Thursday, October 27, 2016

Au Bureau

    


     Well this week was...busy. I've been driving around so much that I've got the low rumble of diesel engine stuck in my ears. Tuesday started with a day long training with president which included going to the post office, taking things to the boats for transfers, organizing the office, verifying phones receipts, etc. Wednesday was about the same. Actually I guess the whole week was about the same. We were super busy with all this stuff and our secteur on top. 
    
     My companion is cool. He's REALLLY Tahitian. He's super nice and all that, he's even fairly obedient I guess. He's just really Tahitian. His accent is really thick. It's like someone with a really thick southern accent (compared to English). Nah, he's super cool. We get along really well. I'm just learning to be more humble and patient. 

     Ok so, I just had a hoard of missionaries come into the office asking for things and such, I don't really have any time any more....well see you all next week. Je vous aime

-Elder Clements

Monday, October 17, 2016

The Office: Episode 1

     This week was mighty interesting. So there was a transfer and I thought I would be transferred but I was wrong. Actually I'm staying and that's more exciting than you'd think. So on Thursday, Elder Packer and I were talking to this Marqueisan guy at about 10:00 in the morning (nothing unusual) when I get a call. I can't explain the panic attack that one has when he looks at the phone and sees "PDT BIZE" on the screen! So I answered and all he says is that he needs to talk to me ASAP and so we fixed a time for noon and went our way. Noon arrives and president shows up and tells me to get in his car. I do so and he says as he takes off his glasses "Elder Clements, we are about to do something in this mission that we've never done before." "Seeing as how the Hauata couple has left we have no one to do their job and I thought you would be perfect for this." So ya, the news is that I'm taking over the task of the Hauata's which includes the reception and sending of packages and baggage, fumigation (don't know what that is in English but it has to do with sending items home), proselyting literature, portable phones, bikes, help with transfers, and the arrivals and departs of new missionaries. Plus we stay in this secteur to do regular missionary work!! Crazy right? Oh also I get a new companion, his names Elder Heiata, from Raiatea. I don't know him yet. Elder Packer is going to Papara, right next to my first secteur. Oh ya!! AND I get a truck!! I get to drive the Grey Toyota Hilux, turbo diesel that the Hauata's used to drive!!! So pumped!! I might go pick it up today or Wednesday, when I go to work (at the office haha). This is going to be so weird working in an office all the time and having mission wide responsibilities but I guess the work of the Lord comes in many forms. I'm pretty stoked actually.


My District
     As for the missionary work this week we had a great week! We started teaching two new families and have seen a lot of progress in our other investigators. One of these new investigators is T*** and his family. His wife is an inactive member and he has already been taught but when the floods in Papenoo happened last year, their rental house got swept away and they lost contact with the missionaries...until now. He's a giant man with a giant heart and he has the goal to get baptized. He made the goal this week to quit coffee and to fix a day for his marriage and baptism!! SO cool. Our other new investigators are still very new but also seem to be very potential as well. 
     I got to go to the temple this week too. That was cool. So that was pretty much my week. I got the office job, I got new investigators, and I went to the temple. Today we're going to venus point in Mahina to play some beach soccer. I'll send pictures, have a good one!! Love you all!

-Elder Clements

Met a man this week named John Siao, he's one of the best Tahitian painters, he even has paintings in Hollywood and books and such


Thursday, October 13, 2016

No time

     

The impossible happened! I got to eat real See's chocolates last night. The wife of President Varney brought them back from the US and GAVE US A BOX!!!!
     No time today. Our gamer guy bailed on us and we couldn't find Nephi to open the church so we're leeching the zone leaders computers. I saw bro's email and my stomach did a back-flip because that was the trippiest thing I've ever seen to see another Elder Clements name tag! Glad he's doing well, I wrote him too.
     This week was tough...and good. We found some new investigators but had 0 lessons on Wednesday. It was awful!!! We did a split though on Friday and got to be in the truck with Boyd over in their secteur. That was cool. We're having leadership issues in our ward. Oh well. Ok y'all that's about it.
     A thing I learn this week is the importance of keeping the holy ghost with us. The ONE thing that all the prophets and apostles pray for is the spirit to be with them. Pray for the spirit to be with you and to be able to discern it's promptings and to be able to have the courage and faith to act upon those impressions. 
-Elder Clements

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

This is Elder Clements...#1

                                                                            MACDO as we call it here

  Well I've been freaking out to get a letter from bro all week and now he doesn't have a P-day for the week. That's alright I'm patient.  It's a little daunting to think that MY two years of not seeing the boy starts now and its already been a year and some. That's alright too, God's in the cockpit and he's a perfect pilot. 
     I had an excellent week this week. General conference was super inspiring. What I do now so I can get more out of it is I show up with a couple specific questions in mind. After that I take notes which helps me stay focused, which is necessary when watching it in french. It's not that I don't understand it's just that it's...not the powerful voice of Elder Holland, It's the nasally voice of brother Jean-Pierre or something. Even in french though, the spirit was able to confirm eternal truths and answer the questions that I had to help me work even more efficiently as a missionary and to continue even after. There was a big theme of prayer and repentance I noticed but also a big focus on missionary work (hint hint just because there's two missionaries outside the home doesn't exclude those there from this opportunity and obligation) What a wonderful blessing it is to have the chance to be in the true church of Christ; the way back to live with God. May we all continue to advance by the little things, reading the scriptures and praying, etc, but also by helping others to know the enormous blessings of the one true church. Prepare those around you to take the missionary lessons. Have courage to know what to say and when to say it. PRAY for opportunities to share the gospel.  
     We fixed yet another baptism this week! A girl named Tamara that is going to get married to an RM decided to take the lessons and has already received a testimony of the truth and wants to be baptized the day of her marriage which is way in December but that's alright. Things are looking up in Pare! 
    
Hospital in Pare
     I received yet another article of good news this week! i saw Tati Liline (from way back in Papara) whilst doing visits at the hospital and she told me that Poerani, the woman we baptized last September just got her endowment in the temple!! I'm super proud of her because she was living in a rough environment and I didn't know how well she was doing but there you go. God protected her even through those situations. 
     I got a letter from grandma this week dated the 27th of July. It also has a stamp that says it was missent somewhere else. I think I've gotten all of the other ones.  Tell grandma thanks for the encouragement and love. I love getting letters and I apologize for not responding to them. love you grandma!
   Ok ïa, have a good week. Work hard and ayez de la joie!

-Elder Clements