A Long Week

This week has been long! It started out Tuesday night with a devotional from Elder Anderson. That was way cool. We were going to do and OJ bet on if an Apostle would come, except we all knew one would come. He talked about suffering and enduring through it, the Adversary and beating him, and some other motivating stuff. I loved every minute of it.

Of course at the end I wanted to shake his hand or something, but there would be no way for that to happen with all the missionaries, so afterwards we just left a side door. Right there was a black car behind a little barricade thingy, and a body guard. Right then, Elder Anderson walked up, so Elder Robinson, Edmunds, and I went over to shake his hand along with only about twenty others before he left. Way cool.

This whole week we've been finishing up with our teachers before we start learning Tahitian, and I think that's why it seemed to drag out so long. Our teachers have been telling us lots of stories from their missions in Paris including really funny ones and really spiritual ones. We've been teaching our teachers like they were investigators. They acted like investigators from their own missions who they became close to and it was cool to see how we taught them compared to how our teachers actually taught them on their missions. 

We have also been talking about the first day at the MTC. I didn't realize how much I improved until looking back and seeing how much I thought I know and how much I didn't know. The gift of tongues is real, and We've had a lot of help from up above to learn not only how to teach the gospel with the spirit, but teach it in a different language.

Christmas lights are going up and it makes the MTC life a little more easily managed. They started putting them up right outside our classroom window. Man, we're blessed. Just kidding. The Vanuatuans got a kick out of the people climbing this big tree to put lights up.

Overall this week, I've mostly just been excited to start Tahitian. Tomorrow's the day. We're losing Soeur Banda to Saint George and gaining five new missionaries. We've met two of them, one from Utah and the other from Madagascar. It's going to be fun starting this new language with new people. It will be a completely new adventure. I just hope I'll be able to learn enough Tahitian in two weeks.

So far, I've spent six weeks in the MTC which is the longest most missionaries will stay here. I've definitely learned to rely on the Lord in these past six weeks, to pray hard and sincerely, to work diligently, and to seek out the spirit in everything I do. There's a scripture that talks about trusting in the Lord, because without Him you can't do anything, and with Him, you can do all. Out on my mission, I'm going to be using that a lot.

It's a great opportunity to be on a mission and to be able to teach people about the true church through the Holy Ghost. I know I can't do it without him, and I try to be humble so I can teach effectively. These six weeks have changed me, and I know these next two years will change me even more.

Until next time, nana!

Elder Lewis

Soeur Jimmy and her awesome hair

First meal eating healthy

Me and Elder Winwood before he left for Hong Kong

Cereal eating challenge

Elder Edmunds sleeping again

Elder Edmunds and I took a walk for a break and wandered to the senior couples floor. This is what they get! Not fair!

There's this really weird picture in the main building. Look at the window

Bathroom pics with Elders Edmunds and Robinson

Disgusting MTC food

Elder Roylance fell asleep. Bad move, my friend

Me and Elder Marae this Sunday before he left

Elder Tetaapua (from Tahiti), Elder Leroy (from Belgium), Elder McLoughlin, me, Elder Edmunds, and Elder Robinson

Sister Saroni, Sister Jimmy, and me celebrating Halloween with fake teeth. They were scared when I first smiled at them with purple vampire teeth, then they put some in, too

The story I wrote in Bislama

Me, Elder Edmunds, and brother Maher, the branch's first counselor