Equipe: Spencer W Kendall

Dear Family and Friends,

Sr Kendall went to the little doctor's clinic on the island.  Thanks Doc

 

One year of Chaco tan lines

 

Birthday Party for Tua, mami Tetua.  Ended up being more of a political celebration, and we left when people started getting drunk, which was really too bad.

 

Video: FHE night that everyone loved.  Even the papi's were crying laughing Haha

Sometimes you'd think we are in the Truman Show. Riding our bike around in circles, with the same people always on the street.  I can only imagine for the missionaries who live in the Tuamotus.

Our super intelligent ami.  Marie T.  She's 11, And she asks the best questions in lessons

 

Last Family SKKKYPE. LOVE you guys!!!

 

 

 

Love,

Brooke

Here's a part of Brooke's email to her mission president:

I just received hand-written letters from my family and Sr. Toofa's family, I think that's the best gift we ever get from home, as missionaries. I cherish certain letters that my family has sent me for the challenging mission moments. My dad just sent this quote:

"Expect your challenges to be a little harder and your burden to be a bit heavier as the Lord refines you and really uses you as his missionary to accomplish the tasks that others can not do. Don't be discouraged. Your sacrifice is recorded by the angels. Someday we will watch your life movie and these will be some of your favorite scenes. "

Suffice it to say, we are doing great! Small miracles or tender mercies come each day. We were delighted to see that new amis came to church, thanks to engagements and membre intergrators! An inactive family as well! We have several plan d'actions fixed with the branch, so now we need to put them in action! Our Sondage, in Moerai went very smoothly, with success. 17 members from this village came to support us! We had a "Unity in the Travail Missionaire" theme for Sacrament Meeting and that went very well!! We were able to give talks as well as the ward missionaries, and sing. The DMP and Branch President bore great testimonies at the end. We work with a few inactive families chosen by the President of Branch. And there are progressing amis here! 

 

 

YOMO- You Only Mission Once

Dear Family and Friends,

 Miracles with Maeva. Maeva is one of the four branch missionaries.  She loves the Savior and has let this love and faith cast out her doubts.  She cares for a severely handicapped son, as well as her other children.  She is the Young Women's President. Her husband works all day and is not interested in helping Maeva with the kids or the church.  But Maeva lets nothing stop her.  Even if her kids are sick and she hasn't slept for 4 nights, she comes to multiple lessons a day.  She is clearly guided by the spirit, and has borne several powerful testimonies in lessons that help the amis understand and believe.  She is a beautiful example of our Older Brother, Jesus Christ.

Experience: After studying Preach My Gospel one morning, I came across the line about praying for power to convert these people.  Alma in Alma 31: 35 said "voici O Seigneur, leur ame est précieuse, c'est pourquoi, donne-nous, du pouvoir et de la sagesse, afin que nous te ramenions ceux-ci, qui sont nos frères".  Ensuite, I prayed for this power and wisdom, that we may be able to discern the needs of the amis and convince them of the importance of this message.

     The next day we tried to find a reference, but only her daughter-in- law was there.  So we asked to share a message.  She said she wasn't interested but I felt that we needed to be persistent.  We asked to know her favorite scripture in the Bible and then I felt the door open.  I shared my favorite scripture in the Book of Mormon and bore testimony sincerely of why I wanted to share these things with her.  She accepted another lesson.

   
 Later that day we had the same situation.  We took 30 minutes to bike with a member, to this reference's house.  When we arrived, the person took 15 minutes to tell us why she didn't want the Lessons and how she didn't want to fix another appointment.  Sr Kendall and I felt again this need to continue, so we asked the right questions that helped us to understand and explain the solutions to her preoccupations.  She wept with us as she finally recognized the importance of these lessons.  We look forward to the next lesson. 

   
 In multiple other instances our first contact with amis, led to their recounting personal experiences of conversion to God, or seeing a miracle.  Tears were shed in each of these accounts and we know that we were given the convincing power of the spirit this week. 

No secrets, just a simple truth.  Sincere desire, praying and fasting, followed by working will bring the convincing power of the spirit into our lives and allow us to share this light.

sometimes we wake just saying "wow", Sr. Kendall and I still can't believe we live here.  

The month of May is the season for Wasps of Unusual Size.  Luckily we have our Electric Bug Killing Tennis Racket.

Our sector is the whole island, so we spend some quality time on bikes :)  I still need to do some mechanic work on my bike, so a member lent me their Bike Cruiser from the 1980's,  hahaha it quite the leg workout!  At least, it's not the style: one big wheel in the front and a tiny wheel in the back!! Counting my many blessings.   

