Tahiti - Week 9

KNOW WHO YOU ARE

Mickey didn't write much this week because she was sick again. Poor girl! It just breaks my heart that she has struggled so much with her health. 
But, with that being said, she is choosing to be patient and happy. 

One thing I have always loved about Mickey is that 
even when she gets pushed down once in a while (like us all), she NEVER stays down. 
She always chooses to be positive and continues onward. 

She is such a good example of enduring in any given circumstance.

I have put her name on the prayer roll in the temple, but... 

Please pray for her. Everyday.

♥

Missions are all about finding yourself, even if you didn't know you

were lost. Also, if you think you know who you are and what you want,

God will find some funny ways of showing you otherwise.

 Fortunately, for me I already knew that I hated going to the Doctor..

and... yep. That's it. I hate going to the Doctor. No worries, I only

go if I think I'm dying, and this week, I definitely was! This is the

4th time I've had a sinus infection since arriving to Tahiti! I think

I'm either building the immunity of a garbage can or killing myself.

When I figure it out, I'll let you know. (:

I only have a few pictures this week because I was confined to our

house, and the one day I left I found this cute kitten. (I don't even

like Cats) (I told you, God works in mysterious ways)

I really love you all and hope you have the coolest week!! I'm sending

bunches of hugs and kisses your way!

^^Sister Wright's room^^

The pictures below are from Mickey's hike last week. 

I love how the humidity is making Mickey's super straight hair curly.

Tahiti - Week 8

8 WEEKS

 ...AND BUSY AS A BEE

Ahhh, SO SO SO busy this week. Literally, non stop! While Sr. Teahu

and I were biking this week, she mumbled something to me in French,

(when people talk in French, I still have to focus on what they're

saying) so I had her repeat a little louder and she was (in all

seriousness) asking if I had repented of a major sin because we've had

so much success. I about DIED! Things just worked out in our favor all

week!

...I asked Mickey to tell me about some of the stories about her investigators. She told me about a man named Heimana that they pass everyday but until last week have never really talked to. Mickey told Sr.Teahu that she wanted to talk to him. They did and he was actually interested in taking the missionary lessons!! He claims to be Protestant but she said he literally knows nothing about the gospel. Pray for him. 

She also told me about another miracle - Mariorange. She is 20 years old and has taken the missionary lessons before, multiple times. She's always given the missionaries a hard time until Mickey got to the mission...or so she hears. This past week, Mariorange told Mickey and Sr. Teahu that she's ready to be baptized!!  Her whole family are members - converts. Her dad has strongly urged her to get baptized and she's always refused until now!!  They will pick a baptism date this week. Such a special moment!!  Mickey is doing amazing work by being God's hands. We are SO PROUD of her, despite her mission being such a difficult experience thus far. But, it's the hard moments that make us better and Mickey was already quite the gem in our eyes. ♥ As you can tell from the photo below, she already shines so bright! Isn't her countenance just gorgeous?! 

ALSO! the blessings are there, sometimes all we have to do is ask for

them! We were informed that we were having interviews with president

Fox this week, (with an already crazy schedule) so I blurted out

(jokingly) to heavenly Father, to bless us with interviews on Friday,

because that was the only day we could change our appointments, and we

later found out that we were indeed having interviews on Friday!

...on a side note, Mickey told me a bit about her Interview. It was short, only about 5 minutes and then President Fox offered her a blessing. She said it was the sweetest blessing she has ever received. She said he is really gentle and loving which is exactly what she needs. Please continue to pray for her.  She tries her best every day but still feels a bit stuck in knowing the language. 

 

I've learned even more so on my mission that I like things to be clean.

I received my first piece of mail in Tahiti!!!! It is from the Wardle

family, and I must say, that I am SO thankful for you and the sweet

notes you shared. ♥

...BTW: we have sent Mickey a couple packages - they take FOREVER!! We sent her first package 7 weeks ago and she STILL hasn't received it!! It was 4.2 pounds and cost us over $65.00 (yes, that was just shipping costs and not including the contents of the package). My advice: if you want to send her things - make sure it can fit in a small envelope - even if you have to mail several. The envelope can't be larger than 1/4" thick though. But, they seem to make it to her easier. 

We did weekly planning on the Beach this week, unfortunately with the

"French holiday" there were tons of tourists, so it was kind of noisy.

But on the bright side, I realized that I can hear the waves from my

house!! so every night I lay in bed and listen.. ♥

I got my new name plaque!!! (: AHHHHHHHH this means I really need to

start focusing on the Tahitian..

I guess you could say that I'm like an islander now, because 

I CARVED THAT TIKI!!!!!! SO COOL.

