They need to taste the joy of the gospel and get the full vision of this little earth experience.  And we are the salt.  We are there to bring them the message- if we lose our "savor" or our spiritual perspective, we don't serve our purpose.  

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He has a perfect love for us.  He is there. Let's all go sprinkle salt in the lives of those we love and make their lives a little better.

All my love,
Soeur Mann

#67 - That's The Covenant We Made

I just saw The Coolest Thing.  

Hello to all of you, I love you enormously, and The Coolest Thing was a breath-taking hike we just went on to three waterfalls!  My entire mission I haven’t been on one hike, and finally I got to go, and let me tell ya, it was stunning.  Hiking is good for the soul.  In fact, hiking is necessary for my soul, and a hike through the literal jungle of Tahiti just leaves your heart full.  This world is beautiful.  We were sitting there next to a waterfall and I sat down on a rock and had a few minutes to just think for a couple minutes, and I thought about how I am seriously just a speck.  This huge black wall of rock covered in hundreds of thick lush plants and hundreds of gallons of water spilling over it- that's one waterfall out of thousands.  And waterfalls are just one type of amazing, beautiful thing in this world.  I thought about how all I am is just one little 5'4" of creature- two lungs, one heart, not even a big thing in this gigantic universe.  But that didn't make me feel bad.  It just made me want to be kind, calm, just keep living and appreciating how marvelous this whole earth is.  It was a very nature-lovey moment.  And I liked it.  

I loved Mill's Thanksgiving story- yahoo for rainy Thanksgivings!  I also had a swell day, particularly one moment.  We were hiking (okay, I guess that's not true that I don’t hike, seeing's how I hike all over my area everyday) up a big, fat hill to get to our lesson, and I realized that it was about that exact same time you all would be eating pie. Luckily I had the sense to turn around and take a look at the view behind me- the ocean and a huge valley of homes scattering the mountainside.  Lovely.  It started to rain, and I personally love walking barefoot on wet roads.  So I took off my flip-flops.  I pushed my bike all the way up that hill barefoot in the rain and sang, "Marshmallow World in the Winter" to myself.  And parents, don't worry about the walking barefoot thing.  I already know Dad is telling me how dangerous that is.  But it's okay, just talk to Grandma Mann about it.

This week I got to go teach two lessons with Soeur Green, that absolute pal.  We got to this lesson teaching two little girls that own 11 cats.  We started singing our opening hymn and one of the little girls picked up a kitten, held him in the air, and started waving his lil' paws around like he was conducting the song.  For some reason, this really, really cracked me up.  I don't feel like I actually laugh too much on my mission, like little pleasant chuckles, but never laugh really hard.  But I actually had laughing tears in my eyes.  I think part of it was just that I was so happy to be with my best friend, and we both just lost control in the song.  For those who understand this small reference, think "kitten yoga." 

This morning I read an article from last year's December Ensign that talked all about Christ's birth.  For some reason it really struck me today, the story of the nativity.  Think about Mary actually getting to that inn and realizing that she was going to have to give birth to the Savior in a stable, complete with donkeys and dogs and camels and things.  I mean, this really happened.  He was born in a stable.  One of my favorite names of the Savior is Emmanuel- God with us.  He was here with us, and He is still with us.  How comforting that is!  And what does that mean for us?  I think one of the things He taught us is that we need to be with people.  We need to literally put ourselves next to them, physically, and move through their trials with them.  Earlier this week I was with someone who was feeling very sad about the loss of a loved one she lost years ago.  I didn't know what to say.  She left for a minute, and I had these words come very clearly into my mind- "Mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comfort."  That's the covenant we made. That is truly what The Lord asks us to do, and that is why we love Him so much.  He was here with us, in a global sense as a human being on earth, and each of us personally in Gethsemane.  Sometimes it’s hard to plop ourselves down in the middle of a problem, and sometimes it feels very easy to just say, "Well, I'd rather not get involved."  But sometimes that's what we need to do, because people need people.  The Savior, the most glorious person of all, was born in a stable.  Here, with us, and He let Himself get involved even if it was a burden.  Thank heaven He did.

I have an announcement to make- Mom, I would like you to get out your calendar, flip to February 14th, and write, "Make Valentines' sugar cookies with Cail."  Cuz that's exactly what you'll be doing!  I learned my return date this week, and I will be flying home February 11th, most likely arriving the 12th.  And I feel very, very content.  10 weeks is a perfect amount of time.  I have 10 weeks to love my beautiful island and serve with all of my heart right to the end.  And then I'm going to come home.  And I will be so, so happy to be home, too.

Because I love you.  So very much!  Even though I'm just a little tiny thing in this universe, just two lungs and one heart, pretty much a speck, I have people I love forever, and that means everything.  Life is beautiful!

All my love,
Soeur Mann

#66 - Legit

Hello, Dearest Familia!  How's everybody doing this balmy, sunny Thanksgiving week?  Oh, wait.  That's just me.  Sorry!  I love you guys more than all the water in the whole ocean X 100.  I love you.

What a week I just lived.  Right now I am very healthy and happy and living well.  And I'm grateful for that, because the start of this week was a little rough.  I can tell you that because it's over, and now everything's great.  This week I caught the dreaded "Zika" virus.  That's right!  I came down with a mosquito-borne epidemic virus on my mission!  I'm a legit missionary!  Apparently this sickness is sweeping the South Pacific, and it's just this weird new little thing.  What it does is give you a fever and a sick all-over-body rash and achey joints and stuff.  But then you get better after four days!  Soeur Chytraus and I both got it, so that made for a very non-productive week of missionary work. 

I know this sounds cliche, but it really did make me grateful for my health.  I think sometimes you need a good swoop of sickness to remind you how marvelous it is to have a body that can hop on a bike and ride up a hill anytime you want.   

