Farahei is great - Papeete

Our bishop does a workout thing every morning at 5 am and we went to one! That gave our zone leaders the idea to do zumba every day... at 5 am.  Someone help.

We had a pool party with our zone!  Since our house has a pool??? And we can't swim???  Logic.  Anyways our feet had a fun time in the water. 

It's nuts to see big stores again now that I'm back on Tahiti!  I can only imagine the culture shock of coming back to the US!

My new sector is super fun! We walk cause it's tiny, but there's actually quite a few people to teach!  I love it. 

I was a little sick this week, but a mami gave me a blanket and some hot chocolate and that made everything better. I'm so spoiled.

I spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday!  About missionary work.  Summary of my talk-

If we have the desire to serve God, he calls us to the work.  And God qualifies those He calls.  Qualify means a lot of things.  He turns you into a new person full of Christlike attributes.  So we just need to have the desire to serve our brothers, sisters, and God by sharing the gospel, and God will give us the qualities of Christ.  Pretty good deal.

ALL THE LOVES

Elder Jenkins

Tahiti papeetee

Life is great.  I left Tahaa and now am with all the other missionaries here on Tahiti and it's super fun.  Elder Hobbs is super rad and is showing me around our new sector.  We walk!  Haha NO MORE BIKING FOR MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

I was super sad to leave everyone and they're all so awesome.  But I got to see a ton of people/ missionaries from before and it's great.  Life just keeps getting better honestly. If you're debating serving a mission or not, just do it.  I love I love.

We've been doing "missionary concerts" where all the missionaries sing at chapels all over for members and to attract amis and just to spread happiness.  It's super fun and some of the missionaries are like professional singers so I get to hear awesome voices like all the time.  One of the sisters was almost the voice of Viana. Or Moana.  I don't know what it's called in America. 

I wish I could write out in detail all the awesome experiences/ lessons learned, but there are too many.  The more you learn about the Gospel the more you change and the faster you keep changing and learning and it's just a giant snowball of joy.

Spiritual thought!

Learned a lot about obedience recently.  Like a lot of times you see people get away with stuff they shouldn't do with no consequence.  Not very fair. And that becomes a temptation to break the same rules.  But you gotta keep in mind that God knows everything, and in the end He will make everything fair.  When we obey the commandments, God blesses us IMMEDIATELY.  Meaning by our humility and doing His will, He blesses us with our needs and changes us as a person.  If we obey we will change.  And change is one of the biggest blessings God can give us.  

I love you all you're all my best friends.

Atl

Elder Jenkins

Coconut water is the new Mountain Dew

PDay with Elder Murdock, on a boat to paradise

Hammockths

This is Miri after her shower.  So precious, so young.

"You're not going on a mission, you're going on a vacation!" 

Tahaa ukulele

Je vais à Angleterre - Tahaa

This week was great!! Like super duper, really.

Unfortunately Miri never came back.  Miri was a kitten that showed up at our house a week ago.  We fed him.  Gave him milk to drink. And gave him a shower.  He didn't like the shower. But he was so soft afterward.  We made it a daily activity because he got himself pretty dirty.  One morning we left to the bakery and when we came back he was gone. Never to be seen again.  Pray for Miri.

One of our amis got Elder Barlow (ex comp) a 12 string ukulele haha and I've been playing it until we give it to him.  Super cool lookin.  

The work is so awesome right now!  Like man.  We fixed the baptism of someone, another lady wants to be baptized, and we started teaching an awesome family of 4.  All so potential.  

The family is so awesome.  We literally taught the dad to pray yesterday.  He'd never done a personal prayer before in his life.  He was so nervous and then gave the most sincere prayer I've ever heard in my life.  The spirit was so strong and we sat in silence for like 2 mins.  Then he broke down and told us his life story and how he has already found so much joy and desire to live from hearing about The Savior and that there really is a purpose to this life.  I will never forget that experience.

We also got to play pool with that family cause they're I think the only ones in French Polynesia with a billiards table.  

Thursday was the craziest day ever.  The whole day I could not focus at all and my brain was going crazy.  I was super tired and "fiu" but kept on going.  And I for sure saw the blessings that night.  We did a lesson with a lady that we just started teaching and explained how baptism works (by priesthood authority and by immersion) and she was like "oooooh okay.  Ya I'll get baptized into ur guy's church.  I wanna make sure my repentance is valid." Like ???? WHAT!  Hahaha NO ONE understands it that well normally.  She just has an amazing understanding of the Gospel and is willing to make sacrifices to follow God's will.  That is a real example of faith.

Unfortunately I will be transferred this Wednesday back to Tahiti.  I will be senior comp, which will be cool, to Elder Hobbs, from England.  I'm sure many adventures await. "J'irai ou tu veux que je sois Seigneur"

Mosiah 3:19 

Savior Redeemer of My Soul- 

"Chasten my soul, til I shall be

In perfect harmony, with Thee.

Make me more worthy of Thy love,

And fit me for the life above"

<3 <3 <3

ATL

Elder Jenkins

Miri ran away - Tahaa

Quelle semaine!

We made some pizza, alfredo, french toast, and homemade syrup this week cause Elder Murdock is a master chef!  So much fun. He's from Kaysville, and I'm learning so much from him every day.

This week we've had numerous bike problems haha but luckily the Lord helped us out, and we're ready to go.  Flat tires, gear shifters snapping in half etc.  Bikes are not made for this much biking.

We went to a lil dock the other day and looked down into the water.  It was basically a natural aquarium with crazy fish and a massive sting ray going nuts.  I can't believe this is where I serve my mission.  

We've played frisbee and soccer with some neighborhood kids and they think we're so cool hahaha.  And magic tricks never dissapoint.  Playing with the kids is one of the greatest blessings. So much fun and love and so few worries.

The work is really starting to progress and we hope to get some amis in water soon!

Someone plz take me to Paris when I get home so we can go through the temple there cause dang. * heart eyes

We did a hike today!  I miss hikes.  Hike>Bike

Spiritual thought!

Been thinking a lot recently about "le perspectif éternel". (eternal perspective)  Really, in life you gotta look at the big picture.  One of the greatest blessings of the Gospel/Church is the knowladge of where we came from, why we're here, and where we're going.  We have trials and problems and sadness etc almost every day.  And it sucks.  Cause those things make our lives on earth less fun.  But REALLY, our lives right now aren't supposed to be all fun and games.  God sent us here to have experiences and trials so that we can learn and change.  Progress is the key.  And we can only make progress when we humble ourselves and follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  After this life we'll be eternally grateful for all the good decisions we made here on this beautiful planet.  Be good.  Don't do anything that would displease God. He loves you.

Atl

Elder Jenkins