Tahiti, Mahina November 18, 2013

I have a story about why I never deserve to be ungrateful again.  This week we started to teach an excommunicated family who wants to come back into the church.  The family Rehauti.  They are great and really have the desire to improve their lives.  Well...during the lesson it just so happened that their family next door (everyone here is family in some way or another);  came to our lesson because they were curious.  They asked a lot of questions and you know how the scriptures talk about the people who are prepared to hear the gospel?  Well that was them.  Meggy and Marciano.  We talked about the Plan of Salvation and they loved it.  Their homework was to start to read the book of mormon.  Well time passed to the next lesson, and guess what? Meggy already read 7 chapters and she said she knew it was the word of God.  It was so crazy and unexpected.  It was just so beautiful to see people who really thirst for the gospel in their lives start to find it.  True Meggy and Marciano will have to change lots in their lives in order to be baptized one day but that doesn't matter.  What matters is that they have the desire to change.  We will do everything in our power to help them come unto Christ. 

That isn't even the story of why I never deserve to be ungrateful again.  The excommunicated family Rehauti want to come back and be re-baptized in the Church, but they have a son who is severely handicapped and the father says the only way he will come back to the church is if his son can be baptized also.  It was so heartbreaking to see this father tell us his story of how he worries for his son every day because he isn't baptized.  We shared Moroni 8 with him and his wife and really explained that his son was already saved and has no need for the baptism but nothing we said could calm his nerves.  Many members in our ward talked to him this week and it was decided for now all we could do for his family was to give them a blessing. Yesterday me and Soeur Ferrence hiked up the the humble three room tiny house of the family Rehauti to be there for the Priesthood blessing for their handicapped son.  I was so humbled to see this son who was probably 30 who couldnt walk and couldnt talk recieve a blessing from the leaders in our ward.  Yes it was in Tahitian so I couldnt understand anything but the spirit was so strong.  It was so humbling to feel how much love Heavenly Father had for each member of that family and especially for the handicapped son.  It is moments like that on a mission where I realize how blessed we are to have the knowledge that some day we will all be ressurrected.  Someday Timihau will be just like the rest of his siblings and will be free from any mental or physical restrictions.  It is completely free because of the Savior.  All the things that appear unjust and cruel in this life will be set at peace.  The peace the knowledge of the gospel brings is unmeasurable.  It brings me unmeasurable joy and peace that someday after I die I can live with my family forever because my parents were sealed in the temple.  

And for that I never deserve to be ungrateful again.  Being on a mission I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am.  How blessed we all are as members of the church.  This week for Thanksgiving, even though I will probably be eating who knows what instead of Turkey, and won't be with my family, I will be so happy  and so grateful because of the knowledge I have and the people I have in my life.  I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving dear family and friends and hope you feel the same.  

I love you guys forever.

Soeur Kimball

Tahiti, Mahina November 11, 2013

Ia orana!
Famille et mes amis.  J'esper toute est bien.  

And so missionary work continues for me.  This week was an all time low in our sector.  We only had 4 lessons.  I am scared we are going to get in trouble for it.  Basically most of our investigators hide from us and don't actually want to learn more, they are either too nice to say no, or they just are never there for the time we scheduled the lesson.  Besides that things were good this week.  We had a baptism in our ward of Varena Taimana.  I never had the chance to teach her but it was still good to see her be baptised.  She has really changed her life around to be in accordance with the teachings of the gospel.  It is neat to see that.  Her goal is to be sealed with her family in the temple.  We will continue to visit her and her family for encouragement for that.  

We didn't have lessons this week. We went around and visited with a lot of members to get them to do missionary work.  Sometimes I feel like the members are really scared of us.  They know why we are here and they are scared we are going to ask them to do missionary work.  I dont blame them.  It is really teriffying to share the gospel with people.  However, it really is just the little things that make the big difference.  We have really been trying to explain that to the members.  The Lord isn't asking them to go and convert all their neighbors, but rather to just talk with them, invite them to activities, and be examples to them.  It is by the small and simple things that bring about the salvation of souls.  I have noticed that here.  Most converts here became interested in the gospel because they felt the spirit at a family home evening of a friend who invited them.  We are not asking to go out and force the world to baptize but rather we just asked to invite. I really hope we can show the members here that missionary work is not supposed to be a teriffying experience.  If you are doing missionary work out of fear you should stop.  Missionary work is meant to be centered rather on love.  
  
Speaking of Funny story that isnt acually funny. Basically, all the time here I dont know whether I should laugh or cry, so I just do both.  We were having a lesson with Yoana. Yoana is a girl the same age as me that lives with her boyfriend Jonas.  She is really reserved.  During the lesson I tryed to ask her and her friend if they felt loved when they prayed.  But on accident they thought I asked if they felt dead when they prayed;  So that is the story of how my language skills drove away the spirit.  And now they tease me all the time for saying it.  Like I said, I am not sure if I should laugh or cry...Oh well...things continue nonetheless.  I hope Yoana continues to be open to our message. 

Well that is all dear family and friends.  I love you all to participate in the hastening of the Lords work.  Whether that is for the dead or the living.  You will be blessed in your efforts. 
Love you all
Soeur Kimball