Thanks for all the mail, and emails :D. I really am spoiled with all the letters you send. Thanks bunches :D
I am doing well, and I am happy. I could not be in a better place right now, and I know that my mission has been the best thing for me so far. I am sooo happy to be a missionary!
This week has been great.
So, before my mission, and earlier in my mission, I always saw the week
updates that missionaries sent home, and I thought the format was
weird. This day I did XYZ, Tuesday XYZ, and so on for the week. But now,
I get it 100%.... If the day -by-day thing bothers you, please lemme
know, and I will try and write differently.
Here are some experiences from this week:
Here are some experiences from this week:
Monday,
after writing you all, we got to go to the chapel I served at in Heiri,
and play soccer, and basketball with the elders in the zone. I got to
talk to elder Christensen, elder Randal, and some other mission friends.
It was great, and my old companion E Christensen and I got to talk
about the old sector, and about Hitiaa (my last sector, where he served
about a year ago). Elder Christensen will finish here in just a few
weeks, :/ and I will miss the guy. He has been a great friend, and was
an excellent companion during a time of learning on my mission. It is
weird seeing all my buddies finish. Elder Clark will finish with him
too. I love those guys. Monday night, we had a FHE with a member family.
The husband is a highcouncilman, and his wife is our ward's primary
president.
Tuesday we had several meetings the morning, then we were able to do some work in the sector later. Same with Wednesday. We taught one lesson Wednesday that was soooo different. We taught a woman who is from Raivavae (an island in the Australes, south of Tahiti near Tubuai where E Pratt first arrived) On the island of Raivavae, normal Tahitian isn't really spoken. The dialect there is pretty much Tahitian, but instead of R's they say G's..... it is so weird. Normal Tahitian does not have any G sound, but their crazy island dialect has no R's. So, for example: RAI-VA-VAE (ray va vay) becomes GAI-VA-VAE (gay va vay) trying not to laugh.... the verb 'To speak' - PARAU, become PAGAU (pah gauh) and 'thank you' - MAURURU (mau - roo-roo) becomes MAUGUGU (mah goo goo) :P
Tuesday we had several meetings the morning, then we were able to do some work in the sector later. Same with Wednesday. We taught one lesson Wednesday that was soooo different. We taught a woman who is from Raivavae (an island in the Australes, south of Tahiti near Tubuai where E Pratt first arrived) On the island of Raivavae, normal Tahitian isn't really spoken. The dialect there is pretty much Tahitian, but instead of R's they say G's..... it is so weird. Normal Tahitian does not have any G sound, but their crazy island dialect has no R's. So, for example: RAI-VA-VAE (ray va vay) becomes GAI-VA-VAE (gay va vay) trying not to laugh.... the verb 'To speak' - PARAU, become PAGAU (pah gauh) and 'thank you' - MAURURU (mau - roo-roo) becomes MAUGUGU (mah goo goo) :P
The lady speaks french (but prefers Gay va vay) and she gets Tahitian.
So I am struggling to comprehend anything being said, and on top of it, MUSIC.
We
taught the lesson in front of her house, and her neighbor began BOOMING
crazy dub step rap, trash music. It was so loud. Like more loud than the
theater speakers. SO LOUD. It was straight up LOUD.
And then it starts raining.
I got almost nothing during the beginning of the lesson, and while I was thinking about how much we should find another spot to teach, my companion was teaching like a champ. We asked the guy to turn it down, and he wouldn't, and so we just kept teaching. It turns out that the spirit came, my companion taught really well, and the woman had some questions answered. Wow. Really a funny, crazy lesson, and leaving it I was just speechless. It was cGazy, Gight? It's Geally diffeGent tGying to undeGstand, let alone talk without the letteG R, i mean G.... :P
I got almost nothing during the beginning of the lesson, and while I was thinking about how much we should find another spot to teach, my companion was teaching like a champ. We asked the guy to turn it down, and he wouldn't, and so we just kept teaching. It turns out that the spirit came, my companion taught really well, and the woman had some questions answered. Wow. Really a funny, crazy lesson, and leaving it I was just speechless. It was cGazy, Gight? It's Geally diffeGent tGying to undeGstand, let alone talk without the letteG R, i mean G.... :P
Heavenly father looks out for us, and I sure felt happy that we kept teaching. I will never forget that lesson.
