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