from Elder Jenkins - Papeete

Earlier this morning we made ourselves a french brunch.  French bread. French cheese.  French grapejuice and steak. Twas neat.

So this week was transfers and so many missionaries are goin home! Ahhh! It's crazy to think how this whole mission thing can end.  I just wanna stay forever. 

God gives us so many blessings everyday I feel like we don't even notice half of them.  Make a list of 50 things you're grateful for and you'll realize that your problems aren't too bad.  God loves you. We can overcome pain and unhappiness through obedience and humility.  

Learn how to communicate to show your love.

ATL

Elder Jenkins

20ieme anniversaire du Pieu de Faa'a! - Papeete

Cette semaine a été remplie de fun! Parlons-en! @elderkerr

We painted the sister missionaries' house this week!  We chipped off all of the less white paint and it looked like snow and I miss christmas.  Then we painted and it was great.  I could paint after the mish.  THe only problem was that we didn't really cover the ground that well and we used the furniture as a way to reach up high so now the sisters' house has a fantastic paintjob but the rest of it is trashed with white speckles.  Oh well.  

It was the 20th b day of the stake of FAAA where I am rn.  This whole week had tons of activites.  

But the coolest was friday and saturday.  Friday was the Heiva.  Which is the Tahitian cultural dance festival.  So cool haha.  I think the best part are the drums.  They have so many little creative drums and it sounds so intense.

Saturday we had the Tuaro Maohi which is the tahitian games competition.  The games included getting coconut milk out of cocos, running with heavy bannana/ uru sticks, picking up extremely heavy rocks, and pyrog racing.  Then we had Ma'a Tahiti ( tahitian food) and it was a good day.  

Also I send my deepest consolences for all you in Utah who are now suffering cold weather.  And no the seasons don't really change here.  But soon it'll get a little hotter and rain some more. 

Also sorry I had no time to email anyone, today is busy but I love you.

Spiritual thought!

I had a little revelation this week.  Sometimes when I'm working/praying my hardest, we have no success in our sector.  ANd sometimes when I'm not working/praying my hardest, I have lots of success for a week or two.  ANd I was like why tho???  And I realized that it's true, today's work brings tomorrow's blessings.  And we can't ever get casual or take our blessings for granted.  If God decides to reward us for our efforts, we should thank Him by continuing to work hard.  If we stop pushing ourselves to be better God will have to remind us just how much we rely on Him.  And we will be humbled by force haha.  So it's better to just always remember our merciful Father in Heaven who loves us so much and things will go much smoother. 

ATL

Elder Jenkins

Week #=== - Papeete

This week was wonderful! We've had so much fun and success this week.

I don't have a lot of time, and I'm actually gonna try to limit myself on email time, just so I don't think too much about home and whatnot.  So if I'm a little slow to respond I apologize!

Anyways, spiritual thought this week is about repentance.  And how great it is.  It is the best and only way to feel better and clean and light and happy.  Repentance is change.  It's amazing how crazy we are as missionaries sometimes because of how blunt we are haha.  We had a first lesson with a family the other day and we focused the discussion on The Family and committed them to get married straight away.  Which seems nuts for them, and obviously they need to talk between themselves, but I have no problem telling someone straight up what they're doing wrong and how to fix it.  (As a missionary of course)

BECAUSE I know that we follow the teachings of Christ we'll be the happiest we've ever been.  I know I am the happiest I've ever been right now and I know it'll only get better.  

If there is something you need to fix in your life I invite you to do it.  Be the master of yourself and do what you're supposed to to become your best you.  

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!

atl Elder Jenkins

HAPPY - Papeete

Quelle semaine!

This week we did so much planning and I feel like I've remotivated myself.  Not that I was unmoviated before, but I really wanna make the rest of my mission the most positive experience of ever.  

This week up until sunday

We moved again!! Haha so that's how we're spending this p day... But it's okay!  cause our new house is SHWEET!  I love life I'll try to send pics next week I'm sorry I always forget my camera.  We have a view of Moorea and the ocean and you can bet your left foot that I'm excited for those sunsets. 

I had a revelation yesterday.  I was thinking about life after the mission, and who I want to be and do etc. and I want to be happy all the time and be able to make other people happy because of it.  I wanna be happy cause I should be cause I know about the gospel and because of that life is good always.  That's what we preach!  But I realized I wasn't actually that happy.  Cause this past week was pretty difficult and we had like 0 success and I am still sick (We think it's bronchitis (AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT)) and I was just not feeling good.  But then I realized, I SHOULD BE HAPPY! Good-ness, if I'm not happy all the time I feel like I'd be a hypocrite and spoiled cause I have too many blessings.  Count your blessings folks.  Remember God.  Be happy.  We have no reason not to be.  

So I decided to be happy and work super hard and now everything is at least 8 and a half times better. 

I love you guys.  

ALL THE LOVES

Elder Jenkins