During the illness, I had a very, very odd experience.  So, Thursday night I was laying on my bed being miserable.  I could not sleep because I was so achey, and I was just sitting there in the dark kicking my legs and not sleeping.  Things were particularly bad because for some reason I thought that removing my mattress would help my back, so I was basically laying on a hard board, loosing my mind.  Out of nowhere, my companion started to laugh very hard.  I hope this doesn't embarrass her, but she was sleep-laughing.  That was already kind of startling and upsetting.  But to make things even freaky-er, in that exact moment something caught my eye.  I look to my left and our stinking cat is sprinting up my mattress, which is leaned against the wall.  Hard board.  Companion laughing.  Wild cat in my room.  None of these events were actually related, but at 3:00 AM it seemed like they were.  I wasn't happy about it.  

But that moment passed, and it made for a very funny conversation the next morning.  But the cat's cuteness-level took a real hit.  I don't care who you are, if you are a feline, you can't come in my house.  I have been having hard feelings towards her for a couple days.  Imagine my delight two nights ago when we came home and found what curled up behind our garbage can?  Two tiny newborn kittens. 

Anyhoo, it's good to have little adventures.  Its makes for some good stories, and it adds a little spice to life.  I was thinking today about how infinitely interesting life is when you pay attention to the small things, like kittens and non-achey knees.  Life is good. 

It is Thanksgiving week, and I am a little sad that I wont be there to hold up my three corn kernels at Grandma's and eat the marshmallows off all the yams.  But I am just fine.  Because this is where I'm at, and I am blessed.  And the fact that you are all there, still you, still my family, means that no matter where I am, I have every reason to be perfectly grateful.

And most of all, I want to say that I am grateful for our Savior.  I am so thankful that Someone loves me enough to forgive me every single time I ask, and that He understands me. I am thankful for His perfect example and His perfect love in guiding me there, even when I fall very short.  He loves us still, fully and truly.  That alone is enough.  Life is beautiful.

I love you!  
Soeur Mann

#65 - The Roller Coaster

Hi, guys.  I love you.

It was another week on what I sometimes call in my head "The Hawaiian Roller-Coaster Ride."  (Even though I'm actually in Tahiti.)  Up, down, all around, havin' fun, wanting to vomit, a real experience.  We had a wonderful, wonderful moment on Saturday evening- two baptisms that night, and it went very well.  One of the girls is 14 years old, named Poeragni. The very first time we taught her, I started to tell her about prayer and my heart felt like it was on fire.  She was listening so hard, and I knew she believed it.  She was so pretty in white, and we were thrilled to see all the young women in the ward at her sides the whole night, so excited to welcome her and support her.  The other lady is named Marilyn, and she is the friend of literally everyone.  It's funny because all the missionaries in our zone go to each others' baptisms, just to be there for one another and talk to investigators and stuff, but the night of Marilyn's baptism, you could have said that every single companionship was there for "their" investigator, because every single one of us has taught this lady at some point or another.  She's kind of the ultimate ward-hopper, and she's somehow taken lessons with us all.  So finally, finally, we all got to see her reach her dream of being baptized.  Cute thing- Soeur Green and I gave the talks.  Who would have thought that one day we would both be giving the talks at the same baptism?  It was such a happy night.

I love the bike ride home at night.  It takes about 10-15 minutes to bike into our area from our houses, so every evening we have that little bike ride home, and I enjoy every minute.  I like to ride my bike with no hands and try to impress the people we pass.  I also like to sing.  I like to see how beautiful palm trees are when they are lit up by streetlights.  I love that I have a group of friends that says hi to me every night who are actually literal drug dealers, but we can still be friends anyway.  I love to finish the day knowing that no matter how I feel or how I did, I tried to do something that mattered.  Sometimes the ups and downs come, but one thing is constant, and it's that I honestly know that what I am trying to do and trying to say is good and true.  And that is enough to make this work extremely worthwhile.  

-Every day I put mango oil in the ends of my hair.  I don't know if it actually does anything, but it makes me feel like an island princess.
- Couple missionaries are the most wonderful people alive.  We've had a couple times where no one was signed up to provide us with dinner and we didn't really have anything to eat, so I got up the guts to call my wonderful mission mom, Soeur Hemming, and ask if maybe...possibly... she had anything to eat?  That's what mission living does to ya. No shame.  And of course she came over with a delicious plate of homemade Mexican food.  Heaven.  My husband better believe that we are going on a mission one day, and I am taking care of all the missionaries, just like they do for me.
- We had this odd little miracle happen the other day.  Miracle/joke.  Both are great.  We were just contacting in this neighborhood and this guy yells over, "Come talk to me!  I want to learn, too!"  He seemed to be a little under-the-influence, so we said, alright, we'll come by on Friday afternoon.  He gave us his name, which is Ardonick Barff.  So on Friday we ride over there and we don't know where he actually lives, so we just asked the first person we saw, "Do you know where Ardonick Barff lives?" This old papi with a baseball hat on.  And he says, "Yes.  That's me."  Imagine our confusion.  Turns out that he really is the only guy named that in the neighborhood, so whether it be a miracle or a practical joke, we found him.  And we are teaching him, and he is a sweetheart!  We sang him "Nearer My God To Thee" the other day, and now he wants us to sing every time we see him.  Tonight he is coming to FHE- God works in mysterious ways.

Big lesson I learned/am learning this week: Forgive easily and instantly, and don't worry about whose fault stuff is.  Fault doesnt matter in the end. Difficult thing to master, but it's the way we're all getting into heaven.

Dad- Happy Birthday, my best friend!  You are my hero.  

I love you all forever and ever!
All my love,
Soeur Mann

#64 - A Year on the Island

Family, every time I read your letters I seriously feel like I have just drink...en? I don't know how to say that.  I feel like I just drank a big old glass of agua.  It just fills up my soul.  Seriously it's like a little piece of my brain lights up that only lights up when the people you love most talk to you.  I love you so much.  I'm so thankful for you.  And I am so, so thankful that Millzy puts socks on her head and does Sméagol impressions in Brazil.  What an absolute champion.  That's exactly why I like you guys.  

