The Tahitian Language Struggle Continues :) Haere Maru, Haere Papu

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Horo'amana, our new ami, caught us off guard.  You know, the classic "we didn't think he was really interested", but God had actually been preparing this man.  Tahitians like to Haamaou, which means they mess with you.  They say they really want to come to Church or get baptized, and then the next time they are no where to be found.  So we did some contacting, shared a message in French with 5 drunk, smoking men and the only person that said he wanted to know more was the man who only spoke Tahitian, and didn't understand our message.  We fixed a time with him but in the rush of things, didn't have time to go to the lesson.  The next time we passed by his little cabin, he asked why we didn't come by, saying he had waited for us.  Ah, of course we felt super bad and fixed another time with him.  Yesterday we taught Lesson 1 with him, another Tahitian stretching lesson, and being guided by the spirit were able to engage him to pray in the dirt there, if Joseph Smith was called of God as prophet.  And after feeling the warm confirmation of the spirit, were able to bear witness of the Truth, and commit him to baptism.  His sweet testimony after was as follows, (in whispered tahitian) "I feel like I am Peter in the boat and the Savior is calling me to walk on water out to him.  You, the missionaries are calling my to baptism, and I know that will take a lot of faith.  But I will leave the boat."  I wish I was making it up, but he really said that!!  I hope and pray he will not let go of this new goal.  Meeting people like that, testify that there is a God.  That he knows this man and that he knows us. That his work continues to go forth, and that HE LOVES US. 

Also I got a hair cut, by myself, with some nail clippers hahaha.  

 

 

And one of our lessons you have to cross a couple rivers, so I took a video.

 

Horo'amana means Give the Power 

Love, 

Brooke

Ua ite atura vau i te pou maramarama...

Dear Family and Friends,

(I looked up what the title of the email says... "I saw a Pillar of light....")

What do we got the the docket for this week? classic testimony meeting  AH.  Lots of Tahitian Lessons.  Like 5 haha, I dont know if thats a lot but it felt like it.

 

We had one lesson where we had to explain the conditions of baptism, and prayed to have the spirit.  I had be studying more diligently the Tahitian recently, and I knew that I was the one who would be teaching, my companion doesn't like Tahitian haha.  And during the lesson, I was able to communicate more fluidly and remember several new words and phrases.  It is exciting to have a clear Gift of Tongues moment when you seek so often for that. The next day during another Tahitian lesson, (this time with a lady will not accept this missionaries at all unless we speak in Tahitian), and during the First vision we were all very moved by spirit, testifying of its truthfulness.  That Joseph Smith in reality, saw God.  I know I have A LOT of work to do, before I really learn Tahitian, but I am thankful that the Lord is aware of me and my needs!

Testimony meetings on a mission are great yes, but really stressful.  You just have no idea what doctrine is going to be taught at the pulpit.  Haha I guess it keeps it real.

I love our friend Manupatia, who has little or no time for herself, as she cares for her cousin going through Chemotherapy. We pass by her house a couple times a week to help her with English, or to sing to her cousin.  I believe she's been well prepared by the Lord to accept the gospel, I think this week she will accept the lessons :)

We are started caroling with the zone, every Sunday until Christmas!  No one here knows what that means, but they like it anyways (I think!!) I love singing and thinking even more about Christ.

We watched the Christmas Devotional, and during Elder Uchdorf's talk I thought about Christ, the Savior, being born without any memory of his glory or predestination.  From his birth until the beginning of his ministry he had to learn Grace for Grace.  I don't know where we are all individually at, but this Christmas, we can start as the Savior started.  At a new fresh beginning.  We too need to learn grace for grace, petite a petite, until we realize our potential.  And luckily this Christmas is not too late to start. So let's get ready to make some changes!

I love you all! Enjoy that snow :)

Sœur Spencer

One the most hilarious, charitable woman on the island, Manupatia.  She hasn't committed to taking the lessons yet, but we just spent an hour helping her learn English, and singing hymns on her ukelele and eating with her and her cousin.  She gives and gives and gives.  She is single and can't imagine getting married, because she wouldn't have enough time in the week to continue to serve by driving people to the hospital all day, taking care of her cousin with cancer, giving away freely all that she grows and has, selling cakes at a stand to pay for her cousin's house. 

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Trip to Moorea: In Hawaii, the Pineapples are bigger, but in Tahiti the pineapples are sweeter.

