Island Servant: This Week Has Been a Whirlwind

This week has been a whirlwind. Things are going by really fast.

Tuesday was a very special day. My old WML from Vairao, who was baptized by my companion, Elder Taylor a few months before, went to the temple! We got to accompany him and his wife, and elder Taylor was his escort :) It was a cool day, and we were there for their own endowments, and for their sealing. It was the first sealing I have ever seen, and I really thought it was a simple, beautiful ordinance. In the temple, I think I was the most awake and captive of the teachings, that I have ever been in my life, except for maybe the first time. I really appreciated the chance to go, and I really remembered why I love the temple. I felt a strong feeling of closeness to my Heavenly Father, and I had images in my mind of leaving the pre-earth life. How important Christ's role is for us, and our Father had HUGE trust in Him and in us. He trusted Him because all the people he was sending down, to forget, would be completely lost without him, and he trusts us to find his son, and to use his Atonement to get back. I thought about the conversations we had as I left for my mission, and I think about the conversations we must have had with Father, right before leaving his presence. It was just a special trip to the temple. And it was a tender mercy, that before Mom had her scope, I got to put her name in the temple :)

Wednesday, Elder Taylor and I taught some lessons, then we did a split with the Zone Leaders of PAEA. I was with elder White, from Provo, and Elder Taylor was with his companion. E White is a super great missionary, and I had a good time with him. We had a ward missionary coordination meeting, and we did some lessons together. Wednesday night, we made what has to be the highest cholesterol meal I have ever made. Spaghetti and sauce, but with TONS of cheese in the sauce. It turned out really yummy, like a hot, sticky, noodlely lasagna. It was really good. Elder White and I had fun, and in meeting him more, I found out he loves fishing and hunting too. Had a good time, and learned from him.

Thursday, we ended the split so that Elder Taylor and I could have a meeting with president. It was a good meeting, and we had dinner with them. President whipped up some crepes, and we had crepes and jam. We were all surprised by the quality of the crepes, including sr Bize, and we chuckled a bit about that. President has such a dynamic personality, and makes people laugh so easily. I am so lucky to learn from them, and spend so much time with them. They are such good people.

Friday, was Halloween. :P We had the coolest zone meeting ever. My companion gave a training, involving a blindfold, a maze of chairs in the RS room, and pin the tail on the donkey. It was a great object lesson, and we had lots of fun, and then all felt the spirit and were all involved as the spiritual part was shared. We had a great day of lessons, and doing office chores. Then at the end of the day, we ate with a member family, and had McD's pumpkin pies for dessert....! :D That was a great surprise. :P One of the perks about being in the city.

Saturday we had a baptism, a young woman in our ward, and a young boy. The parents of the boy were re-activated, so that his dad could baptize him. It was really a sweet ceremony.

Sunday, we picked President up from the airport, and did some lessons, before going to the temple garden concert (it rained so the moved the concert into our chapel). We had a good day.

That's about all for this week. I will send a few pictures. In all, it was a great week, and I am very happy to be here. I will miss being a missionary, and I will miss Tahiti. Good thing I still have 9 months here! Gotta use EVERY minute of it, like Elder Gifford told us in his meetings.

I love you so much!!! Thanks for everything, and have a good week my family! I'm gonna go talk at a baptism next door, in the ward of Papeete 2. I love you guys!!!!

Brigham