01/28/2014

            Well I had a pretty awesome week this week, we had our two baptisms and confirmations this past weekend, and I got to say that seeing people enter into the waters of baptisms will never get tired... it think that’s the expression... I don’t remember anymore. I forget my English more and more every day, what a blessing haha. Anyway with this week’s adventures I had a pretty stinkn cool experience on a neighboring island this week when I went on a split with the district leader over there. So I have the opportunity of going over to Moorea about once a week just to see how the work is going and to do interviews and things, some of the many blessings of being a zone leader! The last time I was over there I went to go do a few baptismal interviews, and there was one couple that I felt especially close to. It was the first time I had met this couple, a young couple of 20 and 22 years old, and they were soon to be married, and then the wife was to be baptized the same day. After our spirit filled interview with his wife, we shared a message of encouragement with them. Everything went really well, but it was different because I felt a strange connection with them both, like I knew them before or something.

            I went back to Tahiti and did not think much of it until 2 weeks later when I felt prompted out of nowhere to go back to Tahiti and visit this young couple. I got the okay from president and that day I was on the boat headed to Moorea. One of the great blessings of being a zone leader in Tahiti haha. When I got there I told the Elders that I had to go visit that couple and without asking questions, they took me there. Arriving at their house, I still didn’t fully know why I was there or what I was going to talk about. We went up to the house and they happily invited me in and didn’t even really ask why I was there. We all sat down and the couple just smiled at me warmly for a few seconds until I started talking and explained that I was led there without even planning to be in Moorea today. I felt prompted again by the spirit to share a message with them about repentance and when I shared the first scripture, the husband started to cry. The spirit was really strong during the lesson and at the end I asked if they had any questions or thoughts to share. The husband told me that my being there was an answer to his prayers. For the past week, they have been talking about me and praying that I would come visit them again, because they too felt a special connection with me.

            The husband explained to me that ever since the marriage he has slipped back into old habits and has been too ashamed to go to church and confess the things he has done. He told me that the message I shared was exactly what he needed to hear. After, I offered to give him and his wife a blessing and they both accepted. He cried all through the blessing and when it was over he jumped up and gave me a huge hug for like five minutes while he cried. The spirit was a little too strong and I started to tear up also...

            It was such a huge blessing to see how the spirit can be strong enough to send a missionary to another island to bring back wavering sheep. I’m so happy that the Lord chose me to help this couple, they tell me that I’m really special to them, and they are definitely special to me, I love them a ton! It was a powerful experience for me to see how the Lord does His work, and also the power of His priesthood. I love my mission so much, and I thank my family for supporting me while I’m out here for these two years! It goes by way too fast, so that’s why I have a journal, so I can relive these experiences for the rest of my life! I love you all so much, I pray for you all every day!

 

Elder Fyffe

 

01/20/2014

                Pretty productive week for us all I guess, I was able to baptize one of my closest investigators this past Thursday! I’ve been working with the guy for the past 6 months of my life so that he would be ready, and we did it! It really was one of the most rewarding baptisms I’ve participated in.  After his baptism, he bore his testimony to all that were there and it was simple yet powerful, he thanked me for never giving up on him. The thought never passed my mind, he’s my brother and I shall never give up on family! We were eating dinner with a member the next day and he told me that this investigator was one of the chosen few that I was supposed to convert. It was another huge testimony builder and a comforting thought to know that I was in the right place at the right time, acting upon the right feelings that were in my heart. Everything worked out perfectly, which is proof that God had everything to do with it. Sunday he asked that I be the one that confirms him a member and gives him the gift of the Holy Ghost. So I happily accepted. Then Later that night, again at a members house eating some tasty vittles, the mother of the house waddled up to me and thanked me for the blessing that I gave during the confirmation. She said that she listened very carefully to everything I said, and had a strong impression that I will one day be a patriarch haha. What a kind compliment! Who knows, maybe one day?

            It helped me realize though, that confirming people is a huge opportunity to bless the lives of all those who hear the blessings and take heed to the words that come from my mouth. The Lord doesn’t waste a single opportunity to bless the lives of others through his servants. I simply said the words he placed in my heart. I never realized this before, when I gave blessings, I thought that it was only the person who was being blessed who receives help. The Lord helped me see through my experiences this week that this is completely wrong! He blesses who he wants when he wants and in whatever way he wants. Boy what a blessing it is though, to be a part of His work! I’m pretty sure that I will be getting transferred soon, it’s been 6 months already in my sector and the assistants said that I will probably be getting transferred here next month. So I’m preparing myself again for this horrible separation process from all these people that I love to death. It really stinks to be transferred, but then again, it gives me a chance to see what else the Lord has prepared for me, and for that I can’t wait!

            The pictures I have are of the baptism, after I think that, it’s of some boats that I thought were picture worthy, then after that, it’s of some members in the ward that I baptized, that were at our district activity this morning, there is a sister missionary who played soccer before her mission, so I decided to plan a soccer activity for her, she really liked it and expressed how much she needed it too. It was a lot of phun! Next time I believe we shall be playing volleyball! I love my district! I’m too blessed right now, everything is so dandy in my life, and I owe it all to the big guy upstairs! Thanks family for keeping in contact with me each weak, it helps me start my week with a smile on my face! I love you all so much, stay safe! 

Elder Fyffe

 

01/13/2014

                Yesterday when I was writing in my journal, there was a thought that popped into my head, "it’s easier to be a part of someone’s life, when you change it." I don’t know where that thought came from, but we could say that it’s the theme of this email.

