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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