Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Christmas has come and gone


Baptism of Tiaere from Temarua

It was cool to talk to everyone on Christmas! It was weird but cool. After that we went and taught a lesson to one of our new converts and then went to a baptizm at Taapuna. It was really cool. Elder Purau called me in the middle of it so I got to talk to him on Christmas too. But ya, we're going to pick up Elder Thorpes new companion today so I dont have much time. Elder Duncan's getting transferred so that's sad but oh well. I'm still here with same companion so not much is changing. The baptizm on Saturday was way cool.

-Elder Clements

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Joyeux Noël!!!

Christmas sure has come up quick! I can't wait to talk to everybody on friday. I hope skype actually works well. I should be there at about 1:00 Tahiti time. I cant remember what that is there. I'll be at DMP's house on an Ipad I think so it should work pretty well. 
     This week I think was one of my best weeks ever. Also I just looked at the time and I have to go soon but ya. The Papi that asked us if he could be baptized last week got baptized on saturday and he was actually really ready. Also Henere got baptized the same day and also this saturday I am going to be able to do a baptizm for the first time! Tiarere from Temarua asked me to do it so cool. K, see you all on christmas and also Merry Christmas
-Elder Clements

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Jungle stuff

This week was another lightning week but some good stuff happened too. We just got back from a cool hike down in Mataia at Vaipahi. It was some real Tahiti jungle stuff. Also I don't have a lot of time again this week...again. 





     So if we compare missionary work to fishing, we had a big old fish jump into the boat this week!Yesterday at church we had a brand new investigator come to church randomly and at the end he asked if it was possible to get baptized this saturday...so ya. We are going to have 2 or possibly three baptizms this week. Also Tiarere from Temarua is finally going to get baptized the day after christmas and she asked me to do it, so I'm finally going to get to do a baptizm!
     About skyping, we will be able to and I'll confirm the time next week but probably in the afternoon sometime, or evening for you. I'll have a members Ipad (they have those here) and also It will only be for 45 minutes which sucks but oh well. I'm fine with who ever wants to be there and actually I'd love to see everybody I think. K, bonne semaine    -Elder Clements

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Quite the week!


tunalicious

Ya this week we did lots but it still managed to passe really quick. The tour de l'ile was awesome last week. I actually got the package with my camera in it right before we started so I took loads of pictures. The next day started a long stroke of bad luck for Elder Hanson when we were riding our bikes for the first time in this secteur. Ya you guessed correctly, we were coming down from DMP's house to go home (maybe a little fast for such a rocky road) and his back tire exploded and he went over the handle bars. We guessed pretty quickly that he had broken his wrist and walked our bikes home, called President, and took a field trip to the Papeete emergency room. Got back plenty late that night but we were out in the field the next day. His unluckiness still hadn't ended and the next day he had some...gastro problems from the pain meds. Yesterday at church he really went downhill and we found out that he had chikungunya- a musquito spread virus which basically makes you want to die. I had the mini version of it a while ago and it was bad even then. Needless to say, he's been in bed all day exept for doing emails now. Poor guy! He's strong though and he still has a good attitude towards it. He could probably use a prayer or two though. I don't know how long this is going to put him out. God does everything for a reason so I'm pretty sure he'll find something useful out of these trials.
     We went to a concert saturday night which was awesome! #onfireforjesus It was a religious concert that the missionaries from papeete and faaa were singing in and also a bunch of other religions choirs. It was a big concert of about 2000 people and the president even spoke but it was also less grungy and you deffinately felt the spirit when the L'église de Jésus-Christ des Saints des Derniers Jours sang. We sat with the bishop and a few other families from our ward and it was a real hoot.

 
     As Christmas gets closer, and the days get a lot hotter, the christmas spirit starts to set in as well. I'm really trying to get to know our savior Jesus Christ and who he was and what he did. I never really considered that perhaps I don't know him as well as I could. Everything he did was for others. He did nothing except for helping His brothers and sisters return to live with Him and his Father. Cool huh? I'm going to try and become a little more like him thisChristmas season and serve others better by better consacrating myself as a representative of him, as one of his soldiers, as one of his servants, and as one of his disciples. 
     It sounds like everything is going well back home but I continue to pray for you all. Have a good week!

-Elder Clements

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Short but Sweet

I am emailling early this week because we are going to do the "tour de l'isle" (drive all the way around the island) today. So I braved it and called the assistants to President Bise and they gave it a go so sweet. Again I don't actually have that much time so it's going to be short today too. First my new secteur is really cool. We have a lot of potential and everybody here is really cool. I've already made some good friends. Like I said last week, our secteur is a mountain so we basically go hiking every day every time we go to a lesson. The first week about killed me but I'm starting to get used to it now. My companion is doing well. We get along for the most part. We're also very different people but that's good. Keeps us on track. Had a good day yesterday. I taught gospel doctrine and I think it went pretty well. That really helped me learn some new things. Ok, I'd better go. We still have to go shopping and stuff so we'd better ship off. Arue, ma famille! Faaitoito, restez ferme. Maru noa.
-Elder Clements

