That One Place Called....The Elusive McDonalds

It's never good to wake up and find tons of very poisonous baby centipeds (Wow, I can't spell anymore...) all over your kitchen floor. In Tahiti, we don't have snakes, we don't have large sister missionary eating cats, we have super poisonous centipeds. And they're chillin in our house. *sigh*

 

 

This week was stressful, in a lovely way. Sœur Moli and our Ward Mission Leader planned an activity this week for our new converts, investigators, and inactive members. What was the activity? Well. We rented a bus, and we were going en ville to the temple! So everyone could go walk around and see it. We were hoping to get 20 people to come. That was our goal, we spent all week inviting people, then all friday night and saturday morning reminding everyone. As we pulled up to the parking lot Saturday morning, we saw the bus and about 6 people. Wow, I was pretty devestated. We had prayed and fasted to have a big turn out.

 

Little did I know, there were more people Inside.

 

How many more? Well....

 

We had over 95 people at the temple.

 

Over 35 investigators.

 

And no, our bus wasn't big enough. All the members who had cars squeezed people in, it was a miracle we all got there. I can't believe we had that many people come. I was so grateful. We had worked so hard, and to see that work pay off, wow. I love it.

 

 

We also have two baptisms this week. Tuterai! His parents told us last week they're going to let him get baptised. Sœur Moli and I had a party when we heard that. He's been working so hard, and he is so excited for Saturday. We also have one more investigator. He's been waiting for his girlfriend to marry him, but she won't. So... They broke up, she's moving out, and he's getting baptised Saturday too! It's been a week of miracles.

 

Oh, and my big little miracle of the week. So, I have a really hard time with the food here sometimes. I have these days where I just can't eat any more chicken and rice... I had one of those days this week. And I said a prayer. And I asked for a bit of mercy, and to be able to eat lentille that night without chicken... I know! It's such a dumb thing to ask for, but I needed it. We taught our lesson, and when our investigator brought out dinner what was it? Lentille with corned beef. #miracle I was EXTREMELY grateful right then.  So was my stomach.

 

 

Sœur Moli and I are great. We have joint-custody with the Elders of two of the cutest little boys in the world. Ryan and Mattias. I told Elder Cannon yesterday we want to file for full custody.. but he wasn't too keen on that idea. Why joint-custody? Because they live in Maraa the weekdays, and the other secteur the weekends. But. They're getting baptised this Satuday too!

 

Mami Wong got baptised this Saturday! We were at the temple so we didn't get to go.. but she got baptised! I'm so excited to see the pictures. I'll show y'all when I get them. :) 

 

We're doing good! We're loving it, and we're making the last month count! Christmas is almost here! Noel is almost here! (French.... :) )

 

Oh. I had my first Big Mac ever this week. Our ward missionaries love us. They brought us real, live McDonalds. Soeur Moli was shocked I'd never eaten a big mac before.... AH! I've never liked McDonalds but now... mana from heaven.... *drool*

 

 

 We love you! Have a happy Thanksgiving! I think we're going to try to find some McDonalds again.... Maybe it'll be ramen. Who know! Fafaroo?

 

LOVE!

Sœur Taylor

 

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Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

 

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia.

 

The Blog

Sometimes All the Pictures are of the Sunset

Bonjour a le monde!

This week flew by. It's crazy how time is moving here. Sœur Moli and I have been together for one transfer. One down, one to go. We're going to be able to spend Christmas here in Maraa. The next group of missionaries are going to be coming the 30th of December. We heard there's 17, with 11 sisters coming in. I'm hoping to be sent to an island, or train again... We'll see in a few weeks what's going to happen!

We met the meanest lady in all of Polynésie Français. Wow. So, we have a "baptism" this week for the nicest couple (Jacques and Marquerite). They live in a shack up on the mountain, with a HUGE garden. They grow their own vegetables and sell them, and they always give us some when we go visit them.  Anyway, the land is owned by their grandma. Who is HUGE into the protestant Church. This week she told the couple if they get baptised they can't live on the land anymore. And... they have no where else to go. So we went and talked to their grandma. She said no. So we're going back this week. And we'll go back until she says yes.

It's also been the week of "Marry off Sœur Taylor." For some odd reason... Everyone has been trying to get me to marry someone in their family this week.... Nope. Can't. And... I'm not interested.

