Hello This Week

Hello family and friends,

How are you all doing? This has been another week in Tahiti. We had a pretty good week. We did 17 lessons this week, we should have had more but cancellations hurt a lot. Tuesday we went out and had our first lesson. This is Teraia. We found out this week that she has talked to her boyfriend about seperating until they can get married so that she can be baptized. That was a shock but a good one. Then on Thursday she told us that she had tried to talk to her boyfriend but her boyfriend didn't want to hear anything about it. She then shocked us in saying that she was going to fast for her boyfriend after we had taught about the fast. We hadn't planned it that way but it worked out really well. Heavenly Father has a way of planning things out well. After Teraia's lesson on Tuesday we headed out to visit someone who wasn't there, as we continued to walk down the road we ran into an investigator from Bora. It was so nice to see him and his family. They had apparently been here in my area for the last month but last week was the first time I had seen them. And it turns out that they were planning to leave Thursday. So the fact that we ran into each other was another good timing moment for the Lord.

On Wednesday I had my training for the new district leaders. It went well. We talked about a lot of good things. And speaking of my district, the sisters in my district, for those who don't know, are two sisters on an island that is about 45 minutes to an hour away on plane. So we don't see each other in person, only by skype. But the news with them is that I got a call from one of the assistants on Saturday asking if I had another number to contact them. I do have the number for the office at their church, and since they live at the church I thought it could work. But after calling their cell and the office number and having no response I started to get worried. And ever since then I haven't been able to get a hold of them. No one has. I pray that things are going well with them.

The week went on and continued on. It was good overall. Since we have been on foot for the last almost three weeks we have become pro's for the shortcuts in our area. Because here in Tahiti their is the main road that circles the whole island and then the neighborhoods are usually perpendicular going up the mountains or towards the ocean from that main road. Our area is no exception. And since our area is only on the mountain side of the road we would have to hike into a neighborhood, do a lesson, hike down to the main road, go to the next neighborhood and then hike back up and so on and so forth. Luckily I had learned some shortcuts with my first companion and we have since learned and used others since being here. It makes moving from neighborhood to neighborhood that much better.

So yeah, that's what has happened out here. But I do have some last stories to share. One is with a new investigator whose name is Tamatea. We met him as he was rolling up weed to go out and sell. We had a lesson with him Thursday and it was incredible. He just asked us questions and we talked. He was so interested and so happy to hear about what he had to teach. It was a wonderful experience. Maybe I've been so focused on other things but it feels like a long time since I've seen an investigator like that. It was so great. It added more fuel to my love for this gospel. Because I know these things are true. I know that this is the true church and that only through it, and through the restored principles and priesthood power can we find happiness in this life and in the life to come.  I can't tell you how many times we have talked about eternal marriage lately and the eternal family. How big of a blessing is that. That we can be with our families forever. We can be with our spouses and kids for eternity. Family and friends I love you. I know that these things are true. I hope you all take the time to know it as well. Keep going out there.

God is with you,

Elder Squires

Our area is a jungle in the city

Another sunset behind Moorea

The Sunday School lesson I got to teach.

20 Lessons, On foot, and Elder Pearson - August 18, 2014

Hello family and friends, thanks for joining in for this week's "Weekly Update." Happily typed by Elder Squires. Things out on the small island have been good. We will start out this week with a look on the "20 Lessons."

My companion and I walked a healthy 15 miles as we walked back and forth to our lessons. With several cancellations but several lessons out of the blue, our goal for 20 lessons came out well. The news is that one of our investigators agreed that once she knew these things were true she would be baptized. Her name is Simone and we engaged her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. She agreed but for the second lesson of the week she was found absent. It was rather depressing. But continuing on. We found a new investigator named Marcel who is very interested and looks like serious potential for baptism. He is a young 18 year old boy who we found on the street one day and asked if he wouldn't like the lessons. He glady accepted and our first lesson went really well. Over all it was a good week for lessons. 

As for the report about "On Foot." This week my companion's bike did arrive but the thing is that his helmet didn't arrive with it. So the first night that we took it out we were told by one of the senior couples that he needs to have the special helmets that all the missionaries have, and since he only has an old bike helmet that we had at the house we decided to go on foot. Not to mention that going on foot is a million times easier. No helmet, no getting on and off, no finding a spot to park it. And no pushing it up the mountains in our area. Ha, but we will get back on our bikes someday. 

And for Elder Pearson. He is the area seventy that presides over the south pacific. He came and we did a conference with him. This is the third time that he has come since the beginning of the year. He talked about becoming true disciples of Christ. And no longer having problems. When we have problems it's because we are stuck between two places. He encouraged us to become true disciples. To answer two questions. As a disciple I will leave behind..... And as a disciple I will be ....It was a good talk. I really enjoyed it. 

That's all for me this week. I love you all family and I hope that you are doing well. 

I know this church is true and that God loves us. 

Elder Squires

New Companion, On foot, and... - August 11, 2014

Bonjour! Ia ora na!

So what has happened this week? Last week when I sent my last email I was with a brother in our ward because my companion had left for his departing interview and testimony meeting before he went home. So I went out with this brother and we looked for people to teach. We only had two lessons fixed and two other people that we needed to see. As we looked for people to teach and things to do we ran into an investigator for whom I needed to fix the lesson for Wednesday. When we talked to her she said we could a lesson right there and then. We said yes. And we had a great first lesson. Yup, we taught Simone the moment you left Patrick, ha. As for our other two lessons they were both cancelled. We ended up at the house waiting for some other elders to come pick me up so the brother could go home. So the elders came and picked me up, we ate together and then when it was getting close to nine they dropped me off. Me, unknowing that the house was empty, let them drop me off and I ended up alone in the house. Ha! It was pretty crazy. I called the elders right back and it took them a good five to ten minutes to get back. And they happened to arrive right when they other elders who live in the house arrived. I was so embarrassed. But it all worked out. And we got to laugh about it after.

