Bonjour et mahana maitai!

Quick update: I am really enjoying my mission experience right now. I honestly have changed a lot to become a better missionary, mainly I am way more humble and patient. I am still in the process of learning more about this Gospel but I know for sure that I need this Gospel in my life for toujours et à jamais. Je parle en français tous les temps and speaking English out loud is kind of odd sometimes. 

 

Ok quick investigator highlight: Pierre

Ok he is the cousin of a member who is always going on splits with us and she recommended that we stop by one day. He drinks and does drugs so he talks really fast and raises his eyebrows quickly up and down as a sign of agreement and when we first met him he ended up talking about how he needs to get married & he asked me when I finished my mission. After that he asked me for my real first name and I told him I would tell him after he got baptized. Anywho, he started out the lessons just joking around a lot but as of yesterday's lesson he has started reading the Book of Mormon we gave him, he prays multiple times a day, and he still jokes around but he really wants to change his life now. Miracle!

 

There is an unorganized, but very real, club here that I think has finally accepted me. The club is called Tahitian speakers. Based on what Ive observed, membership can only be given by an existing member of the club, that is to say, the approval of a Tahitian "Mami" or "Papi". This approval is expressed by "mmm"s of approval when you say something correctly and emphatically in Tahitian. I had such an experience the other day when I explained a principle in Tahitian and when the older members of the room started nodding and murmuring their acceptance of my message, I knew I had made it. A great feeling of peace and love came over me at that moment. 

 

Ok alors, keep calm & carry on. :) If you havent heard from me in a while, you will hear from me soon & thank you for your patience. 

 

love, Soeur Carter

Pictures

Bonjour!

Everyones thinkin' it, I'm just saying' it: 6 months. That’s right, this
time next year I will be home (assuming there are no complications with the
travel arrangements & the weather is ideal for flying) so it's probably a
good time to reflect.

1. A mission is really hard sometimes. That’s all I am going to say about
that.

2. Tahiti is one of the most naturally-beautiful places I have ever visited,
and I've visited some pretty places. I'm so lucky I get to serve a mission
in a beautiful place, that helps with the gratitude & appreciation aspect of
mission life.

3. Obedience is really important. Im not brain-washed, I just have lived the
benefits of following the rules & everything is so much easier.

4. English is a little hard to speak sometimes. I am not saying this to make
it seem like I'm so fluent in French & Tahitian that I can't speak my native
language. I stand out here because Im American but Ive picked up some bad
habits that would be out of place in America. One could say that I feel akin
with Richard Wright in "Black Boy". (also because I have black heritage?
-unconfirmed rumor)

5. The mandatory training I received at the beginning of my mission is now
being solidified by my example and training of my comp Sr Hopuu. I really
like being in charge but Im staying way humble because I cant actually speak
the language all the time. Pretty big deal but fortunately I have become the
Queen of Facial Expressions so we manage to be pretty good at figuring out
what’s going on.

6. I’m way more humble than I used to be. That’s “awll” I have to say about
“thayat”.

7. I am solidly converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
by the experiences I have had and the knowledge I have gained.

Random side note in response to little cultural differences: all the girls
greet each other by the 'bisou' which is the kiss on each cheek, you kiss
kids on the top of the head, and I shake hands with all the men.

If you are dedicated stalkers of my blog or if this is the first time you’ve
glanced at this page, visit www.mormon.org to understand more about my
mission. I especially love the 'slice of life' videos of different members
of this church, watch just one and you will want to know more. (the Brandon
Powers one was pretty great)

Spiritual experience to finish off the letter:
Every morning before we head out we say a prayer of safety to protect us
"sur la route" and that the drivers will be safe. One morning my companion
and I were biking (we had already biked about 10 miles at this point) and as
I was crossing the road, the driver indicated that it was ok to cross but
she didn’t actually stop the car. The car hit me as I was crossing in front
about 10 mph and I fell into the road. Im not sharing this experience to
scare anyone, but only to share the miracle that I was not hurt at all. I’m
totally fine, my bike was totally fine. I got up right afterwards and
continued biking, later stopping to say a prayer of thanks. The creator of
the Universe is watching over me & my Heavenly Father is protecting every
missionary who is obedient. I know that every prayer is heard. Start your
prayers in the name of Heavenly Father (or another title), share the things
that are important to you/express thanks/ask for help, and finish "in the
name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Have a fantastic week!
Soeur Carter

Inaha, i te mau hohoa:
(Behold, the photos:)

1. It pays to have rich friends in Tahiti. But really, I am really loving
the black pearl earrings that the Fare family gave me!
2. I heard you liked Tahiti, so I put some Tahiti in Tahiti. (Pinterest?)
3. My planner and journal- I use both on the daily and would be
directionless without. One time I lost my planner for a day and I became
Jean Valjean and started singing "Who Am I?".
4. The cutest kid who kept falling over because the helmet was so heavy & it
was so hilarious. He was the one who gave me the earrings. :)
5. Usually how my language study goes down. Sometimes I occasionally add the
French and Tahitian Books of Mormon.
6. The view just outside our DMP's house, pretty typical. :) The mountains
are pretty much 90° straight up, pretty daunting for all prospective hikers.