My stomach is iron. Before my mission, I couldn't eat sea food without gagging. At the beginning of my mission, I couldn't eat sea food without gagging. What did I eat this week? Imagine with me.. You have delicious batter. You scoop a large handful of live, baby fish. You put that handful into the batter, and then you fry the batter just a little bit. Then. You eat it. The worst is when the fish were sticking out after you took a bit... And. It was delicious. (I just had to demonstrate what I'm talking about. Enjoy the journal pictures.)

The most interesting quote of the week. It came from a 88 year old lady, and it sounds better in Tahitian, but, "Don't give the Bible to the cockroaches! You have to use it."  She was talking about how most people have a bible, but they never read it, they just let it get dusty in the corner. That was a pretty fun conversation. We teach a lot of old ladies... They're funny.

Speaking of Mamis... Mami Wong is getting baptised this weekend!! It's been a long time coming. I've taught her since July, the only slight problem is, she's not getting baptised into our ward. So, we don't know if we're going to be able to go to her baptism! Hopefully. Hopefully. I love that lady to death. :)  

What did I learn this week? Well. I can only do my best. And always take members to your lessons.

We taught a témoigne Jéhovah investigator this week. The last lesson was AWESOME. He was open, he was Learning, and this week that drastically changed.  He had talked to some of the leaders of his Church, and told him some very crazy, anti-mormon stories. He gave us no time to explain, he was just ranting and yelling for 45 minutes. I just stopped him and told him he wasn't open to our message, and he has to ask God if the things he's heard are true or not. It's as simple as that. When I said that he had this crazy look in his eyes, and started yelling at us. Thankfully, our members stopped him and told him to chill out.

I tried to help him. But he has his free agency. I can only do my part, he has to do the rest.

I was so sad after that lesson. Why is it so hard just to ask God so you can know for yourself? I will never take anyone's word for anything, especially the important things like our salvation (yeah, it's slightly a big deal.) Why not pray and ask if it's real? Why not?

That's what we teach. Find out for yourself. Don't take our word for it, because we're imperfect. We have our own testimony. We KNOW this is the true Church. But you have to ask God so you can KNOW also.  

Ua ite au e ekalesia mau i teie ekalesia. E peropheta mau O Iosepha Semita. No te aha? Mai te mea ua pure au e ua farii au i te pahonoraa no te Atua. E mea haamaruru no i teie taime ua rave to'u misioni e ia parau no i te mau tamarii o te Atua na roto  i te fenua i Tahiti. Ua here au ia outou!!

Have a good week!

Love,

Sœur Taylor

--

Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia.

The Blog

We'll Start With a Picture of a Cat

Hello World!

(and also the family of Sœur Carter who reads this. Yes, we talked about you.)

This is has been one of those weeks where you just sit there and think, "what did I do this week," And all you've done is work. And work. And made a delicious chocolate pie.

Really though. We taught 40 lessons and met 35 new people this week. It's very safe to say we are exhausted. Hooray for p-day. Hooray for 20 minute naps! We've been sitting in a chapel all day long... So I don't have very much time to go into the lovely détails of the week, but I'll give you a nice nugget.

It's hard to watch your investigators choose to go drinking instead of coming to their lesson, or listen to the grandma of a couple that wants to get baptized tell them she'll kick them off their land if they do and then watching the couple struggle to decided to have a home, or get baptized.

That's the beauty of life though. We get to choose.

I could choose to come home tomorrow if I wanted. I can do anything I want to. I just have to pay the conséquences. Or, if i'm obedient I can enjoy the blessings. That's the plan for our life. That's our job as missionaries. We teach everyone about the blessings, the conséquences, and then we ask them obey.  It's their choice. It hurts when they choose not to obey, but they're still our friends. We're not going to stop talking to our friend who skipped the lesson to go drinking. Nope. He's still our friend. He's still a good person. He's just missing out on some supa sick blessings. (Sœur Moli is wearing off...)

Really. I would choose eternal life over a beer any day. Wouldn't you?

Who's with me in chillin the rest of our next life in paradise instead of skipping out on Church Sunday?

And let's get hitched in the temple instead of chilling unmarried in the same apartment. I'd rather get married than have that lovely fire and brimstone to come.