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Haha, I fell for the tacky tag picture

Doing splits with Sr. Mortensen!  Got to do a lesson with Papi Tapatoa, since he's deaf we just write back and forth on a notebook.

Here's Ellie, with our DMP (ward mission leader)  I don't know what he's looking at haha but I promise this is the best photo of the ones we took:)

You can't really see our ami Poehere very well, but she is a great, steady person.  She's has had a lot a trials come into her life since she started the lessons, but her response to all of that is that she wants to move up her baptismal date!  Trials can make us stronger  It's our choice!!

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Big branch that fell 6inches from us during a lesson.  It may not common knowledge that coconut trees are pretty dangerous.  People die over here from falling coconuts

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Our Thanksgiving.  I contributed the canned corn you see there.

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brooke and her comp

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Book of Mormon: JUST READ IT

Nov 25th, 2017

Dear Family and Friends,

Ellie, the miracle. 

Ellie is the ami that we were working with to stop smoking weed/paka.  He couldnt stop for even a couple hours last week.  We knew that it would be a long process.  Last Sunday we committed him to not smoke for the rest of the day.  We prayed together, shared powerful scriptures of changing, talked about the blessings of obedience and shared the promise that Thomas S Monson gave, that if we read the Book of Mormon everyday, we were be given an increased power to resist temptation. 

2 days passed.  Sr Keyes and I prayed so hard for this man.  Just hoping he had tried his best, and that he had read the first chapter in 1 Néphi.  We even bought suckers so that maybe when he had the desire to smoke, he could grab a sucker.  We went back that Tuesday and opened with a prayer, then we asked that daunting question "did you succeed in avoiding smoking on Sunday??".  And held our breath, because you just hope and pray that he was humble enough to ask for help from God for this addiction that's had its tight grip on Ellie for 27 years. 

And he cracks this big smile and says "I havent touched the Paka since Sunday".  He said he left the house as much as possible, and everytime he was dying to smoke, he opened the Book of Mormon and read.  He read 7 chapters those two days.  And for a man with a crazy addiction and no support, who hates reading.  That was the best thing to hear.  He said that he felt the power of the Book of Mormon.  That this book spoke to him. 

Report on Ellie.  He didn't need the suckers anyhow.  Its been a week and he came to Church (something he was so against, two weeks ago).  He also said that one day he would like to get baptized.  This man has taken his future and his happiness in his own hands, I wish I had a recording of his testimony. 

THANKS sector of PAPEARI for letting me meet and help this man.  Do not doubt the power of the Book of Mormon in changing our lives!

Found another one of those massive 6 inch centipedes crawling around outside my bedroom door, haha, yay. 

Deborah, one of my first amis, that told us to get out of her Garden many months ago, was baptized.  IT was awesome.  It was her husband Mino who baptized her.  Go Mino and Deborah!!

Happy Thanksiving to y'alls aussi.  Thanksgiving doesn't exist here but we, the missionaries made a tart and ate corn for lunch, in celebration.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE BOOK OF MORMON and that I wasn't eaten by the Centipede of Unusual Size!

Love you family and friends!

Souer Spencer

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a woman named Angry Birds

November 20, 2017

Dear Family and Friends,

Yes, our newest ami is named Angry Birds.  Her parents saw the hype before the world did --haha. Well, her name is actualy Manupatia, which means literally angry birds, or just wasp.  She tells me when I speak in English, that I talk like a hamburger ... hahaha not sure what that means.

Amis here in Papeari are pretty funny, but I have felt the constant, quiet but real testifying of the spirit in our lessons. 

We have a quieter, 40 year old man, named Ellie, who is enthused about life and his faapu, garden.  Half of his body was paralyzed a year ago but he said that when he started praying again, he found the strength to leave the hospital.  He is continually thankful for this new opportunity to walk.  This week we have seen the power of the spirit and the Book of Mormon working in him.  He is more open to obey the commandments, and now he has got to give up Weed.  

We met a new ami who just had her first child. She is an awesome mix of sassy Tahitian and humble, open-hearted ami.  Despite the crazy crazy false ^^deep doctrine that the member teaches, she is still super solid.

^^deep doctrine:  Moroni took a boat and established an Island in Africa.  Or there can only be American prophets, or that we CANNOT celebrate the 25th December because that was not really the day that the Christ was born, and if we continue to celebrate it, then we are Catholics hahahaha. 

