And I Went Back To Maraa....Again:)

 

I WENT TO THE OCEAN!! I MISS THE OCEAN

 

I found really, really cool stairs.  I was on a split, and my companion thought I looked funny, so she took lots of pictures.

​

I'll share a fantastic little story today.

This weekend I went back to my home, Maraa for a baptism.  One of my best friends on this planet, this kid: 

 

(I had to demonstrate his size.  His hand is as big as my arm!)

Baptized his little brother.  Yes, this is Viritahai.  Yes, he is still only 16 years old. 

While we were sitting in the chapel a woman came up to me and hugged me.  She looked really familiar, I kept talking to other people but that woman was still in my mind. WHO WAS SHE?? I knew I knew her, but I had no idea how or what her name was. 

So I turned to my favorite 9-year-old, Ryan, 

​

Yes, the same Ryan as this picture (on the right):

 

 

And asked what her name was.  He told me.  

I was dumb founded.  It was L!

L was an investigator Soeur Moli and I taught.  She did not want anything to do with the missionaries, but her boyfriend wanted us to come teach him.  

SHE GOT BAPTIZED!  I had a little freak out right there and then, L got baptized! I cannot believe that happened.  The woman who would hide in her bedroom everytime I came over to teach is now a member of the church.  She got married! She swore she would never, ever get married.  I started crying right then and there. 

Miracles are not things or people..  Miracles are the choices people make.  L accomplished the miracles.  

On to my pet peeve.  People like to say I'm a miracle and that I'm strong.  That slightly drives me crazy.  Why? Because I did nothing.  The people that stopped and helped us are the miracles, the doctors who went to years and years of school are the miracles, but MOST IMPORTANTLY My Father, God, is the one who put me in the path of all the miracle workers.  I would not be alive today if it were not for the love God has for me and for the people he put in my life at the right time and at the right places. 

I am not a miracle.  I am proof that miracles do exist. Most importantly, I am proof that God exists.  

Love, 

Soeur Mo Taylor

--

 

 

 

Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

 

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia.

 

Tomorrow is always a new day!

 

In the land that rains flowers far, far away lives two little blonde girls.  They wear black little name tags and talk to every single person they see.  Yeah, I'm one of these little blonde girls.

​I GOT TO SEE PRESIDENT and SOEUR SINJOUX!!  I turned my head over and just started crying like crazy.  I was so happy to see them, It was the first time I had seen/talked to them.  He was my mission president while I was serving the first half of my mission. 

DISCLAIMER:  Missions are NOT rainbows and butterflies.  If you like living in a bubble thinking that serving a mission in Tahiti is indeed rainbows and butterflies stop reading right now. Or skip everything until it says "DISCLAIMER OVER."

This week has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. 

As my companion, Soeur Kuhn likes to tell everyone, "She (me, Mo) is a miracle." Those who know me well know I do not appreciate that title.  I'd like to be like everyone else, not have been hit by a car, yada yada yada.  But that is not what is going to happen.  I am me.  I am back here in Tahiti after brain surgeries for a reason.  I know what that reason is.  Many others do not a) understand it or b) appreciate it.

I am here to share my story.  It's a story of Faith, Hope, Charity and Love.  (Yes, my eye is single to the glory of God.) Really though.   Back in December.  I was hit by a car.  The WORLD had the FAITH necessary to pray and fast for me.  I am still living.  

The WORLD also had the Hope that I would be able to return to my mission here in Tahiti.  Look what happened.  Here I am. 

Charity and Love are all encompassing.  I LOVE this gospel.  I love my brother Jesus Christ and because of that I have enough charity to come here and share the gospel with everyone I meet. 

So insert the problems here.  

I do firesides every weekend.  Yesterday I had over 500 people come hear me speak.  Wow.  There was a huge group I was excited!  Earlier that day things went down.  Soeur Kuhn and I were getting ready to go into a meeting for the Visitor's Center but nobody was there yet so I sat down with some members and started playing the guitar and we all sang hymns.  Soeur Kuhn was talking to our Ward Mission Leader's wife. She told Soeur K the leaders of our ward and her were not happy at all with me.  They are sick of all the "things"I have to do.  I was eavesdropping and asked Soeur K about it afterwards.  

I just sat there and cried. 