Friday, November 20, 2015

First Transfer

    
Last week with Elder Millerberg
Yes! I am going to be transfered for the first time on my mission! On Wednesday I will be going to the Outumaoro area in Punaauia. Dont worry about pronunciation. Punaauia is next to Faaa and is pretty much the city, a little ghetto actually. I will also be finishing the training of Elder Hanson, my new companion!! I can't believe I'm going to be training right after I finish mine. Not sure if you know but there is 12 weeks of training after you get to the mission field and I just finished that about a week ago. Elder Hanson has done 8 weeks of training with another Elder and I will be finishing the rest. I am SO stoked but also terrified. There are still so many things I don't know how to do very well but now I'm going to have another Elder looking UP to me. This is going to be good for me but also it's going to push me a lot. I'm going to have to actually lead things and be even more obedient than ever. It's bitter sweet leaving Elder Millerberg and Temarua. Temarua is really slow right now and most of our investigators are falling through and such but I still love them all and everybody here. I have some really good friends I'm going to leave here. Elder Millerberg has become a pretty good friend but I'm Super pumped for this transfer!
     Also my 19th b-day was absolutely awesome! The missionary work was a little slow that day but that day I was determined to give it my all and be happy with it so it worked out. I got the package right after sending the email last week and torturously waited till thursday morning to open it. I'll admit I did read the packing slip on the outside but I was still surprised and extatic when I opened it. I've already worn all the ties and pins and I love them all. Even with all 20 someodd ties I had before, I was getting a little bored so this is a good shake up. Also the music equipement just made my mission so much better! I got a bunch of music from Elder Millerberg and Peel and put that on there too so that even optimized it. That night, the Fariki family offered to give us a party and invite the family that normally would feed us that night and that was super fun. We ate some really good chicken and pasta and even had a bunch of cupcakes. Also, an ex-elder, Elder Poheroa (Elder "very dead" in english), was there and let me play his super nice guitar which was an awesome gift. After that we were just at the house listening to music and the phone started ringing, Elder Millerberg looked at it and his eyes got about the size of baseballs and said 'uuuhhh...it's President!" That is usually a big deal when President Bize calls so that freaked me out, and then to freak me out more, after Elder Millerberg answers it, he slowly hands it to ME!! Turns out he was just calling to wish me a happy birthday and say that him and his wife love me! SO nice of President to do that! It was a pretty awkward phonecall cuz we're both awkward people but super nice of him. It topped off that awesome day.
     I heard about the massacre in france. That news spread pretty quick here like everywhere else. I don't know a lot of details but last I heard was something like 120 dead and 300 ish wounded? That shocked me pretty good when I heard that. Made me sad. It's really the last days I guess. We'll be keeping them in our prayers.
     I finshed the To'ere (tahitian drum) today. I think I might send it back to America with Sister Petit along with some other stuff. Not sure if I said but she is going back to Utah for Thanksgiving and offered to take anything we wanted back with her. If that happens I'll give you the details.
     Thats all I guess. I'll let you all know next week how everything is going in my new secteur. I'm really excited though! K, passez une bonne semaine.
-Elder Clements

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Back in the saddle again

Hello everybody. I feel a lot better this last few days so ya. I got tired of it on friday and decided to go to the doctor. Super docteur-ish french guy that was pretty crazy and I could barely understand him. Turns out I have Bronchitis (if thats how you write it). He prescribed me some anti-biotics and cough syrup and I am feeling a lot better. So ya, I can actually do missionary work now! stoked!
 
     Today was cool. We went grocery shopping in town and then I finally mailed a letter to Grandma. I wrote it like a month ago but never got the chance to send it. Then we all just walked down to the beach and chilled and listened to big band jazz music and John Denver and walked out as far as we could, up to the knee of course. It was pretty cool, I've got pix.

 
     As far as our investigators, Thomas is going great but his baptizm is in december now because of the marriage. Aaaannndd then the rest are really rocky roads. Mareto has dropped the ball for sure. We are 99% sure he's lying about quitting smoking and keeping his commitments and he still doesn't really want to get baptised. Ruben seems to be avoiding us which isn't good. Heiata has just a mess of a life that we have to try and help clean up if she wants to get baptized, and she doesnt even know if she wants to anymore. We do have some potential investigators but It's proving difficult to get ahold
of them too. We can finally be a bit more busy this week in finding people so that'll be nice. But ya, Haere Maru, Haere Papu. (Go slow, go steady) It'll come.
 
 I do have a cool experience that happened this week. So it was friday and honestly we were just chilling at the house because I felt terrible and we were getting ready to go to the doctor. The gate was open and I saw some members drive up to the neighbours house and start looking for someone or something. As I was wondering what they were doing I started looking at the crap in the yard that had blown out of the trash can and noticed something that looked much less like crap...A shiny red 10 000 cfp note ($100)!! That was quite the shock but then I looked around and found yet another and another. $300 just randomly found floting through our yard?! We decided that for some reason it had to belong to that couple who seemed to be looking for something even though was still super weird. We asked them if they were looking for something and the husband said that his wife had dropped $400 and she had already found one and he called here over. We gave it back and she must have been the most happy person on earth, started crying and everything. They're a pretty poor family too so that was REALLY a lot of money for them. We all concluded that it was a miracle that we were still there while they were and that the gate was oddly still open so it could blow in, and all that. DEFFINATELY was set up by God so that this would turn out all well and we could gain a little stronger testimony from that. Well I felt the spirit at least, can't speak for anyone else. It was cool. Anyway, just that. OK so I'm gonna go turn 19 this week. That should be cool. The Fariki family (theyre members) invited us over for that night so that should be pretty fun. I love that family. I'll take pictures. Happy Birthday Kriah!!! sis. and may your noodres forever be fulry cooked. (asain accent)
- Elder Clements

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

I'm Finally a Real Missionary!

Golden Selfie
 
 
Yep. This week I finally finished training! It doesn't feel much different except now we can start teaching lessons at 10:00 in the morning instead of noon. That will help a little. This week, not gonna lie, was actually a pretty rough week. The biggest thing is because I've been pretty sick the entire week. That put me into a bad mood the entire week and I was just really irritated at everything and everyone all the time. We also were working extra hard this week because my companion wanted to get stardards of excellence once before I was done with my training because it's lower during training. That sucked. especially when I knew we were doing a lesson super poorly because it was just for a number. Plus some of our investigators started to fall apart so that was tough too. So ya. Halloween was interesting. Most of the day wasn't great because I was sick but at the end of the day we told ghost strories by  the light of our apple-cinnamon candle. That was pretty cool. I love candle light night.
     I am just tired and can't think of much to say but I'll send some old pics. K, good week, that's all fer now folks. ~Elder Clements
typical Papeete building art
 

