I'm leaving Tahiti. :(

Bad news and good news.

Bad news, I'm leaving Tahiti.

Good news, I'M HEADED TO THE ISLANDS BABY!!

Haha got the news a few days ago.  I'll be heading to an island called Tahaa, and it. sounds. amazing.  It's right next to Bora Bora, like you can see Bora from Tahaa.  So I'm expecting paradise lol.  Should be a nice switch up from Papeete, cause I was, in fact, hoping to see beaches and such during my two years as a Tahitian.  Oh, speaking of, they speak mostly Tahitian over there apparently, so that'll be great.  5 months and I'm finally starting to feel good with French, and now I gotta start all over again hahaha.  But I'll get it eventually.  My new companion is an American who is taller than I am, and I feel like we'll get along.  Haha I'm really excited.  This island is apparently really tough, both with the work, and with how much biking uphill we will do.  But I'm determined to get the Lord's work DONE!  If we get 100 baptisms with Bora Bora we will form a STAKE on Bora Bora!! SO COOL.

IT WAS SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO EVERYONE.  Goodness it was like leaving home all over again!  Our amazing amis who have made such awesome progress in changing and improving their lives.  I love them all so much ahhhhhh. It was difficult to say goodbye.  Probs the hardest was an ami named Jean, who is just such a stud.  He's a crazy good boxer and just a quality guy.  When we said goodbye he offered to give me his ukulele haha!  I was tempted, but I love him too much and he does enjoy his ukulele.  The people here are amazing.  So stoked to meet more in Tahaa.

In other news, saw the literal biggest spider of my life the other day.  Unreasonable.

I'll send lots of pics soon, ya'll are the greatest.

All the loves,

Elder Jenkins

HAPPY NEW YEARS - Papeete

Not too much this week, and little time, but the mission is toujour top!!

We went to the temple this week!! so so cool.  I love the temple, so grateful for one here in Tahiti.

My companions bike broke, so we take turns dragging each other on  my bike that works haha.  We get a lot of strange looks. And good exercise!! :D

We made crepes this week and I eat them everyday.

My trainer is a brat lol. Cool experience, we were trying to figure out what to teach one of our amis, Jean, and we were praying/ thinking hard.  My companion was like, lets teach him about Noah's ark and Ether in the Book of Mormon to get him interested in the scriptures.  And I'm like what the heck are you talking about that doesn't make any sense.  After a while the thought popped into my head- temple sealing.  And I knew it was right.  And my companion was like Finally!!!! ANd I said what do you mean?  He explained that he was thinking the same thing the whole time, he just wanted to see if I would listen to the spirit, which was saying "temple sealing", and trying to test me by leading me off track.  Haha I wanted to punch him but it was pretty cool.  THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIKE A FIRE IS BURNING.

Atl

 Elder Jenkins

CHRISTMAS :D - Papeete

Joyeux Noel!!!

This week was fantastic.  First off I bought some pasta in a breadbowl and that was very tasty.  

We had tons of Christmas related activities.  And I love activities. 

We made cookies, a lil christmas tree, and had lil christmas lights.  T'was perfect really.

We had a big Christmas party with all of the missionaries on the main island and it was so fun!  Saw all my MTC group, and got to know lots of the other studly servents of the Lord.  We all did comedy Christmas sketches, and they were great.  I would send a video but they were all in French.  

Our big missionary Christmas present each year is we get to watch A MOVIE! Haha usually a Disney.  So we all watched Finding Dory (in French of course) and I enjoyed every minute.  Did not understand every minute, but enjoyed. 

There was a wedding in our ward and it was so awesome!  We saw them come out of the temple, so happy cause they know they're gonna be together forever and ever.  And the wedding food was great!

We went caroling to some houses around the town and they all loved it!  A small child thought it was a good idea to take my backpack and bike away with it.  So we got to wait for like 5 mins till he came back, and he still didn't wanna return the stolen goods. We argued with him for a while, until finally an old lady came over and made him return my backpack.  He was so upset afterwards.  I guess he wanted all the Book of Mormons inside. 

We had fish heads for our Christmas eve dinner! So that was great.  First time for everything amiright

Christmas was amazing!  Started by opening presents from my lovely family, and I got to skype them! It was so much fun!  I miss ya'll so much.  Also holy cow Utah got some snow!  Jealousssssssss!

After we just chilled most of the day, and had a lovely dinner with crepes for dessert.  Quite perfect actually.  

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas as well!  I love and miss you all!!! I hope Christ was the center of your Christmas, cause it is CHRISTmas amiright???  But luckily, it's not JUST December that we can follow the Savior's example.  We should strive each and every day to become better.  Serve more.  Love more.  I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and His Gospel. I know that He lives and through following his teachings, we can live happily with our families for ever and ever.  I know the Gospel is our best aid in life, and I'm so grateful we live in a time when the Gospel is in it's fullness. 

Merry Christmas to all! And to all another good 20 months!!!!!

All the loves,

Elder Jenkins

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR - Papeete

MERRY CHRISTMAS ON SUNDAYYYYYYY!

