Oh, It Is Glorious‏

The earth was looking especially beautiful, so we took pictures of it.
This week was wonderful!

Look Mom! I practiced making this for a wedding...

Huahine Is a Happy Place

Funniest Moment of this week:

We went to recontact some potential investigators. When we arrived, the investigator had taken out all of his religious books and among them was the Book of Mormon. We asked him how he had it in his possession (thinking maybe missionaries had already passed by his house).
He answered, "to be honest... I stole it."

That is probably the only time in this life that it's okay to steal... Not really, but we were happy still the same.

My companion and I are having a lot of fun. When doing porte a porte in the rain, we joke that the wetter we get, the more handsome our husbands. We do 'Insanity' (the workout) at night when it is too dark to tract and then we joke that it's for all the days that our husbands will have worked in the pouring rain.

We have been able to find a lot of couples these past two weeks and we are super excited to teach them, to help them follow Jesus Christ so that their children can grow up in a gospel home.

The members here have big hearts and despite the worries they have with their inactive children or that they have multiple callings, they still find time to work with us and feed us. They are a generous people and I love being with them. Huahine is a happy place.

Soeur Spackman

Huahine Hurrah's

Iaorana!

Not a lot of news this week, except that I have been transferred to.... wait for it... the island of Huahine!... Polynesia's best kept secret between Tahiti and Bora Bora. Already, it has been so amazing. I am with a native Tahitian companion, Soeur Terooatea. We are in the ward of Fare, which covers Huahine Nui (or the big island).

We could say now that my mission is a vacation... Haha. It feels so good to have a new start. A new island, a new companion, a new house, a new secteur, and new people to meet.

Soeur Spackman

Until We Meet Again...and we will!!

Soeur Terooatea, my new comp

Collecting shells beachside

Try not to be too jealous :)

One Year Older and Wiser Too‏

Thursday, 25 June 2015 marks one glorious year of being a full-time missionary. And as my dear MTC companion, Sister Stastny, put it: One year of having the privilege to wear the most beautiful accessory we've ever owned.

A missionary's purpose is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them to receive the restored gospel." At this time, we all have been called to be anxiously engaged, and to hasten the work, showing the way of salvation to Heavenly Father's children.

The longer I am a missionary, the more Heavenly Father opens my eyes to this way of salvation. The more I learn how dependent each and every one of us is on Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

I see that as we have been called to hasten the work throughout the world, Heavenly Father is hastening the work within us. He sees us where we are and where He wants us to be and then helps us to get there. But that requires stretching. If you have tight hamstrings or stiff pride like me, you know that stretching hurts, but it's the hurt that "hurts so good." You know that later, you'll be better and you'll move further, and so you keep bending to touch your toes or bow your pride to accept Heavenly Father's will.

I love Jesus Christ. I love my baptismal covenants to take His name upon me, to always remember Him, to keep His commandments, to become His disciple, to follow Him.

I understand now that if we really want to be His disciple, we must walk some of the paths that He walked. Sometimes that is passing through persecution or rejection of our compassionate efforts to help others. Sometimes it's resisting Satan when he tempts us to deny who we are and question if we are capable of completing our divine mission. We follow Christ when we take up our cross of pain, weakness, and heartache. We follow Christ when we spend a moment or two in our personal Gethsemane and question if God has forsaken us.

The path of a disciple is not an easy one. But we can take heart because we are walking in the footsteps of the most loving, most selfless, most obedient being to ever live upon this Earth, the Savior of mankind.

We can also take courage because as we follow Him on this path, He becomes our personal Savior, our Redeemer, our Prince of Peace. And while the path is long and weary, we are never alone. His hallowed hand makes us whole. His wondrous power raises us up. He fills with sweet our bitter cup. I testify of these things in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Answers for Grandpa Darwin

Grandpa! Thanks for emailing me! To answer your questions... The Tahitian people are very Christian and so almost everyone was baptized Catholic or Protestant (even if they are non-practicing) and lots of times we see Jehovah's Witnesses out proselyting or Seventh-Day Adventists. Most of our converts are those who were baptized Protestant when they were infants and then hardly ever went to church after that. People are still really nice though when we go tracting... Instead of door to door it's more like gate to gate because the houses and yards are surrounded by concrete walls to keep animals (and missionaries) out. Sometimes the gates are 8 feet high but it's fun because you never know who is going to come out to answer. And they don't have doorbells, what we do is yell "Iaorana" or "Bonjour" really loud and wait for someone to come.

