Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Letter # 5 June 30 ,2015

 

 
     Bonjour ma famille!! Yes we kind of started french yesterday but we still mostly speak tahitian. I have the accent almost down and it's already starting to slip into my everyday speech. There are somethings that I hardly ever say in english anymore! There are some really weird words for things in tahitian because it's such an ancient language. Like horse translates over to 'pig-run-land' because they don't have a word for horse. And computer room is 'room of the electric brain'...which is...creepy at best.
    I've started writing things down that I want to tell you so I can remember them. This week was great. It was the new mission president seminar and we ate in the gym. Along with that we ate catered food from other restaurants. Papa Johns, Chik-fil-a, Costa Vida (be still my heart!), and subway. It was the bomb diggity. I also had Graham Canyon ice cream for you mom :)
     Oh ya! I uh...got a new suit! I actually traded mine for elder Arne's (he's the elder going to France that's our room mate.) He was complaining about how baggy and long his suit was and I was complaining about how tight mine was and he's a little skinnier and shorter than me. We decided to try each other's suits on and lo and behold...I have a suit that feels like it was tailored for my body. I'm so happy! He's happy too, mine fits him alot better.
 This district has deffinitely not been blessed with health by the way. (the district are the tahitian missionaries that are going to Tahiti) Sister D has an upper respiratory virus that is going to take her a while to get over but she's doing alright. Sister M almost passed out yesterday and later learned that she had a concussion or something from hitting her head on the bed every morning. Sister T may have to be switched to a different mission because of a bowel inflamatory disease. We're waiting on the news right now. I think that's it right now, besides the Sister S thing a while ago. God's helping us all get through things and Illness just happens to be a thing in this district I guess.
                                                  My district with the Tahitian Elders

    We sung the most powerful version of Precious savior, Dear Redeemer this week too. I had just never heard a song arranged quite so powerful as that one. The spirit just set my heart on fire with every note, and every word in the song. I've realized this week just HOW MUCH God loves me...It's alot. I just look at my life and see all the things that he's given me. It's awesome! Anyway, that's helped me be happy and have an even better attitude about missionary work. Because I have been given much, I too must give. Not just 'must', but I want to as well. Well, I will end it here. Ua ite au e e mea parau mau i te Evanelia, Ua here Te Atua e Iesu Mesia ia tatou, e ua pohe Iesu Mesia no tatou na reira e riro tatou o Te Atua mai. Na roto i te I'oa o Iesu Mesia, Amene. That was my testimony. I know the church is true, I know God and Jesus Christ love us, and I know that Iesu Mesia died so that we may become like God. In the name of Jesus Christ, amene.

Oh ya, pronunciation guide for all of you who got a word and will get one.

e-- as in may
a-- as in bought
i-- as in meet
o-- as in oh
u-- as in oops

"s"s are pronounced as "t"s, "L"s are pronounced like "r"s.
That's the basics. pronounce all the vowels.

Ia ora na i teie ahiahi, Orometua Clements.
Elder Clements in his snappy new suit... among other things ;)

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Letter #4 June 23, 2015

It's that time of the week again! It's been yet another great work. Not really much new has happened except learning and teaching still. I guess that's a lot actually. There really is no better place to learn than here in the MTC. I'm progressing fairly well in tahitian and I'm finally starting to learn the scriptures a little better. We hardly use any notes in our lessons anymore and of course they're still in Tahitian. Sunday was so great this week. Probably because it was fathers day. I hope padre liked his hymn book! I like mine and I thought he would want one. I'll bet he didn't notice which hymn was marked. I missed my Padre (and everyone) but instead I spent the day gettting to know better my other father - the one that is in heaven. I felt his love a lot on sunday. It's so interesting how everything that happens here is amplified many times over, especially the Holy Ghost. I saw Chandler!!!! I mean Elder Stephens haha. It was one of those reuniting moments in the movies of course haha. This week is going to be interesting. There is a new mission president seminar this week and all of the general authorities will be on campus...so very likely I'll see at least one and possibly meet one. I hope I get to meet President Uchtdorff, that'd be cool. Anyway, I've run out of stuff to say. Till next week!