Aloha!! (Not the mish language obviously but I thought I would shake things up.) 

It is not the normal day to write letters, but I have permission to use this time now to say....

I'M OFFICIALLY A TRAINER!!!

My companion/trainee/"daughter" (its a mission thing here to refer to companions as family, Soeur Chapman was my mom) is Soeur Hopuu, she is Tahitian, so confident and cooler than me. We have had so many great moments since yesterday when we both rode bikes for the first time with backpacks. (How the heck does anyone do that???) Especially concerned on the modesty aspect because there is always a slight breeze here and we bike against the wind (symbolic??). She and I are pumped to learn Tahitian together, and we're going to translate between Tahitian and English because she wants to learn English also!

Anywho, Soeur Hopuu and I taught an English class yesterday (I teach a class every Saturday from 11-12, its always a good time), we have planned for her birthday which is this Saturday (cake will be involved), she loves to run so we ran the longest route ever this morning and it was fabulous, and today were going to teach until dinner (no fatamaraa so we are going to cook fish and ravioli YUM).

This training is going to be just wonderful. So far I have not felt like time has 'flown by' but I am grateful for every single thing I have learned up until now. There are so many things that are different here than America so that was tricky but Im motivated to keep adapting. I am so grateful for this opportunity to train because so far it has been a way to solidify the things that I know and also to learn more with a different person. Its been great so far and I think that as long as we keep it real & acknowledge that we are not perfect, its going to be just fine. Essentially, I have a huge responsibility (to train) but Im grateful for this huge opportunity to solidify the training I just received and also to continue my language progression at a rapid rate but now with Tahitian! Also, I LOVE every single letter and email I receive, they are always and forever appreciated. I desperately wish I could reply to them sooner but rest assured that I have read almost all of them and I will reply to them asap!!!!!!!

So, I am always and forever grateful for the emails and letters and I really am trying my darnedest to reply to every single person in a quality manner. There are several letters that I have read & loved but have not had the chance to reply yet. Thank you and sorry if you fall under this status!! Bientot A few observations since the last time: 

I realize that I havent written very many spiritual experiences in my letters but I dont want that to be interpreted as an indication that there is a scarcity. I have had so many experiences with the people here where I have prayed or fasted for a miracle in the life of a person that I love here and "unexplained" things have happened, including one experience when an abusive boyfriend got sentenced to prison.

Pictures of How I Mercifully Havent Gotten Fat, Praises for Running

1. Service Project in the lettuce... field.

2. This baby. Ridiculously chubby-cute and yet another reason for why Im going to have 12 kids. And all my babies are going to be fat.

3. Its the end of the world, this picture was taken in the morning right before my run. That would be the moon in the sky simultaneously with the sun.

Ia Oraaaaaana! 

Oh lo lo (expression here to express bemusement or connotes that there is a lot going on, like 'oh la la' but funnier to hear) it has been a long time since I really WROTE. The computer crashed in the middle of a replying to another letter last week and dashed my plans of sending pictures and whatnot.

Minor language update: functionally fluent in French, its kind of a funny joke with me, myself, and I when people first meet me and talk to me like im an immigrant and I reply with a nice smile and speak quickly and correctly in french. not all the time, just sometimes its fun to watch their whole demeanor change afterwards. tahitian is coming slowly but im going to keep working at it. I learn best by doing, and we dont have a ton of opportunities to speak so thats tricky. hopefully ill have the opportunity to serve on an outer island at some point and i can work on my tahitian more! 

(humble and all, ill go where im needed, but i would be lying if i said i wouldnt cry tears of joy if I got transferred to Raiatea at some point)

Spirituality update: pretty solid in the gospel. Every time I teach a person with a lot of questions, my testimony grows. I really respect people who have a lot of thoughtful questions. My first baptism (where I have taught since the first contact) is set for August 3rd!!!!! She is solid, her husband is already a member and the first lesson she told us that shes already read the Book of Mormon, shes halfway through the Doctrine & Covenants, and when can she be baptized. It was a joyful moment. 

I wish to present now, ladies and gentlemen, Mami Therese. (Yes, that translates to Mother Theresa in English.) This older lady is one of the most hillarious people Ive met here. After helping her build a small fence, she decided it was time to teach me how to dance.