Santa Clause is coming.  Fun fact- I got to hear the Elvis Christmas Album (a timeless gem) cause it was playing at the mission office!! And in "here comes santa clause" he sings "Santa knows that we're God's children, and that makes everything right". And that's so cool cause how true is that!!

I still miss snow and such, but there are a lot of christmas concerts the church puts on, and those are so much fun!  Even if all the songs are in French!

I'm rereading the General Conference talks in La Liahona and ya'll should do the same!  Like they are straight gold!!! You can read a talk in just like 5 mins and feel uplifted and learn something!  It's such great knowledge, how lucky we are to have prophets on the earth to teach us!

Taught Feliz Navidad during the English/Spanish class! My comp teaches spanish, and since the American version of the song has english words we thought it'd be easy to just do that! They all loved it, and of course I danced like a fool to make everyone laugh.

Went to a music shop and played an actual nice guitar!  Haha the worker in broken english told me to play "cooly" cause I guess I was gettin a little too into it!

Ok so interesting thing about hair.  Back in the US, I was used to lots of comments about my hair, when it was very volumus and curly.  But here, everyone has the same hair as me haha! So the style is straight hair.  ALL the Tahitians love straight hair.  So I go to get my haircut, and the lady cutting my hair just starts straightening it.  I was like "What?????" haha I started laughing cause it looked so funny to me but I didn't say anything cause I didn't know how to explain that I thought it was odd.  She probably thought that I always straighten my hair, cause that's the style here! So I had straight hair for a day.  

Got unreasonably soaked the other day.  Rode bikes for a while while it was dumping, and it's like I literally stepped into  a shower.  My socks were soaked.  For the rest of the day.  I love Tahiti

Been out for 4 months now!!!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas!!! You're all amazing children of God! Do something nice for someone every day. CHARITY IS THE KEY

All the loves,

Elder Jenkins

12/12 It's Elder Jenkins! - Papeete

How is everyone! I hope swell.  Enjoyin that December chill.  Keeping snug, swaddled in a warm quilt.  Taking slow sips from a glistening mug of hot coco.

Life is good!  Not too much this week, pretty normal tbh.  I was a tad malade (sick) this week which was a major bummer, but I'm feeling good as new! Luckily it wasn't zika or one of the crazy diseases here haha cause that'll take you out for a month or two.  

Thinking about Christmas, and what it means.  It's really cool.  Repentance is awesome.  The Savior is the coolest guy ever.  Take a minute to read the parts of the New Testament about the Savior's ministry if you have the time.  You'll learn something important.  

Don't give up! The Lord loves ya, I love ya,

all the loves,

Elder Jenkins

Fastest week of my life - Papeete

For reals tho that felt like  2 days.  Mission time is crazy.

This week was great! Lots of progress in the Lord's vineyard. Amazing to hear the stories of all our investigators, and how the Book of Mormon and prayer has brought them such peace and happiness into their lives.  PRAY AND READ.

We went on a hike to "the cross!" It's this big ol crucifix
the Catholics put up on the mountain and it's very pretty.
Always keeps ya thinkin about Jesus!

A new Frenchy moved into the house, and he has a ukulele! Haha so I play that whenever I have the chance at night. I do miss the jams.

My companion made me a tie!!
I chose the pattern and he sewed it.

I bought some cereal this week, even though it's so dang expensive here.  But I miss America okay! Some Tahitian brand frosted flakes.  So good. I ate like a bag and a half in 10 mins.

The work here is crazy! Sometimes I think, "ok, I'll give myself 3 mins to think about home, then I have to get back to work!"  Same with speaking English! Like it is such a mental break to just have an English conversation for more than 10 seconds.  Also feels very strange and sometimes I have to stop myself before I respond in French!

Yesterday was great!  Fast day.  I've decided it's not really fast day until you've sacrificed one good opportunity for some ma'a.  (tahitian for food) Yesterday was popcorn.  I miss so bad haha actually the first popcorn I've seen here.  Thank goodness they have crepes here or I'd have sacrificed all 3 of my fav foods. (crepes, popcorn, chocolate milk) You americans better be thankful for your blessings.  Ya'll don't know how good you have it.

And yesterday was the first presidency christmas message! It was great.  Back in the MTC Elder Bednar told us that if you listen close, every talk is about either Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, or Enduring to the End.  And each talk has an invitation and promised blessings.  Hope you all found the subject, invitation, and blessings in yesterdays talks.  There's a reason they give the talks at the times they do.  LISTEN TO THE PROPHETS.

We ate some cookies that smelled like hot chocolate and I imagined snow outside and it was great.  Somehow it still feels like Christmas here.  Even without all the lights or family or snow.  And that's

cause Christmas is about Christ and following his example. All you need to do to feel the Christmas spirit is love and serve others.

I LOVES YALL S'MUCH!!!

have another fantastic week,

Your fav, Elder Jenkins

With one of my new best friends Kealoha. He's crazy.

MANGOES!

Jammin some tahitian classics.