Thursday
morning, we got to do a service project, and paint for our Primary
president's family. It was a great project, with the Zone leaders who
live with us, (elder Jessop and elder Tumarae). After the project, we
had crepes, and we had pancakes! :D We spent the rest of the day with
president. The morning we did some study with him and then for about 5
or 6 hours, we worked on the transfer. Sister Bize made BURRITOS!!! :D
Thursday night, we got to do a Family Night with some of our investigators
Wednesday, we found out that Elder Pearson, who was coming down for the Stake Conference of Papeete, had a few hours free, and wanted to talk to the missionaries. So, we organized a quick mission conference Friday morning, and we got to hear him talk for 2 hours! He talked about the holy ghost, and it was really amazing. It's the 3rd time I have gotten to see him in the mission, and every time I learn more and more. We're pretty lucky in the mission that everyone can be gathered within an hour or so (except the companionships in the islands, who watch by Internet), and we can do these types of conferences. It has really been a treat.
Saturday, we got to hear him again during the night sessions of Stake Conference. Elder Taylor and I got to go with President, and the talks that night were great. President even gave a talk, and it was awesome. He had the whole crowd laughing, and had all of their attention. He really is a great speaker, and has the honor and respect of the members and missionaries here. He reminds me of Dad when he gives talks. Very enthusiastic, and makes good points.
Sunday was another session of conference, and they we had the chance to have a dinner with President, and Elder and Sister Taylor of NZ (not to be confused with my companion Elder Taylor) They came down to talk about the health of missionaries in the mission. They have a special call, and tour the pacific area, and E Taylor is in charge of the mental health of missionaries. He is here to talk about stress, and will give some presentations in the next few days. Right after their plane got here, we took them to a concert! The stakes here, under the direction of Elder Tarati (our local 70), are doing a missionary choir. The members are singing a concert, with the purpose of inviting investigators and non members, and then inviting them to come to church, and take lessons. It was an amazing concert, and holly cow, they sang sooo well. It was almost professional, with all the best singers from Tahiti, and some really special arraignments. I love music, and being able to hear it was just like a spiritual re-charge for me. And, lucky me, I will be able to go again, seeing as my companion's testimony is on the program :D
I'll send a pic of the concert, and dinner last night.
Wednesday, we found out that Elder Pearson, who was coming down for the Stake Conference of Papeete, had a few hours free, and wanted to talk to the missionaries. So, we organized a quick mission conference Friday morning, and we got to hear him talk for 2 hours! He talked about the holy ghost, and it was really amazing. It's the 3rd time I have gotten to see him in the mission, and every time I learn more and more. We're pretty lucky in the mission that everyone can be gathered within an hour or so (except the companionships in the islands, who watch by Internet), and we can do these types of conferences. It has really been a treat.
Saturday, we got to hear him again during the night sessions of Stake Conference. Elder Taylor and I got to go with President, and the talks that night were great. President even gave a talk, and it was awesome. He had the whole crowd laughing, and had all of their attention. He really is a great speaker, and has the honor and respect of the members and missionaries here. He reminds me of Dad when he gives talks. Very enthusiastic, and makes good points.
Sunday was another session of conference, and they we had the chance to have a dinner with President, and Elder and Sister Taylor of NZ (not to be confused with my companion Elder Taylor) They came down to talk about the health of missionaries in the mission. They have a special call, and tour the pacific area, and E Taylor is in charge of the mental health of missionaries. He is here to talk about stress, and will give some presentations in the next few days. Right after their plane got here, we took them to a concert! The stakes here, under the direction of Elder Tarati (our local 70), are doing a missionary choir. The members are singing a concert, with the purpose of inviting investigators and non members, and then inviting them to come to church, and take lessons. It was an amazing concert, and holly cow, they sang sooo well. It was almost professional, with all the best singers from Tahiti, and some really special arraignments. I love music, and being able to hear it was just like a spiritual re-charge for me. And, lucky me, I will be able to go again, seeing as my companion's testimony is on the program :D
I'll send a pic of the concert, and dinner last night.
I'm going to send some pictures now, and then I will write a bit more later if I have time.
Anyways, that is a large summary of this week. I hope you liked the Gay va vay story :P I sure did
Have a good week all, and thanks for the support. I look up to you, and I am proud of you, my family. We have an ETERNAL unit! We are an Eternal Family! MANUIA! (success!)
I love you!
Have a good week!
-Brigham
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| B-Ball Last P-Day |
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| Service Project Thursday |
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| Our ward's youth, at Stake Conference :D |
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| Us at the concert last night |
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| Dinner Last night :D Sister Warner (the mission nurse) made BBQ chicken and POTATOES!! Also in the picture are President and Sister TEFAN (Temple President!) I got to sit next to them and talk with President Tefan. They are great people :D |
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