Our DMP (WML), Papi Tautu, is like our honorary grandpa.  Sr Keyes and I laugh and laugh with this crazy man :)

Yes, the Polynesian hospitality lives strong in this city.  Despite every humble circumstance, the members continue to invite us over to eat with them.  A family this week invited us into their 15ft by 6ft home, broken plywood walls and floors, to share a meal with their two kids. I hope you all are tracking down the missionaries in your area and keeping them full!! 

My companion is a steady, loving Canadian, named Sr Keyes :) 

Tender Mercy: When we had two lessons in the same hour and so we found one member to do a split with Sr Keyes and the second member was harder to find.  We passed by a house, where the member had just got home from a long day at the temple and laid down to rest.  We showed up and asked if she could come.  She shook off the sleep, ran Inside threw on a skirt, and walked immediately over with me to the lesson.  She also invited her whole family, drunks and all for their night to eat with us.  She is fired up to do missionary work and help us. 

In our sector we are seeing the ward community gearing up to do missionary work.  The bishop especially is ready to go.  He is giving us his third reference this week! We continue to work with the 3 powerful ward missionaries on splits. 

​I'm sweaty often out here.  It is more humid and rains everyday, but it is a good place to be.  We don't have any baptisms fixed, but is God still a God of miracles?  Yes, the day of Miracles has not ceased :):)

I love you all!

Love,

Souer Spencer

​Made a ping pong table with my bed:)

Cannabalism is old news

Nov 13th, 2017

Dear Family and Friends

Sector of Papeari= getting soaking wet.  We are in a rainy, jungle sector.  Good thing I'm an Oregonian, born and raised ;)

I met three powerful, humble, dedicated families who work with us whenever they can here.  Gosh, I love them so much. Our dear Clem, an ancient missionaire is our constant 3 companion. Best way to put it, she is spilling over with the love of Christ.

 

This week I was reminded of the deep and lasting impact that members have in the lives of nonmembers.  For good and bad.  Several amis here will not continue the lessons because they have seen members of the church living very unworthily.  Not only does our example influence our family and neighbors but it influences the chance that others have to accept the gospel.  We will never live perfect lives, but I am sure we can live more worthily.  We all are wearing a badge with the Savior's name on it.  Continue to repent, continue to share all that God has given you. 

We did have a lesson with an ami who comes from the Marquises.  She did most the talking though, This week she had to tell her daughter the truth..., that their family
​comes from a line of cannibals  She then asked a lot of questions about the legality of cannabalism :/ yeesh, don't want my parents to pull me aside to have a talk about our cannibalistic ancestors.

We did have a baptism. Um, it took 6x.  But luckily everyone was patient.

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New way to do knocking.  We drive through the jungle, all the dogs come and try to attack us.  We drive up on somebodies property, we yell Iorana! As loud as we can from out the window until someone comes and shoos the dogs away, then we come out of the car.  I like it. 

Our morning jogs are along the road and into Taravao.  We see little crabs scuttling over the road all the time, and our end destination is... the prison.  Super rad haha

We chase chickens out of our houses daily.  The houses are much humbler here.  One of our powerful members has a house of one room, made of plywood.  The walls are gaping in some parts.  This is a sink but no shower or toilet.  We ate with her and the other sister missionaries on her bed.  She loves the Savior and his work.  Pride is a dangerous thing for those of us who have all of our needs and a lot of our wants taken care of.  Stay humble please.

We are in a car now!

Thank you so much for visiting Sydnee and Audrey.  I love them both very much.  I miss my family crew!!

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Love,

Soeur Spencer

Started listening to David Archuletta's Christmas Album #nov1st

Nov 6th

Dear Family and Friends,

Hey you guys!! I love you all so much!!! Ah, I feel so sad for Shay-Lee.  My buddy! 

Thank so much for all the tender mercies!!! I loved it​​

After just 6 weeks in my last sector, I got transferred to the other side of the island, at Papeari.  We finished training Sr. Maitere, and she is ready to take on the sector.  The first girl I trained is now training someone else, which is super quick!  Means, that I am a grandma out here on the mission.  My new companion is named Sr. Keyes who is from Canada.  She and I are in a car, and I just need to work to be half as nice as her and I will probably make it just fine into the celestial kingdom.  Really looking forward to the time with her!

​Sr. Maitere and Brooke

This week's tender mercy was a lesson with a woman named Homie.  Her brother is a member who came with us also to the lesson.  Homie, has been through some crazy trials in her life, and her brother, this Papi Flores, takes so much time to help fix her home, bring her food, and spend time with her.  Despite the fact that his life was and still is super difficult and he is always in pain.  The joy that flies to his face when we talk about going by and visiting his family, to help them, teaches me how our Savior also probably feels when we visit his family. 

On a comical note. He also makes all the inactive family members sign up to feed the missionaries.  The missionaries are eating with three different members of his family this month haha.  He also also gives me dozens of bananas every time I see him.

​ Papi Flores

Had one of those fun, right before everything starts, "can you give the talk for the baptism" requests.  And when I got up to give it, I said enough pleading prayers that the spirit came and testified, and several people thanked me for the things that I shared.  That says nothing about me, but rather how exact the Lord blesses us, when we really call on him! 

Coincidence moment (but not really, #lords work) We had to do a Survey in another sector, and we kept meeting a lot of really cold people.  One of them, I convinced grudgingly to just answer quickly the 12 questions.  After every question he asked "are we done??" and then said he is not interested.  Well, the day of this baptism comes and my companion nudges me to tell me that this man is in attendance!  He was sitting right next to us, because his best friend, a new convert invited him.  He was so much more open this time around!! I hope to hear so that he started taking the lessons.  Moral:  Members can be so much more powerful missionaries than us the full-time missionaries!  

Love you all,

Soeur Spencer

​Sister Kohl and Brooke jogging

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Attachments area

October 30th 2017

​This great moment when Sr Maitere's one comb fell in the toilet. Her and I have bonded a lot this week :) :)

We have got our sassy Ami, Maire Antoinette, here at a ward dinner party

Here is my group of Sr's doing these stupid signs that the elders always do.  

We had the baptism for Herearii! We thought it was going to be for a later date but turns out when we called them to confirm for the next week, they told us they were doing it in 6 hours, that same day.  The bishop baptized him.  And voila, he's been baptized :) 

Went on a beautiful hike at Papeete, Fashoda I think was the name 

WE GOT TO SEE THE BAPTISM OF MAUD, HER HUSBAND TEVA AND THEIR DAUGHTER.  They deserve every bit of that happiness!!! There life has changed so much since that first day, when Sr Durrant and I were lost asking people where a Papi lives, Maud showed us around and we got her to agree to a lesson.  She was interested but didn't feel the spirit.  We worked so hard to bring the spirit the next few lessons and invited them to the temple, and it was there, talking about eternal families that they accepted and now, finally they got to enter the waters of baptism. Now they are going to move out and leave their home of bad influences and start again somewhere else.  Stay tuned for their Temple Sealing, 2018!!

Rappin les cocos

Dear Friends and Family,

Ok.  So we are getting closer and closer together in our house as funny health problems arrive.  Sr Andrus is a champ but cannot do missionary work, so that means that we do splits in the two sectors everyday.   3 lessons in my sector, switch companions and super fast bike over to the next sector.  On the plus side, I get to teach with Sr Kohl who just started her mission 9 weeks ago but is wonderful.  I am like a trainer for two missionaries now :) Sharing the love

On the plus side, I now am the driver of the van.  Can't beat learning how to drive stick by just heading into Papeete and praying a lot.

PREsce isle!  We found this beautiful spot where you can see the neck between the two parts 

We had a powerful lesson with a 25 year old lady, who was sick and her Mormon friend suggested she get a blessing.  The lesson after her blessing, she sat there quietly until we asked her about how she had felt during the blessing.  She explained that it was a powerful and unique feeling that helped her to feel so much love.  A feeling she had never felt, not at her catholic church or with her family.  And said not only had she been healed physically but she had been very spiritually touched .  She then asked quietly how she could keep that same feeling with her throughout her life.  We had the chance to explain about the Spirit and the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and throughout the lesson I felt the spirit testifying of power of the priesthood and how blessed we are to have these feelings so often as members of Christ's church.  

I had another eye opening lesson with a man this week in the other sister's sector.  He has to do Dialysis for 4 hours every other day, because he has an auto-immune system disease. His veins don't work, and he will have to continue like that for the rest of his life.  There is no cure. Despite this struggle for life every week, he is so willing to learn and apply the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He is transgender, but it is so clear in the lessons, how much God loves this person. 

We had the General Authority, Elder Arden, come this week for a conference on Monday.  That's why we are writing on Wednesday.  

Got to rap my first coconut this week!! And Mino and Soon both went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead! Soon said right after she got out of the temple, her dad called her,  (the guys who is the leader in the RLDS church, who kicked her out of their house for her decision to get baptized), and told her all was forgiven and he loved her.  Soon continues in her daily search for the light of Christ, and continues to be blessed with miracles.  Her story is a miracle for me.  