(turn your head sideways for this one.... and admire my present around my neck)

It takes effort. It's not easy, but it gets easier. It's like running. If you've never ran before in your whole life the first mile is... awful. But each day after that it gets a little bit better, until eventually it's second nature. Obedience is the same way. It gets easier. The blessings come quicker. And life overall gets better.

And I love you all and have to run!

MWUAH!

XXo,

Sœur Taylor

--

Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia.

The Blog

I'm a Piano Teacher, Personal Trainer, a Missionary and I Am a Mormon

I'm a pastry chef, piano teacher, make up artist, personal trainer, and I'm a Mormon.

Oh, and I was NONE of these things before my mission.

 

The things you do for people you love... Like, making wedding cakes, teaching piano lessons, face painting 15 kids for Halloween, and helping your 15 year old neighbor get in shape every morning (I promise he's 15). Um. I am so NOT qualified to be doing any of those things, but hey, "ASK THE MISSIONARIES, THEY CAN HELP YOU." With everything.  Take that literally world, I'm here to serve. As long as I get some of that wedding cake I make you.

This week was awesome. My favorite holiday is Halloween. Because I love horror movies. But. That doesn't really mesh well with the mission, the most horror I've seen in 6 months is 17 Miracles (which is so good, we watch it every week; because it's the only movie we own, but it's so good!) This Halloween was the best Halloween ever thought. We were invited to two HUGE parties. They were both at member's homes, but anyone was invited to come, so we met a ton of new potential investigators. :)

On of the parties was at the dock. I know I talk a lot about they dock, but hey, they're my Tahitian family. At this party they had a bunch of stations with games to play. One of the stations required the kids to run into the ocean and try to catch the hanging prizes over the water. Well, we had to pause that game because there were sting rays in their path! Only in Tahiti... It was so good, we didn't get a very good picture though... Next time.

The ocean here is crazy. This lovely photo was taken right from the edge of the dock. It's a literal aquarium down there. :)

This week Soeur Moli and I caught crab to eat later this month.

This is also the cutest child ever. Her name is Juanita. She's the granddaughter of my Tahitian mother, Vero. (At the dock, where else of course?)

We met a man this week named OtiOti (which means finishfinish). 

Which is a problem for me. He doesn't speak french. He speaks English. And my English... is ridiculously awful. Thankfully Soeur Moli can still teach in English for us. Hello grammar out the window. (It takes a lot of effort to write these lovely emails in English....) Anyway, he has done an incredible amount of his family history. He's travelled to New Zealand, Australia, and all the outer islands gathering what he can on his family. So, naturally we were going to explain that he needs to do more than look has those names. We started talking about the Restoration of the authority a faire le bapteme pour le mort. (I can't speak English...)  Well. Then he throws out that his great great grandpa was the God Rangiroa (guessing on the spelling again...) and his ancestors are all demi-gods. Well. What do we do with that one? At that moment his wife came out of the house and literally chased us away. So. Next week we'll explain there's only one God, and there's only one literal child of that God...

How is my companion? Um. Incredible. Soeur Moli is so, so good. We're having so much fun, and we're teaching a crazy amount of lessons during the week and talking to more new people than I've ever done before. I can't explain how important it is to be obedient to ALL the rules of the mission. Even the little ones that don't seem that important. When you do that, miracles start to happen.

It's also so important just to talk and have fun. That's how you become friends, and I firmly believe if you're friends with your companion and you want to help her/him do better, that's when you're going to find success.

Why? Because we do everything because of Love. We love the work we're doing. We love helping everyone we meet, and we always want to do more. This gospel is centered on love and the family. One of the first things God created was the mariage de Adam et Eve, and he gave them the first commandment to have a family. It's centered on progression. That's what the Plan of Salvation IS. The progression of our life. And we do all of that within our families, because we love them, and because we have a loving God.

Granted, Soeur Moli and I are thousands of miles away from our families, but we're trying to help the families of Tahiti make it to the temple. We don't teach to baptise people. We teach because we truly love each investigator, and we want to help them live with their families after this life. We don't want anyone left out.

No Soul Left Behind.

(Hehe, see what we did there? We decided that was our new slogan. Thank you US Department of Education.)

But really. That why we're here. That's why we're members. That's why missionary work is a commandment. Nobody gets left behind. (No toy gets left behind!... name that movie!)