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

5 months already

Ya that's right, tomorrow will be 5 months on a mission and it has flown by like 5 weeks. It really doesn't seem like  that long ago that I was wearing my orange newbee sticker on the first day of the MTC. Almost a quarter of my mission is done already...weird. I actually might be getting transferred this week so I'll keep y'all updated. I finally finish training this week although I still feel like I'm not ready to be done. Hopefully I'll just stay with Elder Millerberg for another transfer so I can catch up.
     This week we had another super spiritual experience that I only thought existed in the MTC and Preach My Gospel. Heiata, one of our investigators who reminds me a lot of Grandma, read the BOM for the first time. We had given her a bunch of stuff to read like MNI 10:3-5, J.S. testimony, MNI 8, and she explained that she had read all that...twice and much much more, and marked it all up!! She said she read for like three hours because she just got lost in it. She said she felt absolutely no pain while reading it and that she just felt really at peace (sounds like a classical conversion story huh?). All the while I was just shocked and enthralled. She said she absolutely knew it was true and we commited her to be baptised on the 7th of Novembre. She still has a lot of things she needs to do to be ready, like quitting smoking and such but we're all (including her) going to fast this saturday/sunday for her so I've got the faith in it. So ya that gave me an immensely larger testimony of the BOM and how true it is and how necessary it is even for members because if it can change people like that when they're investigators, it's gotta be really important for members like us. WOW!
      But ya, other than that it was kind of a slow week because it was voting week and every body was busy in the rallies and such. But I did begin building a Teore (big wooden drum thing) this morning with a chainsaw, sander and this other tool but mostly the chainsaw. It was so legit and I have no idea how I'm going to get it back to America because it's so heavy but I'll figure it out. It's not done yet but I'll finish it next week. It was so cool to see a dirty old log turn into an instrument that actually sounds cool before your eyes in just a couple hours. After that we just went shopping and came back.
     OH I Forgot! Gongrats to Mom for becoming the new relief society president! That's a big job but there's not a soul out there more ready for it! We work a lot with la présidente du societé du secour (just in french)  here in the work so get ready to be involved with missionary work. Cool, right? They work lots of miracles in every ward, I'm glad for you.
      To answer Padre's questions (because they were ready good), the mousquitoes are a bit better because I'm figuring out how to get rid of them, I have lost about ten pounds but have gained a bunch of muscle as well because I work out every day. health is fine. attitude is roller coaster some times because I'm not quite as dilligent or obedient as I'd like and I beat myself up over it but I'm getting better. I'm actually pretty obedient and dilligent but I have my weak points that I'm working on. I really am getting a lot better so maybe that's why It's been better lately. Also my companion is great. He's had some rough sectors and companions that we like to call "babylon companions" and he is pretty worn out now but he's also getting better. Overall things are going really well here. I'm not a babylon companion, I really work hard to work hard, I see success, progress, miracles, grow my testimony, learn, and see and do some pretty legit steriotypical island stuff too. I have started wearing shorts more when I can and also my cheapo crocs to lessons. good stuff. Actually I gotta go. until next week! ~Elder Clements

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Good Stuff

 
                                     This guy is so stoned
 
I think this is week 11 here on the island of Tahiti in the town of Papara. Actually I'm in Papeete today. We just got done playing beach/normal soccer with a bunch of the other missionaries this side of the island. I'm fairly drained from that but it was really fun too. We had to carry around the Soeurs (sisters) with us today and they decided they wanted to email here. I'm also fairly sure we are going to be at carrefoure (the equivalent of a gaint french walmart) for longer than us Elders would like but oh well. I will have the chance to go camera shopping though so that's good. I haven't looked at them yet so I'm not sure if I just want one shipped out here or what. I'll keep you updated.
      Anyway! So Mareto who I told you last week still hadn't made any progress last week has stopped smoking........right!?!? After a réunion with DMP on tuesday we were wondering what we should do because we had an hour till dinner, then all of the sudden I had Mareto pop in to my head. #wasntme I honestly didn't want to go because we never make any progress with him but my companion then said exactly what I was thinking so that amped me up and I knew those signs from all the classic missionary stories I've heard. We went over and he was glad to see us but not more than usual. We shared some scriptures with him and gave him some encouragement but nothing out of the ordinary happened so we just decided to go. just before saying the prayer, Elder Millerberg told him about the music class we were going to be teaching on friday (oh ya we're doing that) and he was actually interested which surprised me. He then said he plays the piano and has one inside. !!!!!!! What?! Mareto plays piano!?!?!? I was visibly shocked and pumped at the same time and he just fed on that and practicaly shouting for joy invited us in to see it. It was an extremely nice yamaha electric piano. Like I didn't think they made electric pianos that nice. Then he started playing it and he knew very well how to play it but he couldnt read notes and he was so excited to learn them. After we listened to him wail on the piano for a while he decided to bear his testimony which was very unexpected but he basically just told us he is proud to have us there and that he knows what we're doing is good. We left shortly after and we didnt exactly know why we were there still until we came back friday and he said he hadn't smoked since the last time we'd seen him.......... so ya wow! I don't exactly know why us knowing about his interest in music was the key but hey, God works in mesterious ways so I won't argue with it. So that was a fire hose from the spigget of heaven this week. We also had the classic first-lesson-where-the-lady-starts-crying-because-she-found-the-truth lesson this week too.
 
     We also baptized Stephen this week which was awesome and both of his parents came and loved it. I gave him the Holy Ghost yesterday and that was my first time but it was awesome! He's just gonna be a super powerful member and I hope even bring his family back.