Ua here au ia outou!
-Orometua Clements

  Elder Garff  & Elder Clements (Dakodta's companion)
                                                  
 Elder Meyer, Elder Cooley, Elder Ruff

             Sisters in his district
 
Washing his BRIGHT whites

 

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Letter #3 June 16, 2015

It's P-day again!! I appreciate the pictures. Everybody loved how big Max is. This week was pretty fantastic but also the week that I started to miss stuff. I had a Journey song pop into my head and that really made me miss home, you know...no music. I end up just singing it all my self whilst I'm in the shower or walking around the rez. I also sing a lot of hymns too because they're really good and stuff. I sent my letters yesterday. It took me approximately forever to do it because I could only write one a day and I wrote one to the Garff family. They're so nice! They just sent me yet another giant package with more cookies and a tahitian flag. Oh another thing  I miss here...the world. In here there are tall buildings and all of the walkways are covered so I have to savor our temple walks and P-days. It's the strangest thing to go outside the MTC because I keep forgetting that cars and non missionary people exist. Story of the week is that I'm famous in the choir now...thanks to Elder Meyer. I was sitting nest to him in the tenor section and you know how they sometimes scan through the choir with the cameras? Anyway, of course your not supposed to do anything but look at the choir director while our singing and pretty much everyone does. So we were just practicing and Elder Meyer taps me on the leg and as I swing my head over to see what he wants, I see something flash across he screen that looked alot like the action I had just made. SURE ENOUGH!! I looked up at the screen and there I was, laughing like a mad man and already beet red. It stayed on me for like 7 seconds and I was front and center of the 6 people on the screen. good stuff. Everyone afterwards was like "hey your that Elder!!". "In the flesh" I would say.  By the way, I've gained a little weight. I'm like 185 ish now I think. They feed you well here. I'm super pumped to see Chandler...I mean Elder Stephens. I'm going to email him shortly. Sunday was great. I gave a talk in sacrament...all in tahitian, I taught the lesson in district meeting, I became the sacrament coordinator for our zone, etc. It's a busy life but I'm learning so much It's pouring out my ears. My testimony is also growing which is something I've needed and I am usually very focused in class and study now. Our two investigators are beginning to turn into slightly more challenging investigators but that's good for us. We don't teach by a script anymore, we can actually way most things in tahitian...although it's broken and simple still. My companion and I disagree on teaching styles alot but we'll make it through. The problem with him is he knows so much about the scriptures and doctrine that he forgets that these people are not going to have a clue what he is talking about if he starts talking about it like he normally does. The problem with me is that I don't know anything about the scriptures compared to most people here and I don't really know doctrine that well either. So ya, we'll find a balance eventually. We've got plenty of time to. Sister Stone is better but she still isn't great. But she's getting better so that's good.  I gotta go I just realized. I miss you all. The church really is true, and God loves us all. Wow that sounds wierd coming from my mouth, oh well. It's true so who cares. until next week.

Ua here au ia tatou!
-Orometua Clements
 
 

Monday, June 15, 2015

Letter #2 June 9, 2015

Alright! Eaha to'oe huru?!Had yet another good week. I was at the temple this morning, that's always my favorite. We've made a tradition out of catching the first session of the day and then eating in the cafeteria there. That's good eatin'. I've been getting your packages and those are the best. I'll try and find some more time to write letters but I haven't had much yet. I HAVE had the time to take pictures though so here you go. This week we did loads. D. Todd Christofferson came and spoke to us and that was really cool. Because I'm in the choir I got to sing to him...it was cool! He had a really nice talk. Saturday was a bit different. We were studying in the afternoon when Sister Stone started getting mighty quiet. Which for her is very unusual. Her and Sister Pita left and after our study I went to go take a break. She had just been throwing up a bunch of blood. We eventually decided we'd all give her a blessing before sending her off to the nurse. We gave her the blessing and she started to feel a little better but we sent her off anyway. She felt pretty crappy the rest of the night I guess but she didn't have any more problems. She's been fine ever since. It was still cool to be able to give her a blessing and knowing that we should. Elder Garff gave it and it was very nice. I got a package from Elder Garff's family this week along with a very nice letter! They're just the nicest people. They sent me SO much stuff. I took a picture of it. I've been getting along well with my district and we all act like we've known each other for forever. I don't remember if I said but my companion is my polar opposite but I've come to realize that that is a blessing because then we won't get distracted talking about things we have in common...because we have none. Like literally, besides our reason for being here. I've still been adjusting to the schedule and I'm...usually on time. Except in the morning but I'm getting better. My tahitian is going maita'i roa (that's very good). A ani manihini i te mau taata ia haere mai... the works! yesterday we taught our first lesson without a script! of course it was all in tahitian. We commited our investigator to being baptized which was cool. He's still hesitant but that's ok. I swear I had so much more to say but I can't remember anything...I'll bring my journal next time. And yes, I've been writing in it.
​ok I guess I'll send more pics in another email.
Ua here raua! (love y'all)

