Week 10 - TAHITI!!
I am here!!!! And I love Tahiti! I do not know where to begin!
We arrived on Monday night around 10pm Tahiti time. There was TONS of people there waiting for us and we had a full on party at the airport!! It was a great welcome! The people here are so nice!
I am assigned in the Mahina Zone! It is on the east side of Tahiti. And I am in the Faaripo sector. It is in the middle of the jungle!! There is only one paved road here, totally different then back at home! My trainer, and new companion, is Elder Glad. He is from Virginia and has been serving for 13 months. I am in a trio right now because my trainers old companion has not been transferred yet due to medical problems. His name is Elder Aubry and he is from Tahiti, so he has been helping me a ton!
Now let me tell you about the house I am living in. It is TINY!! There are only four beds in the house and there are five of us. So yes, you guessed it, I am sleeping on the tile floor! Our house literally has the smallest kitchen ever, our room and a tiny bathroom, with no hot water! That is it!
The food here is different. It is usually white rice with a stew type thing over it and I have NO idea what is in the stew! Let's just say my stomach has been hurting!
The weather here is crazy! It rains and then it is sunny. We were walking to a lesson the other day and we got SOAKED! And it is always hot! I have been sweating since I got here and there is no A/C!
The language is pretty difficult. It is hard to understand because the people talk so fast and they have a Tahitian accent and they mumble. So it is hard to understand. But I talk with the members all the time and practice my French and Tahitian. The Tahitians love it when I speak in Tahitian. They open up!
We teach lessons on the front porch here! I have not been in a Tahitian house yet. Their front porch is like their living room. You always take off your shoes before you go on the front porch. The people here are so nice! It is very poor here, but the people give the missionaries everything!
So I have a cool story to tell you from a lesson this week. It was with two inactives. Their names are Tiare and Atehipa. They have not been to church in years, but this week they agreed to hear from us. So for the lesson we planned to talk about faith with them. The lesson started and they asked me to give the opening prayer. They both did not look happy and I could tell they did not want us there. Before I started to pray the Spirit hit me and told me to pray in Tahitian. So that is what I did and when I finished I looked up and they both had the biggest smiles on their faces! I could tell that talking in Tahitian really opened them up. Anyways, the lesson started and my two companions start talking about faith. I am trying my hardest to understand what is going on, but it is hard! Then out of no where the Spirit hit me hard and told me to start talking about testimonies. I had NOTHING planned for this but I followed the promptings. So I started teaching and again their faces were lighting up and so I asked them both to share their testimonies and WOW it was so powerful! I then shared my testimony in Tahitian. We finished the lesson and Tiare started to cry! She said that she felt like she was missing something in her life and that a testimony was the thing! They both came to church yesterday and looked so happy to be there!
Scripture of the week: Alma 29:9, "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."
I am so excited for the next week! I love you all!
Elder VanLindt
We arrived on Monday night around 10pm Tahiti time. There was TONS of people there waiting for us and we had a full on party at the airport!! It was a great welcome! The people here are so nice!
I am assigned in the Mahina Zone! It is on the east side of Tahiti. And I am in the Faaripo sector. It is in the middle of the jungle!! There is only one paved road here, totally different then back at home! My trainer, and new companion, is Elder Glad. He is from Virginia and has been serving for 13 months. I am in a trio right now because my trainers old companion has not been transferred yet due to medical problems. His name is Elder Aubry and he is from Tahiti, so he has been helping me a ton!
Now let me tell you about the house I am living in. It is TINY!! There are only four beds in the house and there are five of us. So yes, you guessed it, I am sleeping on the tile floor! Our house literally has the smallest kitchen ever, our room and a tiny bathroom, with no hot water! That is it!
The food here is different. It is usually white rice with a stew type thing over it and I have NO idea what is in the stew! Let's just say my stomach has been hurting!
The weather here is crazy! It rains and then it is sunny. We were walking to a lesson the other day and we got SOAKED! And it is always hot! I have been sweating since I got here and there is no A/C!
The language is pretty difficult. It is hard to understand because the people talk so fast and they have a Tahitian accent and they mumble. So it is hard to understand. But I talk with the members all the time and practice my French and Tahitian. The Tahitians love it when I speak in Tahitian. They open up!
We teach lessons on the front porch here! I have not been in a Tahitian house yet. Their front porch is like their living room. You always take off your shoes before you go on the front porch. The people here are so nice! It is very poor here, but the people give the missionaries everything!
So I have a cool story to tell you from a lesson this week. It was with two inactives. Their names are Tiare and Atehipa. They have not been to church in years, but this week they agreed to hear from us. So for the lesson we planned to talk about faith with them. The lesson started and they asked me to give the opening prayer. They both did not look happy and I could tell they did not want us there. Before I started to pray the Spirit hit me and told me to pray in Tahitian. So that is what I did and when I finished I looked up and they both had the biggest smiles on their faces! I could tell that talking in Tahitian really opened them up. Anyways, the lesson started and my two companions start talking about faith. I am trying my hardest to understand what is going on, but it is hard! Then out of no where the Spirit hit me hard and told me to start talking about testimonies. I had NOTHING planned for this but I followed the promptings. So I started teaching and again their faces were lighting up and so I asked them both to share their testimonies and WOW it was so powerful! I then shared my testimony in Tahitian. We finished the lesson and Tiare started to cry! She said that she felt like she was missing something in her life and that a testimony was the thing! They both came to church yesterday and looked so happy to be there!
Scripture of the week: Alma 29:9, "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."
I am so excited for the next week! I love you all!
Elder VanLindt
Me in Faaripo
Elder Glad and me
Elder Aubry(from Tahiti) and me
Our church building
The only paved road in town
Hanging with Mr Pig
My favorite sandwich, chicken with french fries topped with melted cheese!
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