 
     Oh ya, and I guess there really is supposed to be a hurricane still. They announced it in zone meeting that it's 90% chance I guess. We'll see.
      I think I have to go soon so I'm going to end it here. See y'all       
 -Elder Clements
 

Thursday, October 15, 2015

I finally have time

Well another quick week has rolled arround again and it's P-day! We just got back from shopping in Papeete and earlier we went on yet another hike and also learned just how much our little toyota avanza can take. whudda trooper. I have a lot more time this week for emailing which is pretty cool so I can actually tell what is going on with our investigators. Infact I'll just start right into it.
     Steven: T minus 2 days till his baptizm and I am so stoked! I can't believe how much he already understands and how ready he is. We had his baptizmal interview this week and he may as well have been teaching us! After that he was talking to me and he pulls out this picture of one of the temples that we gave him and says "wow! that is really really really really really beautiful. I'd like to go there some day." Ya this kids power. The spirit was deffinately strong when he said that.
     Thomas: This guy is proof that God prepares! We met him just a couple weeks ago but in the lessons this week with him we planned to ask him to be baptized. His girlfriend is mormon and we thought "heck, why not?" so we taught the retablissement...restoration in english is think, and he kind of looked bored throughout the lesson and I started having my doubts until we asked him if he had ever heard of the Book of Mormon and he told us that he had already read most of first nephi....ok alright then. So after that Elder Millerberg asked "will you get baptized?" (a little more casual than usual) and instantly he says "Oui" and kind of looked annoyed that we'd taken so long to ask him. Turns out he already has a testimony and everything and even does the ponderizing thing on his own from conference. We're just there to...Cover it all deeper I guess. POWER! Our heavenly father knows what He's doing. Also Steven's inactive parents have started coming to church again!!!! President Monson's talk was true stuff. (ya I finally read it)
     Ruben: This guy. I have found the tahitian Earnest T Bass. He was the source of many a chuckle this week. We have been teaching him for a little while and I think that we are going to baptize him but ya just never know with this guy. This week whilst teaching him the word of wisdom and talking about how he smokes pot we asked him "Ruben, do you have any paka (marijuana) with you right now?" "Oui." he says proudly. "can we throw that away right now?" "sure, here" (as he hands us his stash) uhhh....alright then. I didn't exactly expect that but that's progress so we just went with it and threw it away after the lesson. Also ever since we taught him how to say "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen" he has looked for every opportunity to say it. (maybe a little too much) like being late to our lesson and saying "Pardon! Pardon! Name of Jesus Christ, Amen." That's Ruben for ya. But he seems to be super excited to get baptized and agrees with everything we say so I guess he is doing well. He is even really trying to stop smoking paka.
     That's just the best of the moments we had this week and our other investigators are doing well too. We have Heiata who says she prays everyday for an answer and says she feels a light that is right next to her but it is dim and she feels like she's not ready to commit to be baptized quite yet. I feel the same way. I think it's soon though, so keep her in your prayers. Also Mareto who hasn't been moving much lately with the smoking, and all of them in general.
     Well I gotta go and send some pictures now. I really am doing well still, especially spiritually. Never really cared about stuff like that before but now it's just my favorite thing. Oh and I get to go to the temple this week!! Even better!! Well have a good week! Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
- Elder Clements

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Conference Weekend

 
 
 
     Well that was good stuff this weekend!!! This was the first general conference that I was genuinely excited for and that I actually payed attention to. Missions do those sort of things for you. I'm totally going to do the ponderizing thing now, that was just legit. Also I was really late both mornings because it was so early and unfortunately I missed the prophet speaking...well I walked in right as he said amen. That didn't make me very happy but I did learn some great stuff from the other talks. I really liked D. Todd Christofferson's talk, Devin J durrant (because of the ponderizing thing), Robert D. Hales, and my favorite was Jefferey R Holland. It was SOOO powerful!!! Moms are just the greatest. Love you Mom. Anyway the new apostles are absolutely awesome!!! I am surprised how much I like them already!
     As far as the work, it is going so well. We have 5 baptizms fixed and I'm sure more soon as well. Steven is going to be baptized next wednesday and he asked me to give him the Holy Ghost. That's slightly daunting because I've never done that and it's in french but I'm also really excited for it too.
 
 
     I got the package and the letters this week!! That was just the coolest thing. I loved getting letters again and hearing from everybody.  I might also send voice recordings soon because our new elder, Elder Peel, has a voice recorder.
     Well I actually have to go. Elder Purau was much more efficient at the whole computer finding thing...and many other things but oh well. Have a good week, everyone. I really liked the quote I heard this conference that Joseph B Worthlin's mother told him, and that is "Come what may and love it". I know that If we truly center our lifes on the gospel and try to improve daily and live with real intent, there is absolutely nothing to fear. And if we don't fear it, we should find the good in it and love it.
--Elder Clements
 
 

Friday, October 2, 2015

New Companion

     Well today I pretty much just walked around in the jungle all day with the zone. It was supposed to be a little hike but our guide decided to go offroading.That was pretty fun but it was a bit long.

     I have my new compangon now, Elder Millerberg. Take a wild guess at where he's from. Oddly enough he's from Utah. He's pretty cool. He teaches really well and really smoothly AND he has a guitar!!!! I play it all the time and I'm learning hymns on it. 
 
     Anyway it was a week full of miracles this week for our investigators, and inactives, and members. Heck it was just a good week. We have 5 people with baptizm dates right now. Mareto that I think I told you all about is trying to stop smoking which is going to be tough but it's really possible. Other miracles that I'll try and tell you all about later but we did that dang hike so we don't hae much time before we have to be at Tatie Lilines house for a family home evening with a bunch of invetigators. shoot that's in a half hour, alright well good luck everyone. Maybe next time for more of a letter.
     -Elder Clements

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Changes

Iaorana tatou. Ya everythings been changing around here as well. The leaves are still the same color but everything else. The biggest thing is that Elder Purau is not back and that he is not coming back. Turns out that that problem with his family is a lot bigger than I thought.  I miss him, he was a great missionary and friend. :( I'll also have to take over this sector with my new companion who hasn't arrived yet so that's kindof terrifying. LA FOI!!! I'm going to need the faith a lot to do that but I know God will help me like he has already. I'm out of time and it's really getting difficult to switch back to english because I don't use it anymore.