The Branch President is wonderful.   He follows the directives, haha what a relief!

We had some delicious Hima'a cooked Octopus this week with President de Branch.  Hima'a is a giant hole in the ground where they traditionally cook a whole pig or Fruits wrapped in banana leaves.  We eat most meals with our hands hahaha I hope my caveman habits will be accepted when I get back home.  Mom, any complaints?

SR. Kendall and I are doing welllllll.  we got 5 cakes for her birthday, and have eattin the equivalent of thanksgiving dinner, 4 times this week.  Haha and saying no, burns bridges with members.  So Faaoroma'i :) 

Merci beaucoup pour vos exemples!!!! I love you all very much!!

So proud of everything Logan and Jessie are accomplishing!!

Love, Sr Spencer  

The first week on a tiny island! Rurutu, is not fiu

April 30, 2018

 

Dear Family and Friends,

 

A lot happens in a sector that has been closed for a while, so bear with me.  The email is long.  It was a crazy, incredible week - filled with miraculous members and new traditions. 

I underlined the highlights if you are fiu, (not interested in reading) :)

We look for ways to be integrated into the community.  We held a discussion with our Bishop and found 3 inactive families that he wants us to focus on.  We were invited by a member to teach English in a school for 2 1/2 hours, which went wonderfully, and even had one of the students come to church this week.  We ate with them and were able to discuss with the other teachers about our purpose as missionaries.  

Side Note: Luckily Tahitian Teenagers are respectful to us, I don't know if in America it would work as well as it did here.  When we ate together, it was poisson cru lait coco, chicken lait coco, fe'i, taro, et po'i banana and everyone dung in with their hands.   It is more old and traditional out here. 

 

A member brought us to the City Hall/government building, where we passed by every office, kissing everyone's cheek in the whole building and talking with them.  We wondered if we could start an english class so asked if we could write a proposal to the Mayor.  But then the Mayor saw the member that we were with and left his meeting to invte us into his office for a meeting with him.  He will help us fix one day in the week when we can teach English Class at the City Hall. 

We had another occasion to participate in traditional Rurutu Protestant Traditions,

1. The first was their Mass.  Here in Rurutu the women Have TO wear their huge woven hats to church. Some are as big as somberros, others have little windmills attached.  I'm thinking of getting one with Christmas lights all over.  That'll blow them away ;) 
2. The second was the Tama'a. They chanted songs and then head over to the cafeteria where we ate fish and taro with our hands.  In a matter of minutes all the adults had finished.  It was an eating frenzy, while pastors tried to share a spiritual message to motivate the members to donate their tithing money.  No worries here, they collected over 520,000 dollars this weekend! 
3. The third was today, PDAY, the Parade of Homes "Food Edition".  Where we march to people's houses in a huge group, we are greeted with baby powder and perfume, then we walk into every room in the house and eat food the food that they have set out.  After the third house they brought out beers so we had to leave, bummer :/

We have seen several women in this Branch that are ready to work with us.  Some that have been here since the creation on this Branch, and have sincerely fasted and prayed for missionaries.  We have just about met all of the active members, during our visits this week, and have committed several sisters to do splits with us this week.  Sr Kendall and I are moved by the dedication of these women, and our Branch Mission Leader in their desire to serve and find amis. Our Branch Mission Leader really is giving it his all, he looks out for us and is ready to get working. the Lord will work miracles through these dedicated people.  

Sunday: There we about 60 people at church, we gave both a talk and the second hour got chosen, 2 seconds before, to give the lesson for the 17 youth in the Branch. 

We took two tours of the Island, and the city of AVERA is situated in between two big mountains, with incredible views, I just don't know how we are going to get our bikes to the tops of the mountains, to get there hahaha

We look forward to getting our bikes so that we can be a little more independent.  Sr. Kendall and I are doing well!! And we are safe and well looked after.  

 

Several members have told us that they have been praying for missionaries. There hasn't been a baptism in a year.  God has a lot of things planned for this Branch, and we need to be directly in tune with the spirit to be able to catch all his whisperings.  Wish us luck :)

I love this sector! The Savior has heard the members prayers'.  Now time to get to work :) 

Here we go, me and Sr Kendall.

Until next week!!!

 

Love 

Sister Spencer

PS

LOL- While doing Door to Door contacting with a member, a drunk man came up named Rocky, who was so impressed to see Sisters on the island. He ended up coming into the house with us for the message that we shared.  He sang along, shared his thoughts about something, and he offered to give the prayer.  He decided that he wanted to be a missionary and would help us find his friends that needed the gospel.  The member was cool with him but finally got him off our backs. Good thing we'll never see him again.. on this tiny island ;)

Transferred: I will finish up my mission in the secteur of....

