Monday, October 19, 2015

Week 9: The Bizoo is weird, Patu is a hungry kid, and Vatiani got baptized!

This week was really good! Monday after I emailed home, I went to town in Pape'ete and played more beach soccer...so much beach soccer I'm going nuts haha! It's not too bad, but everyone in my zone played soccer, before the mission, so they are good -- If only I could get them to play baseball!
Tuesday was super duper! We had zone conference with elder Haleck, a member of the Seventy, and we talked about planning. He shared his amazing testimony of the savior and our prophet, in English, and there were also translators for French and Tahitian. It was so good! Afterward he interviewed 10 missionaries, and I was fortunate enough to be one of them. I'm not sure why I was chosen to interview with him, but it was a great experience. 
After that, we had a teaching lesson with Herenui and committed him to both baptism (on the 7th of November) and marriage prior to that, so good things are in store for Herenui. 
Wednesday was a rough day because a bunch of planned lessons cancelled. Thursday was awesome though. We visited an investigator named Eria Patu who is a 19 old kid, and I think he feels a lot of stress in his life, because he is already starting to have gray hair. All his clothes are dirty and he is always so hungry, but he has such a good heart. I love that kid. He thinks that I am super big for my age haha. He loves feeling the spirit, so during our lesson when the spirit was strong, I asked him to be baptized and he said yes. After that, we talked about the baptism program and he asked if there will be food like 4 times -- haha it was so funny! Sure, we'll bring food! 
Friday at night we took a nice couple, Brian and Malina, to the Pape'ete Temple for a tour. They were so touched by the feeling on the temple grounds and because the front doors are see through we could see the workers in the temple. Bryan looked in and did the hang loose sign to them (which is a cool way of saying hello--its like the peace sign haha) so that was hilarious! The temple workers all laughed haha. Taking advantage of the moment, we asked them if they would commit to both getting married (civilly now, and in the Temple in a year), and to getting baptized. They are sincerely thinking and praying about it. 
Vatiani and her kids on her baptism day!

Saturday Vatiani was baptized! This was my first baptism and it was so awesome! Bryan and Malina came, and Patu also--our guy who asked if there would be food. He ate most of the food there hahaha, it was too funny!! It was such a great and happy experience though! 
Also this week, I talked to this guy and when he left he gave me the bizoo (the French custom of kissing both cheeks) and let me tell ya -- that is the weirdest thing eeeeeewwwwwww!!  Haha it's just weird to me -- maybe I'll get used to it at some point, but I'm not holding my breath. Maybe I should -- and puff out my cheeks. :) 
Sunday was a good sabbath day, but also sad as one of my favorite investigators, JN, informed us he doesn't want the lessons anymore. I felt devastated because I really thought that he was feeling the spirit and he was becoming so involved. I'm not sure what happened, but I felt very disappointed and sad most of the day. However, later that night we were able to find two new investigators. All in all, a week of ups and downs, but mostly UPS!

I'm so glad things are great at home. I am trying to figure out my camera. I don't know why the pictures are blurry. I'll figure it out.  Love you all. 
PS I was able to get my new mission bike. They'll see me coming!

-- Elder Boyd 

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