Week 45: Steeve and Sylvain get baptized

Hey everyone! So this week was a pretty great week!!

After emailing everyone on P-day, we visited with an investigator in Fa'anui, that Elder Brunet teaches. His name is Anapa, and he is super cool! We rode our bikes around the island, but we did it sport style, where you are in a line and you go as fast as you can, and you work as a team using aerodynamics and stuff! It's actually super cool how it all works. We made it around the island in an hour and 15 minutes, it was super crazy but lots of fun!

This week we had a lesson with Herenui (remember we have been staying in contact with her for months but she is really hard to catch most of the time) and we had a cool experience with her. As soon as we got there you could tell that she was just super stressed and everything. All of her kids were crying, it was just out of control. She and her husband have been having a hard time and  we just felt that we needed to talk to her about priesthood blessings. Well she really wanted one, and she asked me to say the blessing.  Right in the middle of the blessing she says, "Is it normal to feel like this?" So I just kept going and I finished the blessing and then after that she was like, "Man! I honestly feel amazing and so much better...can we do that some other time soon?" Ha! It was great to see her feeling calm and happy.

This weekend was probably the best weekend of my mission. It was one of my favorite investigators, Steeve's, wedding and baptism. We showed up to the wedding and Steeve asked me to be his witness! So we all walked into the ceremony together. Steeve and Aloha were awesome, and I sat at the head table with the other witness and stuff.  Just me and the guests of honor...haha, it was so cool! Steeve and Aloha were all dressed up and their kids were so cute, it was just awesome! After the main wedding we went to the church for a blessing on their marriage. The members decorated the church and everything and it was so awesome for them. After that we ate at a restaurant and I sat by Steeve and just talked to him about his journey.

Steeve and Aloha's Wedding

Saturday Steeve was baptised and then Vairea's fiance, Sylvain, was baptised at the same time! What a great day for two of my faves! They were both there at the church with the biggest smiles on their faces! I sat next to Steeve and Sylvain and when the baptism talks were being given, and Steeve leans over and says, "Boyd, ça brûle mon cœur!" (which means my heart is burning)! He was feeling the Spirit so strong! Both Sylvain and Steeve bore amazing testimonies that day.

Steeve freshly baptized

Sunday: Steeve and Sylvain were both confirmed and it was just a great day.  There was a family from Utah that came to church and I invited them to come into the investigator/recent convert class.  I taught in French and translated for the family from Utah. Everyone in the class had such a good time and they were so excited to hear the testimonies of others and from the investigators and recent converts. After class everyone wanted to take a big picture together and it was a great experience!

Steeve is one of my favorites because we worked so hard for him. We knew he could feel the Spirit and we just needed to keep going until the Lord could soften his heart. We have actually been teaching him since February!! Aloha, his wife, is already a member, but they have both suffered so many trials between February and right now just trying to keep them from marriage and baptism and ultimately true happiness.  Now they are the cutest couple ever!  I love Steeve and Aloha and Sylvain so much! I know that I'm going to stay in contact with them for a long, long time! The people on Bora are just amazing!

Love you!

Elder Boyd

Week 44: Mariana wants to be a Mormon, and recognizing the Holy Spirit is our 3rd companion.

Hey wassup fam! So here is the big news from last week on Bora ...

After emails on Monday we played volleyball and I honestly stink at it, especially here in Bora, because everyone here is amazing, it's out of control! After that we played basketball with the local crew (Ura, Mana, Boule, Puiti, and pretty much all of my good friends here) so it was super fun!! I need to stick with basketball for sure! 

On Tuesday, Elder Rybin and I set a goal to teach 25 lessons with just investigators this week and to find 3 new investigators. We normally have around 22 lessons every week, but we wanted to push a little bit harder, so we just headed out for lessons and had a really good day!

Wednesday we had a lesson with Ioane (he is one of my favorites because he reminds me of Chris Rock, haha) and we taught him and his wife, Purea, (who is a member). The lesson went super well. Then Purea talked about her daughter, Marania, and how she really wants to be baptized, but her dad won't let her (her dad is not Ioane), and she told us that during the week Marania is with her dad in Matira!

Matira Beach

Thursday came around and we decided to surprise Purea so we went looking for Marania at Matira.  We totally found her on the beach! She saw us and was super excited! We asked her if we could start to teach her, and she was so pumped haha (she is 9 by the way) so we set a lesson for the next day and she could hardly wait!

