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
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
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
