Heiva is Finally Over!

Ia ora na tatou. 

Ua fiu vau i te heiva. 

this was a normal week. I'm sad to say that nothing really super special happened. except one of our investigators gave me and Elder Bayart a pen from the hotel that he works at when we were doing a split. I want to send photos but I don't know why but this computer is being problematic. ah well. 

-I learned that when a caramel candy box label says this here "caution, over consumption of this product may cause laxative effects", you probably shouldn't down the box in 5 minutes. I learned my lesson...

Anyway we've been engaging a lot of our members to pray for missionary opportunities because we're lacking some investigators. We love our members a lot. they're great. 

We had a mission conference on Wednesday, but we watched from the computers at the clerks office at the chapel. The missionaries that are going home gave their testimonies. I won't get to see my first three companions before they go home.  I'm kinda sad about that. But that's what happens when you're in the islands:/ I can't really complain too much though. I am in Bora Bora after all haha. But yeah. I love you all. Hope you're doing well. 

-Elder Christensen

President and Soeur Fox visit Bora

So president came to Bora Bora on Wednesday morning so all 6 of us took the boat to the airport to welcome him and Soeur Fox. It was great!

Then we went to the chapelle to do interviews and while President was doing interviews we just chilled in the air conditioning with Soeur Fox and talked about our families and she showed us a list of all the new missionaries that are showing up to replace the 30+ missionaires that are going home in August. She told us to get ready to train haha. Then we all got food and Ia ora na gelato which is italien gelato made by italiens that now live in Bora and use the fruits from bora to make their gelato(so I've been told) but I don't ask too many questions cause it's so dang good. then Président and Soeur Fox did a lesson with me and Elder Sylvestre. That was really fun too. 

Other than that, the week was not the best haha. really slow once Président ma(way to say president and company in tahitian) left. but we got to do some "porte à porte" and it was actually really fun. Talking with people is really something that I've gotten a lot better at now haha. 

Also our investigator came to church all by himself yesterday! I mean it's not good for his family because they didn't come either BUT we were all shocked that he came anyway. He really understands the importance of the chapelle and I think he can feel the spirit that dwells there too. 

Basically the Heiva is still killin us but we're not giving up!!

Quote of the week "what are you two doing out at this hour?" while doing "door to door" contacting. it was 6 'o clock..... I hope that illustrates the mentality of tahitians. When it's 6 o clock, it's eating time. And then it's sleep time. But we were able to talk with some people all the same. 

Been reading in Revelation this week. Very...uh...different type of scripture. Especially in French haha. also in french it's called apocalypse. But it's still interesting all the same. 

Love you lots!!!

-Orometua Christensen

July is hard for missionary work

Ia ora na tatou. 

So sorry last week for not sending a group email. I was just not feeling it to be honest. 

This week was great! Our investigator is doing great. teaching him is one of the hardest things I've done on the mission because he doesn't understand my tahitian which is real humbling...but that's okay because we don't do the lessons without our 2nd counsellor in the bishopric. Luckily for us his tahitian is crazy good. But anyway we talk to his wife a lot and she tells us that she's seeing so much change in him. All those that live near their house have been saying the same thing apparently. He's just great. His wife told us that he almost never smokes weed now which is a miracle. That plant is killer for missionaries in Tahiti. Unfortunately the ground is so fertile that you can literally plant marijuana wherever you want(pakalolo is the street word for weed or just "paka" as they would call it here. I'm pretty sure it's a hawaiian word). anyway. I was really shocked that he's smoking less because we haven't even mentioned that word of wisdom with him. He's such a great guy. 

we also teach a new family. A dad, mom and daughter and they're awesome. We invited them to be baptized and the mom said that she can't because she doesn't know yet, but she said that her and her family will keep reading so that they can know if it's true. We're going to do a family night with them and another family in the ward who live just next to them tonight. 

The Heiva is killing us as usual but we won't lose courage. 

Also President is coming with his wife on thursday and we're all super excited to meet him. He'll pretty much just be chilling with me and Elder Sylvestre in the car all day while we drive around Bora so he can meet the Bishops of the three wards. I've heard only awesome things about him. 

But yeah I'm doing well. It feels soooooo good to read english things and write to people in English. I'm also stoked to talk to another american when President gets here. But other than that. Life is good. 

I'm in Ether right now in the Book of Mormon in Tahitian and Ether is so awesome. I sorta love how the Lord totally chastises the brother of Jared for forgetting to invoke him in prayer. Makes me wonder how the Lord must feel when we forget him. Probably pretty sad. I know it's so important to talk to our Heavenly Father every day and if we do so, he can bless us. I know he loves us and wants us to be happy too. 

Love you all. 

-Elder Christensen

Une Semaine Merveilleuse

Ia ora na outou paato'a

Sooooo this was a great week! We were so busy. We had our last conference with Président Bize. We watched it by internet. That was real fun to watch Président Bize and Soeur Bize say goodbye and we didn't even get to really see them. But I took photos of the computer screen. But also our new Président arrived. Président Fox! We got our first email from him. I'm sure he's just overloaded with things to do. Poor Président. But hopefully i'll get to see him soon. Apparently he started learning tahitian with old missionnaries that served here before he left and at the end of his weekly letter, he said, "Presideni Fox" Président in tahitian. I was pretty stoked haha. Maybe we'll do interviews in tahitian too. But anyway i'm excited to work with him. 

This week we went and did a lesson with our DMP(ward mission leader) to teach one of our investigators. He's the dad of our new convert and he speaks only Tahitian and understands only Tahitian but he's handicapped and can't really enunciate in Tahitian either. Also we can talk with his wife who is a member in only french and he can be right next to us and he doesn't understand a thing. So needless to say, i'm grateful that I was sent to Hikueru. I'm also grateful for a DMP who speaks tahitian better than anyone on this island haha. But otherwise, our recent covert is doing great. He comes to church every Sunday with his family. 

I can't send pictures today unfortunately because it's not working on this computer but next week I will send stuff. 

Also Happy almost Fourth of July. I have the National Anthem on one of the CDs. Shout out to Haley and Mike for giving me all that patriotic music by Motab. I already warned my companion that I will be blasting that stuff tomorrow in the car haha. 

Also Happy late Canada Day. It was the First of July.  

This week I was reading in 3 Nephi in the tahitian Book of Mormon and I read 3 Nephi 27 which is one of the best chapters ever. I love how clear it is. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I invite you all to read it and ask God if it's true. I know that he will answer. 

Things are going great here in Bora Bora. I love you all!!

Have a great week 

-Elder Christensen