Tahi, Piti, Toru!

Jul 1, 2013 10:41 am

Hello world! 

I don't have a lot of time but I want to say hello to you all. I love you all so very much and I want to share a quick thought.

I was pondering very deeply my testimony this week and I realized something incredible. Those who don't have testimonies are living in darkness but the gospel brings them light.

What is that light? Think about hearing these things for the first time. 

• You have a Father in Heaven. 
• You lived with Him before you came to this earth. 
• You are here to be tested and tried. 
• You can live forever with your family in happiness.
• In this life you can be blessed for being righteous. 
• One of those blessings is a guide who is the Holy Ghost. He can give you a taste of eternal happiness, He can lead and direct you, He can speak the words of the Lord to your heart.
• Then there is the Atonement. The Ultimate Sacrifice. The Atonement allows you to be washed away from the burdens that come from sinning. The Atonement allows you to become like Christ.

I love this gospel! 

My week was really great! I was able to host and the first person I hosted was a friend from high school. 

This is the best thing ever! I love the MTC. I love my mission. I couldn't be more happy.

I love you all,

Elder Squires

Brandon's companion got lost in a box! 

The Mouse in Brandon's shoe!

Let Us All Press On

June 24, 2013

Bonjour, Ia ora na, hola, talofa, kiora, bula, malo lelei, salut, (and any other salutation you can find in a different language)

I hope all is going well. Things in Provo are good. Our investigators are doing well. Our Tahitian one is struggling because we don't understand what he is saying and I'm pretty sure he prays like a Protestant, considering he is a Protestant that would make sense. I am loving it here. We are trying to do much more speaking of French and Tahitian. I want to speak more Tahitian but I feel like I need to get my companions on the same page as me with French so it's a weird situation. I love speaking these two languages. Unfortunately I can only bear my testimony and pray, and count in Tahitian. Ha, but give me some time. I'll get both of them!

This week was kind of crazy. So on Monday of last week all the Tahitian missionaries got emails that had instructions on what to do when we arrive to Tahiti. Every one, except me, got that email. That was a little concern because I thought maybe the mission office in Tahiti thought I had gone to the place I was reassigned to go to. Oh yeah, I got reassigned. After my two weeks in the advanced language district the MTC was freaking out thinking that I was supposed to leave for Tahiti but I hadn't even applied for my visa, so they reassigned me to the Pocatello, ID mission. I'm not kidding. When I got the reassignment notice I told the office what was going on and they fixed it, or so I thought. It turns out the mission office in Tahiti didn't get that my reassignment was cancelled. So when I told them that I was still in the MTC and planning to go to Tahiti they said, "There is a lot of work to be done and we'd love to have you." Haha. I was so freaked out but we got it fixed!

I was praying the other night in Tahitian and the words were just coming to my mind. They were coming so easily and well. It gave me so much hope and confidence that I will be able to do this language thing. I am very happy and grateful. I know the church is true. Je sais que Jesus-Christ vit, and ua ite au e, e Iesu Mesia to tatou faaora.

I love you all!!

Elder Squires

Tahitian sister and all the other Tahiti missionaries

Almost One Month

I'm almost one month in. I can't believe it! This Wednesday will be the four week mark and Saturday will be the one month mark. I feel so young but at the same time I feel so old. Things at the MTC are going really well.

I have seen SO many people I know that I can't even keep track of them anymore. Today I was in the Provo temple and I saw two temple workers who worked Wednesday mornings in the Mt. Timp. temple (I used to do baptisms every Wednesday morning for a year and a half.) And while I was walking to do laundry, I saw someone who was one of my best friends at Willow Valley. I can't believe how many people I see. And yesterday I met someone named Elder McClinchy (I think) whose older sister married my cousin Layne Squires. It was crazy.

Tahitian and French are coming along. It's weird to do "SYL" (speak your language) when you have very limited vocabulary in both languages and you don't know which one to speak. But I do like both of them a lot. I can bear my testimony, and pray fairly well in both languages.

We taught our first lesson in Tahitian last week. It was hard, but our "investigator" (our teacher - who acts like an investigator he once had) acted like he was drunk and so not only was the language barrier a problem but the fact that he kept asking us our names and where we were from threw us off very much. And I learned that it's offensive to turn down food that is offered to you. I guess it makes sense, but when you don't realize that a box of chalk is supposed to be fake food you aren't excited to eat it. Ha.

