Hi, Folks!
Events of the week:
There is an old guy here that I would like to tell you about. He is skinny and wrinkly, and he has a long white beard. He is a little bit crazy. Whenever we pass him, he yells stuff in Tahitian and I don’t have a clue what he’s saying. The other day we were walking along the road, I’m just being an innocent missionary, and out of nowhere, I get whapped on the head with a big leaf thing. He was hiding behind a bush at his house, and he just went and whaps me right on the head and says, "IAORANA." It was so startling and so funny, and so, so weird. But the weirdest thing? No one said anything. Not my companion, not the member who was with us. Sometimes I am very confused about what’s going on.
Wonderful news for this weekend: One marriage and two baptisms! Hoorah! Tiariki has given up smoking, and he will marry his girlfriend, Eli, who is expecting a baby, Friday afternoon. The next morning he will be baptized as a member of the church! Later that afternoon we will have the baptism of an absolute sweetheart, little Rowan, who is 9 years old. He is so nice. He and his big brother, Ray, get along really well, and I love watching them. Ray takes care of his little brother, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them apart. Rays already a member, and I know that he will always be a good example. I feel really good about his baptism because I know that they have each other, and I hope they take care of each other forever.
Bishop Nelson Graffe is just indescribable. Here are some of the things he’s done this week: Taken the new converts in his ward to do baptisms for the dead, brought two white church shirts to two inactive boys, arranged a big neighborhood family home evening for some investigators in his neighborhood, and driven directly to the home of one of our investigators to bring her to church. The other day we were in a lesson and I saw his truck drive up, and half of me was surprised because we had never even mentioned that we had a lesson with that particular person, but the other half of me thought, Duh. Of course he shows up. He’s superman. We are teaching his little brother right now, Arioi, an 18 year old. Our lesson was awesome. I love teaching about prayer. I love, love, love prayer.
The Tahitian people are teaching me lessons I can’t even begin to explain. I am constantly in awe of their faith. I’ve never seen faith like this, and it’s sometimes just shocking and so, so humbling. It is such an interesting, beautiful thing to be here. I am truly learning to know God. Prayer and fasting are actual real ways to get things done, to receive help, to see miracles in our lives. God is real. He's actually listening, and He can actually help us. I am learning a very deep, sincere, and simple faith here. I love these people.
Family, the gospel is actually true.
Here is one thought I have that I think everyone should take some time to think about this week. I think if you give yourself five full, quiet minutes to actually ponder this, you will change a little bit.
Think about the moment you see Christ next.
I’ve been thinking about that.
I love you all so much. I love our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father.
Life is so beautiful.
Soeur Mann