Friday we had our lesson with Marania at Ioane and Purea's house. Purea was so happy that we searched out her daughter and wanted to start teaching her right away.  At the end of the lesson I remember asking Marania why she really wanted to be a Mormon, and she said that's all she can think and talk about because it makes her so happy! I explained to her that with all of our investigators there is often something that tries to prevent them from being baptised, (I figured it would be her birth father, but I didn't say that to her) but we told her that if we all pray together and do the lessons and have faith, God will make it work for her! I love Marania, she is such a happy little girl and I just know that God will prepare the way for her. 

That night we had transfers! Since I've been here awhile, all the Elders thought that I might be leaving, but you know I feel like I still have work to do here on Bora.  So we were chilling on our beds waiting for the calls, and I dozed off and woke up 30 minutes later.  Elder Ivie was like, "Hey, I guess I'm leaving, I'm going to Raiatea," (which is an island next to Bora). I didn't get a transfer call! I'm so pumped! So the next transfer is in August, and by that time I will have been in Bora for a little more than six months! I love it here...the time is going by so fast!

On Saturday we had a service project and then more lessons. We hit our goal!  What a week!  We had a lesson with Yannick and Marco, and that lesson was so powerful.  We taught about the Holy Ghost and after we explained everything, Rybin asked, "Can you guys feel the spirit right now?" 

Right then I could tell that God totally had our backs, because after he asked that question the Spirit we all felt became undeniably strong! Marco was like, "Yeah, I do." Then Yannick and Rybin got teary eyed and said "I'm so glad that you can feel it", and we said a prayer and left.  

It was an amazing lesson. The Spirit was so strong and we both learned the we have a 3rd companion in our companionship, and that's our Savior.  He has totally had our backs from the beginning. He is the one who has made everything happen for us in this sector.  

I remember when I first arrived here, I prayed so hard personally, and Pulu and I prayed so much together so that we could build up this sector.  Right now we are having an average of 22-23 lessons a week and we have had 12 baptisms -- and we might have 4 more this weekend! 

I'm so grateful for the help of our Savior and all that He has done for me, Elder Pulu, and Elder Rybin. As missionaries, we are instruments of the Lord, and He will polish us and clean us and tune us. We just need to open our mouths and make a sound when the Lord needs us to, and as we do that we allow the Savior to make a difference and touch people's hearts! I love this work!

Love, Elder Boyd

Week 43: Little Alan loved the font and the blessings of Priesthood power.

Hey Everyone! It was another great week here on Bora!

Last Monday after we did our P-day stuff we went to Sister Comming's house and ate food and played some funny card games. I found out that I'm not very good at these card games because I can't keep a straight face...not very surprising ha! Then we had FHE with the Hutia family, and they brought some friends that weren't members. After FHE, Elder Rybin and I were talking to them and apparently the wife really wants to join the church but her husband (inactive member) isn't really ready for that, but we fixed a lesson with them and we are gonna go and teach them this week. 

Oh! A few weeks back we gave a blessing to a little girl with heart problems, and ever since the blessing she hasn't had any problems at all! So they are really excited and they wanted us to start teaching them the lessons. We started the lessons with them and now they want the lessons everyday! 

The power of the priesthood is real! It's such a blessing in our church, in our families, and in our lives! I don't think I really understood the full significance of the priesthood before my mission, but I am extremely grateful for my dad who has held and used his priesthood in our family.  I know now what a difference it truly made in our family!

Friday was our district meeting with all the Elders on Bora and we Skyped in the Sisters on Maupiti (the island right next to us).  The sister companionship is struggling a little because they are such different people. One companion is from Vanuatu, and Vanuatuans are super quiet and humble, it's just their culture.  I think the "quiet" is just tough on the other sister so we are praying a lot for them so that they can work well together.  It's made me so grateful for good companions so far!

Saturday was a good day of lessons, and then we had our nine year old investigator get baptised.   His name is Alan, and his mother is inactive. Alan really wanted to be baptised, and his mom said yes and he was excited. After he was baptised, Alan bore his testimony, and then his mom, Iovinia, bore her testimony! It was really great and now Iovinia wants to take the lessons! 

