Tahiti - Week 13

PERSPECTIVE

"Perspective is the way we see things when we look at them from a certain distance and it allows us to appreciate their true value."

"Na Na to Sr. Garbutt this week. She's being transferred to another island and opening a new sector! I hope one day we will get to be companions! She's so fun and I'm really going to miss her!"

  "I literally have the best companion in the world! Seriously, we get along great!
She's pretty much like me. She's from Canada. She's so lax. Hardly anything aggravates her and she's just always calm. She loves to laugh and we stayed up many nights this week talking about the most random moments of our lives. She likes to look pretty all the time, which isn't a thing here, so I just laugh and continue looking like a bum."

(Ummmm...if you ask me, the above^picture does NOT proves Mickey doesn't look like a bum!)

"This transfer, President Fox tried something new. Because all of the Americans that had Tahitian companions were struggling, he changed everything! It turns out that nearly everyone right now has a companion that has the same native language. Tahitians with Tahitians and Americans with Americans."

^^The new Sisters Mickey lives with.^^
Sr. Damtp from France
Sr. Larsen from Utah
Sr. Dumouchel from Canada
and of course our beautiful Mickey!

^^Mickey's favorite little boy in Tahiti. His name is Fatohei.^^
He wanted Mickey to take a picture of him with this fish. haha

Maman Gobrait and her daughter Euliette.
On rough days, Mickey will go visit with them. 
Eurliette served a mission in Washington, so Mickey likes to speak English with her! 

This week Sr. Dumouchel celebrated her birthday, so this was their "party crew".

...and since it was Sr. Dumouchel's birthday, Mickey asked Teiki if they could do a carving activity with him and of course he said he'd love to! ...so Mickey carved this little turtle! 
She said, "I'm pretty much a professional!"  haha! 
It's SO cute!

Anyone knows Mickey, knows she loves music! Sr. Dumouchel came with an instrument it makes Mickey's life complete when she plays and sings for her!
 

With a new companion, this week, Mickey was able to have a new perspective of her mission. 

Things with Sr. Teahu were hard, but Mickey loved her and they got along. The language barrier was difficult also, but now Mickey can communicate a whole lot easier.

"We learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass." 

- President Thomas S. Monson

"Seriously, every day this week, I realized how hard my first few months were." 

"It was the busiest week I've had on my mission and I literally feel dead tired, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm already so sad that this transfer is eventually end. However, I realize our sector has so much potential, and we are PUMPED to get some work done!"

"...really, this week was the best week of my mission. Work wise."

"We have so much work to do though, it was funny...one night I was talking with Sr. Dumouchel about it and she said 'It's okay...I don't ever have to sleep! If I don't sleep then I don't ever have to wake up, and waking up is my least favorite part of the day!" 

"We found out that our area book is AWFUL!! It hasn't been cleaned out for years, so we decided to hit the books and clean it out. We found this sticky note on one of them that says the missionaries stopped having lessons with him because he was always stoned...I about died.  - Clearly the missionary was from America, because they were good about doing French until it got to the slang words. (: "

Mickey has now received her second package! The first one came from us,
and this second one came from Tina and Daniel (Step mom and brother).

Stories about the ami's!

Marie-ange ended up having a lot of trouble with the word of wisdom this last week, so she cancelled her baptism, but at the next visit with her, she chose the 20th of September to work for her. Please pray for her to have the strength to overcome  her smoking habits.

Also, Mickey has been teaching Mata Flores ever since she arrived in Tahiti. She first started taking the missionary lessons in 2002 but has lived with her concubine (who is inactive). They aren't married (obviously) but something happened with the contract of their house and they were pretty much kicked out. On the bright side, she's now living with a Mami in Mickey's ward (her and her kids) but the Mami wouldn't let Matas boyfriend live with her, so they aren't living together anymore!!! That was Mata's only obsticle. haha. Mickey said she's practically a member, except she's not. BUT, she picked a baptism date of September 23rd! Wahoo!

Miracles happen and the work is starting to come together for Mickey.
Please continue your prayers for her and her ami's!

Mickey and Sr. Dumouchel are hitting the ground running and have made a lofty goal 
to have three baptisms throughout this transfer! 

 "I'm just here to invite others to come unto Christ
...and be an example."

And with that ^ Mickey can do all things through Christ.
I'm excited to see what great things she can accomplish this transfer.
I'm proud of her and her willingness to serve with her whole heart!
We are so proud of her!

♥♥