Openhouse

Homecoming Talk

Flying, Flying, Flying, Home.

Papeete to Los Angeles

Los Angeles to Phoenix

Phoenix to Salt Lake City

We almost got ambushed by the French army with machine guns - Papenoo

Man what a week!

Things are pretty crazy rn in all aspects of my awesome missionary life! 

We had a super awesome family night with that one family (Tehetu and Julie included) and the mom totally cried when we sang Families can be together forever.  So great.  We invited the other two missionaries that we live with cause they didnt have a familly night and they sing super well so we had like four part harmonies and its so fun.  We sing all the time. We played a fun game. 

The rest of the week was also legendary.

I can really tell though, that satan is working on me to make sure that my head isnt on straight when I go home.  But I said "No satan."  And prayed lots and it was better.  I love the gospel!  I read in Mosiah 4:11-12  and I love it so much. GO READ MOSIAH 4!!!!! That isnt even an invitation its a command.  Love that chapter.  But anyways these versets explain that if we want to be AND STAY happy we need to remember God and be humble. I KNOW that God is there and He hears all our prayers.  Sometimes we (yes even missionaries) fall into spiritual ruts, and the ONLY WAY OUT is sincere prayer and scripture study.  Its amazing that its so simple!  JUST DO IT! 

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! See you in a week.  The church is true, the book is blue, and Moroni stands on a ball @R.I.T.A

A tamaa Elder ma!!! - Papenoo

This week has been wonderful! Parlons-en! @elder kerr

Things are great here in Papenoo.  We've been really blessed to find people to teach, and I can see the Lord's hand working with us.  

This Sunday we show up to church and like NONE of our investigators were there. Like not even some that have come since months ago.  Also English is getting rough it took me a solid while to figure out how to say that last sentence. ANYWAYS I was so ticked haha and I was like "why Heavenly Father? We prayed so much and did everything to get these people to church and there's less people than ever here!"  But after working for a little I realized it was just the humility boost I needed, and then we had an awesome awesome night! We went back to that one girls house that I mentioned in the last email and she was all ready and we saw that her parents were there! So we talked to them and they were so so chill and we did a little introduction and they accepted to sit in on the lesson! We then had SUCH a good discussion about life, life after death, the temple, eternal families and so much more.  They asked such great questions too! We have a family night fixed with them in like 2 hours!  

Its amazing to see how the Lord prepares people! But I'm mad cause I feel like I find "the golden family" every time just right before Im supposed to leave! AHHH

We ate with an awesome family last night too and their non member old french friend was there too!  He's been married to his member wife for over thirty years, and read the Book of Mormon several times but still hasn't been converted!  I laughed with him about that cause I always thought that it must be impossible to not feel the spirit so strong when reading the Book of Mormon. But then I asked him if he had  PRAYED after he had read it.  And he got really quiet and his family called him out haha.  THE TRUTH IS- God will ALWAYS ALWAYS respond to your prayers if you ask!  But you have to want to know.  You have to want to know that He's there, that His church is on the earth, and that He has a plan for you.  He won't force you, but He sure will invite you. 

At the end of the soiree I was going to share a spiritual thought and I reached for my scriptures, right when the french guy calls me out by saying "isnt a thought in your head? Why do you need your book?"  He was joking of course but it inspired me to share my testimony for my thought. And dangit I totally started tearing up and I felt like a baby.  But I do know that the church is true and that our Heavenly Father loves us.  He never stops working to get us on the right path, because the path leads home to HIM.  I am so grateful for everything He has taught me, especially in these last two years.  

ALL THE LOVES

Elder Jenkins

what do the chickens mean - Papenoo

This week was wonderful!  We did some good work and saw the Lord's miracles in action! 

Elder Jeppson is super cool, and we've been really trying to talk to everyone and follow the spirit and help all our people that we've found and the more I do it, the more I love these people!  They're just all so great and have their own personalities and talents and jokes and interests.  I love that about the Gospel.  It's not about being uniform and cookie cutter the same, its about being different together! :D

We found an awesome family this week thanks to our new best friend.  Shes 12 and the spirit prompted us to talk to her while getting sandwiches and she said we could pass by the next day.  Then we passed by and she was there! Thats already awesome, and then she said that she was supposed to go downtown with her family that day but didnt cause she knew that we had rendez vous.  Then during our little lesson tons of her family members passed by and asked us questions and we shared lots of little thoughts and they all loved it!  Now we teach a lot them and I pray that their hearts continue to be touched by this wonderful gospel.  