The big news from the island this week:
- There are two cats living at our house.  They have been living there, without even paying rent, for about two weeks.  They are both orange and kind of cute, and they drive me nuts/bring me great joy.  They are always, always there.  I don't know why they chose us, but they have completely settled in.  I talk to them just like I talk to Lizzie, and my companion finds that humorous.  Normally I think I would kind of hate that there are two stray cats slinking around, but I actually do love coming home at night and having two buddies just sitting there on the porch waiting for us.  
- Thank you for the birthday gifts!  Grandma Mann, thank you, thank you, thank you for being so kind.  Your package was so nice- I eat those mentos so slowly.  I seriously think, "Grandma touched this package of mentos..." and eat one at a time.  I know exactly whom I'm going to give the two beautiful handkerchiefs to, too!  Two sweet women who worked with me all the time in Oremu.  They will cherish them.  Thank you so much, Grandma! And to the family- never has cereal, milk, and a funnies section touched someone's heart so deeply.  Seriously.  It's kind of like when Dad gave me a bag of chocolate chips for Christmas- it doesn't seem like much, but there's so much meaning behind it.  I loved it.  Thank you! 
- My birthday was so lovely.  The day was completely normal, and I didn't expect that we would do anything different, but that evening we got to our ward member's house where we were supposed to eat dinner.  This lady is named Stella, and she has been like the "missionary mom" for 16 years.  She's amazing.  We pull up on our bikes and all the lights were out, so I kind of suspected something.  Her husband called us in, and when they flipped on the lights, all the elders from our zone and a group of young adults from the ward were waiting to surprise me!  We had a great dinner and the girls from the ward did this amazing Tahitian dance.  My companion helped arrange the whole thing.  Amazing that no matter where we go, there are friends.  Also, I am determined to learn to move my hips like a Tahitian.  They ALL know how to do it.  They assure me that I'll be able to learn.  It really was such a fun night, just a pleasant, happy moment.
- This past week also marked my one year anniversary of being on the island.  What a crazy thing.  I have never, ever lived such a full, rich year of life.  I tried to kind of reflect on the past year as a whole, and it made me feel a bit dizzy.  I bet every missionary feels like that when they try and look back.  Too much to even really try and think about at once, but it's been wonderful.  Rich is definitely a good word for it.  I think one of the biggest overall things that's been engraven on me over the past year is the fact that doing the right thing is not a question of want or convenience.  You must try to do what's right, no matter what.  And it isn't always the easiest or the most fun, but that's not part of the question.  When we just try to do what's right, we find peace.  And peace is worth much more than fun or convenience.  
- Last night we were talking to the non-member husband of a lady in our ward.  He made us some delicious ginger-spicey vegetable stuff with pork and we ate a good meal and then got talking about the gospel.  It was an interesting conversation.  He believes in God a little, but He doesn't believe in organized religion because he says we really can't go around predicting things or acting like we know about stuff we've never seen.  I asked him what he thought will happen after this life and he replied, "No idea."  He doesn't believe in anything, really.  He thinks we ought to just live one day at a time, and we'll just see what happens.  Frankly, my knowledge on the topic of what happens after this life is only about one degree broader than his.  I don't really have a clue what will happen, exactly.  But I have a few very simple, basic truths in my heart.  I know that I will be with you guys.  How, where we will be, what we're gonna wear, if we can eat food... I have no idea.  But I know that what we have is real.  It's not just going to disappear out of nowhere.  It's going to last forever, and so that gives meaning to what we're doing.  It means we really do need to be nice to each other, be patient and humble, and be grateful.  The love between people is all we have, and everything else, literally everything else, is just extra stuff.  I know that families are eternal.  You guys are my best friends forever and ever, and therefore my life, and your lives, matter.  What we do matters.  How we treat each other matters.  And that is why we must seek after the gospel and live it.  

I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and I love all of you.  I am thankful, thankful, thankful for life.  It is beautiful.

All my love, Soeur Mann

#63 - 23 Full Trips

Hello, to one and all!  I would just like to say that my favorite food might be mangos.  I am eating a mango right now, and it is so. so. good.  It is candy.  Let's all take a moment and be glad that this earth naturally produces something as good-tasting as a mango.  Brilliant.

I would also like to say that I still love you, I care about you so much, and I can't believe I am the luckiest person in the world.  I really am amazed and humbled and not grateful enough for the people in my life.  I thought a lot this morning especially about you, Mom and Dad, and all of my grandparents.  Last week when I wrote my email I was talking about some struggles I had in the beginning of my mission, but I want you to know that I got through that thanks in large part to you and all that you taught me.  I've met so many people that have overcome enormous difficulties and endured very hard childhoods, and I just simply have been so incredibly blessed in my life.  I'm so thankful for the happiness I've had, which comes from the good people who loved me and taught me.  I was thinking today about specific moments when I remember being taught important truths and hearing the testimonies of each one of you.  I love you.  Thank you.

Perhaps you will remember an email I wrote a long time ago about an old, skinny papi named Papi Vaea that we taught who didn't really listen to us too much and always seemed a little put-out by our presence, but who also had a little twinkle of "I love you" in his eyes.  Well a little while ago I got the phone call from my bishop from my old ward letting me know that Papi had passed away.  It's funny how thinking about the Plan of Salvation every day influences your thoughts, because the first thing I thought was just, "Oh, Papi... what is he even doing right this very second?"  Funny and wonderful to know that he really is just alive somewhere, still being himself.  The very sweet part of this story is this: Right before he passed away, some of Papi Vaea's last words were about two missionaries that came and talked to him about good things.  He told his family that the birthday he passed with the missionaries was one of the best birthdays he'd ever had.  When I thought back to that birthday, I remembered how Soeur D'agnillo and I were running around, super busy, but we knew that we had a visit with him, a baptismal interview for a baptism that never happened because he never could quit smoking.  We pulled over at a little store and grabbed these little hostess cake things on our way up the hill.  That night we just ate the little cakes with him, sang happy birthday, and told him we loved him.  It was the simplest, most unimpressive birthday celebration.  But a few months later, long after I'd forgotten about it, it came back to me, and it turns out that that tiny act turned out to be one of the happiest moments of the end of someone's life.   

