This week we received transfer calls. My companion is going to be my new STL and I'm going to be training!
So, in an effort to help my greenie, the theme of this email is:
All (and probably more than) you want to know about the Tahiti Papeete Mission:
Our perfume is found in the form of mosquito repellant.
We eat with members or investigators every night. Rice and french baguettes are present at every meal. The ma'a we put on top changes, sometimes shrimp and curry, sometimes potatoes and chicken, or my personal favorite, poisson cru and sashimi (raw fish).
There are dogs everywhere. Some are guard dogs, and if they start to advance the attack, calmy bend down and pretend to pick up a rock, they still bark ferociously but at least they stop running.
We wear flip flops and take our shoes off before entering into homes. When arriving, it's culturally expected to greet everyone present with the bise (cheek to cheek kisses). With men, the mission rule is a handshake, but not all men know that rule, so sometimes you might be forced to faire le bise with them before you have time to explain.
We can walk in the ocean just until knee level.
The roosters crow at dawn, and at 5 in the morning, 4 in the morning, midnight... basically all the time and it's funny because they build off one another, crying back and forth.
I love Tahitian companions because we always speak in French, they teach you to live like the people and also how to dance. They love jokes and telling stories and rarely is a smile given without a laugh of joy to accompany it.
Everyone is cousin, aunt, or uncle with everyone else. The women nurse in front of all. And little children run naked until age 4 and in their panties until about age 10.
Polynesian people believe in God and Jesus Christ, whatever the religion, which are many: Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Catholics, Protestants, and the Hallelujahs (Pentecosts).
And especially in Huahine:
The speed limit is 25-35 mph, watch out for scooters, cyclists and oncoming cars because sometimes the road is only big enough for 1.75 cars. Also, when driving at night, street lights are only found in the two central villages, so if you turn the headlights off, it's pitchblack. But man, can you see the stars.
We have washing machines and after hang dry our clothes.
July and August are winter months with strong, cold winds. Bring some socks, a blanket, and a sweater (pronouned sweata) in Tahitian.
We drink coconut water (best still in the coconut) and also citronade (homeade lemonade). Tap water is safe to drink.
The deceased are buried in the front yard.
The stores close at about 4 in the afternoon.
We can see the islands of Raiatea, Tahaa, and Bora Bora too if the sky is clear. The ocean is 3 minutes away from our house.
Basically, the Tahiti Papeete Mission is the best mission in the world!
August 10, 2015
When you give your camera to children...
See what happens when you give your camera to children...the last one is my favorite!
July 27, 2015
Oh, It Is Glorious
The earth was looking especially beautiful, so we took pictures of it.
This week was wonderful!
This week was wonderful!
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| Look Mom! I practiced making this for a wedding... |
July 20, 2015
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
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
June 29, 2015
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
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
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| Until We Meet Again...and we will!! |
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| Soeur Terooatea, my new comp |
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| Collecting shells beachside |
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| Try not to be too jealous :) |
June 22, 2015
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.
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!
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