We brought our new convert with us on split and within an hour or two we had fixed two baptisms!  NEW CONVERT POWER!!!!!

I feel like Ive figured out the haamaau.  Which basically means joking around in tahitian. haha but dont worry mom the good kind that makes members like you.  I feel like I've made so many awesome friends!  

I know that God has a plan for each of us, and no matter our circumstances, if we do our best, we will make it.  Nobody's perfect, but thanks to the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can all learn, love, and progress together.  I LOVE IT!! La vie est belle.

all the loves

Elder Jenkins

last transfer - Papenoo

What a week.  Missions are truly the best things ever. God is teaching me so much these
last few weeks of my mission.  I love it. It makes me want to do better and be better. That's
the gospel for ya, as they say, it makes bad people good and good people better.  People
are awesome. I love people.

It’s fun seeing people from my old sectors!  Since Tahiti's pretty small, every time we go out
of our little sector I usually see someone I know haha!  

The last transfer of my mission starts today.  I said goodbye to Elder Sorenson, and
welcomed Elder Jeppson from Draper into our sector of Papenoo.  He seems super
cool and we both served in the same sector in Tahaa! I miss all them too!

Also we might be training someone? We got a call from the assistants like 20mins ago.
 idk we'll see tomorrow.

I love the Gospel. It's helped me learn so much, become a better person and really just be
so much happier.  It just shows you the better path. As Elder Holland says, "a more excellent
way."

I cant believe its coming to an end. It’s scary honestly.  The closer it gets the more I don’t
really want to leave. I’m finally becoming the best Elder Jenkins of my whole mission and
now they want to send me home!  Not fair. I LOVE THE TAHITI PAPEETE MISSION!

And I love you all <3

Elder Jenkins

FIVE dollar foot long FIVE hundred miles Maroon FIVE etc - Papenoo

FIVE WEEKS!!  Man that went by fast.  

This week was great.  We both got sick and so that was a bummer but then we got better and we're ready to roll.

We went to the temple this week!  I LOVE the temple! So we were supposed to go on thursday, and all the elders of our zone came with.  I was the last to enter cause I just wanted to admire the gardens and paintings and whatnot and then I finally went in.  Once I arrived at the front desk, I handed my recommend to the temple worker and he says, "oh, Im so sorry sir, in fact, your temple recommend expired five days ago." FIVE DAYS!  So I just chilled in the lobby while everyone went it so sad for Elder Jenkins.

But the next day I had my interview with President Fox and We were able to go the next day with our two recent converts for their first time doing baptisms!  SO SO COOL!! I love the temple.

GO TO THE TEMPLE IT WILL BLESS YOU!  Blessings include: Happiness, patience, guidence, respect, love for others and the Lord, peace, increased desire to do good, better relationships with others and the Lord, protection from evil and temptations, increase in knowladge, deeper understanding of God's plan, and of course, ETERNAL FAMILIES!!!!  (and much much more)

I am so grateful for our Heavenly Father's plan and the possibility to be with my family forever.  The church is true.  The book of mormon is true.  Read it.  If youve already read it then read it again.  I recently made the promise to read the Book of Mormon every day for the rest of my life.  Because I know that way I can be blessed and happy every day for the rest of my life.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

Elder Jenkins

mamu elder - Papenoo

Hello! This week was great.  My comp is sick, which is unfortunate and he refuses to sleep because he is filled with the spirit of the Lord.  But now Im getting sick…

Our baptism from last week went with us a ton this week to go do lessons and such and it was so fun! He told us he had lots of fun and it really helped him.  MISSIONARY WORK IS A BLESSING!

Saturday we baptized his cousin! So fun.  I don't often teach people my age but those two guys are so cool and I feel like were all just buddies!  He'll come with us too this week on splits.  We're unofficially training two new missionaries.

I am so happy for the Gospel in my life!  This week at sacrament meeting was super fun.  One can have many feelings while taking the sacrament, but this week the most powerful one was joy!  I just felt so happy!  Cause I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ covers everything and no matter what we can always try and try again.  Sins can be washed away, we can be clean, happier, more confident, and better day after day.  Its all thanks to our Savior.  HAPPY

all the loves

Elder Jenkins

A chicken laid an egg on our dryer - Papenoo

What a week!  This sector is awesome.  We're finding so much success and people are so great and nice!! The car is wonderful I forgot how much I like cars.  