Alan loved his baptism! He keeps telling me that he wants to go again! It was funny because on Sunday I was talking to Warren (he was the investigator we baptized last Sunday) and Alan came up to us and said, "Hey!! It was awesome in the font huh?" It was so funny, and Warren totally agreed! Then Warren and Alan were both confirmed and it was glorious!!!

So that was my week...it was great.  We are going to keep working with Yannick...fear is getting in his way right now, but he will get there...I just know it!

Love you guys!

Elder Connor Boyd

Week 42: Ward Party on a motu = beaucoup referrals, Warren gets baptized, and Yannick is soo close

Hey Fam!!!  This week was crazy-busy, but it was great!

On Pday we went to "Saltwater Family" -- this store that is only here on Bora Bora! It's really the coolest store ever...so I bought a hat and then we went to another shop that makes hats and we had hats made for our district! So basically, I scored two awesome hats on Monday.

Tuesday was (like always) our super busy day.  We literally started out early for lessons and got home right at 9 p.m.  Then I passed out on my bed totally exhausted...good day!

On Wednesday we talked to this woman named Karmel (made me think of sister Newell) who has just jumped right in and taken the lessons. She wants to be baptized and everything, but her mom is being a little difficult. Her mom is RLDS, so that's kind of a tough one.  So we decided to go and talk to the mom. She jumped right to the good stuff...haha...so we started to explain polygamy, and the priesthood and all that. But believe it or not, the mom is starting to be more interested! She actually started taking the lessons with us, so now we just have to get her to pray about our message and "boom goes the dynamite, the mom and daughter will be baptized! Oh yeah!

Friday we had a lesson with Yannick and Marco; these really chill guys. Yannick is so close to baptism, sooooo close! 

Then we had an event with all the wards on Bora. It was a huge evening with food and Tahitian dancing (all of the wards prepared dances and stuff for the program). It is so fun to watch the dancing when you know the people and all the kids who are performing...it was really awesome!

Saturday the party continued with the wards on a motu, so we were there all day. It was really like a second P-day haha! These people know how to party!  

We ate food, played games and stuff, but the best part was there were tons of investigators and we got so many referrals! We are gonna be busy for a long time!!!! 

Then on Sunday we had stake conference; and after sacrament meeting the Stake President wanted to talk to Yannick to try and fix his baptism date. I was a little sensitive because of what happened last time (when our investigator felt a little pressured) so I asked if I could be with him.  So the Stake President, Yannick and I went into an office and I could see that Yannick was sooo scared and nervous. The president asked him to get baptized that very day and I could really see him wavering.  I jumped in and  told Yannick to pray about it and we would talk about it later that night. I don't think the president was too happy with me...oh geez! But later that night we went over to Yannick's house and talked to him. So he is gonna be baptised Saturday! 

He asked me to baptize him and he wants to be baptized in the ocean, so I'm really pumped for him! Please pray for him so that he can be baptized this Saturday! I know he is ready...he just needs to keep the faith! 

So after that, we had a baptism -- his name is Warren and he is awesome! He really was an easy one because he just has the faith! He started the lessons with us, he read and prayed, and immediately chose to follow Christ.  He was one of those "faithful from the start" guys! It was awesome!

I love this mission! It's so awesome to see people change and become a better person! The decision to follow Christ is always worth it!

So that was my week in Bora.  I loved it!

Love you guys!

Elder Boyd

Week 41: Say nope to dope and Taia's baptism

It was a crazy week guys!

Monday after emailing we went to this store called "Saltwater Family". It's a store that is only here, it's crazy popular and stuff, so I went and ordered a hat that l'll go and pick up later today! After that we went and chilled at Boule's house and played ping pong and talked about the NBA playoffs, he is giving me updates on the playoffs!

On Tuesday I had a split with Elder Brunet in my sector, it was cool. We had a ton of lessons. We had a lesson with Sylvain, a French guy from Toulouse who moved here to marry Sister Commings! He is taking the lessons, but the only problem with him is he won't pray...that is super hard for him for some reason, but he will get there. We had a good lesson with him, you could tell that he felt the spirit! It was awesome! 

After the split Elder Brunet, Vairea Commings, and I were evaluating the split; talking about our strengths and weaknesses, and this guy came over to just say hi because he knows Sister Commings. When he said "hi" to us, we could  totally tell that he was higher than Wiz Khalifa on a Tuesday night, and we were like, "oh boy." So he was just chillin' there listening to our conversation, and when it was my turn to talk I mentioned some of Sister Comming's strengths, and then the guy was like, "Hey, do you even understand French?" 