I thought a lot about him, because he was someone that was kind of frustrating at times.  At the end of my time serving in Oremu, we didn't really see him too often because he seemed to make just about zero "progress"- he never came to church, he never really understood our French, and the poor guy, after 30 years or something, just couldn't beat the smoking thing.  So we didn't really teach him much because we didn't feel like we were bringing any good changes in his life.  But Bishop's call made me re-think about what "progress" is or what it means to be effective when it comes to being a disciple of Christ.  Of course, being a full-time missionary, I really am here to help people move forward and change, and I know that's my objective.  But in the end, for all of us, we're not really here to judge other people's progress or place a value on their time.  What matters is just being nice.  That's all.  Whether people change or come-around or progress, that's between them and God.  But everyone deserves our kindness, no matter what.  I'm excited for the next time I get to see Papi, give him a hug, and see what he's become.  Be he converted or not, I love him.

As far as the work is going, let me tell ya.  Things are going great.  I am loving, loving working with my new ward.  We have been seeing the missionary spirit and enthusiasm climbing up this past week, and already I can sense that there will be great things happening here very soon.  Delegation is key, it turns out.  And love, too.

Thanks for the birthday wishes- I'm very pleased to have made almost a full 23 trips around the sun now.  23 trips around the sun, lots more to make, and then living on and on forever- I'm alive!  How wonderful!  Life is beautiful.

All my love,
Soeur Mann

#62 - Don't Miss The Point

Dear Family,
I don't know how this happened, but apparently my letter did not get sent last week!  It was just sitting here in my drafts box- awfully sorry!  

Guys!  I am having a happy life over here!  I love you, times infinity and forever.  I love you so much.

Well, as always, we are just being flexible, and things have changed in a major way, just as they seem to every two weeks.  Last night we had another little transferoo, and I am no longer with Soeur Ariioehau, but with Soeur Chytraus, who is flat-out fantastic.  She is from San Diego/ Orange County, and she is full of great ideas and a huge testimony.  I'm still in my new area of Pirae, and I really love it.  This area is very different from my other two, and I'm grateful that I have been able to serve in three very distinct, different types of areas.  This one has a lot of apartment buildings, which is a whole other ball-game.  We also have not very many investigators, so we are just goin' around trying to talk to everyone.  It's very adventurous.  Yesterday I was kinda like... I have no idea what to do right now.  Sunday afternoon, it was drizzling a bit, we have nothing scheduled for the next 4 hours, and not a soul is outside.  I prayed that Heavenly Father would please help us find someone to talk to.  I look up, and viola, a man from our ward's head pops up from his window at the top of their apartment building.  We say hello and stuff and then he asks, "So, are you two coming up, or what?"  So we went up and talked to them about how missionary work is going at their house and they are going to talk to three people this week and invite them to take discussions.  Lovely.  Prayer answered.

I would like to respond to a few emails I received, and I would also like to congratulate you all on sending what I believe was the best batch of emails I ever received on my mission.  Seriously this was a great week for the letter department.  

1- Dad went to Why Sound.  What a cool bishop.  Ha ha!  Seriously, that cracked me up and did my soul good.  I wonder if I'll come home and see Dad in skinny jeans and a flannel shirt when I get back.  That would be fun.  And I loved the picture of Bill the Buffalo which reminded me of an important lesson you taught me- Buffalo, Bison.  Saaaame thing.  Doesn't even matter what you call it.  That whole idea is very important.

2- Mom, your email was beautiful.  Thank you, Mom.  That thought you shared from Mark 8 really touched me.  Heavenly Father and the Savior just want to help us.  Period.  Why do we always forget that there are literally People, all-powerful, Who loves us and just want to help us?  I don't really know why we forget so often, but I know that the moments we remember and really let that sink into our hearts, are the moments when life feels right.  I was thinking yesterday about why the heck Satan is so obsessed with tempting people.  Why does he even care? Here is what I think- one of the biggest differences between God and Satan, good and bad, happiness and sadness, is the fact that the One is thinking about others, and the other is thinking about himself.  All God wants us to help us.  All Satan can think about is proving that he's right, making himself look good, and proving something.  God isn't really trying to prove anything.  He's just trying to help.

Can somebody look up a program called Teach New York's Brightest?  I used to always hear radio ads about it. I think maybe after I graduate I will move to NYC and teach New York's brightest.  I don't know, but I loved your after-mission goals list, Dad.  Some of mine- learn to play guitar, run a marathon.  One of the first ones- hold a baby.  Seriously, I hate that we can't hold babies. I dont even care what baby, I just hope that the second I get released, someone hands me one.

I was really happy to hear that you guys took a little drive and went to Aggie Ice Cream and stuff.  The beginning of my mission I stressed so much all the time. I made myself crazy running around trying to be diligent and obedient, but it just made me sick. I've read quite a few quotes and talks lately that talk about Christ and how He wasn't running around frantically trying to accomplish the greatest amount of good possible.  Every moment He spent with people was special.  I started thinking and meditating during one of my studies about the moment I will get to touch the prints in His hands.  I really will have that moment.  Really. I want to hug Him.  I want to stay with Him and talk with Him, cuz He loves me most and I want to BE with Him.  I think the brief moment I got to serve with Soeur Ariioehau was done on purpose- she reminded me to enjoy this, to relax, to laugh and talk with people.  Love is about enjoying things together, about being present.  I'm taking a bit of a different approach these last couple months- always diligent, constantly serving, but as a representative of Christ, I'm going to try and really make people feel special.  I'm going to let myself enjoy it all, because that's what this is about.  Happy moments together with people we love aren't cliche, and they shouldn't be rare.  If we aren't doing that, we're missing the point.  

