05/26/2014

            This weekend was great! We celebrated the 170th anniversary of the church here in French Polynesia with a bunch of dances from every stake here in Tahiti. It was really incredible to see all of the members there participating. I recorded most all of the dances and that filled up one of my memory cards. So I don’t think I will forget that night. Saturday night was a huge fireside that we did, where we heard talks from the area 70 along with our mission president and then the president of French Polynesia. It was all really great. My favorite part though was when they asked all of the returned missionaries to come down and walk around the track of the field walking with the flags of the missions that they served in.

            I got to see a ton of the old members that I knew when I started my mission. Then they asked the full time missionaries to walk around the track. It was a really spiritual moment for me, because when I walked around the track, I saw all of the investigators that I baptized and all of the members that I served for these past 20 months of my mission. As I walked around they all screamed my name and waved, all the children wanted to give me a high five, they all took pictures and I believe that all of the missionaries felt like royalty as we saw all of the lives we touched. It really made me think of how much of a difference one person can make in just two small years and all of the lives that I’ve been blessed to be a part of. All of these people have become family and I could feel the genuine love they had for me, because I am their missionary. It seriously was one of the coolest moments of my life. I really need to find a way to come back here after my mission. I’ve told them all that I will come back, so I need to do my best to make sure I can live up to my word.

            I forgot my cable to transfer pictures so I will have to find the time during the week to send you guys the pictures. It really was an awesome night; almost like the stadium of fire Tahiti style! Kinda made me dread the day when I will have to get on the plane and leave Tahiti. I can Imagine all of the people I know being there and me crying like a baby because I don’t want to leave them. SO, I might as well make it as hard as I can for myself and work my butt off these last few months so that they can all be at the airport when I leave.

            I love you all so much, and thank you all again for helping me come out here on my mission. I will never regret these two years. Scares me to think that I almost passed this blessing up!! Have a great week!

Elder Fyffe

05/22/2014

            This Week has been pretty crazy, anyway, in 2 days; we will be celebrating the 170th birthday of the arrival of the Gospel here in French Polynesia. So of course, we missionaries are a huge part of the celebration. We will be doing a little show for all of the people. So the pictures that you see are of us practicing for the thingy. It should be pretty fantastic, since this sort of celebration only happens once every ten years. I seem to have come to this mission at the perfect time haha. I’m way too blessed to be serving here.

            Other than this celebration that is going to be happening this weekend, I was able to go to a wedding of a missionary that recently finished his mission. My companion Elder Mendelsohn was his witness. It was extremely weird to see an elder that just got off of his mission, get married. It freaks me out to know that this is the next big step in my life! I’m doing my best to serve the Lord so that he can help me find the perfect wife, and I’ve been really careful to not drop my scriptures... wink wink.

            We’ve been teaching this family lately, a family of 6, and yesterday during our lesson, we invited them all to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. They ALL accepted! I feel nothing but pure joy when I go over to this lady’s house. She needs the Gospel so much in her life. The best part is that she knows it. So she is absorbing the doctrine like a sponge! They will all be coming to church this Sunday. I can’t wait. Life is going by way too fast. The saying "time flies when you’re having phun," has never been so true. I have a great companion, I love my ward, and I love all of our investigators. I just simply love my life as a missionary. Even though it’s hard as heck, I still find the time to thank my Heavenly Father for loving me enough to send me to Tahiti in order to experience these trials.

            Seeing my family for the last time on Skype was really great. I got to talk to my sister for the first time on my mission. She hasn’t changed a bit; although, her eyebrows looked especially nice this time around. I shared an experience with her that made me shed a few tears. I was in the temple a few weeks ago with a family that I had baptized last year. While in the temple, I saw a brother and sister stand and pray together, and when I saw that, I was hit by this feeling of calmness that took over my whole body and reassured me that I would be in that brother’s place one day; in the house of the Lord with my sister. The lord had sent me a confirmation that I have been looking for during my whole mission. I don’t doubt or worry anymore. I just do all I can in order to realize this experience. I love my sister too much to let her slip away. I think my parents are right there with me when I say I will never lose hope, or give up on her. I’ve learned a lot about the love and patience our Savior has for us all through my mission. Seeing how often we wander from his presence. Seeing how it is always us, who choose to turn away. His life is full of rejection; yet, he stays, with his arms open, waiting patiently for the day that we will decide to come back; either by ourselves, or being pushed by the wind. I thank Him every night for being so patient with me. I thank my parents too, for putting up with me throughout my trouble years!

            A 70 recently talked to us, and he said something that I really liked. He said, "If the ladder that we are climbing on is leaning against the wrong wall, what good is it?"  I realize that my ladder was on the wrong wall before my mission. But, I’ve climbed back down through many prayers and humbling experiences, and now that I’ve positioned my ladder on the right wall, I can really feel the difference. I know one day, I will reach the potential and the expectations that the Lord has set for me. I just need to keep on climbing. Every day is a test, and another step up the ladder. It’s true, we will get tired at times, and maybe even slip, but I know that we are not climbing alone, and that’s what keeps me going.

I love you all so much, I pray for you all night and day. Thanks for the prayers and the mail!

Keep safe this week!

Elder Fyffe

05/06/2014

            As for this week’s adventures, I got a new companion, his name is Elder Mendelsohn, he’s my 12th companion I think. We change quite a bit here. But I am really excited to serve with him. I’m still a Zone leader here in Punaauia. Our sector is up in the mountains so we get a pickup for a car! It’s been a huge blessing. 

            For this week’s miracles we found another golden investigator; as they say. We fixed a lesson with her and did a first contact that went really well. She invited us in as if she was our mom and as we taught her she couldn’t stop tearing up. She kept thanking us for coming over and saying how proud of us she was for what we do. She expressed how she was sick of the way she was living and that she was ready to get on the right path again; she and her whole family. She expressed how she wants be an example for her family and how she believes that through the church of Jesus Christ, she can receive all the blessings she needs. It was so perfect, throughout the lesson I kept wanted to jump up and give her a hug and thank her for finally coming back! The Sunday after the lesson, she came to church with her daughter and then she came to our class and was extremely excited to participate in our lesson. After church we dropped her off at her house and then she called us saying that she had talked to all of her children (6) and said that there are already 2 that want to be baptized and that they will all be there for our next lesson. I am so happy to have finally found my lost brothers and sisters! It’s true that at times my joy bucket seems to be completely filled; but during occasions like this, the bucket overflows and I have no idea what to do with all the joy.

            My mission is way too much phun for my own good. It makes no sense to me why I feel like I am so blessed. I honestly didn’t do anything to deserve all of this before my mission. But now that I have a testimony that my Heavenly Father loves me and that this church is true, I do all that I can to help other receive this joy that I have found. We will be engaging her whole family to be baptized our next lesson with them and I can’t wait! Baptizing families is probably the highest points in the mission for me.

            Tomorrow I am going to the temple with a family that I baptized last year. They are going to be sealed for time and all eternity!!! I accomplished one of my biggest goals on my mission! I’m so happy for these people, and I can’t wait to see them in the house of our Lord. I remember when I received my endowments; it was one of the best experiences of my life to see all of the people I love with me. I can’t imagine being any closer to heaven. Going to the temple is rare on my mission; this will be my third time so I will definitely let you all know how it goes!

            I’m sorry but I forgot my camera at home, I will just have to send you all the images next week. Stay safe for the rest of this week.

Elder Fyffe