#49 - Missing You Means I Love You

Hi, guys!  I would like to say something.  I still miss you guys really bad.  I love you a lot.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm a freak missionary or something 'cuz I still miss you all really a lot.  I don't know.  Luckily I do love these people a lot, too, and I love it more and more.  'Cuz otherwise this would not be fun.  But I do love it.  And I guess it's okay to still miss you, 'cuz it means I still love you.

'Cuz what Im going to go do in an hour?  Have family home evening with President Hinckley's daughter!  I don't really get it, either!  I don't know why it's happening, but it's happening, and we are bringing some of our investigators  too.  It's at our mission presidents house, and its going to be a lovely event. 

Today I was thinking how weird it is that we can swim.  We are not even water creatures.  Really think how amazing that is that we can stay alive in a bunch of water.  And I thought about how life is like swimming.  Here we are, stuck in the middle of life.  And the trick is to keep moving.  You can float for a little while, but if you want to get anywhere, you have to keep moving.  Constantly.  A mission is the most exhausting experience of my life.  Sometimes I just sit there and think..."Oh my goodness.  I'm still not gonna rest for another 7 months."  But you know, I have learned that I can always keep going.  You can always wake up at 6:30 and go running, no matter how tired you are.  Before my mission I would have had some sleep in days, but I have never once hit the snooze button.  I'm learning that its possible to keep going.  But it is absolutely, 100% thanks to the Spirit, thanks to the help of the Savior.  If you keep praying, you really can do all things.  You just gotta keep movin'.

I hate to ask this, really truly.  But my running shoes are dead.  Its kind of hurting my knees to run in them.  The other day I thought, How could they already be shot?  I just barely bought these for my mission!  And then I realized that was almost a year ago.  Is there anyway you could send me some?  If its ridiculously expensive, don't worry.  And don't worry about buying any fancy woohoo.  I know I'm all picky about shoes, but I'm not while I'm in Tahiti.  Size 7.  Thank you so, so much.

Also, can you guys write me some handwritten letters?  I would like to have your testimonies written down so I can hold them.

I love our Father in Heaven so much.  He loves us, no matter what we do. 

I truly love you all with all my heart. I thank our Savior for His Atonement, for fulfilling His mission so that we could all live this wonderful plan of happiness.  I love Jesus Christ.  I'm glad I get to wear His name every day.

All my love, 
Soeur Mann

P.S.  Today as we were washing the car, there was a leak in the hose.  It was spraying me like a sprinkler, and I loved it.  It was like Millzie's birthday weekend should be - sprinkler party!  Tradition!  

#48 - It's What Really Happened

Bonjour, bonjour, my wonderful people! 


Oh, Millzie, guess what?  I had the best week, too!  We both were having the best weeks of our missions at the same time!  Oh man, guys, I am so happy these days.  I am full of joy, and I know exactly why, and I am sending you all a big hug and a kiss on both cheeks.  It has truly been a fantastic seven days!

So here is my stuff from this week:
- Saturday we had a baptism of a man named Harry.  His wife, Margaretha, is a member of the church and has been praying and hoping for something like 20 years that her husband would also find faith in Christ and be baptized.  And this past Saturday was the day.  I gave the talk on the Holy Ghost for the baptismal service, and it was a very sweet experience.  But the best moment of the baptism was right before the actual ordinance.  Everybody was walking out of the chapel where we did the talks to go to the baptismal font and Margaretha just stayed there.  I walked over to her and sat next to her on the pew and put my arm around her, and we both had tears running down our cheeks.  We sat for a minute, and then I said, "Vien, Soeur.  Vien, voir."  "Come, Sister, come see."  And we walked together to the font, and I watched her the whole time as she watched her husband be baptized.  Her expression was so beautiful.  