Saturday we were so happy to see Tema be baptized! Hes 19 and is thinking about a mission! Then Sunday in Sunday school we took some of our amis aside for a special class about how faith can help them work miracles to remove their "family blocks" that are preventing them to be baptized and at the end, one of our newer amis who is 17 told us that he really felt the spirit during the lesson and wants to be baptized this saturday!  So cool. 

We are having success but there are always trials.  And if there is one thing I've learned that is important to have success in missionary work that is humility.  For example, the Book of Mormon does a great job of showing us how dangerous pride is, cause every time people get prideful they get destroyed (cut off from the presence of the Lord).  Sometimes on a mission when you start having great success you forget where all the success is coming from.  (Heavenly Father). Cause He's nice and wants to bless His children.  But I think I'm finally learning that even in times of difficulty and even in times of success we need to be very humble and grateful and lean on God's grace like it's our only hope. (Cause it is). 

I'm grateful for this gospel.  I know it's true.  Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and has power to lift us up.  BUT we've got to be humble enough to accept His help and listen to Him and pray with all our strength.

Ua here au ia outou!  

Elder Jenkins

new area - Papenoo

Papenoo is so cool!  Very different. Tahiti but not downtown.  Right next to black sand beaches with waves!  I haven't seen waves since America.

Bye Bye Bora Bora

Elder Jenkins has returned to Tahiti.  I took a plane this morning and ohhh that was hard to say goodbye.  Bora will always have a piece of my heart.  This week we had so much fun with our amis, cause I knew I was gonna get transferred. So we didn't waste any time!  

I'm gonna miss all the people so much!  Some of the nicest folks in the world.  

Now I'm in Mahina at Tahiti, The Papenoo ward!  I'm super stoked.  I'm serving with Elder Sorenson from Logan Utah, he's been out for nine months.  Its gonna be awesome.

I'll let you all know how its going next week!  But it looks like were gonna have some awesome fun here.  Also I have a car!! First time on the mission. 

all the loves

Elder Jenkins

Bora Bora

Some pictures that a nice Tahitian lady sent to Mom:)

dengue it! - Bora Bora

I got sick haha. I believe it is le dengue. I dunno how you say that in English,
all I know is that it hurts.  

In other news, this week we did splits and I took Elder Tetuaraa into our sector.
He thought it was great cause he got to be on bike.  Normally he's in a car.
So he just did lots of wheelies.  Tahitians are very good at wheelies.  

We had a fun day of work and then the evening some members took us
to the hotel to eat!  So fancy!  

Something hard I've had to realize on the mission is that sometimes, some people
just need a little more time to fully accept the gospel.  Even if you give all you
can towards someone, sometimes you just gotta let God take the wheel and wait
it out.  For example, a family I taught in Tahaa over a year ago just got baptized
last saturday!  But I know that by our prayers and our fasts and our faith, God will
work miracles in our lives, and in the lives of the people we love. 

I love you guys!

Elder Jenkins

Great Week - Bora Bora

We went to the motu! (little paradise island)  It was so fun.  It was for a priesthood activity.  We did games, ate tahitian food, and hung out with the awesome people.  While we were there, we found a house.  And in this house lives one of our old amis Vai'a!  She had moved out of our sector which was a bummer, and had apparently been living on the motu! So we decided to take the opportunity to teach her and her boyfriend with the mission councilor and the area seventy who were also present.  Such a fun experience.  It's cool to see how God helps everything come together so nicely.  

Heavenly Father really does have a plan for all of us.  Jesus traced the path which leads us to happiness, and I believe that God has individual paths for each one of us.  He loves us so so much, He gives us the best chance to succeed.  Even if we don't see it, we just gotta trust Him.  

I love giving blessings.  I know that the priesthood is the power of God, and it is used to bless the lives of His children.  Don't be afraid to ask for a priesthood blessing if you're ever in need of healing and comfort.

ATL

Elder Jenkins

JOYEUX JOUR DE FETE DES MERES - Bora Bora

This week was great!  We had some awesome experiences with our investigators and we got to skype!!! That was awesome.  I love my family!

I am so so grateful for missions.  Repentance is really awesome.  Repenting and seeing people repent.  I love it.  I love you all and God loves you!!!!

Elder Jenkins

BONJOUR

This week was awful.  Just kidding, it was great!