Mickey said she LOVED making her tiki. She spent the last two years working with Uncle Brad in his shop and she said she felt right at home with the loud sanders and all the tools. I'm not at all surprised that her tiki turned out so well! I love it! I hope she is planning on teaching us how to make them once she returns home! haha

We went hiking this week!! So cool! we found star a star fruit tree,

and we even got to pick some, and wash them in the river.

oh, I also realized that I haven't sent you a picture of the bananier

(banana tree) yet. I see them all the time, literally. I think we have

43 just on our street, but I remember it being SO cool the first time

I saw it, so I thought I'd share. (:

Mickey was starting to get sick again this past week. So sad! She said her Mission President's wife told a story of when her son served his mission, he only got sick once. Unfortunately, it lasted his entire mission. Mickey said she thinks the same thing is happening to her. Every time she thinks she is getting better, she wakes up with a different symptom. She said she wishes she could have a spa day. Please pray for her good health  - mental and physical. It just breaks my heart to hear of her struggles. I know she will have the experiences the Lord wants her to in order to make her the person He sees her as, but miracles happen. Let's help her. Thank you. So much.

...until next time, 

Aunt Jess ♥

Tahiti - Week 7

Celebrating American Days

I have never been more proud to be an American as I was this week. I
have really began to realize my freedoms, and blessings as an
american, and I honestly wouldn't ever want to live anywhere else. I
am SO grateful for all those people who have fought for ME! So I can
have the freedoms that I do, especially religious freedom. THANK YOU!
I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

Mickey was SO EXCITED to find a snow cone at the American Days Celebration! She got a lime flavored snow cone and was very grateful because it's SO rare for them to have on the island. 

I'm pretty sure my name tag says  "Feed me, I'm hungry.."
The biggest lesson I learned this week was that I don't have to eat
ALL the food people offer me. I have been really sick since the day I
got here (as far as digestion goes) and I have realized that it is due
to me eating and eating foods that are 1. not good for me and 2. our
right GROSS. But it's okay, they will be blessed for offering! (that's
what I fell myself!) I can still show my appreciation, and take care
of my body at the same time. -I've been feeling a lot better these
last few days because of the change. (:

This week was VERY busy! We have found a lot more ami's this week, so

we've been on full speed with teaching! I feel like my french is

coming along more every day, still not great, but coming. I testify of

the power of the Gift of tongues. ♥ D&C 84:84-85 God has helped me

multiple times! Words come to mind that I've never used before.. It's

special when It happens.

I'm still a mexican... it's fine. My stomach is mexican. -also,

everyone here listens to mexican music, and I have to keep myself from

singing and dancing down the roads. (Luckily, people don't notice it

if I'm on my bike.. HAHAHAHAHAH)

I still haven't figured out my love language yet, but I definitely

give my love through service.. I especially love giving kids things.

-These children aren't really "loved" here. Which is sad.. so I try to

do all I can to be with them and to show them that they are important.

Pretty much, I'm the coolest because I make the best pancakes. -Thank you.

Really, I can't ever complain.. I'm serving in the best mission in the
world, and by FAR the prettiest. ♥♥♥

^^My favorite Shoes!! - Thanks Jess!! besides, we can't go another week
without seeing my feet.

^^President Fox and his wife.  Mickey LOVES them

Tahiti - Week 6

Week Six!!

I really can't believe how fast the time is going by (on our end anyway!) 

This week, Mickey had a lot on her mind. 

I won't say much about that because it was quite personal, 

but I do want to touch on one thing Sister Wright didn't talk about in her letter: 

She got a new MP (Mission President) this week. 

President and Sister Bize have come to the end of their three year service

^^Saying goodbye to President and Sr. Bize

so President and Sister Fox are taking over the mission. 

They are very sweet and I am excited to hear more about them. 

Sister Fox wrote me and said that she met Sister Wright and she was "bubbly and full of hugs."

Haha! Anyone who really knows Mickey knows that is a PERFECT description of her! 

They look forward to working with her more.  

Bonjour tout le monde!

I want to start by saying thank you to all of the people who have been

supporting me on my mission, but especially all of the people who have

been sending prayers my way. Just a quick update- I'm feeling much

better this week! We've learned that American stomachs just don't do

well with all the meats here, so I try to stay away from them, and

especially any raw fish (which is eaten a lot).

^^This is called Pamplumousse - it's like a grapefruit - but sweet.

Many of you have been asking me some very personal questions that I

definitely "surface answer" and today I'm going to try something a

little different. I want to apologize that this isn't a "personal email" but 

it's personal to me, and hopefully it will answer some questions.

^^Mickey's first Pareo - Laina made it for her.

