20 January 2014 Uturoa Raiatea
It’s exciting that Kirstin is on her way to Japan. Sorry to
hear she isn’t feeling well. I got a sinus infection while I was there too. She
should have gone to the doctor sooner. I learned that at the MTC. When you
start to get sick, don’t keep pushing forward. Stop, slow down, get better and
then continue. Preventing illness is easier than treating illness. And a sick
missionary is a useless missionary.
I’ve started a Tahitian language focus. It’s getting better.
I realized it’s like the MTC, you need to start all over again. Before, I was
more concentrated on French. It appears you can’t really do both at the same
time. So now that my French is pretty much here, I’ve been going for Tahitian
the same way I did French. I try to speak Tahitian with Elder Tumarae, but he
always just goes back to French. I think I’m going to ask President Sinjoux to
put me in the Tuomotus to learn Tahitian. In fact, the reason Elder Franco is
there now is because he asked. : )
Elder Franco and I were pretty close and he really wanted to
learn Tahitian like me. We had a conversation about the work and about how a
lot of missionaries are happy to just go around and deliver a nice message;
someone that teaches lessons not people.
In fact, this week I was feeling a little, overcharged we
can say. Our plan has been working and we have tons of people, but when you
have tons of people and it’s hot and you are overworked, sometimes you can
forget people and we planned a lesson over another lesson on accident. I was
just a little “lost” we can say. Lessons, numbers, families, appointments,
goals, numbers, blah, blah, blah! Overwhelming!
Then one of the members here mentioned “The Other Side of Heaven”. I’m
not sure if I ever told you, but for some reason that movie has always
resonated with me, powerfully.
One night when I think I was in 11th
grade, after watching it alone, I said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to give
me a mission like that. And he sent me to the islands! Every time I watch that
movie, I get this pulling feeling in my stomach. It’s what I like to call “the
yearning of the soul.” As I was thinking about it, it reminded me why I wanted
to come here. Why I asked to come here. I
was reminded that Elder Groberg taught almost completely by example first, then
the lessons came. I just really want to go someplace small like that.
It was an amazing refocusing time, and I’m a LOOOOOOT calmer than I was before. I just need to stay
like this now!
