2022.08.29: boom boom pull out kazoo


 Iaorana tatou! 


What a week! 

-Papi Reid got baptized!!!!! Also learned that his first name is not even Reid which would be less embarrassing if this wasn't the second time that this has happened to me. Being able to teach Papi Reid has been a huge blessing for me. It has pushed me a ton intellectually- learning how to teach all the missionary lessons in Tahitian, figuring out ways to teach when the missionaries cannot understand the friend, etc- but I am very grateful for this growth. However, Reid asked Sr Smith and I to give the talks for his baptism. I countered his request by listing all of the amazing ward members who speak Tahitian who could give better talks. He countered my counter move by telling us that we would give the talks AND be the witnesses. Yikes. 

-Someone knocked on our door which doesn't sound weird until you realize that NOBODY knocks on doors here (you just yell in the front yard until someone comes out). It put me in panic mode. I thought someone was breaking in and the end was near. It turns out it was a very very sweet old woman in our ward there to drop off raw fish! So kind. The fish was one full month past the expiration date but we will ignore that. 

-Sr Smith and I played the violin in church yesterday! Friends from my ward back in Kaysville showed up in Mahina during their vacation AND a lot of the friends/recent converts that I have taught in the 6 months that I have been in Mahina gave talks. A very very good Sunday. 

-I cannot think of a way to explain this in words that truly conveys how silly this was but enjoy a reenactment of a member opening my study journal and being shocked by my bad handwriting.

I love you all! My spiritual thought comes from one of my favorite words in Tahitian: tatarahapa. Tatarahapa means repentance, but it literally translates to meaning the loosening of sin. When we repent and come closer to our Father in Heaven, we loose the chains of sin and guilt. We can become free. It is incredible to see the joy that has come to our friends because of the gospel. Heiti, for example, was baptized two months ago and she is no longer the Heiti I met in March. She is so much more confident, joyous, and proud of who she is. Because of the gift of repentance, Heiti has been able to realize her divine potential. 

Je vous aime tous! Ne mangez pas le sashimi de Mami, ua here au ia outou, and have a wonderful week!





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