I love life.  I love this beautiful thing we're doing!  God lives.  He is there to help us- let's not forget that.
All my love, 
Soeur Mann 

#61 - Redirect

Sorry, no letter from this Sister Mann.  Here are links to the other Sister Mann and our spirit sister, Sister King.  
http://sisterameliamann.blogspot.com/ 
http://sistercourtneyking.blogspot.com/

#60 - Didn't Eat One, But I Did See One

Well, hello, everyone.  I love you.

This week was one of the strangest and definitely funniest weeks of my mission.  So the old companionship of elders that used to be in our area got split-up- one of them went out to the outer islands, and the other, Elder Martinson, stayed here because he is finishing his mission tomorrow, so he just stuck around in our area for the week to show us around.  He stuck with an RM in our ward, who recently got back from Australia, and who also happens to be quite possibly the funniest person that lives on this island.  So this week we were a foursome- two elders and two sisters!  Ha ha!  If only you guys could understand what I lived this week...  

First of all, remember when I said last week that my area is made entirely of hills.  Well that was a lil' understatement.  These are mountains, people.  Well, no, not by Utah standard.  But the point I want to make is that our sector is ridiculous on a bike.  And I LOVE it.  That's not like a fake, trying-to-be-positive statement.  Seriously, my soul is rejoicing.  It is so, so good to be on a bike, getting the blood pumping again.  I worked out more this week than I have in the past 7 months combined! I got my old tan lines back, and I'm lovin it.  And it was all the more fun this week with the combination of the two elders and my companion.  I believe I also laughed more this past week than in the last 7 months.  We named every single dog we saw.  There are a lot of dogs here.  

The area is fantastic.  I'm guessing I will probably finish here, but you never know.  There are not a lot of investigators in progress here, like basically three.  We have a big job to do, but it will be great.  Working on a bike is a lot different- I forgot how much that changes things.  We're going to have to be a little creative in order to find work in the evenings, cuz we can't really just wander around on our bikes once it's dark, but that will work out.  

Something that I forgot to tell you a couple weeks ago that is very important is that I saw a whale.  Not quite the same level as Court, who actually ate one, but it was seriously amazing!  One day I will also tell you about how I touched a whale bone and how whales kind of became the personal theme of my mission, but for now I will just tell you that I stood at the harbor and saw with my very own eyes a real, live whale spout water out of its head in a fountain of glory!  It was fantastic!

Do we really realize how fascinating the Book of Mormon is?  Ive been trying lately to really just internalize the story of the BOM, truly think about how these people felt and how they looked and spoke and everything, and suddenly this book is just fascinating.  Perhaps one of the greatest blessings of my mission is the testimony I've gained of the truth of the Book of Mormon.  If you want to know if it's true, you read it, pray and think about it.  Sometimes the things of greatest value actually do have a very small cost.

Just a last little detail, a sweet thing that happened this week. Bishop from Oremu called me just to check up and see how all was going.  Today when I got on my email he'd forwarded tons of pictures and videos he'd taken while I served there, complete with little commentaries.  Leaving the area didn't mean goodbye forever!

Life is beautiful!  Father in Heaven loves us.  We can always pray to Him.
All my love,
Soeur Mann

#59 - Broken Yet Full

Dear Good People of My Life,

Here is something I learned last night- your heart can be totally broken and perfectly full at the same time.  You know when something happens to you, and you just want so badly for everyone you love to understand how you felt because you want to share it, but you know that there's no way you'll ever be able to explain it well enough?  That's how last night was. 

It was my last night in Oremu, and we had a little last visit with a couple of the people I love most in this world.  It was exactly where I wanted to spend my last moments in the sector- outside around the table in Mami Naomi's garage thing.  I took a moment to just share my testimony and then everyone else shared their testimony, too.  Michel and Moana were there, and one of my best friends here, Thyronn, the one I sent a picture of the other week.  I just can't explain what it meant to me to hear everyone's testimony.  It meant the world.  It was simply soul-filling.  Bishop, who will forever be one of the heroes of my life, gave me some wonderful life counsel.  Two words etched on my heart- "Tapea paari"- fight to the end. 

When we were driving back home I just cried and cried, and I had kind of that same feeling you always get when there's some big life change, like graduating from high school or breaking up with somebody.  I seriously felt like my heart was breaking.  But I felt that sweet feeling that comes in those moments- the absolute assurance that no matter what, no matter what changes or happens in my life, I will always have my Heavenly Father with me.  Always, always, He will be with me, He will understand me, and He will take care of me.  I felt deeply in my heart the love of a Father, and I needed it so much.  And then I had the thought come to me that a couple people in Oremu, Tahiti, now have that same thing.  No matter where they go or what happens in their lives, now they know that Heavenly Father and the Savior are there.  That means everything.The chance to come here and share that knowledge with people is the best thing that has ever happened to me.  That's the epitome of satisfaction- to know that your efforts gave someone eternal good. 

I've been so anxious about leaving the area, so worried about whether I had done enough, and whether I was happy with myself, I've seriously been so worried about it.  I know that I have made lots of mistakes just like every missionary.  I don't really know what to think about that stuff, I'm just glad I believe in the kindness and perfect mercy of Christ to make up for our short-comings.  And wonderfully, and thanks entirely to my testimony of those things, I can happily say that I feel perfect peace.  I have left my heart in Oremu.  I love them.  Forever and ever, they are now I part of my life, and I care about them.  What an amazing thing to be a missionary.  It's different from any other thing.  It's not like other friends you make 'uz you hang out with them and eat pizza.  Its true, real, love and concern for these peoples' well-being.  It is beautiful, and all the scriptures about the joy of this work are true. 