Dear Family and Friends,

Dreams do come true. And that dream is that God needed me to serve at Rurutu.  I think I first heard about Rurutu when our MTC teacher Fr Vanderholm talked about serving at Rurutu, and biking next to the ocean while whales were surfacing.  Ever since then I have had this sincere desire to serve there. And Wednesday I got a call to put my belongings on a boat, and Friday they told me that Sr Kendall and I would be opening up an Island, and it's the first time for sisters in a long time.  So here we are, Rurutu.

I want to cry after seeing the kindness of these members.  I had my share of anxiety but these feelings have been swept away as I stepped off the airplane with Sr Kendall.  I know there will be weaknesses in the branch, like all wards but I am deeply touched by the members we have met with today.
  I will enjoy the beauty of the people, and culture, and landscape, but have my plaque securely fastened over my heart.  I know I am here for my Savior, and that we will work to find the members and nonmembers that need us here.   We are safe, we are wide-eyed and full of gratitude.

The last week in Papeari went well.  We have a couple Semi-Membres who have labored diligently to have their own testimony, and recieved the answer to get baptized in June.  The ami is named Elodie and she will be a wonderful asset in the paroisse.  She really knows this gospel is true!! (I attached a picture with her and Sr.Toofa)

Sr. Kendall is safe and sound :) I look forward to serving with her.  And yes, Sr Kendall and I are from the same Stake in Utah lol, On est pas parti de l’auberge ;) 

Hi Mom and Sr Toofa, vous etes belle

April 3 and 9th,

General Conference! Despite small changes, like listening all in French or waking up at 5 am to get to church for the 6am session, this conference was the most powerful for me and my companion, Sr. Toofa. We felt such power in the testimonies of apostles who helped us to know with a surety that Russell M Nelson really was chosen and really is the chosen prophet for us, today! (Jeremiah 1:5 in the bible applies to him!) I know he speaks the words of our Savior. I know that as we apply the things that he has taught us this weekend that we will be blessed! We will be stronger than the trials and adversary that comes into our lives in the next 6 months.

I finally found a Tahitian who wants to take us over to play tennis! 

LOL. the fact that our three lovely Amis, who came to the last brunch all dolled up, have done it again!! One lied that she was off in the other islands and the next day, all three of them were seated at their table, flower crowns, dresses, liPstick, before 6:45 am. Haha what a feat. May the spirit one day touch their hearts through these early morning "Brunchs" Haha. 

We have two couple, the boyfriends are inactive members and the girlfriends are investigators, who take the lessons, and have really opened up to the spirit.  One couple stayed with us and watched all 8 hours of conference, and left work and school early to make it to the lessons at night.  We are so excited to watch their progression! 

We hope to see Poerava and Tetu seal the deal this week, with their marriage and baptism Friday

Happy Easter! What a joy to have a knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ in this church! We are blessed! We are loved and guided and we need continue to follow him.

Pass a wonderful week in gratitude of all our blessings :)

Sr Spencer

Fam Bam, You're All My Clan!

April 16th, 2018

 

Simply, the work continues! We are working for all our new converts to head to the temple by the end of the month.  I soak up the hour we have in Sacrament meeting, to see the new converts bless the sacrament, pass the sacrament, bear their testimonies, and get callings.  I have been very blessed to hang out here in Papeari for 6 months and see the light of Christ seep into the converts' lives. 

It's fun being involved in the stake and having interviews with our champion stake president, President Tupai. 

We've got a member who really wants us to do lessons with a certain ami.  When we got over to her house, the ami starts telling us that she hears children playing and then their parents get mad at them and they run over to her house.  When they come over they always hide up in the ceiling or under the house.  That's when we realized that she not talking about real children, **sigh*, and she can't come to church because  she'll be tracked down and hit with rocks, by.... you guessed it.  The imaginary people :/ 

We're working out some false doctrine in the ward.

Our Potential Baptism, Matira, (17yrs) got too nervous about baptism that she asked to stop the lessons.  The Second, Elodie, (20yrs) is preparing to tell her parents that she knows she should get baptized, she knows they'll do their best to stop her. The third, Christina (20yrs) is still in the world with her inactive member boyfriend, she really loves reading the Book of Mormon though and has the plan to get married in the temple *one day!! haha ahh, I thought I was good at procrastination in High School, well our amis are professional procrastinators lol. 

It's the political season here, so everyone drives by with their massive party flags and drives down the jungle roads yelling political propaganda in a megaphone in Tahitian. Maybe if the church took the same approach..., we'd probably just have a lot more enemies haha

I love you guys!

 

Brooke