Things are really good. We are going to continue teaching a French "investigator" and get things started with our Tahitian one. One of our other French "investigators" agreed to be baptized. Even though it was not real and we aren't actually going to baptize him, the Spirit was so strong when he said yes and I was smiling so big when he told us that after praying he felt that baptism was the right thing for him. It makes me so happy to hear about the work really continuing outside of the MTC. This week has been great.

Also, my testimony of the Savior and His love increased so much this week. I am not the kind of person who cries when I feel the Spirit, but for the last few days I have cried whenever I think about being a child of God or whenever the Spirit hits me very strongly. Even if tears aren't my thing, the feeling inside of me is incredible.

I really do love this work. I am committed to being the best I can be for the Lord. I know that love and patience changes people, even ourselves. So, family and friends, go out in the world and love others and yourself as the Savior does. Because I know that He loves each of us so much. We have been given so many great things. How hard would it be to share it? I love you all!

Love, Elder Squires

p.s. I leave four weeks from today!

Provo temple on a beautiful day

I practiced bearing my testimony in Tahitian to a water outlet in a building. (I felt like I was talking to a brick wall.)

This screen is on every computer in the MTC. Do you recognize the last name?

Teaching In Two Languages

What happened?? This last week flew by! I am amazed at how quickly the clock ticks when you are busy. 

I moved into my Tahitian district on Tuesday night so I have officially had my first transfer in the mission. My new companions are great. Elder Brunson is from Cedar City, Utah and Elder Tago is from Australia, but he is an Islander at heart. They are both really great.

I taught my first lesson in French on Wednesday. That was a huge shock to me. I never realized how little gospel French I knew. I have been studying it a lot more now. 

We started Tahitian on Thursday and it is the craziest language ever. The hardest part is that one teacher will tell you one thing and the other will tell you something different and they are both right because Tahitian is a "newly written" language. It was only written 200 years ago and so there aren't really any rules which is a bit strange. But I can now say I love you in three languages. I can bear testimony, and I can pray in all three of them. I feel pretty cool sometimes when I hear a prayer that goes from Tahitian, to French, to English and I understand all of it.

The best thing that happened this week was probably one of the lessons we taught. We were teaching about baptism and how important it was and we started to talk about the priesthood and how it was restored. My companion didn't understand that our investigator was saying that he wanted to think about it before he committed to being baptized. So my companion tried to set a baptismal date and the investigator and I starting laughing really hard. It was the greatest thing ever. I can't wait to do that when I'm teaching a lesson in Tahitian.

I can't even express how great it is to be here at the MTC. It is hard to not be out doing the work but I am so not ready to go to Tahiti so I'm grateful to be here. I couldn't be more happy.

We watched the Joseph Smith movie last night and I felt the Spirit so strongly. I know this is the true church. I know that Christ lives. As we draw closer to Christ we realize how true this Church is.

Ua ite au e o Iesu Mesia to matou faaora. Je sais que Jesus-Christ est notre Redempteur. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I love you all so much! 

Keep praying and reading your scriptures. Helaman 3:35 (I think) talks about how we need to continue to do the small things that will bring us daily closer to Christ.

Love, Elder Squires

Elder Dayton and I Are Going to Opposite Ends of The World!

My First District

Does he look familiar? (Elder Josh Savage)

I try not to wrestle too much, but sometimes I can't resist doing one quick move!

The beginning of Tahitian study...it's crazy!

My new companions. Guess who is who?

Your-a-na!

May 31, 2013

The subject line means "hello" in Tahitian (that's not how you spell, I don't know how to.) I love being here. Things are so great. Yesterday I went to the French consulate. It was the most crazy experience of my life. I woke up at 2:15ish and got ready, met my group at 3, drove to Salt Lake, they referred to me as the smart elder because I skipped my French training. We arrived at the airport at 4, and relaxed for a while. We didn't board until 5:50. Our plane was tiny. Okay, it was still a bigger plane but it was only four seats wide and maybe 20 seats deep. It was pretty small. The flight took two hours. I was so sick when I was done! The turbulence was pretty bad while we were flying through the clouds but it was so pretty to see the sunrise over this sea of clouds.

There were six people total in my group. We got so lost in the San Francisco airport. We spent probably an hour trying to find our way around. We found our driver and then went to the consulate. We turned in our visa applications and that was it. It was really quick. We met someone who is Hindu and we met a bunch of other people. We went to Pier 39 and ate lunch at 11. We placed a lot of pass-along cards and one Book of Mormon.