I am trying my very hardest.  I am doing everything within MY power to bring people unto Christ.  No, I did not choose to get hit by a car.  But YES, I did choose to use this lovely accident to help other people. If that means I'm being made into a movie, and being broadcasted on the Tahitian News, and give firesides around Tahiti, okay. 

Soeur Kuhn had to sit me down and remind me of all the people I am actually helping. I may able to touch people no one else can.  The man that hit me and his wife are now taking lessons from the missionaries because they came to one of my firesides. That is who I am right now.  I am here to work for Christ and God in any position they choose to give me. 

*DISCLAIMER OVER* 

Okay, Charity.  I am full of Charity.  I love everyone and everything.  Love. Love is good. 

I got Pineapple! 5 dollars for 5.  What kind of country do I live in??

This family got sealed this week!! I was so blessed to be there! I TAUGHT THEM LAST YEAR! Oh my goodness.  I am so happy, they actually lost one of their sons in a car accident.  He was on his bike and was hit by a car.  Extremely close to the exact place I was hit by a car.  He, however, did not make it.  I am so incredibly blessed that our families can be together forever. 

So, missionary work:  BRING IT ON

Coming home January 17? 

LOVE, 

Soeur Mo Taylor

--

 

 

 

Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

 

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia

It's just Another Monday.....

I have my release date!! Are you ready for this? Be ready for this...

AUGUST 19 2015!

Nope, I'm totally kidding. 

The real release date is 

JANUARY 28 2015. 

So, start planning my giant party.  Gramsie, buy your plane ticket. :) 

What do I want for Christmas?  LETTERS!! Lots and lots of letters.  Everyone send me a letter and if I can't open it until Christmas make sure to write that on the envelope.  That is the only thing I really want for Christmas.  I'll be home a month after. :) LETTERSSSSS.  Sil vous plait. 

 

This week was fairly chill and calm.  Until Yesterday.  (Ignore all my sentence fragments.) 

What was going on yesterday? This: 

Yes.  That is a very large video camera.  Yes, that is me in front of the camera.  Why in the world am I in front of a very large, scary, professional camera?  Well, I was filmed.  What for?  To speak about my lovely experience getting hit by a car and coming back on my mission.  Who is going to see it?

 

The world. 

Elder Pierson of the 70 is going to take this video of me around the world and use it to train members and missionaries about missionary work.  I filmed it speaking French and English.  I was all ready to do it in Tahitian, but they didn't want that.  My Tahitian has completely come back.  Holy cow, the Spirit is crazy.  We walked into our Tahitian-speaking lesson and I was scared to tears because I couldn't remember the words I needed to know.  After the prayer it came.  All of my Tahitian came back.  That is an incredible blessing.  E mea haamaitairaa teie. 

What about that strange picture with me and two strange men and a woman? 

I did another fireside last night.  (I"m booked until the end of October.  It's pretty fun, everyone asks for my "autograph" and mailing address in the US after.) 

 

Who are these men? 

One is the man who hit me, the other is the man who saved my life, and I'm standing there in the middle. 

I learned about what actually happened that night in my fireside last night. Serge, the first responder, told us what happened.  Yes, I started to cry. 

He was driving home with his wife when they saw a large group of people standing on the side of the road.  There were cars stopped everywhere, so they had to stop.  His wife said to him, "I think someone is hurt, you should go check."  Serge is actually and EMT and he had just gotten off work so all his EMT equipment was in his car.  He walked over to Soeur Moli and I and he was sure I was dead.  He started to do CPR and he yelled at everyone not to touch either of us.  

Um, I'm not dead.  I do not know what would have happened if he had not have been there at that time and place, and I do not want to know.  

 

I do not believe in coincidences.  The coolest part of the story was, he does not have a religion, but he stood up in my Fireside to tell the story and he just kept talking about how often he asked God for help and to bless me.  That is true faith right there.  

 

I was hit for a reason.  I am back here for a reason.  I joke about brain injuries and car accidents way too much.  I know I was saved for a reason.  I am so thankful to be here.  I love this Gospel.  I am so happy and thankful I am back here on my mission. 

Until Next Monday! Have a fantastic week!

Avec Amour, 

Soeur Mo Taylor 

p.s. I went back to Maraa this week for a baptism.  A little girl I was teaching saw me, ran up to me, and would not let go.  I love her to death! 

Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

 

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia.

 

Love. The most important thing we need in our lives.

Love.  The most important thing we need in our lives.

I'll start off this email with a nice story. 

A young missionary was standing outside of the temple visitor's center trying to find someone to teach.  "Hi! Would you like to learn what that building is?" This was going on to no avail.  She kept trying though.  She ran through her little speech to a man who just said, "Soeur Taylor, I'm a member.  I have a friend you should come meet."

Um. Okay?

The missionary walks over to an older man who was standing off in the distance.  He looks at her, places his right hand on her left shoulder, and says, "Morgan?"

Confused because the strange man knew her first name the missionary says, "Yes, I'm Morgan."

The man says one sentence that she would have never expected to come out of this grandpa's mouth. 
"Morgan, I am the man who hit you with my car."

End story here.  Not really.

I met the man who hit me this week.  After the most awkward first sentence ever, he just started bawling and sobbing.  Michael kept asking me over and over again for forgiveness.  I just sat there and said,

"I have never been upset with you.  I am not mad at what happened.  Michael, I forgave you a long time ago.  I still forgive you today.  Please, forgive yourself."

I repeated that a few times just to make sure he got the point.

I love him.  I really, truly, love him. 

I totally broke missionary rules and I gave him a huge hug.  He needed it, I needed it.  He invited me to go to dinner with him.  But, because he doesn't live in my area he agreed to take the missionary lessons. 

If I needed to be hit by a car so he may be able to live with his family forever then so be it.  I would go through this experience over again.  I would do everything exactly the same. Exactly the same.

I love Michael.  I love the man who hit me with his car.

On to the week.

I am exhausted.  I have a new companion!! We are both super white and blonde.  Basically we stick out like sore thumbs.  Sometimes that is good though.

I have been painting the visitor's center.  I've been working on a ton of flowers and a waterfall.  I'm pretty excited about it, I love painting. This is Soeur Lawler.  I love her to death!!  Seriously, we are the same person.  We're painting buddies.

There is a problem...  I bought a pareo because I forgot mine at home, but I love it way too much.  I cannot wear it.  Why not? Because I want to turn it into a blanket when I come back home. 

This week I had a heart attack.  My wallet was missing.  I was dying.  The last thing I needed was to lose my cash, drivers license, and debit card....  So I threw EVERYTHING out of my closet, purse, and car.  No.  Not there.  I started crying a bit. How would I get a new drivers license??  I do not want to have to wait until  the bank can send me a new card to not worry about buying food if my wallet gets lost/stolen again.  Oh yes, I wouldn't have a wallet it's gone! 

So, I prayed.

I went back to my car to put my water bottle in there. Randomly I opened our box of Book of Mormons and... My wallet was sitting right there.  How in the world did that happen?? Oh yeah, miracles.  Miracles exist.  Even the small things. The small things are the miracles. 

Oh yeah, this is the car that hit me after it hit me. The windshield is intact.  But you can see on the corner the dent where my head destroyed the car....

Mothers Note:  It kind of shocked me when I saw this photo.  It was and is difficult.  I even thought about not putting it on Morgan's blog.  Morgan was handed a lot this week pertaining to the accident.  I sent her a email and asked her if she is doing ok with all of it and her response was that she was totally ok with it and can not change anything.  It is what was handed to her so you get through it and continue on. 

Here are some other photos Morgan sent this week!!

Morgan was also able to visit Maraa.  That was the area she was in for five months when she was hit.  I think you can see how excited they were, as well as Morgan to see each other. 

Morgan with Tuterai.  She loves this boy!  The photo above was the day he was baptized almost one year ago.  The photo above is when she went to Maraa to visit.  She has talked about Tuterai a lot the last 8 months!  I know she will love him forever!!

Morgan adores this family!  She was looking forward to their wedding and baptism last Christmas.  Unfortunately she was unable to attend but Troy and I were able to attend their wedding in place of Morgan with Soeur Moli.   I am so glad she was able to reunite with them. 

This is Olia.  Morgan loves her to death she says!  She started to cry when she saw Morgan.  These are friendships that will last forever!

The goofy kid is my best friend ever!!  She said he'd run to Papeete for me just so we can exercise together.  That is true love right there.