 - Cool?(french accent), Elder Clements

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Short on time



Hello everybody, I don't have quite as much time this week to email. I am actually not with Elder Purau right now, he'll be back later this week. Until then I will be with Elders Guilleux (a utahn) and Teahua (from Bora Bora). They're great but I already miss my companion.

     Well this week we taught quite a few more lessons and had some cool experiences. We had one of our investigators, Mareto, ASK for a tour of the chapel. That was a miracle this week and almost unheard of. He really hasn't been progressing much until that but now things are looking up for him. We also had a service project with Roger, one of our investigators and a professional boxer. He's really cool and I think that service project softened his heart a little. We will be asking him to be baptized this week I believe.
 
     I actually don't have a lot more to say this week. I've been making lists of things I want to talk about each week but I didn't make one this week. I'm still improving in every aspect of the work and really starting to be able to hold my own with the language and also in lessons. I've started thinking in french a lot more which is making my french a lot better. We are plagued by mosquitoes right now because it rained a bunch and now its hot again but oh well I guess.
 
    Well I've got to get going but I'll send a few pictures this week.
 
Avec amour - Elder Clements
 
      This is Poerani who got baptized and married last week, and her family.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Kite flying in Paea

Bounjour, tout le monde! Coming to you live from Paea, Tahiti. Well this week has been a really great week. Today we started off by having breakfast with Tatie Liline, and flying bamboo kites on the beach whilst waching whales. #thoushaltnotcovet Actually I learned that the ocean knows how to fly kites! We were flying a kite that Elder Purau made with about 300 feet of sewing thread attatched when the string broke right at the bottom and the kite started to fall into the ocean. After that the strangest thing happened: the kite began to rise back up again! I thought it would fall but instead it just continued to stay at the same distance from the ocean while continuing to move out to sea! We sat there and watched with our mouths hanging open as it slowly remained about 70 feet above the ocean and became so small we couldn't see it anymore. Turns out the friction of the string in the water and the amount of wind ballanced to make the kite able to continue to fly. I personally believe that it's possible that that kite is still flying the way that that thing moved. We could not believe our eyes!! Anyway that was our morning. We spent the rest of the day running erands and saying goodbye to some of our friends who are going to Rangiroa (an Island somewhere) for school. Tatie Flo (reminds me so much of a cross between grandma and susan), Teua(her daughter), and Heitini (practically a sister now.) They were some of my best friends here and I'm going to miss them but I'll see them again eventually.

     We didn't have as many lessons this week but we did have a marriage and a baptizm! The marriage was a big deal and because we are basically family with Tatie (Tatie=auntie) Liline and Poerani (who lives with her) we did a lot of the set up and help with the wedding and of course the baptizm (of Poerani). That was an awesome experience! She really has been a lot happier since then and so has Henry (her husband) although he's still not interested in the lessons. But! He did come to church for the first time to see his wife recieve the Holy Ghost.

     We also made 160 T-shirts on saturday for all the missionaries of Tahiti...which we had permission from the president to do and that took basically all day that day too. Elder Purau knows a member in Papeete that does silkscreening at his house for a living. We got to do a little of everything from making the design of the T-shirt, to making and developing the form, to imprinting the shirts, to folding and packaging them. That night we went to "Beach Burger" with Tatie Liline and Tehina (yes, our recent convert who also lives with Tatie Liline) which was awesome. It's a place that's supposed to be just like an American buger joint. Country music, posters of '57 Chevy's, burgers, and a vegas "spin the wheel" game where Elder Purau won the jackpot of 10000 XPF ($100!).

     I had the very special opportunity yesterday to have a discussion with Jehova's Witnesses missionaries. That was...interesting. We all were very kind to each other although many a bible verse were shared. That actually strengthened my testimony in the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints quite a bit. I realized that no matter how much the bible says about something, a real, solid testimony built upon the rock of Jesus Christ is necessary to know if something is true. To gain that testimony, we have to pray and then act upon our faith.
     I have also been playing the guitar a lot this week!!! Tatie Liline has a guitar that I always pick up and play when ever we're over there. We all sing hymns along to it and of course I can't help but playing "murder in the city" "wish you were here", and "sunshine on my shoulders" and whatever else I can remember I know how to play. That has been a great blessing to me as you can all imagine.
     Other than all that this week, I'm really getting adjusted to being a Tahitian. The french is coming very quickly now and I even forgot a couple words in english this week. I'm also tanning strangly well which I did not expect. My stomach is fine this week, and I never considered the fruit being a problem. I have also been excercising a lot more.
      Have a good week back home, and I'll do the same here. Keep praying for things that are neccesary and keep praying to give thanks for all the things that God has already given.
-Elder Clements

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Fruits of our Labor

 
Well, another great week preaching the gospel in Tahiti! I guess I'll start off with why I gave this email such a title. On Thursday, we went and taught Georges. I had never met him before and it actually turns out he's Elder Purau's uncle. #smallworld Anyway we had an interesting lesson with him about obedience to God's commandments and some other side topics because he talks a lot. He's a very interesting man. I think he really wants to know this church is true, and I think he's even felt that it is before but he just needs to...realize that I guess. He's very interested in our testimonies and how we know this church is true. After that lesson, we were about to leave when he asked us if we wanted some fruit. Naturally we accepted because you would have to be raving mad to decline fruit here. He gave us a pineapple and a Corosol (coroselle maybe? I don't know how to write it) and I thought that was all. He led us to his garden/orchard and let us pick all the citreons(limes basically) and oranges that we wanted. It was awesome. We walked into the  garden and instantly I was fairly sure that this was the real Garden of Eden. It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. about a hundred fruit trees with all different types of fruit that you forget grows in real life. Lemons, limes, oranges, hairy leechy (?), bananas, coconuts, grapefruit, mango, mangosteen, corosol, and bunches of others. It was far up one of the canyons too so it was just beautiful. Actually all week long, people just gave us loads and loads of fruit, it was great. So I figured for us we were literally tasting the fruits of our labors.
     Another different experience this week was when we went to an activity at the Maraa ward. We showed up and it sounded like someone was having a big old party next door because of the heavy muffled music we heard. We open the doors to the chapel and to my surprise I just got louder. We went up stairs and opened the doors to the chapel to the priests quarum and bishopric dancing to YMCA for the rest of the ward! What in the world?! I learned shortly after that they were having an 80's themed ward talent show. They went all out too. They had all the seats in the chapel turned around and were using the over flow as the stage, They had the lights all different colors, everything was all decorated, they had this giant speaker system out, the works. The rest of the show was every group in the church (young women, young men, relief society, and other) doing a dance to an American 80's song. It was a hoot. The best part is they did it all and invited tons of nonmembers to come too to build up unity around the ward. I've got pics. It made me think we need to do stuff like that back home. It really surprises me that literally everyone is nice here. Even the sketchiest of people smile and shake your hand when they see you...usually.
 