I want everyone to know that I love the Lord. God is good.  He has brought me here, sustained me, and given me more happiness than I ever thought possible.  I love Him!  I love Him, and I thank Him. 

And I love that I still have at least four months to be a missionary!  I want to give my whole heart to it all the way to the end.  My new area is called Pirae, which is just next-door to Papeete.  I'm with Sœur Ariioehau, who is, as Mom would say, "a serious character," and just a crack-up.  We're going to have so much fun.  And I'm back in the saddle again!  As in, I've returned to my trusty ol' green bike after 7 months in a car.  And my area is made entirely of hills.  Wahoo!  That'll do me good.

You know what the biggest message I got from conference was?  Just do it.  It's interesting how everyone gets a different message out of conference depending on what they need or are looking for.  But the feeling I got from the prophets was one of just be brave and do what's right.  Its a principle I've been thinking about a lot because I'm currently reading in Alma about the 2000 stripling warriors.  I have been really struck by this story lately, specifically one episode in chapter 56- Helaman and all the young warriors have been trying to just get away from the Lamanite armies, trying to lead them away by running and running, constantly just trying to get away.  Eventually Helaman realizes something- They cant keep running.  They have to fight. I tried to really imagine this as it really happened- I thought a lot about how Helaman feels about this group of young men. He seriously loves them.  As you read in the chapter, he calls them his little sons multiple times.  What did he seriously feel when he knew that he had to take them into battle, fearing that these innocent young men might all be killed?  He must have spent a moment alone in prayer, and he must have cried.  And then, feeling the worst he has probably ever felt, he goes out to his group of soldiers and asks: 

"Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?
 45 And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen aso great bcourage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.
 46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.
 47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
 48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.
 49 And it came to pass that I did return with my two thousand against these Lamanites who had pursued us."

Sometimes we have to stop running and just turn around and fight.  But here is the best part!

 "55 And now it came to pass that when they had surrendered themselves up unto us, behold, I numbered those young men who had fought with me, fearing lest there were many of them slain.
 56 But behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength"

We can win our battles!  When you read later in the story you realize that every single one of these soldiers was injured.  Doing the right thing doesnt mean it wont be hard or painful.  But we can overcome anything.  We just have turn around and face them with faith.

Thank you for being the good people of my life. 
All my love,
Sœur Mann

#58 - Work

Hello, all of you! I love you!

Last week President Durrant sent out a letter to all the missionaries in our stake.  I love President Durrant so much.  Twice I have gotten a letter from him on my mission, and twice it has been completely inspired.  He talked about seeking a "spiritual adventure" on our missions.  I love this idea.  This week I tried to have a spiritual adventure, which meant seeking for opportunities to grow spiritually in the middle of whatever the situation was.  It was such a satisfying, lovely experiment.  I'm going to keep going with it!  Here was my method:  When I started to feel distracted, like thinking about home, or just wanting to get out of an awkward or hard moment, I would pray for one of our investigators.  And you know what's so cool?  All the prayers I've been saying for investigators not only helped me stay focused, they actually brought real results into their lives.  Literal miracles popping up!  We have one investigator whom I love so much.  His name is Charles, and this week we saw a visible change in his countenance.  Out of nowhere he just is doing so great- he's been changing his habits and started praying, and you can literally see a difference in him, just by looking at him.  Oddly all of that happened in one week where we didn't even see him.  But during that week, I'd been praying often that Heavenly Father would help him move forward.  And He did.  Prayer is real.

And speaking of prayer, here is another insight I found this week.  So yesterday I was feeling, as we would say in Tahiti, "fiu."  That's Tahitian for, basically sick of everything.  Okay, we're just gonna be real here.  Sometimes when you are on your mission you get a little fed up with stuff.  And for a minute, I was feeling fed up with having to deal with problems.  I felt like I was always having to arrange things and fix things and yada yada.  Then I had this thought come to me:

John 5:17- But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

I'd read this scripture earlier on my mission and been struck by it, and then yesterday it came back to mind.  I realized something- God is working all the time for us!  Think of all the prayers He is answering all the time. I realized that when we ask Heavenly Father to help us with our problems, He actually has to do something.  Its not like we ask and then He does nothing, and then it happens.  Knowing that He does all things by laws of science and intelligence, He must actually have to work pretty hard to answer all these prayers.  I think He is probably constantly in a state of arranging things and fixing things and planning things, and yet He always has time to just listen and be kind.  God is never "fiu" of us.  He is never put-out by our constant requests for help.  How incredible.  And so I felt pretty humbled and then I tried to just be nice and keep helping and not complain in my head about just having to do what I came here to do.  And I felt much happier.  I love Heavenly Father so much.  I'm so thankful He is constantly kind.

This picture is of our wonderful investigator, Heitiare, and her sister, Tea.  This girl is gold.  Never have I taught someone so truly open and faith-filled and ready to learn.  She's the one I wrote about last week that lives in the little house on stilts with no electricity.  She is just so humble and sincere.  At our last lesson Tea, the one holding the ukelele, sang us a song in Tahitian, and I just adored that moment.  Also, as she was singing, I really wanted to record her song, but lately my camera wont record videos.  It keeps saying, "Card Won''t Read" or something.  But I wanted to record it so bad, so I said a one-second prayer and just asked Heavenly Father to please fix the camera real fast so I could just get her song.  He did.