We taught a lesson in English!  So cool so we had a bit of time free and so we went up some private neighborhood even though normally thats not usually the best idea but something told us to go.  Then at the first house we yelled at (yes we dont knock on doors in this mission we scream at them) a lady who looked french came out with her baby and said she was busy but that we could pass another day.  So two days later we go to her house again and she says "Hi". And so we ask her if she speaks english and she said yes.  So we were pretty stoked but then as she opened the gate she says, and I quote "I will give you exactly ten minutes of my time.  Then I have other things to do." Needless to say we were very scared.  Then she kindly grabs us some water, sits us down on her porch and starts asking some really good questions!  She is from New Zealand.  We talked about prayer, faith, missions, families, and so many great gospel subjects, and when we finally looked at the time, we had been there for 50 mins!! She started talking to her baby and said "when they showed up mommy didn't want to let them in! And now mommy doesn't want them to leave!" SO AWESOME!!!  It's so interesting that she liked our discussion so much cause she had very little interest when we showed up at her house.  The gospel is there, ready to bless our lives as soon as we are ready to let it through our door. GIVE IT A CHANCE! 

I've been realizing a lot this week that we should never judge people.  About anything.  Their life, habits, addictions, attitude, appearance, etc.  Cause without fail there is a reason that that person does the things they do.  And usually it's because they've had some hard trials.  So, we should try to be more like Jesus by not condemning our brothers and sisters that make disagreeable choices, but by loving them even more. Hate the sin, love the sinner.  

Also, another baptism this week!  Yay!

ALL THE LOVES!

Elder Jenkins

Le Pieu de Bora Bora!!

Iaorana! 

This week was wonderful!  We had some fun, worked, biked, loved, lived, studied, taught, and life is good :)

So this week the stake of bora bora was created! So awesome! Its combined from three islands.  Maupiti, bora, and Tahaa- where I served a year ago!! Its cool cause back in Tahaa they were telling us to work hard so the stake could be created.  And now its finally happened!  

There was an awesome dance/ talent show friday, a fireside saturday and the stake creation sunday. And since our chapel is too small it all happened under a giant tent in downtown bora!

Our ami Veena got to bare testimony at the fireside and it was so awesome! I feel like I'm her parent and am just so proud seeing her up on the stand for the first time!  

Spiritual thought!  God's work is moving and we are all invited to be a part of it.  The GA who came down from SL explained that even if we live in paradise, we still need to work.  I know that Jesus Christ lives and that he is accomplishing miracles through humble people every day.  If we pray and ask to be a part of His work He will make us into what He needs us to be.  

We hiked up into the mountain to see if anyone lived up some creepy dark trail and at the top we found some ancient sacrificing grounds and our buddy Teiva showed us their "taro" farm.  Taro is super yummy.  Its like a purple or green potato that is sweet.

I'm sorry I don't take more pictures! 

red blue orange team - bora bora

This week was great! 

There is a ton of politics going on.  We got stuck in the road cause there was a line of literally over 200 cars and lots of scooters doing a tour of the island and we had to ride down the road with them cause there was no way out.  They were all honking and playing music from the giant speakers and subwoofers they had attached to their cars haha! 

Our ami Veena was baptized! So awesome.  I was so so proud because she had so much opposition and she was almost going to call it off the day of but she did it!!!  It's incredible the sacrifices people make to have the gospel in their lives.  It makes me feel silly for ever ditching seminary haha!

I'm staying in Bora!! YAYYYYYYY!! I'm very happy.

All the loves!!

Elder Jenkins

Another week in Bora

This week was gr8!  Wow aren’t I clever.  

We had a marriage this week for some of our amis! So fun. Marriage is such a great thing.  Helping families be happy forever since forever ago. 

We went on a hike to see cannons today! Neat!

I had a cool experience during a split this week. We saw a canadian tourist couple while walking to our faatamaaraa (dinner) and we introduced ourselves and the wife started getting mad. She went off a little bit about polygamy and asked us why that's acceptable and how many wives we were planning on having hahaha! But we were able to answer her questions, teaching a little about the restoration and she ended up apologizing and it was nice. But I kept thinking about them for some reason cause I didn't give them any engagement haha so I prayed to run into them again. Then the next day we were at the marriage of our amis and lo and behold we see the couple in a nearby shop!  And so I gave them a pass along card and explained a little more and I hope they'll find the missionaries one day in canada! @jopetejp

Transfers are next week, we'll see if I stay in bora.  

ALL THE LOVES!