- Ya know, I think I have grown up a lot on my mission.  I really do feel like a grown up these days, and I know that I have progressed a lot.  But some things never change.  Like my problem of losing things.  This weekend it was our phones.  Yep, I lost two cell phones.  Just like the good old days.  I was so worried about it because I know they are so expensive for the mission.  We prayed and prayed for this phones.  Last night we are walking down this little street and two people we don't even know stop us and say, "Sisters!  We found these phones on the ground across the street!  Are they yours?"  MIRACLE.  Okay, the spot where I somehow dropped them was like the worst possible area to drop a phone.  Swarming with dogs and tons of teenage kids who like free phones.  Plus it's a parking lot.  With big huge tires rollin' all around.  So, two lessons learned.  No, three.  1.  Be more careful with the phones.  2.  Heavenly Father is truly our kind Father, and he hears all our prayers.  3.  I was thinking about this from the phones' perspectives.  They could have had it really bad, but everything turned out okay.  I think sometimes we are sitting there thinking, "This is the worst!  I just got dropped off here, abandoned, nobody is helping me, blah blah..."  In reality, God knows exactly what's going on.  There are some lessons that need to be learned.  And ya know, people could be running over you with their cars, or dogs could be carrying you off in their big slobbery mouths, or teenagers could be coming to steal you, but none of that is happening!  Things are in control, and you are being blessed.  It's going to be okay in the end.  Just hang on and be grateful it's not that bad.

- The other day we were teaching Mira, a twenty-something-year-old mother of one baby girl who lives with her boyfriend.  She's really so fascinating because she just loves to have us talk to her, even though she is not really super into the church-y stuff.  She calls us her "copines," which is just like regular old girl friends.  She listens really well, but I kind of thought she wasn't super into the things we were teaching.  We were starting our lesson, just kind of talking about life, and she was talking about how weird it is that there are so many religions and all seem to be pretty true, and I started to share my testimony of Joseph Smith and the restoration.  I was so surprised when her eyes started welling with tears.  "Mira, why are you crying?"  And this bubbly, chatty girl said simply; "I cant find the words.  I feel something really strange in my heart."  The Spirit was so strong, and we all felt this wonderful feeling of peace and calm.  It was a testimony boost to me that the Restoration is true.  And people who listen really do recognize the truth of it through the Spirit.  I used to be kind of scared to talk about Joseph Smith with people cuz I know it sounds so odd, but my faith has grown so much.  He really did see Heavenly Father.  It's not weird, its what really happened.  And I love the moments when we tell someone that, and they feel the peace and joy of it. 
I love these scriptures in the bible:
Ephesians 4-  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
It's true that without a prophet and some clear revelation directly from Heavenly Father, we really can just get tossed around.  I mean really, if you just start looking at all the churches and ideas and versions of reality in this world, you really do feel like a child.  There's so many different ideas.  As I was talking to Mira, she asked, "Can't they all be true?"  And I definitely believe that there is a little truth everywhere.  We can all learn from each other.  But we talked about the fact that in the end, they can't really all be all true.  Like everybody has got a different version of life after death, but one day we are going to die and one of these versions is going to be true.  Truth exists.  It's big and deep and often beyond our understanding, but I believe in it.  And the lovely thing is that we have an absolute, perfect way to know truth.  Prayer is the way.  Something that really strengthens me as a missionary and gives me courage to teach is talking to people about prayer.  Cuz when we talk to them about this stuff, and it seems new and maybe a little strange, we always just invite them to think about it and pray about it.  And then there is no pressure.  If you can just be humble and find some faith and say a prayer, you can always trust Heavenly Father to tell you the truth about things.  You can always, always ask Him.  And He will never lead us astray.

- Having Soeur Green in our house this week is SO, so-ho-ho great.  Oh man, I missed her!  She has gotten even better than she was before!  It's so funny to look at us now, after 8 months on this island, and see how much we have changed since the MTC days.  The other day she poured her bowl of cereal and said, "Oh, Soeurry, it's got tons of ants crawling in it!"  And I said, "I know.  I just ate it anyway."  And she just shrugged and did the same.  Ha ha!  We have truly become two Tahiti Tuahines, and it's a lovely thing.
This picture is of our faatamaraa, aka dinner appointment.  Man, life is good in the islands.

