Shopping - American Style! Travel Plans Arrived!

Hello loves,

 

I was travelling last Monday and didnt get a chance to do emails, desolée!! Wayyyy behind on emails, patience young grasshoppers and thank you for your love.

 

You all are wonderful.

 

I just came back from P-day shopping: Tamanu grocery store, Araca organic store, and Food Mart american store where I bought Raisin Bran.

 

1. The Papeete port.

 

 

 

 

2. Exotic Views brought to you by the sector of Nuuroa. How did I get lucky enough to serve here?

 

 

 

3. Our chauffeurs, Elder ma.

 

 

 

4. A chicken got stuck in our house right before District Meeting, another day in Tahiti.

 

 

5. TIRAMISU, our fatamaaraa yesterday (life is short, eat dessert first).

 

 

 

6. Earlier today with our Amurrican products!

 

 

7. Just doing some shopping at a health store, I is happy.

 

 

8. Sr Urling, she's so pleased with her purchases. :)

 

 

 

9. Sr A, super thrilled to be at a bio store. :)

 

 

SO I am at Punaauia right now, they just put the Soeurs in this sector (it has been Elders for a while) so everything is new. They're creating a new ward soon with pieces from 3 existing wards so we're working with 3 of everything (Ward Mission Leaders, Bishops, everything). I'm going to Maraa soon to work with a new STL, Sr Tamahahe!

 

Mission News: President Sinjoux finishes his mission today. Our new President is President Bise! We had a missionary concert last night for 1000 people (investigators, members, etc.) and we all sang a special song to say goodbye to President Sinjoux. Tough stuff. I had the opportunity to say the closing prayer in Tahitian, intense. The new President and his wife are WONDERFUL, so excited for the Mission Conference on Wednesday. He was a former CEO, he is French but has lived in the US for the past 26 years, and was taught Tahitian by a former missionary. They're so great.

 

Companion news: Sr Pehrson finishes today! Shes so great.

love, Soeur Carter

 

I got my travel plans!! It's a reality now. My flight from Tahiti leaves Tuesday, Aug 05 at 11:10 PM and I get into Kentucky Wednesday Aug 06 at 10 PM. That gives me all of Tuesday to keep teaching and I think we're maybe definitely doing a temple session on that Monday before. How do I feel? Really really peaceful.

Happy Fathers Day

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all of you great Papas out there, especially mine! 

Fathers, you matter so much in the life of your children. What you do or don't do affects them profoundly and please don't ever take that lightly. 

My dad is so amazing. I'm actually crying right now because I love him so much. He has taken care of me my entire life, he has literally wiped away my tears, he has loved my mother, he listens so well, he keeps a journal that lets me know that he observes and appreciates events that happen to him, he sets ambitious goals and he accomplishes them, he loves me and tells me all the time. I'm the luckiest kid on the planet to have the family that I have. Every single member of my family is so important to me. The other day I remembered how Hales would flip her hair over his forehead like long bangs and he would tell us surfer stories. Everyone, tell your dad how much you love him. 

Tahiti is strange and beautiful, I'm learning heaps. Heaps and heaps. I love my family more than ever and I'm so excited to see all of you againnnnn. 

1. Two Things: my picture art book and my mosquito repellant, my two must-haves in this mission (after the Spirit and the scriptures). 

2. Oh look, its those three MTC companions together again! Transfers earlier today. 

 

3. Moorea Mountains, forgot to send this picture. Sunbeams.

Bit of an emotional ride this week. I appreciate the hard stuff, I learn a lot. One of the best parts of this week was the Young Women program on Sunday for Father's Day and one girl was sad because her dad had to be at work but her mom said if he had been there he would have cried. No biggie, I cried for her because my Dad wasnt there either. 

I feel like this is a good time to explain why the heck I'm on a little island in the middle of the ocean, serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Simply, I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and I know that God speaks to us, his children, today. He always has and He always will. I know that he is a loving Heavenly Father. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book that helps us to become better and to feel God's love more clearly in our lives. That's why I'm over here in Tahiti and that's why I am not with my amazing and loving family. Even when it is really hard, discussing the gospel is my favorite thing to do.  

I love you all! 