Anyway, as for the rest of the week, ha. Wednesday my new companion Elder Webber showed up. Elder Webber is from Florida. He is 19, he has been out for 7 months, but in the feild it's been a little over 4 months. His first area was a small island in the Tuamotu's called Manihi. Apparently it's smaller than one square kilometer, well, where all the people live. The island itself is pretty big. So being here his hard for him because this is his first long taste of Tahiti. Here there are so many more cars, we don't know everyone, and our area is very hilly. Not only that but his bike hasn't arrived yet so we have been going around on foot since Wednesday. But it's okay! We are getting some good work outs!

One last crazy thing that happened this week. On Monday we were in our last family night with Elder Ollerton when we got a phone call. When I saw the name it was one of our assistants, Elder Taylor. He told me that there would be a baptism in our ward this Friday at six, and he told me to ask our bishop if six was good. So I called the bishop, he said four was best. Called back Elder Taylor and said four. He then gave me this investigators number and told me to contact him to fix his first lesson and then his baptismal interview. I did that and fixed his interview for Thursday. So we went on with the went and Thursday comes around and we meet Hector for the first time and he has his interview, we couldn't do a lesson because of timing. He passed the interview and the baptism happened Friday. It was a great baptism. Apparently Hector had already taken the lessons, and was almost baptized several times, but this last week it finally happened. Turns out he is from Bora and lived right next to us. What?! I just really hope things go well. We will have to see him this week and we'll see how that goes.

That's all that I have for now family and friends. I love you all and I hope all is going well. Things are going pretty well for me. Last week was a little rough but this week will hopefully be better.

Have a great week,

Elder Squires

Me all alone . . .

My new companion arriving at the airport.

Hector

Ho'i i te fare, To'u hoa api, e to'u mahana fanauraa - August 5, 2014

Hello everyone!

This has been quite the week. Number one, I'm emailing today because I couldn't do it yesterday with everything that was going on with getting my companion ready to leave. And speaking of which my companion left today. He is currently in the mission home with all the others that are going home and will be taking the plane tonight. I will miss him. It was short, but it was great. We had a lot of fun. Always laughing and joking and just working. I will miss him. But, he is going to UVU in three weeks so after the mission I will see him again. Ho'i i te fare is Tahitian for going home.

And since my companion left my new companion arrives tomorrow. As weird as that is I don't have a companion until tomorrow. It's okay though, we figured things out with people in the ward. So today I am with a brother and tomorrow we will see. My companion will be Elder Webber. He is from Utah, I think, and he has been out for a little over four months. I will actually be his second companion in the field, so we'll see how this goes. I am sure it will go fine. Also I got called to be a district leader. Funniest thing ever, my district is my area and a sister's area which is the random island of Maupiti. We will have to do district meetings by skype every week, yay! Go skype! It's a mission thing.

And as for me things are doing all right. I had my birthday and it was a pretty good experience. We celebrated it by fasting and having our meal with our member that night. Ha. It was quite the party. But I did get my package and and I did enjoy my birthday so thank you all who wished me a happy birthday and I hope you all have a great day!

I love you,

Elder Squires

Volleyball, Transfers, and Another Week - July 28, 2014

Another week has come and gone. As for now I am not entirely sure when I will be going home. Considering that I arrived in the MTC three week later than everyone else, I'm not sure if I will go home with my group which would be early May or late April, or if I'll go home the transfer after. We'll see. I shouldn't be too worried about it. And I'm not. I just don't enjoy not knowing if I have 10 or 9 months lefts. Ha, it's weird, I know.

On Monday we had a multi-zone activity in Papeete. It was pretty fun. We played basketball and volleyball for hours and hours. After that we had a family night with a member family that recently moved into the ward. We talked about enduring to the end.

Tuesday we had a lesson with a newer investigator named Teraia (ter-rye-ya). When we had met her for the first time she told us that she didn't know of any one named Teraia in her neighborhood. Then a day or two later we run into the same person and she tells us that she was actually Teraia and that she had lied to us because she was afraid of what her boyfriend would have said if she had talked to us. So explained that her boyfriend really doesn't like us but she wants the lessons anyway. We get her number and went on with our day. Again, a few days later we run at  into her 6 p.m.just after having left the house because we wanted to do something and not just sit around. When we ran into her she was happy because she had just got a new number for herself and she then gave us her new number. We also fixed her next lesson right there because she seemed really serious about doing them. And she is. We have started her lessons and she is doing really well. We challenged her to pray to know if Joseph Smith is a real prophet so we'll see how that goes this week.

This week we had the baptism of Henry. The one that was going to be baptized but decided not to because of his parents. He decided on Wednesday to be baptized even if his parents aren't okay. Yay! The baptism went really well. And as he bore his testimony he shared a verse in the Matt. 10:37 that says that if someone loves their brother or sister or mother or father more than me, they are not worthy of me. It was really powerful.

Henry's Baptism

This was our candle light dinner WITHOUT the flash . . .

... and WITH the flash!

Apparently this is the week of transfers. Better said, normally this week is the week of transfers but no one has received any news of where they are going which is rather unusual, but maybe our new mission president has a new way of doing transfers. We'll see.

My companion finishes next week. That's weird. I love you all. I know this church is true and that the Lord loves us.

Love,
Elder Squires



p.s. Henry's baptism

This was our candle light dinner with and without the flash