For those who know me, you can probably guess that I saw my chance to mess with him a little! I said, "No... I can't understand or speak a word of French!" (I'm not very proud of it but it was still pretty funny!) So, then the guy said "Then don't speak French if you don't know how to speak French." I said "Ok, I'm sorry I won't speak French since I don't know how to speak French." (by the way, this entire conversation WAS IN FRENCH... haha)! So then the guy left (confused) and Elder Brunet and I were laughing for like 10 minutes, haha! Kids, stay away from drugs!

On Thursday, Averii, the 8 year old girl who wants to be baptized, told us that her grandpa said that if she gets baptized then she will be kicked out of their house! So we will need to figure something out with her! Poor kid...it's so hard when that happens. A child shouldn't ever have to face a scenario like that.  

On Saturday we had lessons early in the morning and then we had our baptism! His name is Taia, and he is this 50 year old guy that is so funny! He was another referral from the Atiu family. We taught him and he gained a testimony so fast, and literally left everything behind to follow Christ! In his testimony after the baptism he said, "je vais servir le seigneur toute ma vie!" (I will serve the Lord for the rest of my life!) He is awesome! 

Missions are just so cool! Having the chance to watch people completely change is honestly a once in a lifetime opportunity. This mission is something so precious to me. I could have never understood that before, but now I truly understand. I encourage everyone to go on a mission! We all have the power to change a life, and in that process, your life will be changed as well. 

This week we really started working hard on learning Tahitian. It's starting to come along. While I like French, Tahitian is the language I was called to teach in and it's the language I want to get really fluent in! I'm learning some cool phrases like, "God loves us.", and I can say a simple prayer in Tahitian! I also learned phrases that I can yell at my kids someday when I'm mad at them because it sounds super scary in Tahitian! Haha!

I also really studied King Benjamin this week...man, Mosiah 2-5 is a crazy good sermon, I love really studying that stuff!

Have a good week everyone! Off to work!

Elder Boyd

Week 40: Teaching, testifying, and practice for Heiva

Happy Monday! How is everyone doing?  Here is my update from last week:

Monday was a pretty fun day! We went to a motu with the Atiu family...'twas dope!! It was beautiful out there as usual. I got super............"tan"! Haha! (If my forearms and the 12 inches between my shorts and the top of my socks can count as being tan)! 

Tuesday we went to work, heading out on our bikes and just taught a bunch of lessons; it was a pretty busy day which is a normal day haha! We had a lesson with Heitapu who is going to get married and baptized on the 23rd of June! So happy about that! Then we had a lesson with my homie, Inasio. I always love talking to that guy.  Then we had soiree milo which basically means family night with hot chocolate and tons of nutella with Taurahiti and his family.  They introduced us to a girl named Georgie and she is 22 years old and is the nanny for their kids. We had a good family night with them and Georgie was super interested when we started talking to her, but she lives in the other sector so we passed her over to Elders Ruff and Lewis.

On Wednesday we got to work and had more lessons to do.  We had another lesson with Taurahiti and it was great like always, but Taurahiti was flipping because he lost his phone, so he was trying to find it and was a little distracted! We fixed a day to go and see him again on Friday!

Thursday was awesome. We just had a load of lessons, like always, but at the end of the day we had a lesson with Hearii and his girlfriend and it was such an uplifting lesson! We talked about the Sabbath Day and then about baptism and marriage. They are going to set a date this week...it's exciting!

Friday was a good day as well, we had our meeting in the morning with the district. We discussed how to get our district more unified, because the four of us in the house are super tight and it is really great to share ideas and stuff, but the other two haven't really come to chill with us like we used to when Sovereign was here. It is good to get together on P-day Mondays to recharge for the week. So yeah, it was a good meeting! 

After we had some more lessons and then we went and ate with Taurahiti and he told us that Georgie (the nanny) stole his phone on Wednesday! I thought that that was so funny! I guess the other Elders will have to start their lessons with "Thou shalt not steal"! Ha, we just laughed about it! But truly she is now taking the lessons with the missionaries and stuff so she will be on her way. 