     As far as how everything's going here, It's going pretty well. Our investigators are progressing really well and we're getting more and more. In fact this week we'll be baptizing Poerani and possibly Heitini and Steven in the next couple weeks too.
     I've been a bit sick in the guts lately but I hear that's normal because of the newness of the food and water and such and that it'll pass. The mosquitoes are still devouring me but it's getting better. Our power went out last night and my fan that keeps the mosquitoes away died so I woke up with a bunch this morning. We got whipped with rain like I've never seen it last night. I guess there's a big hurricane that hit some of the other islands and we got a little bit of it but not as much as the other islands. 
     All goes well here, and I'm starting to get used to being a missionary. The French is getting a lot better but still has some work. The Tahitian goes a lot slower but I'm trying to use it more.
     Well I've got to go. We're going to go eat some more fish and rice under a coconut tree or something. #islandlife I miss you all and pray for you every day! Infact that's one thing that I've been pondering on lately is the importance of family and God's purpose for them on this earth. I think of you all when I testify of the power of families. Without my family, there's no way I would be out here teaching the gospel, so thank you all and God bless.

-Elder Clements
 
 

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Another awesome week

 
Baptism of Tehina
 
Ia ora na, tatou! Well it`s been another awesome week here in Tahiti. (I`m typing on a french key board right now, so forgive me if there are any mistakes in this.) We baptized Tehina (tay-hee-nah) this week! It was absolutely awesome! It`s been a long time since I`ve even been to a baptizm, It`s even better as a missionary. She already wants to serve a mission herself and I have no doubt that she will. Infact she`ll probably leave before I get back. We also had Steven (stee-vin) come to church for the first time. Geez that kid is smart! He stayed with us for class and he kept answering all the questions before anybody else could. We`re going to set a date on wednesday for him. We also have been focusing on Poerani (poh-ay-rah-nee) a lot this week. We set a date for her baptizm for the 3rd of september, the same day that she is getting married to her boyfriend that she is living with so she can be baptized.
     

Elder Purau was pretty sick this week from a virus from the mosquitoes. It was good stuff. He had a raging fever, pain in all his joints, sore throught, cough, the whole nine yards. Needless to say, we`ve been not teaching as much this week. He went to the doctor and they gave him some stuff that seems to have fixed it. Also I guess fresh coconut water can work miracles too. I`m not quite sure how I don`t have that same thing. The mosquitoes are eating me alive. It`s a little better now but the first week was bad.  My companion is still not as strict as I expected a trainer to be. Actually no one in our house is. It`s not extremely terrible, we still get some good stuff done but in my opinion, we could do a lot more.

The food here is absolutely delicious by the way. I`m not looking forward to american food again. Poisson crue is one of my favorites I think. I also like the steak-frites though. makes me think of Padre every time I eat it. It`s a big old steak cut fairly thin, but with a giant heaping full plate of fries underneath it along with a kind of sauce. Even with all that I actually have lost a bunch of weight. Everyone else has too. I saw most of my buds from the MTC the other day at a zone conference and all the Elders have lost a good five or six pounds. I actually have Sister Daniels and Elder Meyer in my district so I get to see them quite a bit.
 
                                   Our investigators in front of the Temple
 
 
      I`ll give my testimony this week that God works miracles all the time, but you have to have your eyes open to see them. Here in the mission field, God is a little less restained in his miracles and they can be really spectacular here sometimes because this is where they really matter, but they happen every day back home too. That`s something I learned in the zone conference this week where we had two members of the seventy talk to us, but It made me realize how true it is. Also read 2 Nephi 9. It`s about different stuff but I read that this week and holy cow, it`s absolutely packed with good stuff.
      Well I`m going to try  and send some more pictures this week so I`d better get rolling on that. I actually have more than an hour for email here, so that`s cool but pictures take forever to upload here. 
Also here is my address.

Tahiti Papeete Mission
Elder Clements, Dakodta
B.P. 93
Papeete, Tahiti 98713
French Polynesia  

Well, God bless you all! Till next week.
-Orometua Clements
 
that`s Tehina in the middle on top, Poerani on the left, and Soeur Liline on the right. They`re are good friends. I can`t remember the names of the kids.
 

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Safely in Paradise



So ya...wow. I am currently safely in paradise. I don't exactly know where to start. I guess I could start by saying that if I were to walk outside right now, I would see the crystal clear, blue ocean one side and a fog covered steep green mountainside with a waterfall cutting through the middle of it. Oh and lots of coconut trees. In fact I drank a coconut earlier from the coconut tree in our yard. It was absolutely delicious. We arrived in the middle of the night last Monday and there was practically the entire island there waiting for us at the airport, singing songs, putting tiare's (flower necklaces) around our necks, the works. It's been quite the week since then. I'm in the Temarua sector on the south-ish side of Tahiti. 