Soeur Carter

Back in Taravao

Beautiful people, life is good.

I am back in Taravao with Soeur Wahl because her companion was having some troubles. I love this sector, its fun seeing people again. It's raining quite a bit here at the south end of the island, theres a tabby cat that keeps wanting to come inside but we have repeatedly told him "no" in several languages. I put my foot out and he rubbed his head against it.

1. Zone de Mahina!! Played soccer for a long time, hence the sunburn. We have shirts coming out that will say something like "Life is good in Mahina" or "Life is short, share the gospel."

 

2. Some of my posterity, two of my daughters next to me and my granddaughter at the far right. We have fun family reunions and a lot of family pride.

 

 

 

3. I think we're all tired of normal smiling photos so here is a Leader's Meeting after about the 12th camera

 

 

 

4. This is one of 3 clean puppies I have seen in my entire mission so I hugged the heck out of it. The girl we were teaching right before this photo is so intelligent, I love teaching her. Here name is Anahei and she asks the smartest questions. Right after this photo, her mom gave us coco bread, YUM.

 

 

5. Your weekly postcard shot, Sky Fire. 

 

 

 

6. With all of the rain, Richard camped out on our front porch. We all love him so much, sometimes

 

 

 

Sr Wahl and I have conversations about what food we have in the fridge that we can give him.

 

7. The other Sisters set up this table as a surprise for us when we got home because we didnt have a fatamaaraa (dinner appointment)!! Ramen noodle soup with Nesquick chocolate mix, the candles were a thoughtful touch. Love in the Taravao House.

 

 

8. The name card that they put next to our plates. 

 

 

I LOVE THIS CHURCH. Love love love it. If you've got a problem, read a talk from the LDS General Conference and just read until you find an answer. By the time you find your answer, you will probably feel satisfied in a very deep and personal way. Keep reading and praying. Things will always get better. 

This girl is a superstar, I love Kristy. http://www.mormon.org/kristy Forgiveness is a powerful medicine that heals. I have seen families here in Tahiti who have held grudges against their family for years and years and the moment they decide to forgive, peace just floods into their life and that pain stops being a part of their identity.

Elaine is a drummer and she changed her life becaue she looked for God. How many of us have a really good relationship with God? It is important to look for him and the only way you can know is through your personal, real experiences. http://www.mormon.org/elaine

Scripture thought: Ether 12:27. Weak things become strong. I am a whole-hearted witness to that. We are weak because we are imperfect, God is perfect so he can make us strong. 

I love you all and I pray for the world so that youre all included. Watch a documentary and identify what you love about each person.

 

xoxo Soeur Carter

Tuauru

Lovely people,
 

We are in the single digits, if I am not mistaken, 9 weeksish. I know for a solid, undeniable, and beautiful fact that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is directed by Jesus Christ through a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson. If you don't know this, imagine for a moment that my hands are on your shoulders and Im looking right into your eyes and Im asking you to read the Book of Mormon and sincerely pray. Pray like you are talking directly to God, because you are.

I am in the sector of Tuauru with the hillarious Sr Utatao, literally everyone thinks shes hillarious. I laugh so hard sometimes that I breathe improperly and get hiccups for a while after. I love Bishop but I think I love his wife more, we went over to her house the other day and shared a message and it was so positive. She used to be Miss Mahina, like for a beauty pageant. I heard that Miss Tahiti lives a few minutes from our house.
 

There is a talk by Lawrence E. Corbridge that I read in French but I think the title in English would be "The Way" and it just makes life so clear and simple. Everybody, read it, Im begging you. Its from the October 2008 General Conference. Sometimes people think that Mormons have too many rules and life would be easier without them. I have news for you: you can make bad choices and live the bad consequences, or you can make good choices and live the good and fulfilling results. Life is difficult, the Gospel makes it easier and meaningful.
 

Soooo, feast and famine- nothing but pictures last week and this week, no connector cord. Google Earth Tuauru if you want a visual on me, I'll be the white kid with a huge bun on top of my head and my companion Sr Utatao will be the brown kid with a small bun on top of her head.
 

My family is everything to me. Friends are pretty awesome also. How did I get this lucky?

Everyone, take time to read your scriptures.
 

xoxoxo Soeur Carter