Crazy! - Papeete

This week was nuts.  

Well, we had an awesome p day last week, we drove to the other side of the island and got to see a ton of missionaries who are leaving!  Some really great friends that I'll miss for sure. We also played some football and it was slightly chilly (if that's even possible here) and there were leaves on the ground and oh boy I sure do miss autumn.  

I got sick again this week, which was a bummer, but I think I'm getting better!

So today is transfer day!  A HUGE ONE!  30 missionaries are leaving and 30 are arriving.  So pretty much everyone is changing.  Elder Hobbs is headed to a lil island, and I'm staying here in Tahiti to finish the training of Elder Coxhead!  \i'm also District leader again haha! Just a lil 9 week hiatus.  Elder Coxhead is actually the one who replaced me on Tahaa when I left!  So Elder Murdock and I are officially his step fathers.  I'm excited to work with him! He's already very humble and charitable, so I think we'll learn and have some success together.  

I am almost 1 year out!  Like this thursday the 17th.  Halfway done with my mission.  That's the biggest mixing bowl of emotions since Taylor Swift went pop. 

We've had some elders who are finishing today stay with us cause they had nowhere to lodge after they came back from the islands. It's always fun to have a big group at the house.  

I feel like I'm doin pretty well, although I still have many many faults. I know the Lord can do anything and I'm so excited to see what he has in store for me this next year.  I love you all!! The Gospel is true!

atl

Elder Jenkins

Photo sent by a nice stranger who was visiting Tahiti

- Papeete

This week was dandy, like every other week of my mission.  

Life in the new house is good cause we have AC.  

I think I'm finally getting the hold of French.  Like I don't know all the vocab, but I can hold my own in any circumstance.  HURRAY FOR BLESSINGS

I love people.  It's so fun to learn more about my Tahitian bothers and sisters and invite them to learn more about Christ.  Like everyone is your best friend.  

A smile really goes a long way when trying to make somebody else's day.

It's crazy how the Gospel changes the lives of people.  I see our investigators changing after each visit, but the biggest change I see is in me.  My father's favorite scripture Ether 12:27 could not be more true.  God is good and loves us and can do anything.  We just need to humble ourselves to His will and we can become the best person we can be.

I love you all!

ATL!

Elder Jenkins

Hey - Papeete

Hello ! So i havé zéro Time but im doing great ! We moved houses this week and we havé no électricité. Bummer. And a cat walked in and pooped blood all over the floor and i had to clean it up cause i let it in dangit. Im fixing a brang guitare. Il show when its done. The church is true. God is réal and that changes everything. We can havé the best Life ever if we try to Be like Jesus. I love You all. Atl. EJ

the spirit of god like a fire is burning - Papeete

The spirit is so cool.  We were in a lesson the other day and about halfway through explaining the restoration of the gospel and everything and then our ami brought up the fact that her friend died recently.  And IMMEDIATELY the spirit was like "plan of salvation". Over and over and I was like nah we're halfway through this lesson but I know that only the spirit can touch the hearts of others and he can do miracles through us.  SO I was like, Ok ya we'll talk about that.  

And we proceeded to unvelop the plan of salvation and explained the wonderful truths that DEATH IS NOT THE END!  Only a small step in the eternal perspective.  And we can see and live with our loved ones for all eternity if we follow God's plan.  He is so merciful and loving and is always waiting for us.  

Anyways, the spirit did it's job and our ami was all teary eyed and told us how happy she was and it was awesome.  Missionary work is so rewarding.  

It's not our job nor place to judge other people or to inflict unkind judgements towards them cause we don't understand them, only God does. That's why He has the judgement power- the spirit told Elder Jenkins last week when he was frustrated with another missionary haha

Contention/arguing is one of the best ways to kick the spirit out of the room.

I bought and changed the strings on our bishop's guitar cause I wanted to play it.

Saw all of my friends from Tahaa this week cause they came down to do a temple trip.  The temple is the best. 

Someone bought us nutella crepes the other day and I would like to publicly thank this Christ-like stranger. 

Today we played games with the zone and beach soccer and looked out into the ocean and I still fail to understand why God blesses us so much.  He must really love us.

I LOVE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK

The Elders of Farahei @Elder Hobbs

This week Papi (who is trying to give up smoking) and I planted a pineapple together

The dogs here smell so bad but sometimes they're too cute not to pet

Le Livre de Mormon - Papeete

The Book of Mormon is by far my favorite book.  Like Harry Potter doesn't even come close anymore.  There is seriously just so much we can learn from it. I was reading in the book of Ether this week, chapter 12.  Which has become one of my fav chapters.  While I was reading it I felt like I just couldn't contain myself.  Every verse just hit me so hard and I realized how the Spirit was strengthening my testimony. 

I've prayed many times to know if the Book of Mormon is true and God has responded so many times with the same answer.  YES.  When I read this book I can feel God's love.  It feels just like a Father's love, even though He's not with us right now.  And I've started more and more to feel the Savior's love.  It feels like an older brother's love, which is odd, because I don't have any older brothers haha! 

I finally finished Le Livre de Mormon for the first time this week (french) And I was so excited because now I get to start again!  It's crazy how many more spiritual details I notice when I read now compared to when I started my mission.  God ALWAYS has something to teach us.  Stay humble, folks.

The Book of Mormon will get you closer to God than any other book.  SO READ IT.  

I love you all so much.  I hope everything goes so great for you this week.  God loves you.

ATL Elder Jenkins

La Charité - Papeete

I've been thinking a lot about how I can improve myself as a person.  And the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for sure the best and only way to do that.  We can study the Gospel all we want, read the scriptures for hours a day and attend every church meeting there is, but the best way to live the gospel is through loving and serving others.  This was a big inspiration for me.  I feel like I've studied a lot but sometimes forget that the studying is there to help us apply the teachings of Jesus through charity.  Just like how the Sabbath Day isn't about locking ourselves in our house to avoid going to the store or the movies, it's a day to think about and act like the Savior.  That means going to visit people who are lonely, helping those in need, giving, writing loved ones, and making people smile.  Making someone's day.  Making someone happy through sharing.  That's what the Gospel is all about.  And if we aren't doing that, we're missing the point.  I'm gonna try to be better at this, cause it's the path to true happiness.

I love you all. I'm so happy to know each one of you and hope you have a great week.  I love my mission.  I'm learning so much and the more I learn the more I realize I don't know haha.  But I know that God exists and wants me and all of you to be the best we can be.  And for that I am grateful.

All the loves,

Elder Jenkins

Great week :) :) :) - Papeete

So we've started doing zumba at 5 am and that's been great.  So en forme.

We had some baptisms and zone activities and they were great. Details aren't necessary. 

I got bit by a dog this week.  It ripped my pants.  And our mission president called me out in his farewell speach for not being obiedient to the scripture that says "avoid dogs".  It was great.

I'm sorry this letter is short I have to go socialize with missionaries haha.  P days tho

So this week after church someone was supposed to give us a ride to a members house but then they were too busy so we had to walk. After about 5 mins a man pulls up to us in his car and asks "so how does one become mormon?"  And we were like "ya we can help you with that."  So we're gonna teach him wednesday.  The Lord is so generous I can't even believe it.  Faith plus hope equals MIRACLES.  I love my mission/ life.  

ALL THE LOVES

Elder Jenkins

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

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