Well, folks, looks like this week will be my last week in Oremu and Puurai.  I saw my mission president today, and he didn't say where I will be going or with whom, but he said I will be transferred next week.  What a crazy mix of emotions.  I have been in this area since February, and it has truly become a second home.  I love Oremu.  Some of the people here have truly left an imprint on my heart forever.  I am going to miss it desperately.  It doesn't seem real that after this week, I will probably never see these people again.  I will never walk down the road  towards the sunset and look out to the island of Moorea and watch the kids fly their kites by the garages.  I won't sit around the table on little broken stools and talk with my sweet bishop, Bishop Tahuhuharagni, about faith and miracles and the Atonement.  I won't walk into the chapel and give high fives to all the ridiculous young men that have become my little brothers.  Oh, nelly, I am going to miss it. But I am ready for another adventure, too!  And I can't believe that I got to be the luckiest girl in the world for seven months and that my little Cache Valley life got to be infused with this beautiful, wonderful place.  I am thankful forever and ever that I got to be here.  

Now for some more pictures!  I will just send them in multiple letters with the descriptions:

1.  Group of boys- these little punks are the best.  During their two week vacation they worked on this "faapuu"- they are building themselves a little work out station with pull up bars and stuff, just in the property across from the Relief Society President's house.  I caught them while they were taking a little break.  

2. These guys think they are so cool.  They are just our investigators in the hood that we love so much.  The one on the left is getting baptized next month!

3.  A little family we are teaching that I LOVE!  And baby Heiva, the little girl's face cracks me up every time I look at this picture.

Alright, folks, gotta go!  I love you forever!  

-Soeur Mann

#57 - A Wonderful Story

Hi, guys!  I love you!

I only have time to tell one story today, but it's a wonderful story. This morning I woke up really early just by coincidence, like 5 AM'ish, and I noticed something wonderful.  The usual wretched chorus of  a million chickens squawking their beaks off was not happening.  Instead, I could only hear the sound of rain hitting the roof. For once in their lives, the chickens shut their beaks.  And from that blissful moment on, this day has been fabulous.  I guess chickens don't squawk when it rains?  

But wait, that is only the beginning, because afterwords it got even better, much better.  So everyday we go running down to the harbor and look at all the big ships out in the bay and it is the best way to wake up in the world.  But throw in the fact that it is down-pouring rain, and the whole thing just gets infinitely more fun.  We ran in the rain today!  Not just ran, but danced and splashed and thrived in the beautiful, water-covered town of Papeete, Tahiti.  No one was out, so I ran into the middle of the city plaza, laid on the pavement, and let the rain hit me.  Is that appropriate for a missionary to do?  It is if the only people around are some maintenance workers, I say.  And then I ran over to the boardwalk because for the first time, one of the boats was pulled up right next to the harbor- within touching-distance.  So I ran up and smacked that boat with a big high-five!  It came all the way here from Kingston, Jamaica!  And then I tap danced in the water, and I wanted to jump into the ocean so, so bad cuz the sky and the ocean looked like one big huge same gray, pretty thing, but I didn't jump in cuz I am obedient.  But I may as well have for how drenched I was.

Oh, it was beautiful.  Such an invigorating, change of pace, happy, alive moment.  There are such good, surprising moments that pop up sometimes.  When I got back home I thought about how Mom and Dad sometimes just do the coolest things like taking us to Imogene Heap concerts by surprise or picking up donuts just for fun.  Heavenly Father is our Father, too.  Sometimes He just gives us plain old great things, simply because He loves us and He wants us to be happy.  I love Him, and I love you, and I love life.  It is beautiful!

With all my heart,
Soeur Mann

#56 - The truth is, we are all just trying.

Hello, good people of the earth!  I am still here on this island, you are all still where you are, and we all still love each other!  Hoorah!  

I don't feel like writing a real-life letter, I feel like just saying whatever I want to say.  You guys can just pretend we're all sitting down at the table eating Mom's stir-fry, and I'm doing my rambling thing.

- The other day day we tried to make cookies to take to our Relief Society to inspire them through sweets to do missionary work.  It was such an ordeal.  It was so hard to find ingredients.  We ended up making cupcakes.  Also an ordeal.  It was literally the first time I have turned an oven on in a year.  And you guys know how I am in the kitchen.  But in the end, things worked out, and things in that ward are seriously picking up.  Sometimes you just have to be a little creative about the tactic.

- Our garage is situated in literally the worst-planned little driveway area ever.  You basically back up into a wall.  When we first moved in, I thought I was doomed.  I had to do 20-point turn-about things every single morning to get the car out of the garage, and it was so frustrating.  Now I back up in one clean swipe, no turn-abouts necessary.  With time and thinking and practicing, seriously everything gets easier.  We are never doomed.

- I love to wear Soeur Green's clothes.  I'm sending a picture of our activity earlier today- my companion and I made tarts with one of our wonderful investigators, Ranitea.  The one picture is of her and her home and a little neighbor child climbing on the roof.  Kids here spend time on their roofs.  I feel like the King family could appreciate that.  I just want to bring those kids some saltines, ranch and a newspaper.  The second photo is me and my beautiful, fantastic companion, Soeur Bradshaw and Ranitea.  I love my companion more and more every day.  And also, I am wearing Soeur Green's clothes in it. We all just share clothes now.  Don't even have to ask if you can borrow it.  True sisters!

- Had a beautiful lesson last night with a humble, good person.  We found her just by awkwardly opening our mouths and trying to talk.  Sometimes our conversations are so inspired, and sometimes they are kinda choppy, heartfelt, not-so-great efforts.  We just saw this couple walking out of a little store and were basically like, "Hi! Uh, we're missionaries!... Do you want to talk to us?"  Good news is, Heavenly Father helps out when we aren't so pro.  We set up a lesson and last night we went over.  Their home is a tiny little wood house on stilts, and they have no electricity.  The wife stayed and talked to us, and it was one of the best conversations I've had on my mission.  Something I am getting better at (besides the occasional awkward first contact) is realizing that this whole thing is just people, and we are just talking about real stuff.  I'm kinda ditching the outline I feel like I always follow and really trying to speak by the Spirit, and when you just talk to someone sincerely, you end up telling them all the important stuff anyway.  She felt the Spirit touch her heart, and so did we.  Just a quiet, good conversation among the banana trees.