After that a member invited us to watch a practice for the "Heiva". The Heiva is a big event that goes on for the whole month of July and it's basically Tahitian dancing and awesome competitions for all that stuff. I'm pumped for that...these people know how to throw a party! We watched some of the practice and it's sooo cool! I saw Mateata (who got baptised in December and we teach her right now) and she is super good! Then I saw my homie Tainui dance, and he is amazing as well! It's so cool because they just have these massive drums and a choir and tons of dancers and it looks great. It's like a "Haka" sort of but different and honestly I think it's cooler!

Sunday was a good day.  I gave a talk in church and it was pretty darned good!

I love the verse in D&C 6:36: "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not".  I love it because it's a verse so simple, but complete. That's what I love about this gospel, it is simple and complete.  When we talk with the Jehovah's witnesses here on Bora it is strange because they study the gospel and treat it with such complexity, and they just don't get it! We are simple in our teachings, and we get it! The gospel is simple, it is easy to apply, and it is a representation of the Lord's love for us.

Goodbye until next time...

Elder Boyd

Week 39: Elder Rybin joins Elder Boyd in Bora

Sup les gars? (Sup guys?)

Well you know me... like every week, this one was also great! Here are a few of the highlights.

We woke up super early on Wednesday and got on the boat to say goodbye to Elder Puluiuveia. We worked really hard together and he was a great companion. We have had a ton of success together, and I am really going to miss him.

Elders Boyd and Pulu playing a song at a baptism

But, then I picked up my new companion, Elder Rybin, from American Fork, UT and he is super awesome! He is actually super good friends with our cousin, Jason Nelson, and he has been in the mission for about 6 months. He's really funny too, so I'm quite excited about the next few months! We returned from the boat docks and we headed right out for more lessons.

On Thursday, we, along with Sister Commings, ward misionary, headed out to teach and it was just a normal busy awesome day. We had to work in the two sectors, Vaitape and Fa'anui, because Elder Ivie's companion still hadn't shown up, so it was a super busy day. Then afterward, we ate with some kind-hearted members and went home. I passed out on the couch for the night, I was so tired ...  t'was great!

Friday we went out and worked a long hard day again, and the best thing happened: Sister Moevai, who lives right next to us, asked me to schedule an interview with the bishop so she can start becoming active in the church again!! Wooooo!! It made me so happy to hear that and I wondered if maybe we were in some way a good influence on her living so close to her. 

Later that day we were pedaling on the street and the Jehovah's Witness man that I have come to know called us over to talk to us (his name is Emmett) and he said, "Elder Boyd, I did some research on your Prophet Joseph Smith and did you know that he had 40 wives and they were all minors?" 

I was like oh geeeezzzz here we go again!! But before I could say anything, Elder Ivie said something I can't even put in print here. But, had you heard it, those who know me can probably guess what happened next. Yes I BURST out laughing ... and, yes, I was the only one laughing and it was kinda embarrassing haha. I just thought that out of all the ways you can respond to that question, he says THAT, haha. I think I laughed most of the rest of the day.

Saturday after working all day, we had a lesson planned with Steve. That man is so good, BUT he didn't show up to the lesson at the church, and he didn't answer his phone, so we went to his house on the other side of the island and found him just chilling there. He explained to me that he had a pretty bad week and he just didn't have the desire to do the lesson, so we just talked to him awhile and discussed how we all have our trials and how we need to continue progressing forward even when life gets difficult and tiring.

Sunday, church was great, then we went to pick up Elder Ivie's new companion, and he is a really great guy as well.  His name is Elder Brunet (yet he's blonde) and he comes from the Alps mountains, so he likes all the stuff I like: skiing and snowboarding, biking, motocross and stuff like that. He's funny too!

Today, we went out to the motu with the Atiu family like always. I love doing that. It's always a great change of pace and beautiful scenery of paradise.

This week I read and marked a verse that was cool to me. It's D&C 25:10 "And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better." Even as a missionary there are still things that I can let go of. There are always things that we can let go, like a bad attitude or maybe a bad eating habit ya know, and switch that with something better, and that is how we PROGRESS!!

Shout out to my Lone Peak Knights baseball brothers. I'm "representing" out here with my Knights Baseball P-Day shirt and wishing you Good luck in the State Playoffs this week! Last year's Seniors are with you in spirit!

Okay, peace, out!!

Elder Connor Boyd