I love you all. We all have people that are looking up to us, so spread the love.

Love,

Soeur Taylor

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Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia.

The Blog

I'm Still obsessed with Miracles

Meet my Rollercoaster Week.

 

We lost a lot of investigators this week. They just weren't ready. Normally I'd stress over it, but I've decided, "Hey, I've done all I've could, they're just not ready." And I didn't stress. What did we do? We got to work, and holy cow we've seen miracles.

 

**INSERT PICTURE HERE; yep I did it again, I forgot to lower the setting on the camera... but the shells look really cool. Take my word for it.**

 

It's been the Torka (we're guessing on the spelling here people) harvest. They're giant snails in pink and white sea shells. They taste gross. But it's been pretty cool to see the shells. They harvest them because that's how buttons are made! The pretty shiny silvery kind of sea shell buttons? Yep, they're actually giant snail shells. :)

 

CHRISTMAS IS COMING SOON! I'm so excited. Anywho, for those who were wondering what I want/need: LETTERS! I HEART MAIL! And also .5 G2 pens. I'm down to my last one. I can't write in my journal with an unworthy pen. Also, Polaroid film! The Fujifilm Instax mini. :) But mostly all I want are letters. :) Thanks.You're the best.

 

 

This is Mamie Wong. I love her to death. She's 80 years old and tells us every lesson she wished she would have had the gospel sooner. Her husband died in February, he was the one that started taking the lessons, and now all she wants to do is get sealed to him in the temple. I'm going to miss her so much when I get transferred.

 

 

Hello to miracle number one. We've been praying to find a new family to teach. It's easier for the families to progress and learn,

because you're doing everything together. And we found them. We asked everyone one of them if they wanted to be baptised the second lesson, and every single person said yes. We're going to fix a date this week. Holy cow, they are a miracle.

 

 

Tuterai. He's a mess. I've never laughed more in lessons in my life than I have with him. Every time. Last week, we tried really hard to explain the Resurrection to him. So, I used the kitten as an example. I told him when the kitten died his body was going to stay here and his spirit was going to go to the Spirit world, then after the spirit and body will go back together and it can live again. I probably shouldn't have used the kitten as an example... When we asked him what The Resurrection was, what did he say? "Ummmm... Un Chatton?" Nope... It's not a kitten. Soeur Moli and I just burst out laughing with him. I love him. He wants to get baptised in December, we're just waiting for his parents to sign the authorization....

 

 

We have 26 investigators come to our Open House this week! Woo! We taught about the Plan of Salvation, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, and the Temples. It was so good. And our Plan of Salvation was too pretty to erase.... :)

 

My little, huge miracle.

3 weeks ago I realized I lost one of my memory cards. It didn't have very many pictures on it, but the pictures that were on it were super important. It had all my last days in the MTC and the first day in Tahiti. (Kind of a big deal) I tore my suitcases apart, I tore the bedroom apart, and then I put it all back together. Nothing. Then I prayed. Nothing again. I've been just sick for the last 2 weeks thinking about where in the world my card could be. And of course, I said a little prayer everyday, hoping I could find it.  Last night I was thinking a lot about miracles and prayer, and I showed Soeur Moli a story in the Ensign from June about prayer. Fast forward to this morning. I was sweeping one of the bedrooms when I looked down and right in the middle of the floor was a memory card. It was not there last night. My first thought is it was Soeur Moli's. Then I realized it was my missing memory card. I have no idea how it got there. There's no way to explain that, at all. But I am so thankful I had that tender mercy today. God really does answer our prayers, even for the little things.

 

 

We have a new investigator this week. I think he's one of my favorites (nope, I don't have favorites.) Why? Because I have no idea how to teach him. His name is Yorik. And He knows everything in the bible. And believes none of it. He refuses to believe in God. How in the world are we teaching him you may wonder. Well, let me tell you. Yorik is homeless. Our DMP met him one day on the beach. He hadn't eaten for a few days and was trying to find a job. What did DMP do? He called us. And we taught him a lesson. (Come on, we'll feed him spiritually.) Then DMP told him if he ever needed anything he should go to DMP's house. The next week we saw Yorik outside the grocery store asking people for money. I walked up and started talking to him, and then asked him if he'd talked to DMP. He said no. So we gave him some food, and then said if he needed anything again he needed to go find DMP. Flash forward to this week. Yorik is living with DMP's family. DMP told us he and his wife have been praying for a new person to teach to show up on their doorstep. Well, be careful what you pray for, don't be too literal. :) It's awesome. Yorik is so grateful and extremely humble. He's come to our open house, church, the missionary training institute class, and a fireside (all in 2 days). And last night he told me he's starting to believe.