- I got Grandma's letter that said Mike and Trina are buying a new house!  I hope they save their old house for me.  I've always loved that home.  I actually think of it when I think of my future home, complete with all the nice photos and pillows and books.  That will be odd to come home and go somewhere different!  I might cry, like I cried when Grandma got new cabinets in her kitchen.  Just kiddin'.  I handle change a little better now.  :)  

- And speaking of Trina and co., I would just like to say that I love our family so very much.  All of them.  I hope I get some pictures soon of all the cousins, 'cuz that's what I most want to see.

- The other night one of our recent converts asked us to come over and he told us that he had messed up.  He was heartbroken, because for the first time since his baptism, he really felt like he'd done something bad.  He started apologizing to us because he thought we would be so disappointed and mad at him.  Well, first of all, no one really is supposed to confess anything to the missionaries.  But I understood that he just needed to get it out, and he was so full of regret and embarrassment   And my heart just filled up with love.  Not even one drop of, "How could you do that?  We've worked so hard with you!  How could you fall back into that?!"  Not one drop.  All I felt was the pure love that comes from someone who knows exactly how it feels to fall into bad habits over and over, and to continually rely on the Savior to get back out.  We all are the same.  I just felt nothing but compassion.  Later we talked about it in the car, and I just marveled at the fact that my companion had also had the same experiences.  The truth is, we are all just trying.  What a beautiful, crazy, perfect plan.  Father just put us all here to try together.  We are all just figuring this out, and when we are doing good, we have to lend a hand.  And when we are doing bad, we need to let our brothers and sisters pull us back up.  And the Savior, and only the Savior, can really heal all. I love Him.

I love you all with all my heart, forever and ever!
Life is beautiful.
Soeur Mann

(Editor's Note: Sorry, we didn't get the second picture she talks about.)

#55 - Waiting On The Lord

Hi, guys!  I love ya!

I have had an AMAZING week.  A beautiful, busy, exhausting, miracle-filled week.  At the beginning of my mission it kinda felt like I was going to be here foreeeeever.  Now I look at a calendar and it's like, wait!  No!  I need more time, there's work to be done!  The week flew by, and it's because we worked like never before.  And we're gonna do it again this week.  All the way to February.  YES!

I have a wonderful companion.  Oh my goodness, Soeur Bradshaw is such a blessing.  She just popped in with all these great ideas and the most pro-active attitude, and it's been fantastic.  Dad, you would be so proud of us.  We have developed a "do-it-right-now" theme for our companionship.  Like if we think of somebody we need to call, we grab the phone and call them right there.  If we think, "Hmmm, we should talk to Bishop about that," we go talk to him.  Let me tell you people, this is the secret.  Its been a successful, fun week, and it's because we are moving.  I remember Mike telling me that the more I move and act, the more the Lord will trust me and prepare people and situations.  This is absolutely true.  We have had some literal miracles happen.  For example, one lady whom we met earlier this week - we have made a pact to talk to everyone, everyone we see, and never miss a chance to share the gospel.  Well we arrive at our investigators house the other day, and he isn't there, so we decide to just start talking to the people hanging around.  One of them is a middle-aged, beautiful lady named Sylviane.  We introduced ourselves... and forty-five minutes later we set her baptismal date.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is simply true, and there are truly moments when people are prepared and placed by the Lord to accept it.  Sylviane has been through some incredibly hard things recently in her life, and her heart was wide open to what we had to say.  When both ends of the conversation - us and the investigator- have open hearts, when we speak and listen sincerely, truth just unfolds itself and it cant really be denied.  In a matter of minutes Sylviane became a dear friend.  At the end of our conversation I gave her a hug, kissed her on the cheek, and said "I love you."  And I meant it.  How will I ever be able to say how much I love this experience?  I love this.  I love being a missionary.

Here was another powerful experience of the week.  Do you remember our little dougie boys, Emmanuel and Barry?  I'm seriously smuggling those two home in my suitcases.  They have become my little brothers.  And this week we needed to talk to their parents about accepting their baptism. We went over there at 9AM Saturday morning.  Their parents are named V and A, and they live in a cement house raised up, looking over a big view of the ocean.  We gathered around and started talking, and the first thing V says is, "No.  That is my answer."  Hmm.  The conversation was long and kind of hard, but I will tell you about the best moment.  I asked Emmanuel to say a prayer, and I told V to simply listen to his son and the things he was going to say to Heavenly Father.  Emmanuel, 14 years old, said one of the most sincere, touching prayers I've ever heard.  Through his tears, he simply asked Heavenly Father to bless his dad so he would accept his baptism with a soft heart and that their family would be happy.  My heart was just pounding, and I felt the Spirit so deeply, and there came a moment where I was just kneeling on the cement floor looking up at V, waiting silently and praying with every piece of my heart that he would just say yes.  After that prayer and our testimonies, and all the faith and love and hope we were trying to pour into the moment, and moments where it was so close-- he said no.  He just simply said no.

But here is the thought that Soeur Bradshaw and I had later on - Heavenly Father is in charge.  Those two boys have testimony and faith, and they simply can't fail with that.  But perhaps Father has a bigger idea for this family.  We wanted to help Barry and Emmanuel get baptized this month, which would have been a wonderful thing.  But perhaps there is something much bigger that needs to happen.  There are some alcohol and other problems that need to be healed in this home, and I think that over time and with the help of the Savior, this family could change for the better, all of them.  We decided to not be sad or worried about the situation, but instead to just keep doing exactly what the Lord asks us to do, patiently and faithfully, and allow Him to work his miracles in His way.  For one of the first and deepest times, I realized what it means when we say "wait on the Lord's timetable."  It brings so much peace.

I love you all so very, very much.  Forever and ever, I love you!
Soeur Mann