-My house: I live with 5 other Sisters, 3 who come from America, and 2

who are native Tahitians. I get along well with all of them most of

the time, however, I'm not perfect and there are times when our

relationships aren't as strong as they should be. -one, being my

companion. Because we don't speak the same language (yet) it is hard

for us to communicate, but I haven't ever really been good at

communicating anyways. -For this reason, we don't really talk, and I

have noticed a disconnection between us. We teach well, and we have

good times together, but we aren't truly happy. During our weekly

planning session and companionship inventory we both brought up the same

concerns. -- So my fast this week was to find a way to fix this

problem. I am very much the kind of person that looks for the things I

am doing wrong if I notice a problem between myself someone else,

without actually talking about it. I just try to fix it, and tell

myself that it will be okay when I change. But communication is the

key. You have to talk about things some times, I have to talk about

things sometimes. -I love Sr. Teahu, and I am grateful she is my

companion. ♥

^^Mickey says it's always a party in the car!

I gave my first official formation this week. I talked about the

importance of becoming the person you want to be by the end of your

mission and setting goals. An elder shared an interesting perspective

that I had never thought of before. He finishes his mission in 3

weeks, and shared that before his mission, he just wanted to change

during his mission, and he did. He acquired many good habits, but also

bad ones, until one day he realized that he only wants to improve..

-"Don't change, just improve!" Everyone has the ability to change..

good or bad, but improvement only includes becoming better. -My goal

for my mission is to improve, not to change.

I have discovered why teaching has been so hard for me these last few

months, and I won't say it's because I don't know French! -Anyone who

has learned a new language on their mission knows how hard it is to

feel the spirit their first few months of teaching, and then you reach

a point where you feel the spirit in your new language and it changes

the out look of EVERYTHING! well, this week I did it. I felt the

spirit in French. -We had a FHE with a neighborhood in our sector and

I felt so welcome and loved, and happy. I was able to share jokes, and

love those around me while sharing the message of the gospel, and I

actually felt the spirit.

I was invited to participate in our Ward's talent show! I planned to

sing in Spanish and French while Sr Mendenhall accompanied me on

Violin. When we began, the microphones ended up falling over, so we

laughed it off and finished with one verse of "If the Savior Stood

Beside me," and somehow they heard I could beat box.. So they invited

me to come share my talents and I beat boxed. HAH (I can't actually

beat box but they thought it was SO cool).

^^at the talent show. Don't you just LOVE this photo?! I do!!

I started doing genealogy this week! - I printed off my very first

name from my family and I was able to take it to the Tahiti Temple!

(The other ordinances were done in Houston, so I thought of Robb and

Ginny) - SO cool that I can do work for my own family! - I even did

the temple work in French! - No worries, I had people there to help

me, who were very patient and loving. One thing I love about going to

the temple, no matter where you are, the temples all have the same

feeling. ♥

^^Yay! Mickey's first ever family name to take to the temple. 

She actually got 24 additional names as well!

^^Papeete Tahiti Temple. Mickey said it was very simple looking, 

but the Spirit was the same as in any other temple....which is one thing that is so great about the church - no matter where we go - the Spirit is the same!

^^At the Genealogy Center

autres chose-

I told Elder Davis he was "Blesse" for having such an awesome

trainer.. turns out "blesse" actually means "to hurt.."

Cold showers will never be something I enjoy, no matter how many times

I try it.

We have lizards living with us... maybe like 13 or so, and a few pet

cockroaches.. maybe even a few hundred spiders. (We choose not to look

in our cupboards anymore.)

I really LOVE these people. -My favorite time this week was seeing

everyone in our ward have a great time together, and they didn't need

a lot of "things." The people here are very poor, and because of that,

they appreciate what they have, and they are SO giving. They literally

give all they can. This is a very special culture, and I am honored to

be a part of it. ♥

^^Before Mickey left, Cameron used to pop her back, 

but since he's not there, she asked Sr. Garbutt to walk on her back. 

They don't do that in Tahiti. Sr. Garbutt thought Mickey was crazy for asking her to do it and she was so afraid of breaking Mickey the whole time, so Mickey had to get a picture of it. haha.

^^Mickey's yard flooded when it rained this week.

If you're still reading this, know that you were cool enough to hear

the weekly joke - "What did the spider do with his new car? - Took it

for a spin!" - Jaylie

I LOVE YOU ♥

Happy 4th of July! Remember your freedoms as Americans, and don't

forget to thank all those who fought, and are still fighting for you!

THANK YOU!

^^Mickey's new Tahitian Pearl Necklace she bought. 

Before she left, she said it was the one thing she was going to buy while in Tahiti! 

I'm so glad she did - isn't it beautiful?!

^^Are those tan lines??!! 

Wow! This has got to be a first! haha 

Yay for no red burns!!

Well, that's all for this week -  until next week!

Love, 

Aunt Jess ♥