Woah!!! - February 24, 2014

This week has been one of the most eventful weeks in a long time. So I will start now.

Monday, we did our emails early so we could go on a hike to these world war two cannons that look over two sides of the island. For Americans email take a long time and for Tahitians it goes by really quickly. So I played a little bit of basketball while waiting for Elder Bagley to finish his emails. Then at noonish we headed out and started our hike. The hike was only about ten or fifteen minutes, nothing like hiking to the top of Mount Timpanogas. We got to the cannons and took some photos, cooked some uru - which is Tahitian bread that grows on trees - and puaatoro, which is canned pork and cow meat. The food was good and we came down.

We arrived at a members house and decided to do a marathon of weight lifting. There were five of us who did 40 kilos as many reps as possible, while rotating, in fifteen minutes. I came in last but I was happy to have done 60 or so at that weight. The member did 167 reps and it seemed easy for him. We had our family night and we taught Rosine and her family. We have recently started teaching almost all of the family of Rosine, who is our recent convert. In the lesson we talked about how in life we need to pull out the weeds from our garden and after start planting the flowers.

Monday night we slept on the terrace. I can't wait to go somewhere with much fewer mosquitoes, but not yet. Tuesday we took our boat to the airport. The captain that day is a member and he let us hang out´in the captains room. It was pretty awesome. Then we got´to the airport and my companion forgot his id card. No! We almost weren't allowed on the plane that time. But we were able to get a fax from the mission office of his passport. We made the flight and had two stops, one on Huahine and the other on Moorea and then we made it to Tahiti.

The four Bora Elders went with some Elders from the zone right next to my old zone. I was with Elder Bakow who comes from Idaho as well. We went past my old apartment in Tavararo. That was weird to see that again. We talked with someone in Tahitian and I felt the words start to flow. Yay! We went to eat at a family's house, like most of the time. The food was so good and there was so much. The lasagna was four by six inches and about two inches thick.

Wednesday, we woke up and went to play basketball. I am not so good at basketball but I make a good screen or someone to block a pass. We had a training for all the missionaries in the islands. It was a good training. We talked about engaging people for baptism. We have to engage or they won't take that step.

Thursday wasn't too exciting.

Friday was okay. We had a training from Elder Russel M. Nelson. I think you have heard of him. He is pretty famous in Utah. That was cool. But after that the rain storm we had was so crazy! And that was Friday.

Haha! Yeah right. Friday was so incredible. That training waś so powerful! I got´to shake his [Elder Nelson's] hand as well as the hand of a member of the presidency of the 70, a member of the first quorum of the 70, a member of one of the other quorums of the 70, and the mission president. That was just the beginning. All of the talks were so powerful. I was very happy to be there. I learned a lot of great things. I love this church. I know it's true. It was pretty great.

Saturday we came home with no problems. I met a couple from Idaho. We found out our church had been hit by a land slide and we can't go in. I have pictures that I wilĺ send next week. So for the two baptisms we had to do them in no other spot than the ocean. Yup. I have now witnessed a baptism in the ocean. It was awesome! Then I got to do the tour of the island. One half on a bike. The other in a car. I liked the car part better for the view and the simplicity.

Sunday we had church in a sports center. I was able to do the confirmation for one of the new converts. I messed up a lot more than usual, ha. I was really embarrassed after. Ha.

And now today things are good. I went running with Elder Bagley. I really enjoy running and biking.

I love you family and friends! I hope that all is well, and if not keep moving with a firm assurance that things will work out. I know this church is true.

Love,

Elder Squires