Week 75: First week in Nuku Hiva in Marquesas Islands

Hi guys! So this week was super different, but good!

After emailing on Monday I got dropped off at the missionary house in Faa'a because in the morning these missionaries were the ones who would drop me off at the airport. So guess who was at that missionary house? Elder Sovereign, Elder Piazza, and Elder Lasson! Great guys! So basically it was a party that night because it was the last time we were gonna see each other for a while. We were all getting transferred, and we won't see each other pretty much till the end of our missions! Oh my gosh that is so weird to say!

Tuesday morning I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and got ready and then Sovereign and Piazza dropped me, Elder Lasson and Elder Ugbah at the airport...all of us were going to the islands! I was on the plane with Elder Ugbah from Missouri (he's going to Hiva Oa) and man that guy talks! Haha! Good thing he is super funny haha! 

Flying to Nuku Hiva with Elder Ugbah

Then I landed in Nuku Hiva and met my companion, Elder Mcquiston. He is a newer missionary, he's only been out about six months. He was there with the Branch President and we drove to our place, my home for the next little while. 

My new companion, Elder McQuiston from Utah. This is his first area and has been here 6 months.

It was like an hour drive, and man it was soooo pretty, but sooo different. Basically it's like taking one of the rocky mountains and putting it in the middle of the ocean! That's a perfect description of Nuku Hiva! It's very pretty and very different, there are cows and horses all over the place. Many people have cars but also a lot of people just ride horses everywhere!

View from the high road that spans across the island

View of our little town, Taioha'e, by the bay

On Wednesday we set out to do lessons and we had some great lessons and did some great work! There are a lot of people on the island right next to us, called Ua Huka that really want to change. We do lessons with them on Skype and we will try to plan a trip to go over there if we can get them to commit for their baptisms and stuff.  The work here is great, Marquesans are super different but they are rather accepting. If we have good people who are willing to listen, we have a chance! They are almost all Catholic here, and that's kinda a big problem because the local Catholic leaders are super crazy about their people changing religions.

Thursday we had a meeting with our branch mission leader and I am so excited that we have a good branch mission leader! He is sooo great and motivated to work with us! Then for the rest of the day we set out for more lessons. 

Friday we had district meeting and lessons and Saturday was great but tough because I got sooo tired.  I think the week finally caught up with me, but we were still able to have a great day!

We have the nicest missionary house in the mission. Check out that view!

View from our porch. Seriously, can you believe this?!

Church on Sunday was interesting because we don't have a church building in Nuku so the members meet in a house!! It's crazy! There were like only 40 people there, holy cow I have never seen that! We have a lot of work to do here! There aren't a lot of members, but the members we do have are great!!!

This member's home becomes our meeting house on Sunday with 30-40 people attending our small Nuku Hiva branch.

So this week was crazy! It was fun to have a new experience. Everyone made fun of my Tahitian accent! My American/Utah/Tahitian French accent was really a novelty out here! 

Had to stop and appreciate the canyon

I am really happy to have this experience to go here and serve the people on Nuku Hiva. It'll be really different and maybe a bit harder than some of my other areas but "What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger" -Kelly Clarkson (I think??)  I have a big testimony that a person can do anything if they work hard, there is no secret to having success on the mission....by working hard we can do anything with God's help, of course!

Have a great week!

Elder Boyd