We almost missed our 12:30 boarding time, but we didn't! We got to the gate at 12:45 and they were only beginning to board. That plane was much bigger and faster. Our flight was much quicker and I slept most of the way. We arrived in Salt Lake at 3:30, people thought we were coming home from our missions, it was the funniest thing. Some families who were waiting for their missionaries saw us and starting freaking out. I felt really bad that we caused them to freak out.

We took Trax and then Frontrunner all the way to Provo. We had a driver come pick us up and we were back at the MTC by 6 pm. That was crazy. Flying on planes is a lot of fun. I love seeing the clouds and the feeling of take-off. But landing and turbulence make me sick.

I love speaking French and I am excited to start learning the gospel in French and Tahitian. This is a great work and I've only just begun. I hope you're all enjoying life as much as I am. Have hope! Faith is dead without hope. I love you!

Elder Squires

I think I sent pictures of my district's nametags, my books, and my French name tag with a "dork dot". I have so many books! Probably about two or three times more than everyone else. It's funny. I can't read my Tahitian scriptures but I can read my French ones. Also, I don't have the Doctrine and Covenants or Pearl of Great Price in Tahitian, it's strange, I know.

Name tags of Missionaries in Brandon's District

Brandon's stack of books - 2 to 3 times more than anyone else?

Brandon's name tag in French (with a "dork" dot)

Bonjour!

May 24, 2013

 

 Hello Everyone!

 

I arrived safely to the MTC. Things are going really well. My companion is Elder Dayton from Kaysville, UT. I really like him. He is going to the West Indies, French speaking, which is really good because we get to talk to each other in French and practice. Our zone is so awesome. We have people from all over the world 

because we are in the advanced English zone. My companion and I are the only Caucasian Americans in our group. There are elders and sisters from Tonga, China, Croatia, South America, the Philippines, Japan, and more. So far I've heard prayers in French, Spanish, Croation, Tongan, German, Cantonese. I am loving it here!!!!

 

Good news, I am a district leader. I was asked that last night. I am supposed to interview the senior companions and see how things are going with their companionship. The only awkward thing is the senior companion in my companionship is Elder Dayton. Ha, so having and interview with him and asking about Elder Squires is kind of funny.

 

Well family, things are going really well. The food is great, I am sitting next to someone who is typing in Korean ( I did not know that was possible.) Yes, they still do the dork dot which is an orange dot they put on your name tag to let everyone know that you are new. I can't tell you how many times I heard "Bienvenidos Elders!" Being at the MTC is a lot like being at high school for me. I see people that I know all over the place. I have probably seen a good twenty or more people from high school, or Macey's, or USU. It is so cool! Every time I see one of my friends I look up and smile because I know that Heavenly Father knows how much I need my friends and how happy they make me.

 

I love you family. I love this work. I am grateful that I am here and I love all of you. I know that this is the true Church. Everyday I feel the Spirit so strongly and it makes me so happy. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is wonderful. I have found what I love, and that is serving those around me. I know that Christ lives and loves us. He is just looking for opportunities to bless us. Stay strong family! I'll talk to you next week!

 

Love Elder Squires.

And So It Begins . . .

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Hi! This is Brandon's Mom. He asked me to keep up his blog while he serves his mission to the Tahitian people.

Last night at 9 pm Brandon was set apart as a Missionary in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The setting apart took place at the home of his "adopted" family. 

Before he was set apart, the Stake President asked each of us in the room to take one minute to share why we thought Brandon would be a great missionary.  Some of the reasons included:

• He is a hard worker
• He has a gregarious personality
• He is friendly and isn't afraid to visit with strangers
• He has always been "just happy to be here".  It never took much to make him happy.
• He has studied hard and prepared well.

During the setting apart, the Stake President  gave him a wonderful blessing that was full of important things for Brandon to know and do while he is serving for the next two years. The spirit was very strong and there were many tears shed.

The following pictures were taken after.

Brandon and his Mom

Brandon with Grandma and Grandpa

Brandon with Steve and Aunt Mischelle

Brandon, Jarod & Jen - former neighbors

Brandon and the Stake President

Brandon his adopted "Grandpa"

Brandon's adopted family for the past 4 months

Today at 2 pm Brandon reported to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah.  He and a "Host" Missionary unloaded his luggage and boxed-up bicycle. We hugged and said goodbye and in less than 2 minutes he was off with a smile!  

Finally, he is doing what he has waited for years to do.  He has "grown a foot or two" and is now "ready to teach, and preach, and work as missionaries do."


We love you Elder!