I love you Grandpa! Thank you for your letters! I love receiving them! Have fun golfing and gardening!

It's Good to be from Canada, eh?‏

Meet Sister Arbuckle, a crazy English-speaking Quebecois, who makes me laugh and go running in the morning. 

This week we made a plan that for 21 days we are going to fast from all desserts, meaning: cake, cookies, ice cream, crepes, and chocolate... yes, my friends, even chocolate...

We decided to do this to help two of our investigators obey the word of wisdom. We have fixed with them that at the end of the 21 days (June 13) will be their baptism. It is already hard. Haha... First we had to have the desire to count chocolate as a dessert (and not as a essential food group) and then choosing to give it up. It is an interesting experience because we have been able to feel somewhat the same emotions and thinking as our investigators in the sacrifices that they are making and we are praying that this will help them have more faith and willpower to overcome their addictions.

One great blessing of this week was to assist an endowment and sealing of a previously inactive family that I was able to teach at the visitor's center plusiers fois. The first time they came to the center, we gave the presentation about the Plan of Salvation and I remember the husband asking if he could "come back everyday to keep watching the presentation over and over again, to understand and remember the plan Heavenly Father created." The Spirit was incredibly sweet as this couple was sealed together and to then have their three youngest children sealed to them.                                                                                

Another unbelievable miracle was with a twelve year old girl, T. She has been coming to church every week since January with her family, but they expressed they were not yet interested in following the missionary lessons. On Thursday, the Bishop asked us to contact T. On Saturday we had our first lessons with her where she told us that she wants to be baptized, and on Sunday we fixed her baptism for May 30 (as in this Saturday! one week from the first lesson). She is a remarkable young woman who has already started Personal Progress and regular scripture study, she is pure in heart. This experience has been a testimony for us that Heavenly Father helps His children to have what they need, when they are ready for it. Sister Arbuckle and I have honestly just been there to make sure all is in line for her interview. We are still shocked that it has come about so fast.

Il y a tellement, tellement beaucoup de choses qui se passe chaque semaine que, des fois, ca devient difficile d'exprimer tous les sentiments et des experiences. Je suis reconnaissante pour ma mission. Pour tout que j'ai appris jusqu'a la, pour ma famille qui me soutient et aussi pour L'Expiation de Jesus-Christ qui m'apporte le pardon pour le temps quand j'etait pas la meillure missionaire que j'aurais pu ete. Et qui a ete la lorsque j'avais besoin de la force de continuer. C'est vraiment un processus, le fait de "devenir un missionaire." Et j'espere tout le temps que je suis meillure aujourd'hui que j'etais hier. Je sais que c'est possible a travers Jesus-Christ.

Faa'ito'ito et Bonne Semaine!
Soeur Spackman

Pockets of Sunshine

Joyful Baptisms of Oceane, Romina, and Makeli

I'm 20 in Tahiti and I still got my Lemon Poppy Seed Cake!
Thanks Mom!!

My friend Maimiti Miti just received her mission call to Las Vegas!

The Happiness of Children

Thank you so much for all of your emails. I am feeling really good this week. We have been blessed with many tender mercies as I am fighting to overcome trials. I read an article in the Liahona for June that really helped me to have a clearer perspective and the message was the Lord visits His people with assurances until deliverance comes. My eyes were opened to so many moments that Heavenly Father sent me, assuring me that everything would be okay, and helping me to keep moving forward. Deliverance is now coming.

Laughter and smiles are coming back to my face. The day is scattered with small pockets of sunshine that come only with a mission. I love my mission. I LOVE MY MISSION. Sometimes I wasn't able to say it, but it has come! I love our investigators. I love teaching the gospel. I love learning the gospel. I love the Plan of Salvation. It is perfect. The scriptures are rich with teachings of the Fall and the Atonement. General Conference talks are rich with encouragement for our lives today. Heavenly Father does all things in His perfect wisdom, even if we do not yet understand, one day, our eyes will be opened.

Also, the feelings of a greater vision, the goals of things I want to continue to do for the rest of my life, and excitement for my future in the church and as a wife and mother. I can see! and that helps me so much to bear the burden with cheer and to love the burden. I wish I could share everything with you that has become a part of me. Things that I cherish and never want to lose.

My favorite scripture at this time, Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.


WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST.