Bora Bora! - December 30, 2013

Hello!

This week things were so slow. We didn't have much to do because of the holidays.

We spent Tuesday at a member's house, cooked a calf, and had a big feast, then went to the church and played basketball and ping pong.

Wednesday we did Skype and that was good to talk to the family. The rest of the day we did nothing! We tried to go singing but no one wanted us there. Not good. So, we came back to the house and cleaned.

Thursday there wasn't a lot of work to be done. No one was home and it wasn't all that great. It was like that until yesterday.

Yesterday we had church for the last time at 7:30 in the morning. Then we went to our ward mission leader's house and chatted and ate one last time with him. While we were chatting, a noni fruit fell out of a tree and landed on me. It dirtied my shirt and pants and tie. I don't know how that happens that a fruit falls out of a tree perfectly and falls on me but it did. Ha!Then I took my plane to Bora and voila, I am here. It is so pretty here.

My companion in an American and Elder Nick Clark is also in the house and graduated with me. 

Bora is a small vacation island. My area takes up half of the island and the other elders take the other half. Here are some photos.

Noni fruit that fell on me.

Bora

My Companion

Merry Christmas - December 24, 2013

Hello everyone!

This week was pretty interesting. Monday we played our last game of rugby with a big group of missionaries that left this week. We played on a fake turf field which ended up cutting both of my knees. The game was so much fun. Then we had a giant missionary Christmas get together.

Tuesday wasn't so exciting or interesting. Wednesday I was on a split with a mini missionary and my bike got stolen while we were ordering some food. Ha. It was really a funny and sad moment.

I have to go, but we had a wedding this Friday and it was so wonderful. And at the wedding I talked to someone in Tahitian and they accepted to do the lessons with us! It was great.

I hope all is going well. Keep up the good things you're doing and Merry Christmas!

I know this church is true.

Elder Squires

Transfer - December 17, 2013

I have some good and bad news and it's bizarre that it's the same news. I am being transferred. After five months of serving here, I am going somewhere else. I don't know where but I know that my time here is short. President told me that this is my last week here.

For my last week it has been pretty great. Yesterday we had a big missionary Christmas get together. We had all of the missionaries from all the mission except some of the senior couples, and we did little sketches, ate a lot and had a lot of fun. Our sketch was so much fun. We did a thing where all the couples that work in the office got transferred, I was the husband of the mission nurse. And that was ironic because I have been sick quite often the last few months. And at this big celebration I got to see my MTC district. That made me so happy to see Elder Tago and my other companions.

It just started raining really hard and we have a lesson soon.

I love you family and friends! I know this church is true. I will do better at writing longer emails and sending photos. The photos are for next week.

Elder Squires

Two Baptisms - December 9, 2013

Yay! We have two more baptisms this week.

This family used to live in a car, but after they started taking the lessons, they had a little house built and now life is going much better for them. They will be married Saturday morning and baptized in the afternoon

The work is great out here. We need to fix five more baptisms before the end of the year. We can do it! 

I love you all! I know this work is great! Keep it up.

Love,

Elder Squires

Vite Fait - December 2, 2013

I wish I could write in French but that's okay.

I don't have a lot of time. We have to get going so we can practice for our Christmas thing for the missionaries.

We had a baptism this Saturday and it went really well. Her story is that she has been married to a member for about a year and now she accepted baptism. She then got kicked out of her house because of her choice to be baptized. But her faith pushed her through.

We can all do it family! It's worth the fight!

Love you all,

Elder Squires

Thanksgiving Is Here - November 25, 2013

Hello Everyone,

I actually forgot that Thanksgiving was this time of year until I was talking with some American missionaries today. The fact that it is almost 90 degrees and I am sweating while sitting inside does not make me think that Thanksgiving is anywhere near. But that's the joy of changing seasons.

The work here is going well. We had two baptisms happen in our ward this week and three in another ward. The two in our ward were a couple that we started teaching the beginning of October. They had members that were really close friends and that is a testament to me that members move the work, not the missionaries. This couple was so ready for the gospel. They have been through a lot of trials and now they are being blessed. One of their coworkers said that they have been talking about the gospel with this couple for 15 years and they finally got baptized. Patience is a virtue.

I got sick this week and was not able to leave the house. After our lessons on Tuesday we came back to the house before going to our next lesson and my temperature was 103.1. It turned out I had a new disease called Zika. I slept for three days straight and now I just feel tired all the time. But it'll work out.

I really didn't feel like going to Church Sunday because I felt so sick, but I prayed for the strength and it worked out. I actually ended up having a rather good day.

That's all I've got the time for. I know it's not a lot but I don't know how I am going to pay for my computer time because I forgot to bring money, so I need to get off quickly.

I love you all, and have a great week!

Elder Squires

Really, really big bread that a member gave us!

We went ramming. (I don't know quite how to say it in English.)

Our baptism from Saturday.

Hello! - November 18, 2013

Hello world!

I am still alive. Don't worry.

I haven't told much about the food and the houses so I will quickly do that. We eat a lot of chicken, peas, and rice. A special thing is steak fries or fish fries or chicken fries. Always fries. They really like rice here. Rice is what we eat for almost every meal. The houses are so poor. They are such a humble people, full of love. It's normal to have way too many people in the same house and in the houses it's crowded and dirty. But I still love it.

We had a baptism Saturday. It went really well except that she showed up when it was supposed to start. We we're all stressed waiting for here to show up. We have five this baptisms Saturday. I'll send pictures.

I love you all. The Lord is there for us.

Elder Squires