04/29/2013

Sorry for the delay in this post... (Author- Me David)

This week has been crazy, a lot of good lessons, a lot of good experiences, and a lot of sun. Our lessons are usually always on the beach, the people here are really faithful! We fixed a date for a marriage; I don’t remember how that word is spelt in English... The only problem was that the couple had to get some blood work done for the paperwork, so at the end of the lesson, we engaged them to do that and their response was, "okay, we will do that tomorrow" and they did!! We also had a first contact with a new investigator yesterday and when I asked him what his expectations were from out lessons; his response was, “to be baptized!" I really love it here on this island! I will definitely come back here after the mission! I’ve been reading and practicing Tahitian a lot here because most of the people don’t speak French very well; it’s as if I’ve started over with the whole language barrier thingy! But with a lot of prayer and fasting, that will come. We had an awesome adventure this morning; we went to a local historic site where there is a tomb of a king that lived here once that was supposedly 21 feet tall! Crazy shtuff... Other than that, it’s just blue skies and palm trees here! I hope that you are all staying safe! I love you all so much, the church is true!!

04/22/2013 New Area

04/22/2013 

            Welcome to my new sector here on the little Island of Hao!! Its two hours away from Tahiti by plane! I arrived here yesterday and am now with my new companion Elder Raiau, he’s a Tahitian and he’s pretty sweet! Surprisingly, the house here is much smaller than the last, yet, the upside is I’m right on the beach... literally. This morning I took a chair and set it in the ocean and did my personal study with my feet in the water, it was awesome!

            The language here is really different though, it’s a mixture of French, Tahitian and Puamatu, so I feel like I’m starting over again with the Language. haha Anyway, I should be here for the next few months on this little doughnut island. It’s actually completely different here, not really any cars, at most 10 lessons each week, and the people are really chill and love to joke around. I’m actually the third missionary to be on this island, how lucky am I! The church is tiny, just 30 members and I teach an English class each Saturday! 

            Well the photos are of my new home for the next little while, don’t get too jealous ha, I don’t have much more time, so I will end with a big ol I love you! Also, I have no idea when mother’s day is or how that is going to work, I will find out this week! Love you all, Stay safe! 

Elder Fyffe

 

04/15/2013

            Hmmm, not much has happened this week, it’s been really difficult lately to obtain the number of lessons that President expects us to have. 35 lessons each week is the goal, and Elder Joly and I have been struggling to get even 25! It’s crazy, but with a lot of prayer and fasting I know that we can do it. President doesn’t allow us to do door to door so we have to work only through the members. It’s a Revelation that he received, so I will follow it with faith! After one of our lessons with an investigator she told us a little story about how she decided who would baptize and confirm her. She told us that when the bishop had asked her who she wants to baptize her and confirm her she said, "of course my elders!" That made me smile quite largely when I heard the words "my elders" It’s been one of the phrases I’ve been wishing to hear for the past long while! She asked me to baptize her and Elder Joly to confirm her; I’m really excited for that day! The end of next month if all goes according to plan!

            Another awesome experience that I had this week was when I was doing a personal study of the Atonement one morning.  I don’t even know if anyone in the world is worthy enough to teach such a sacred topic, I feel so blessed to be able to talk and teach about it multiple times a week! Anyway, when I was studying, I had an epiphany! I have always wondered why Jesus went through all of that pain and suffering. I knew that it was a part of the plan that he accepted before he came down to earth. I knew that it was necessary in order for us to return back to Heavenly Father, but I wanted to know why he decided to suffer all of that. So I sat there thinking for a while to myself, then my mind started wandering and thinking about my family and friends and all the good times that we had. I started thinking.... I love these people! I love my mom and dad and my sister and all of my other families and friends! Then it hit me. I realized that he did it because he loves us. He really loves us more than anything! Like how I love my sister more than anything!! I knew before that he did it because he loves us, but I had no real testimony of my own behind that phrase. It’s just another amazing blessing that i have gotten out of my mission. A true love and appreciation for everyone who cares about me.

            Jesus Christ is in the very definition of the word Charity. Charity is the true love of Christ. I think that if anyone has ever felt pure love towards anyone else, that this is the closest that person will ever get to understanding the Atonement. Of course this is all just my point of view, but that really helped me understand the Atonement! I shared this experience with one of our investigators and I cried a little bit....ya....a little bit... That goes to show me that the Holy Ghost confirmed my testimony! I believe we all have a lot to work on when it comes to Charity; thank goodness I have the rest of my life to work on that! And you are all my test subjects. mwahahahah! Anyway, I love you all so much and hope that you are staying safe! Talk to you next week! 

Elder Fyffe 

For the pictures- Some flowers for mom, a few of my new doodles and then a sweet sunset shot I got of some hoodlums. Then I found my nickname in graffiti! Oh and the last picture is one that I found on Elder Joly's camera....Its Keenan! Elder Joly said that Keenan was in his zone in the MTC, so he saw him a lot! It freaked me out. Anyway, that’s it for this week, stay safe and I love you!

 

 

Well here is the picture of all of the missionaries in Tahiti right now! Sorry that took so long, I'm on the very right and Soeur Green all the way on the left. ENJOY!

04/08/2013

Well this week has been quite grand, and it finished very nicely with general Conference! For the first time in my whole life I thought that all the talks were too short!! It was really weird. Here Elder Joly and I had to wake up at 5:30am in order to get up and ready for when conference starts at 6. It was in a little room in the chapel, because for me, I wanted to hear it in English and understand every word. I started this Conference off a little different too, I started with a prayer before each session. Being a missionary out here in Tahiti and learning practically everything that has to do with this gospel all over again has really helped me understand how necessary all of it is in our lives!! So I took advantage of every second of conference. I only wrote down the things the spirit told me to, so for me this past conference was very edifying.

            As you can see by my notes, excuse the handwriting, It was early and my handwriting stinks anyway... I bet you can tell what my question was! And as you can see by my notes, I definitely received many answers! It was such a blessing! I missed going to priesthood with all of the Fyffes, It’s a tradition that I will love to get back into when I’m home! Saturday morning during the second session, I got a text from one of our investigators saying that he has to cancel his baptism because of family issues, It was a real bummer during conference, but the talk right after talked about how there is a time and a season for everything. So I gained hope again! It really pulls your heart strings when you create a bond with the investigators and you see them not doing so well. It just makes you want to work harder and harder! And sometimes slap them and say," what are you doing?! Don’t you know this is your salvation you’re playing with?! Little Stinker...." It’s hard not to do that sometimes, because I really do love every single one of our investigators like family! Anyway, enough about violence.

            This week I have also spent a lot of time in the trees, I’ve been climbing palm trees getting lunch for elder Joly and I, and then have been finding refuge in the trees away from all the heat. Also I ate a delicious avocado stuffed with shrimp and other delicious things. I really am blessed to serve the people of Tahiti! The last Picture is of Lewis again, he was staring at me the whole time like that during the last session of conference, very hard not to laugh, he’s the best haha. Anyway, if you guys don’t already know it, this church is true! I love you all and stay safe!

 

 

04/01/2013

 

            Great week again! It went by fast but that’s because I’m working hard I guess. Is it a bad thing that I wake up excited to go back to sleep that night? I’m just tired a lot here haha. I continue to love every second of this mission, I learn something new every day and I continue to grow spiritually and physically each day. Last week at our zone conference I was talking to Elder Millet and he was surprised of how much I’ve grown already. My pants are slowly turning into floods! Oh for some other exciting news, our house was broken into while we were out the other day! Thank goodness nothing was stolen, I believe that they were just looking for our bikes, the whole experience scared the crap out of Elder Joly and so that night he didn’t get any sleep. Of course I slept like a baby and laughed at him in the morning when he told me that he didn’t sleep because he kept hearing "noises."

            I had a cool experience this week during one of our lessons, Moana (one of the very first lessons I ever taught) told me that he has seen a huge improvement with my French since I have arrived here. The lesson was on the topic of fasting and during the lesson I felt prompted to tell him that I would fast for him, so that his situation would allow him to be baptized. At the end of the lesson he told me that during the many years that he has been receiving the lessons, he has never met a missionary who cared about him as a human being. All the other missionaries would just teach him the lessons. He thanked me and told me that I was sent to Tahiti just for him :) I love my mission!! Also during another lesson with a youngn of the age of 14, for some reason he thinks I can’t speak French or something because he always asks me questions through Elder Joly! But after the lesson, I asked Elder Joly what he asked and he said that Manea (the youngn) always asks why I am so happy and kind haha. Elder Joly says he asks that every time! Phuni kid...

            Anyway, for the adventures this week, I had a lot of phun on a teeter-totter by myself between a lesson one evening, then during a talent show I took a picture of Lewis, an awesome handicap in one of our wards during another talent show, the whole time he was creepily looking at me from behind the curtains, then just some beach shots, then a picture of one of my new favorite languages, Bislama. The picture was taken of one of their hymn books. My favorite song is the fourth from the last! Anyway, this week has been great, almost died a few times again, but God keeps me alive because I have a mission to serve! I love you all so much, stay safe!

 

Elder Fyffe