Ok,  Voila! le rapport Haere i mua! Ua here au ia outou

Sr Spencer

l'avenir: Hilary Clinton and Illuminati

Dear Family and Friends,

Picture 1.  Our Contacting Experiences are hilarious.  Here is the first door we hit, where we talked to the lady for 30 minutes on tippy toe.  Today we talked to a man who lives in our apartment complex.  He Started to explain his Hippy Life in California in the 1960's and how he had Schizophenia because of LSD, but here in Tahiti he is happy,  and has been born again thanks to a book or something.   He explained what brainwashing is and how we are brainwashed and damned.  And how America should be ruled by Hilary Clinton and the Illuminati... And I just ended with "Brother,  I am glad you believe in Christ.  Follow him" and he said "It is not the same Jesus as you.  Let me know when you guys want to not be damned".

I just want to thank all my friends serving in America who come across these people often.  Keep up the good work.  I have a lot of respect for you all.  

Picture 2.  this is what we saw the whole time talking to the lady on our tippy-toes

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Picture 3:  Conference for the Sisters at Presidents house.  Sr Maitere, me, Sr Basset, Sr Doumichellle and Sr Durrant

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Movie: Benefits of having a sector on the beach now!  Perks Oremu, my old sector didn't have.

Picture 4: Found myself a Black Sand Beach

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Picture 5: my power companion, Sr Maitere

Picture 6:  The lady who translate in Tahitian for General Conference is in our stake!  We started Tahitian lessons with her.  She is so humble!

Picture 7:  Friday night was an activity at the temple with my old ward and the new one.  The feelings of the spirit are real and vibrant.  I hope we do not take lightly the gift that we received to have the spirit with us all the time.  Be worthy of his presence, and write down the powerful experiences you have had.  Don't forget these moments of conversion.

  

Picture 8: Had a member of the 70 come visit us from Tonga, for our stake conference.  He lived for a while in Portland Oregon!  Ma Oregonian Brother! Well during the conference he asks for 2 missionaries to come up and help him, and to bring their PMG.  After looking in the crowd he picked us two, and that moment of embarrassment kicks in as we realize that we dont have our PMG with us.  But a kid passed us his ipad on our walk of shame up to the front,  and luckily we could read the PMG on that.  Haha  Pas Grave.

Love,

Soeur Spencer

Rocky Balboa in Pirae 1

October 2, 2017

Dear Family and Friends,

We had a trio of sorts this week with Sr Albert (the old sister in our area) who finished her mission Saturday and headed back to Venautu.  Should have filmed those first moments on the bike this week.  Flashing those bowling ball helmets, and rocking the skirt, and the reflective vests in the city.  I almost fell off my bike laughing.  Dad, you would have loved it.

Conference started at 6 am here in Tahiti, but despite that we had plenty of amis there next to us, hearing the good word from apostles and prophets. Granted it was in French, which always makes me tired ;)

Check out the wicked looking fruits they fed us.  So goood.

Sr Durrant fell really sick so she came over at midnight and stayed with us.  It's lame that she was sick, but always good to have the Mami back.  We had a nice fam slumber party with Durrant and my daughter Sr Maitere.  

We run in the mornings with the zone at the track.  The zone is currently 5 Elders and 2 sisters.  This morning we did boxing training with our DMP.  Ran to his house and punched 4 massive tires (his boxing bag) that he glued together.  It was sweeeeet haha

We had a lice epidemic this week, so spent some long nights and mornings picking through hair.  One day we were all a little fiu (fed up) and ended up cutting our hair. I have this cool bowl cut now, #it will grow back later.  I will send pics next week

We have this cool ami named Roberto who has been taking the lessons for a while.  We fixed his baptismal date this week, and we hope to see him a member of this church this month! 

Losing my voice thanks to OLB, port a port, this week.  Maybe not the most effective but pretty fun.  We had one lady that we spent 30 minutes trying to convince her to open her massive gate.  If we stood on tiptoe we could she her over the gate,  so.  we stood on tip toe for half an hour.  Luckily my comp is tall like me and patient and has great calves.  We succeeded finally with "hey we are thirsty.  Can we fill up my waterbottle?"

The sisters we live with are champs and last night (Pday EVe)  we chilled with some music on the beach with the glow sticks you guys sent me!

Love,

Sister Spencer

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