 

DMP's family is incredible. I can't believe how kind they are. And man, are they changing this young man's life. I love the article in the Liahona from October. The best way to do missionary work is to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. And you do that by how you act. They are really disciples of Christ. I'm thankful I'm able to serve with them. I'm thankful I'm able to be here, serving.

 

 

Have a lovely week! Think of me! Let's candy until we puke this Thursday! Count our blessings! And Starting November 1st BLAST THAT CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!

 

Love, Love, Love,

Soeur Taylor

 

 

 

The Week Where I Was Boring

Hello world!

 

This week we were dumped on by buckets and buckets of rain. I felt so terrible walking to the lessons. We were soaked to the bone, and would try to wring out all the water from our clothes before walking in their house but... It didn't work as well as we'd hoped. We're finally hitting the rainy season here. And I'm pretty glad I'll only be here for one of them. :)

 

 

We worked so hard this week. We taught more lessons than I ever have in a week, we have a ton of new investigators, we've been doing so good. I'm so thankful for that. Our ward is getting stronger each week, and more and more people are starting to bring their friends to us to teach. Almost every single dinner appointment this week had a non-member there that we taught a lesson to. We've seen so many miracles here in Maraa I can't even explain how amazing it is.

 

 

We met a new lady Soeur Moli and I are DYING to start teaching. Why are we dying to start teaching her? Because she's one of the coolest people ever. Her name is Lilo. She's German, about 70 years old, and shes an artist. One of the members invited her over for our dinner appointment and we just clicked. We're hoping this week to talk to her again.

 

We've also starting teaching a group of 5 cousins that are the grand-kids of two of our new investigators. We just sit under the uru tree (breadfruit) and talk a little bit, we taught them how to pray last week, and one of the little girls said the closing prayer for us. There's Vaikuahau, Hinivae, Hanivae... and i'm still trying to figure out how to spell the last two names.

 

Well... That's all....

 

Next week I'll be a little more interesting.... I promise. :)

 

LOVE!

Soeur Taylor

 

P.S. Soeur Moli is the best.

 

 

 

Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

 

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia.

 

Only the Best Trainers make Crepes

I HAVE A NEW COMPANION!

 

Meet my daughter, Soeur Moli. (I taught her how to make crêpes. Like a good trainer.)

 

And no, she's not Tahitian. Everyone here thinks she is, and they start talking up a storm in french.... And then they realize she's American. And she's awesome. The ward really loves her and I'm super thankful she's a hard worker. We've met a lot of new people this week because of her.

 

 

So we do this thing called OLB "Ouvrir Le Bouche" (Open the mouth) It's just how we say contacting. :) One day we had an extra hour to find some people. We had just finished a lesson, were walking back, stopped and talked to a few people, Anyway. We were walking down the street when a group of surfers call us over to the dock. We just looked at each other and thought, "hmm, why not?" We headed over there, and actually they were there because a group of whales were in the lagoon. So we started watching the whales. Ah. If we could swim we would have been right on top of them. It was crazy. Little by little we had a huge group of people with us, so what did we do? We started teaching. We ended up getting invited to a barbeque, a few phone numbers, invitations to people's houses, and Sister Moli impressed everyone by speaking in Tahitian.

 

 

Georges and Vaite got married! AND BAPTIZED! Whoo.

 

 

They are so awesome. I love it. Georges comes to all 3 sessions of Church, even though he can't hear the speakers or lessons, he comes because he knows it's a commandment. He's incredible. And he let me be the ring bearer in their wedding. ;)

 

This week has been crazy! I'm excited for the next one to come. We have big things planned. Maraa is going to explode. Just wait and see. :)

 

Eating with Mamie Maitui. She's the best. :)

 

Have a good week!

 

XXo,

Sœur Taylor
--

 

 

 

Tahiti Papeete Mission

Soeur Taylor, Morgan

 

B.P. 93

Papeete, Tahiti

98713

French Polynesia.