Hello Family! This week was crazy awesome!
To start off, this whole week we had a General Authority Seventy (Elder Cardon and his wife) come to visit the Tahiti, Papeete mission. He wanted to do a Leader's Council on Monday night, so all the Zone Leaders and STLS had a meeting with him, and the meeting was super fun! We talked about what this mission needs and what our missionaries need to be successful. It was interesting because the whole meeting was in English! What a change! We actually had to translate for the French/Tahitian missionaries and that was a first. After that, we ate a great dinner together.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we got back to work did a bunch of lessons. BTW Robert (the member who is blind) still comes with us almost everyday for a few hours, he has sooo much faith and we truly enjoy having him with us!
We had multi-zone conference with Elder Cardon on Thursday and it was really great. There is no question that when he speaks the Spirit is just working through him. He is just so in tune with the Spirit when he talks and testifies. He talked about a lot of great things but something that I really loved was when he talked about faith. He had been speaking about faith earlier and he was talking about recognizing the spirit, and then he asked if any one of us would be willing to come up to the pulpit and give a 3 minute discussion about it. He said to stand if we were willing.... it took me about 10 seconds to stand but I did. There were about 10 others that stood up with me.
Elder Cardon then looked at all those that didn't stand was said, "How can you look an investigator in the eyes and tell them to exercise faith when you don't even have the faith and courage to stand up in front of a bunch of missionaries and talk about the spirit!" Holy, that was crazy! I learned a big lesson from that. He taught us that faith is what gives us courage and that we as missionaries need to have enough faith to stand all the time to share the gospel. It was a message that our mission really needed to hear.
After the conference Elder Cardon picked a few missionaries to do interviews with and he picked me. It was just amazing in the interview. Elder Cardon just asked me where I was from, about my family, what I have learned most on my mission (I talked to him about repentance and what I have learned from the process of repentance and how it can change lives for the better) and then he told me some stuff that I really needed to hear. It was a great experience that I will never forget. He made me feel so proud to be a missionary. I know he was inspired of God to tell me what he told me, it made me so happy! He is seriously my favorite general authority. He also told me to tell you guys this, "Thank you for giving your valiant son to the Lord for two years. The Lord is grateful for your sacrifice and he loves you both."
Friday was just awesome! The family Orbeck (the family I baptised in my first area last November) were sealed for time and all eternity in the temple! It was amazing! Christian, the father, asked me to be his escort for the endowment session, and they had Elder Teamotuaitau (my first companion/trainer) to be the witness for the sealing!
I can't describe in words what I felt in the temple that day. During the sealing when I watched that family being sealed for eternity, was the best feeling I have had as a missionary. After the sealing Elder T and I could hardly hold it together. We were the missionaries that baptised them, and then we got to be with them as they became a forever family. We gave each other a big hug and we were like, "Our mission was a success!" It was an awesome day for me and one I will never forget. Oh! And the Orbeck family surprised me with a big birthday celebration after the temple sealing. It's so like them....it's their big day and they celebrate MY 20th birthday. They are amazing people! I can't think of a better way to celebrate than exactly what happened today!
On Saturday we had a sports activity with the ward in the morning and then Hitiarii was baptized. He is such a stud! After his baptism Paxman and I were talking to him and he said, "I truly love this church!" That was like music to an old guy's ear hairs hahaha! But it is true, this church is amazing, it's because it is the true church of Jesus Christ.
Sunday..."Charlie to Alpha 32...Charlie to Alpha 32... Baptism Confirmed...I repeat, Hiti was confirmed....mission was a success...over and out!" Just a little mission humor for you!
Love you lots!
Elder Boyd
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