My companion is Elder Purau who's been out for almost a year and a half and is from the other side of the island. It really is the kind of paradise that you imagine when you think of Tahiti. We have lessons on the beach and about half of them outside, we pluck strange fruits off of trees and eat them pretty much when ever, we can hear the ocean while we're sleeping and it sounds like a dragon breathing slowly in the backyard, we see the vibrant assortment of fleurs that line the roads and are all over peoples houses, we see natives rowing their boats along the coast daily, ya...like that kind of paradise.
     As far as the people, they're what really make it paradise. I never thought that there could be so many nice, humble, loving, people all in one place! We have loads of investigators and we have a baptism this Wednesday! We'll be baptising Tehina who has come a long way in the time that she has been taught, I understand. I might be actually conferring the holy ghost on Sunday, too. I also invited another investigator to be baptized this week too and he accepted! His name is Steven, he's 9 but he is about the most mature 9 year old I've ever seen. He actually reminds me of a cross between Chuck and Riv.
     We work a lot with a Soeur Liline. She is a member that is always helping us find new investigators, she helped us find like 5 this week! We are at her house basically every day teaching lessons and such. I really am surprised at how receptive people are to the gospel. The Lord has truly prepared these people.
     As far as the language and adjusting to the culture...well...It's been a journey but I'm getting used to it I think. The first day that I went proselyting, which was Wednesday, I pretty much was done and just wanted to go home. I had a hard time that first day adjusting to how people live and just what to do and I couldn't understand a thing anyone said to me. People really do live a lot differently here. The houses are just slightly better than being outside and absolutely everyone here is dirt poor compared to anyone I had ever met I think. That shocked me that first day and I didn't exactly know how to deal with it. The next day I recovered and started getting used to it and now it just seems normal to me. The language is beating me up more than I expected but It'll get better. It feels wierd to speak english now, I don't really do it anymore.
      Overall, I'm absolutely at peace to be here and help my brothers and sisters come along side me and follow Christ. I had an awesome day Saturday when we took a trip to the temple with our investigators, 16 of them, and some of the members. The greatest moment was when we were on our way there, and I realized I was in paradise in every sense of the word. We were on an old Mercedez-Benz bus and I had Soeur Liline and her family behind me singing tahitian songs about Jesus with the guitar and ukulele, and I had my investigators in front of me on the way to see the temple for the first time, and to the right of me was the cloud crowned mountains of tahiti, and to the left was a view of the ocean like in the pictures with a rainbow over all of it. It was pretty sweet. I love these people and I'm going to do my best to serve them the best I can.
     Well I'd better go, I'll try and send pictures. Sorry I didn't email till late, we do that at night now. Love you all!! God lives and He works miracles and He loves us more than we could even know. I've seen it, I know it.
Na'na, Orometua Clements

Monday, August 10, 2015

Last American P-day!!


Bonjour tout ma famille et amis. Ia ora na to'u utuafare e mau hoa atoa.

Well this is the last full P-day in the MTC. It's really been quite the journey. Like I've said, time is weird in the MTC. It seems like so long ago I was back home but also just seems like yesterday. I've been out about three months but I swear it's been three weeks. I have learned more here in the MTC than I could have anywhere on the planet. The first few weeks I had a hard time getting adjusted and actually caring about studying, liking the scriptures, REALLY working hard, and loving and being kind and looking forward to serving everyone I come in contact with. I thought I was pretty great before this mission, I could never have been more wrong. I have come such a long way being here. I know that it's because I've committed to help God's children come back to him, so He's helping me become what I need to be so I can accomplish this. I'm still not anywhere near being done growing but I'd say I'm ready.

 We taught a man this week who is a gold tag investigator (basically a real person because we're used to teaching each other and acting as investigators.) and I was really nice to actually answer real questions and teach a real person about the way back to God. So that helped me be excited to actually help real people in Tahiti but also pretty terrified because well...they're real people and real people have emotions and get angry and get freaked out when you accidently call yourself a missionary from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day chickens. (mo'a=saint/holy moa=chicken) Then again, real people have emotions and are happy and actually want to be baptized and stuff. So ya, excited and terrified. Plus I've forgotten what the real world looks like so travel day will be quite the day.

 I've also worked my guts out this week. I've tried not to let even five minutes go by without something useful in it. I may not have done perfectly at it but it helped. I've upped my prayers from like 5 to double digits because I need so much help staying focused and have my mind on the work. Golly gee I have a long way to go, but I've also come a very long way. We saw a talk by Elder Bednar on Sunday from a few years ago about becoming a missionary. That was quite the speech. I learned quite a bit about using time wisely. I think we will actually be addressed by an apostle tonight. That seems to be the rumor going around. I'm pretty pumped for that. That will have been the second one we've seen.

I was studying when a rainbow fell out of the tree and landed on my scriptures
 

Good gantry we've been here for a long time!! I love the six weekers coming and telling us how long they've been here and then asking how long we've been here, expecting us to say a week or two. It's the same face every time we say "eleven weeks". They're eyes turn about the size of the planet Jupiter and then instantly realize how lucky they are. I actually am glad we've been here for so long. I needed it.

Well anyway, I'll email on Saturday one last time. I think I will be calling about 9 or 10 on Monday before we fly out. I'm the travel leader for all 16 of our Tahitians so that'll be cool but I'll have to be keeping everyone in check the whole time too.  Oh also Orometua Hapairai said if there's anything I need to drop off to you I can leave it with him and you can pick it up from him. I'll tell you on Saturday if I did and all the info for that exchange. Heck, you might just want to stop by and say hi, he's just the nicest guy. Well, I'll go send a few pictures so "'Till we meet" (or Saturday actually). I really know that God lives and loves us and that He is helping me accomplish this mission. I know that Jesus is our brother that loves us so much that He took the tremendous weight of our sins and died for us all.

