Last week wasn't super interesting. We're still trying to get the work going. For some reason, we just can't seem to get lessons in with any of our investigators. We found seven new investigators last week, so not bad. Most of those were thanks to a blitz we did in our sector with the zone. It's ridiculously hard to find those people and teach them again, though. One by one, very slowly, we find them again. This week we found six new investigators, so again, not bad.
Last week, I had a fun experience with that couple who only reads from the bible in lessons. I guess I haven't mentioned their names. Nicolas* and Giselle*. The cutest couple, sweet, loving, basically like a second set of parents. And the feed us at the end of each lesson. The lessons are always full of spiritual thought after spiritual thought, scripture after scripture. It's really cool to see how excited the couple gets over these discussions. This lesson was about the Holy Ghost. At one point Elder Murdock shared a few quotes from Harold B. Lee. Nicolas and Giselle LOVED them! They talked about how true those quotes were, and were super excited about them. Of course, we didn't say that a living day prophet said those things. We kept talking, and the scripture in 1 Corinthians about the gifts of the Spirit was brought up. We talked about that, and I decided to pull out our modern day scriptures to bring in a second witness of the truth. Risky move. Note that that was the first scripture that we've shared that does NOT come from the Bible. I talked about how I have a testimony that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Normally, one of them would agree with what I said or share a scripture to back up what I said. Nothing. There was an awkward silence for about ten seconds, and then they started talking about how they don't want to change religions and how they believe wholeheartedly in the Bible and other stuff like that. Wow. It's just mind blowing to me. I don't have the words to describe this, it's just crazy that they accept everything so much, but can't accept other scriptures.
This week it rained a lot, we had a multizone conference, and some other things come up, so it wasn't super effective. We pulled it off in the end, though. Yesterday,I had the most successful day in Tautira so far. I'm used to teaching easily three or four lessons a day, but here in Tautira it's one, maybe two. It takes a lot of work to find each person and teach them. On Sunday, after church we taught an ami, our one planned lesson for the day, then we went and tried to find some other people. First person we tried let us in. Usually he will repush the lesson a week or two in the future, so it's nice to get in a good, spiritual lesson.
After that we went to a little neighborhood that we had never been down before. We contacted it for the first time a few days ago. First house we tried, we hadn't talked for more than fifteen seconds before this woman let us back. We thought it was way too easy, and that she was just messing with us. Second house, a mami who told us she was Sanito, but would welcome anyone willing to talk about God. Third house, An inactive family who wants to come back into the Chruch and baptise their nine year old son.
So on Sunday we did the first lesson with the woman from the first house, Manihi*. Her husbad said that he was really interested, so he joined us. So we taught Manihi and Jeremie* the Restoration. I'll admit, that was the first time I ever taught a lesson with someone breastfeeding right in front of me the entire time. Anyway, this family is golden, and don't be surprised if we soon have three baptisms fixed from this family. They're super sincere, and they asked all the questions that we have answers to.
Okay, one more cool experience, and I'll finish up. In that same neighborhood with a lot of success, we found this young mom and her two little kids. As we talked, we found out a lot about her. Life's not easy, her husband is rarely home, and when he is, he's drunk. She has a lot of other problems and questions, and if we could, we would have taught her all the missionary lessons right there. We settled with teaching about the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation.
What I noticed most about this conversation is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ really answers all of our questions. Any worry, doubt, question, or trial in our lives can be solved by the Gospel, by Jesus Christ and his Atonement. I'm so glad that I am a missionary and that I'm able to spend two years of my life helping people receive these blessings. There are so many people out there with so many difficulties, and they can't quite find the light, the relief that they need.
Oh, I remembered another really potential ami we found. Revatua* was a reference from another missionary who had gone to school with her and they kind of knew each other. Not much to go off of, but it worked! Revatua went to school, so she's smart (you wouldn't believe the difference going to college makes, or even just finishing high school). She has a lot of mormon friends who have talked about religion, and she's super interested. Right now, she's just waiting for the response to know if this church is true, so another baptism is coming up pretty soon haha.
Anyway, sorry the letter is really long this week, I guess it make up for last week, too. That's just some of the adventures that are happening out here in the islands. May the grace of God be with you all.
Elder Lewis
