Wait for it..... Elder Gary E. STEVENSON!!

Ia ora na tatou pau roa.

Yeah I think the subject explains it all. Elder Stevenson came to Tahiti and we had a special conference with him. I shook his hand. I might never wash my right hand again... Jk that's nasty and weird. But it was still awesome to say a few words to him. His wife is from Cali and told me that Bakersfield is a little hotter than what I'm living in at the moment. I agreed haha. He talked a lot about teaching techniques. How to help investigators keep their commitments. Teach repentance and baptize converts. He talked a lot about promising blessings too. Elder Robinson and I tried that and we changed our way of planning as well. That was really cool to try and we like it too. We try to focus on what our investigator needs to do to receive a testimony and we base the teaching off of that commitment.

Being in charge of a zone of 18 missionaries is tiring haha. We have to do lots of trainings and talks and answer lots of questions. It's really fun to be able to serve everyone though. I love our missionaries. #bestzoneintahiti #faa'a

Currently we are teaching a Sanito gentleman. Sanitos are members of the reorganized LDS Church. How they got here is complicated and I'll explain another time haha, but he's great. We invited him to pray about the Book of Mormon and our message. He reads the BoM but never really got an answer about it. He said he would get baptized if he gets an answer. I love him so much. He's such a kind and loving old man. And he's bald. Talking to him is so much fun.

Know that I love you and that I know that this gospel brings true joy to whoever wants it. Heavenly Father wants to bless us, sometimes we just need to show a little humility and put him first. Actually we need to do that all the time, but it's 100 percent WORTH IT.

~Elder Christensen

E ho'i atu vau i Faa'a, o to'u ai'a ïa

translation: I am returning back to faa'a, my homeland. 

So yeah got transfer calls thursday night. I'm being transfered back to Tahiti in Faa'a as zone leader( in a truck as well) at Vaira'i. I'll be serving with Elder Robinson(American). It's Elder Pedron's home ward actually(he's here in Bora with us). Elder Sylvestre is going to the other side of Bora(Faanui ward) but he doesn't have a companion so he's going to do Faanui and Vaitape with Elder Donadier(Vaitape) and a new missionary. Elder Pedron is going to come to Anau and train too. Super super weird transfers that's for sure haha. I'm pretty sad to leave but stoked to go back to Faa'a. 

I was super shocked to get that as a transfer call but I'm willing to go where the Lord wants me. 

Lately in Bora there has been a wind called the Maraamu. It's a really fresh and "chilly" wind. All the tahitians keep saying, "it's so cold here!!" I just chuckle and tell them they don't know what cold is haha. But apparently in the Austral islands its about 45 degrees. Pretty weird for polynesia. But they are really south too. So it's understandable I guess. 

Funny story. 

It's been raining a lot here lately because of the maraamu and there were lots of tourists here this past week. We were eating with a member that works at one of the hotels and informed me that he met some tourists from Seattle, Washington. Those. Poor. People. They left the rain and clouds to come to more rain and clouds. I felt so bad for them. 

I bought 6 dollar lindt mint chocolate and didn't regret it even one bit haha. 

I got to do a last lesson with Etau yesterday and took lots of pictures with him and his family. I'm going to miss them a lot. I'll put the pictures in next week. His goal is to go to the temple with his family. I know that it will happen. He's a great man. 

I restarted the Book of Mormon in Tahitian and I keep finding things that I had never seen in French or English. It's awesome. No matter what language you read it in, it's the word of God. I know that the book is true. 

this week I was reading in 1 Nephi 15 I think and it talks about Laman and Lemuel were fighting because they hadn't understood the vision that their father Lehi had. Then Nephi asked his brothers this  

8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?

9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.

It's really interesting the response of Laman and Lemuel. They sort of just expected the Lord to make it know to them. They didn't really make an effort to know those things by prayer. That's why they didn't get an answer. I know that The Lord can answer us if we ask him with faith, with a sincere heart and with real intent. Once we do that, he will answer. I know it. I love you all!

-Elder Christensen

Ta'u fâ api no te toeraa i ta'u misioni

(translated):my new goal for the rest of my mission

Ia ora na tatou paato'a. Ua here au ia outou. 

SO this week was definitely a good one. Not a whole lot of changes to be honest haha. But there was a dog in the chapelle. That was a first. 

Also during the third hour at church, the elders quorum started getting into the 144,000. It was definitely one of the most interesting sacrament meetings as well. As we walk in, instead of the regular hymns that are played, someone plugged in their iphone and played a youtube version of if you could hie to kolob. It's three girls singing I think. It's really a pretty arrangement but I was just kind of confused as I walked in. 

But you know to be honest. I absolutely love this place. wouldn't want to be elsewhere. 

I keep seeing spiders the size of my hand either in or near the house. Good thing we bought some sweet insect/arachnid killer. 

Did another baptismal interview....In tahitian. I'm really glad that I keep the baptismal interview questions in french and tahitian on me haha. 

Also I finished the Book of Mormon in Tahitian. My new goal for the rest of my mission is to read only in tahitian. (except during lessons of course) but to do all my studies in only tahitian. I figure that I only have 7 months left to use this language and I really want to master it. so I started the doctrine and covenants in Tahitian and restarted the Book of Mormon in Tahitian as well. 

Our investigators are doing well. We lost a few this week and we're running out of things to do. But we keep praying for new people and keep trying to fortify the ward. Other than that. Transfers are next week and we get calls this Friday. We're pretty sure that Elder Sylvestre is peacing out. But who knows. Also in one week my first three companions go home. Elder Sovereign(trainer), Elder Barfuss(Hikueru companion) and Elder Murdock(Outumaoro companion). I'm going to miss them. It stinks that I won't get to see them before they go. 

Know that I love you all. I know that this church is true and the Book of Mormon is true. Read it. It will change your life. It has changed mine and it's the reason why I'm here. A faaitoitod noa. Ua here au ia outou pau roa. 

-Orometua Christensen