 


Morgan 1year ago with Viritahi

He lived across the road from Morgan and Soeur Moli and they would get him up every morning to go running with them.  Troy and I were able to meet him.  What a awesome kid he is!

 

Week 1 - Part 2....Iaorana!! I am offically back in Tahiti!!

Iaorana!!

I am officially back in Tahiti. It's crazy to think I'm finally actually here.  

How am I doing? I'm doing well.  It has been an insane weekend. 

This Sunday I spoke in two different wards and gave a fireside to a new stake.  It was so fun.  I made a lot of people cry, I don't like making people cry, but it's all for a good reason.  

We went on a Sondage, that' basically where you go and talk to every. single. person. and ask them a bunch of questions.  I was just thrown around everywhere because each time a person said "No" to the question: Do you believe in Miracles? The missionaries had me tell my story.  It made people cry. We've pulled in a ton of investigators from that thank goodness.  So I decided something. If I could go back and change anything about the day I was hit, what would I do?  Nothing. Absolutely nothing.  

The blessings that have come out of this experience are worth so much more than being a "normal" missionary.  

 

I am companions with Soeur Manarani.  Actually, we will only be companion until next Monday.  That is when the transfer is so I will be the Senior companion.  Yes.  Senior companion in one week. 

I stole the Elder's car. 

Yes, I have a car.  Air conditioning is extremely welcoming in my life.  It's nice and not nice to be in a car...  I wish I could do some more physical exercise  but President won't let me be on a bike. Come on! I'm not going to get hit by a car twice! It's all good.  I need to car to get to firesides anyways.  

Doc and Soeur Warner say Hello and Thank you.  They are actually kidnapping me this coming Sunday and driving me to Maraa and to go the hospital and see the doctors and nurses who helped me.  Soeur Warner was at the hospital and was talking with someone who helped me and told them I was coming back.  The response from him (I think it was Dr. Mole) was "Really? We thought she was going to die." 

Nope. Not dead. 

I have seen so many people this week it's crazy.  I have seen Elder Hansen, Ball, Lovelock, and Tago.  I also got to chill with Soeur Hansen.  Yeah... Soeur Urling and I have been partying it up big time.  We've been together twice.  Like, we went to the pearl market today en Ville just so I could see what it's all about.  Holy cow its incredible. I am also going back to Maraa on the 13th.  Why?  One of the investigators I found is getting baptized and asked me to be there. Holy cow how crazy is that?? I'm excited. 

Oh.  This is the Elder who was at the accident scene and gave me the blessing in the ambulance.  It was the first time we met (at the fireside) in my non-comatose state.  He's pretty Chill. 

So... My pictures are being dumb.  I basically forgot to bring down my megapixels... so sorry for not having very many of them. :)  

I am so excited to be back.  I cannot even explain the happiness.  This will be a fun week.  We will see what we're doing, we kind of just go with the swing of things.  Adjusting to mission life has been a tad hard.  Just because I went straight from normal life to being a missionary.  I just want to run...  Literally.  Nobody in my house does "sport."   I've been doing a lot of stretching.  OH! Question.  How much does one French, hardback, Book of Mormon weight? I've been using five as weights.  That's how desperate I am for exercise. 

The food here.  

Wow. 

Yes. 

Like my first time eating with members in Maraa I was served the exact same thing here.  

What was it? 

Heart. 

As in the organ.  The heart of what?  I have no idea.  It was of an animal I had no idea what it translated to in English.   

Enjoy the pictures I do have.  The group is my Zone.  We have a party zone.  There's Elder Taylor (He tells everyone who asks if we're related that I'm actually his wife.  Um.  No.), Soeur Naylor, and there is another Soeur Taylor.  Yeah.  If your last name is Taylor you have a pretty good shot of being called being called to Papeete, Tahiti.    

Oh, I'm also on another assignment.  Um.  I am painting the Visitor's Center.  That's what I'm off to go do now.  President found out I Oil Paint so Soeur Lawlor and I are painting all of the rooms.  We are off to go work on a waterfall right now.  Hello creativity. 

I love you all! I'm sorry this email was so short and choppy.  I'm in a hurry.

LOVE YOU!

XXo, 

Soeur Mo