            I noticed something about my life before, who I was and what I did. Honestly I can say that I didn’t live the gospel. Sadly it’s true, I had awareness that it was there, but I wasn’t one to put it as my priority. I went through school making friends, spending years seeing people and becoming their friends. Then either when I moved away, or we grew up and didn’t have that contact anymore, I slowly started to forget some of their names... pretty shameful if you ask me. I have a hard time remembering some of these people’s names! I believe that they are having the same difficulties too though; out of 10 I’d say maybe 4 remember my name. After realizing this sad truth, I read a note that a recent convert gave me in Church yesterday. She said "Dear Elder Fyffe, I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am for all of the things you taught me and my family, and all of the good times we spent together. You will always be graven into our hearts, and I have a strong testimony that our Heavenly Father loves us, and that we will all see each other again after this life, thanks to you! We love you!"

            It was really awesome to get that little note, it definitely made my day. After reading that, I realized something: these people will always remember my name. Every time I talk to a member who was converted, I ask them who their missionaries were, and without hesitation, they tell me their names. No matter how old the person, they never have trouble telling me the name of the person who introduced them to this eternal gospel. What a huge blessing I have, to be remembered!  Also to receive an "eternal" friend! I realized that the friendships that I am creating now, are so much more wholesome and stable than the relationships that I based off of "likes and dislikes" before my mission. These are the friends that I’ve always wanted! I can name a handful of people who have stayed a true friend throughout the years, and now, thanks to my mission, the cup runneth over! I told myself that I want to find these kinds of friends after my mission, so I called myself on a 3rd mission after this mission, (the second mission being marriage haha.) That is to continue finding people to share this gospel with!

            I had the amazing opportunity to baptize my cousin Trace before my mission, and that is something that we shall hold in common for the rest of our lives! I can’t wait for the day when I can say that I baptized that friend of mine, and I didn’t even need to wear my missionary nametag. Missionary work is our divine calling, because it’s a work of joy, of blessings, and of service. If we lack in any of these three categories, voila, the answer... Missionary work! It gives us a reason to read the scriptures with purpose, to say our prayers with purpose, and to go to the Temple to receive the revelation we need to advance the work of the Lord in our lives.

            We don’t need a calling in the Church in order to fulfill our pre earthly calling of helping others find the Light of Christ! I know and Promise that The Lord will bless you! I’m so proud to be serving Him, and to see the blessings and changes that I can bring into the lives of others! There truly is joy to be found in this life, it truly is why Adam fell. I never doubt the work, and I try to not doubt myself, because we are all the children of the most high God. I love you all and can’t wait to hear from you next week. Stay safe this week! Here are some other pictures of my amazing investigators!

Elder Fyffe

 

01/06/2014

                It still boggles my mind how many people exist in this world, and how much of an impact one person can actually make in the lives of others. God put me in an amazing family; I lived with them for 19 years and never understood how much I meant to them and how much they meant to me. Then God decided to help me get the picture because I was too dense to figure it out on my own, so he sent me away from my family for 2 years just to get the message across. May I just testify with the 50lbs that I have gained on this mission that I understand now! I will try my best to never take advantage of this beautiful family the Lord gave me. I love my cousin Austin so much, and am so proud of the example he is setting for his family by going on a mission. I thank my parents for loving me enough to spend a pretty penny just so that I could enjoy a Christmas here in the south pacific with my own little pine tree. And most importantly I thank My Heavenly Father for loving me enough to cut me down. The mission is a very humbling experience. 

            I have an investigator whose name is Jean-Pierre who reminds me every time I see him, how much I have changed his life. Every time he tells me that, I correct him and say that I was just there doing my job, but it’s The Lord who you should be thanking. A lot of experiences that I have been having lately have been showing me how small I really am, and how magnificent the Savior is. For example, a few weeks ago, I gave a blessing to a father of a family, who has had an addiction to smoking since he was 15 years old. The next time I saw his wife, she ran up to me crying saying that her husband had completely stopped smoking. Now this family comes to me every time they need a blessing because they say that im powerful haha. But I correct them every time, The Lord is the one who is powerful, I’m just an instrument in his hands. I’ve felt the power of The Lord pass through my fingers and his words come out of my mouth as I give blessings to his children here in Tahiti. Every time it’s a reminder of how important it is to be worthy to hold the Priesthood. The Lord isn’t going to use a bat to dig a hole; he’s going to use a shovel. So I do my best every day, so that I may continue to qualify for this work, his work. I realize that at times I was using a bat before my mission, I wasn’t quite qualified for this job yet, but the second the Lord called me to be his representative, he began to qualify me.

            This has definitely been the hardest thing I have ever been through in my life, but all pearls start out as grains of sand, and little by little, year after year, we become that pearl of great price that God always knew we could be. I’m thankful that he never gave up on me, I’m glad I never really gave up on him either. It just helps me know that there really is a time and place for everything. Everything is planned out in God’s Calendar, and I know my sister’s name is written somewhere in there, maybe this month, or even in a few years. All I have to do is stay ready for that day when she finally opens her heart and gives this stuff a try. You can ask any Tahitian what the ocean tastes like and they will all say salty. Because they’ve all tasted it. But, if you ask them where the true church is, not all of them can say The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, because not all of them have "tasted it," yet. But that’s what I’m here to do, invite others to taste the truth, I’ve tasted of the One and Only True Church, and it definitely is sweet! God doesn’t expect too much from us, just a little bit of effort at first, then with his help, it will become a great desire, then we will no longer call it work, but salvation.

            I love this gospel; it really does set one free. I’ve never been happier, and this joy is something that will continue to grow at the same rate as my testimony. So I see a lot of joy in the future! Anyway, I’ve started taking Pictures of my investigators for an album I want to put together after my mission, so you shall all being seeing the beautiful people I serve! I love you all, stay safe this week! Also the two boat pictures are of the service projects ive been doing, painting boats for people!

Elder Fyffe