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