Okay, this next week is the big birthday week of my life!  Plus it is my favorite week ever cuz its Pioneer Days!  So here is a big Happy Birthday and lots of love to Janny, Jamison, Luke Hollingsworth, and lil Millzie Pillzie!  And Happy Pioneer Day to all of us!  

I love you all with all my heart!  Jesus Christ truly is our Savior, and thanks to Him, life really is beautiful.

All my love, 
Soeur Mann

#47 - The Beast

Oh, life is good!  

Hi, guys!  I love you, I love you, I love you!!

I am so happy.  Life is beautiful.

Luke, I was SO SO SO glad to get your email today!  I was going to write you and beg you to please write me cuz I miss ya, and that was so wonderful to hear your funny voice via email.  I love you so much.

Sorry about no letter last week, I had time to read but not write.  

Speaking of that, I would like to say thank you to anyone who writes me.  Grandma Mann, your handwritten letters have pushed me through this mission.  I can't tell you how happy I am every time I get a letter from you, every single Friday when they bring the mail I hope another Grandma letter will come.  Thank you so much for writing me.

Okay, first of all, look at my photo!  Look at the size of that thing!  (Steve Erwin (Crocodile Hunter) voice)  That is the only real beast of Tahiti.  Luckily this little fella is dead.  We found him on the road and took lots of good pictures.  P.S.  Goal after mission:  Hold a snake.  Hold it for real.  I'm not scared of anything anymore.  For real!

Okay, next on the list:  Amazing, Wonderful, FABULOUS news!  Dreams really do come true!  Guess who is not getting transfered from her area or her companion for another six weeks?  You guessed 'er, Lester.  Me.  I am so happy to still be with my wonderful Oremu/Puurai family.  And the cherry on top?  Guess who is living in our house for a little while?  Soeur Green!  My soul sister!  I am so, so excited!

Courtney King.  This week you are going to be a missionary.  I love you so much, Court.  At first when I learned you were going on a mission, I was a teeny bit sad because we aren't going to see each other for a long time.  But you know what I think now?   Heck.  Yes.  GO FOR IT.  Yes, Court! Too legit too quit!  Pipper and Pibbles!  

I love the gospel because it is true and I love true things.  I have been thinking a lot about truth this week and how good it feels.  I love when you hear a true thing and it just lands nicely in your ears and fills you up with clarity and calm.  The gospel is true and you can tell if you listen to it with your heart.  God is our Father, and He loves us so much.  

I love you all so much, forever and ever.  Live well this week!

Avec amour,

Soeur Mann 

#46 - All At A Barbeque

Hello, loved ones!

I just have to say something:

I'm sorry I have never written a letter home.  Literally no one has gotten a letter from me.  What a little snot.  I really do try!  I want to write you letters, especially Millzie and Court who are being missionary girls with me!  It just never works out.  I really am sorry- but you all know that I love you.

Okay, I feel better.

I have one little shout out-

Katie Walker- I can't believe you are going to be a REAL teacher in just a couple weeks!  That is wonderful!  Oh, Kate, you will truly be so good!  I will come home and get married and have a baby and raise him up quick to fourth grade so he can come to your class!

So here is the biggest thing I learned this week, and it is something I particularly wanted to tell Mill and Court- 

I know we all hear this over and over, but love really is the key to missionary work.  Flat out.  If you seriously love the people you are talking to, everything will work out.  You can't ever say anything wrong or offensive if you're sincere.  I've realized that the more I relax and just care about people, the better life goes.  Even if you don't speak the language.  Just look at that person in the eyes and listen to them.  One technique I have- I pretend we are all at a barbeque.  If I pretend we are at a barbeque, it seems easier to talk to them. 

Soeur Dagnillo and I are obsessed with this song lately, I don't even know what its called, but the lyrics talk about struggling to get to the top of a mountain.  She talks about how all the sweat and struggle and tears are the "price I paid to see this view."  It's true that in order to get to good places, you have to work.  If you want the view, you will have to sweat.

I love being a missionary.  I want to be a missionary forever.  I'm going to be a missionary forever. 

I love you all so much.  Goodness is real.  Life is beautiful!

Oh yes, and Happy Fourth of July! 

All my love,

Soeur Mann