 
Orometua Clements
 


 

Letter #1 June 2, 2015

    Ia ora na to'u utuafare!! I have so many things I'd like to tell you all but I only have an hour so lets see what I can crank out. So as you may be able to tell, I'm learning Tahitian, not French. They changed it because my district is the last ever to learn the language in the MTC...so ya pretty special haha. The MTC is awesome! It's definitely hard, dont let anyone tell you otherwise. However it's a good kind of hard and I have learned SO MUCH! Today is tuesday. I haven't even been here a week and I have already taught 4 lessons to our investigator, Vetea Chater. (He's not a real investigator but to us he is) Oh by the way, we did not say a single word in english in any of the lessons. My companion is Elder Garff. He's such a great guy, and he knows WAY more about the scriptures and all that, than I do. He's from the beautiful, exotic, far off land called Salt Lake City and we have literally nothing in common except why we're here...which is the only thing that's important so we actually get along very well. He's a super happy guy that knows a lot about the gospel and I think is that is the kind of companion I need, at least for a while. Also, try and think of where you've heard the last name Garff........Billboard's maybe? Radio? That's right, he's the great grandson of Ken Garff and heir to the throne of Ken Garff auto. His dad's the CEO right now. What I like is that he doesn't act like a rich kid or arrogant or anything. He's just a Elder here to share the gospel and I look up to him for that...even though I'm the senior companion. To answer Alaycia's question's, yes I've made loads of friends. My district and the other Tahitian district mostly, but also every one in my branch. A lot of them are sisters too. They're really cool. They are as follows Elder Cooley (Utah, who cares where but he's one of my bff's ), Elder Meyer (Utah, and this guy is the funniest and no one knows it. He looks like Leonard Nimoy, he's super shy, but he's always pointing out the strangest things like birds and little doors for little men...and no he's not special, just funny like that.), Elder Ruff (Somewhere is colorado, and Rowan Atkinson's doppleganger), Sister Stone (San francisco), Sister Pita (Sydney Australia, we all try and imitate her accent), Sister Kelsey (Idaho, potato farm probably), and Sister Daniels (again somewhere in Utah.) These guys are already some of my best friends! The food here is actually really good and I've been trying to eat a bit healthier. They have great salads so I have one almost every meal. And no I haven't really had low blood sugar at all so that's cool! Bro, you punk, I can't read that but I'll have someone translate it. My departure date is August 10th I think, so ya the full 12 weeks. I got the package, Mauruuruu roa! (thanks much) I'm not sure if I will need the suit...but I've worn mine every day :( I just wear the other slacks with it and short sleeve shirts and it's ok so I'll probably be alright. Also, I can get mail and packages anytime...just saying. I will get pictures to you ASAP now that I have the SD card. I have to go soon cuz I can't type very fast. This place is so great, I can't even tell you. The spirit is so strong all the time. I learned more about why I'm here on sunday. I got to see a talk by Elder Bednar, and let me tell you, when that man ain't in conference, he says what he wants. He was awesome though and I realize now that I need to focus more on the people I will be teaching and not myself. In fact that is absolutely necessary. Anyway, I've got to go do my laundry, I miss you all and I talk to you later, send letters. Nana! (goodbye)