Je vous aime!
-Orometua Clements 

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Letter #9 July 28, 2015

Bonjour,

Je vais vous ecrit en friancais seulement je blague. Ya, I'm just kidding. I'm not going to write you all in french. Well how goes it back in the middle of nowhere? I'm not in the states for very much longer. I've been working hard these last few weeks and I'll work even harder these next two. T minus thirteen days. We get our travel plans on friday and I'm sure we'll about jump out of our skin. I'll tell you next week when I'm going to call.  And also I don't have a time limit! Infact I can call from SLC and LAX so I probably will. I just can't call from Tahiti.
 
     As for the week, It really has been a great one. It hit us all that we will be in Tahiti in less than two weeks and so we kicked it up a notch. I'm way excited but also realize how much I still need to polish up before hitting the streets of Tahiti. I've actually been running the last couple weeks. I've decided that I really think that it's a thing I enjoy now...not really, It sucks but I'm just trying to get in shape for Tahiti. I ran a mile in 7:51 the other day which was my goal to get it under 8 minutes. I about keeled over dead! But I did it and narrowly escaped passing out so I guess that's good. I really am not in shape.
     
Funny story of the week. Sister Johnson, one of our teachers, told us about a time her and Brother Hapairai went to the library together, cuz He'd never been to the Provo library I guess. She says they were just sitting there, Sister Johnson studying whatever and Brother Hapairai getting bored because it's a library. So he leaves for a bit and comes back with the human skeleton that sits by the door and proceeds to disassemble it right then and there! I guess he asked but still weird. He's an 8 year old stuck in a 25 year old 250 pound polynesian body. He's always doing weird stuff like that. Picking up Elder ruff and shaking him around as he's walking down the hallway, singing I am a child of God very softly in tahitian as he waddles around the building, making fun of us in all languages, the works. I love my teachers, they're the meilleur (best). 
 
     We had an english fast the other day, and yes, it's what it sounds like. No english, or Tahtian for that matter. Just French. That was absolutely exhausting but it really helped a lot with my french. Oh ya, Sister S did go home. 
 
Oh ya, could you send me some stories about our ancestors? I never got any and I watched a thing that helped me realize how I can use those, so that'd just awesome if you could. Well good  luck everybody, I hope you're all strong in the church back home and becoming more so! It's all true, and not only true but it changes lives or the better everyday, I've seen it. Au revoir.

Amour,
Elder Clements

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Letter # 8 July 21, 2015

          8 weeks in.... sanity levels low

Ia ora na, Bonjour, Previat, Ni hao, and Hello. I don't know what language to use. Well It's been another good week here in the MTC but kind of a long and crazy one. Sister T I told you all about was transferred to Las Vegas and she is already in the field. We were pretty sad to see her go but we're way happy for her. I guess she's already had miracles happen and I'm even more excited to be in the field. Evidently Sister S is going home we found out yesterday. Anxiety and OCD I guess. I'm not exactly sure what the deal is. She was put with a different companionship yesterday because of some serious tension in her companionship and announced later that she was going home. It's a little weird and I personally think it will change but for now, I guess she's going home.

As for me and my companion, we're finally getting along really well. We had a couple weeks that we were just tollerating each others presence but we've woken up this last week and we get along really well. Our lessons build on what each other says, we help each other with the language, our testimonies grow, It's great, I LOVE it.

 ... I'll take missionary models for $500 please. BING. What is Elders Garff and Clements?  That's correct!

 I don't remember if I told you but the temple breakfast is excellent. We have it every week. I really am starting to feel like a missionary finally (wierd huh?). I look at my name tag and just realize that I am actually one of those young'ns walking around in the suit and tie and the black name tag. Also we had a couple sweet kids stop us on our temple walk and with wide eyes ask where we were going on our missions, we told them where and their parents explained that they were from Florida and have never seen so many missionaries in one place. That just made me remember again why I'm here.

 We performed a song in devotional on sunday in front of the entire MTC. All 1,997 of the missionaries. Almost exactly the amount in Helaman's army, which was just the coolest thing to be singing about fighting in God's army, which we are doing, whilst looking out at the same number that did the same a couple thousand years ago. Tonight We'll be singing Praise to the Man in the choir and it is a beautiful arrangement that starts off with the men singing softly and stacatto like and then every one joining in and all that good stuff. I can't wait, that's one of my favorite songs!

I completely forgot to tell you that I get to call home the day I fly out to Tahiti from the airport. That will be August 10th sometime in the morning, I'll tell you when I get my travel plans. I might only be able to talk for like 10 minutes but that's still awesome! I can't wait for that day but I really have a lot to learn here still. I want to be the absolute best prepared I can be to teach the people of Tahiti the gospel, and I'm getting there. Alright, I'm going to go send some pictures now. Have a good week everybody, I'll do the same.

Avec l'amour, Elder Clements

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Week # 7 July 14, 2015

Bonjour, te mau taata atoa. There's my frahitian. I get so confused with the three languages I know. I've had lot's of times where I'll start out in french and slip into tahitian and back again in our lessons and our poor investigors get kinda confused. Hirama, Je sais que te ekalesia est vrai. E nehenehe oe sais l'eglise est parau mau...Not only does that look like giberish but nearly no one knows what I am talking about. It's cool though. I'm starting to be able to talk in both languages, especially in lessons.

 We have an elder and three sisters that just got here that are going to Tahiti and they're from Vanuatu and New Caledonia and only speak french. I can kind of help them out a little now that I know some french and am pretty decent in tahitian.

You and Elder Garff's mom send me so much food every week and I try and give it away but I still just have a mountain of it in my room. I'll take a picture of it. It's pretty sweet. Not much has happened this week. Went to the temple this morning for the first time in a while. That was refreshing. The breakfast at the temple is amazing by the way.

  We saw the Character of Christ talk again and got a good ol lecture from Elder Bednar again. That man speaks with fire, let me tell you. I was going to quote him but I figure without the context it might not be as great. Anyway I'm out of time. I'm trying to type faster but I also had a bunch of people to email today. Until next week. The church remains true. See ya.

Je vous-aime, Elder Clements.