A Visit from Elder Nelson

Ia ora na tatou!

Everyone in Tahiti speaks French, but not everyone speaks Tahitian.  So, we speak French way more.  But, I am going to learn Tahitian!  I can speak some, but it's not the best.  But, yeah, it's really weird ha.  There are missionaries that finish their missions not knowing how to speak Tahitian, but not me!  Today, we have a service project, but I don't really know what it is haha.  We're going to go help some other elders help someone in their ward, so we'll see what I end up doing there.  After that, we'll go in town for practicing singing for the concerts.  After that, we'll do our shopping, play basketball with some investigators, and then we have two family home evening with our investigators!  Now that I am closer to town, I have time to do stuff now and it's weird!  

Anyways, this week was really good.  Elder Nelson came to Tahiti this week with seventies Elder Pearson, Elder Callister, and Elder Tarati and their wives.  It was amazing!  The spirit was so strong!  It was incredible!  Nobody in that room will ever deny that he is an apostle of God!  Before, I knew that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet of God today.  Now, I know, as well, that Elder Nelson is an apostle of God!  One of the things that I really liked was that he took the time to shake everyone's hand and talk to them a little bit!  In all, that took a lot of time.  But, he did it anyways because he loves us!  And he knows that the Savior loves us!  A lot of times, we think we have to do big things for people to help them, but it's really by the small, simple things that we can do every day that help people the most!  We had a conference with them Thursday and it was absolutely incredible!  I am so thankful that God sent them here!  They brought such a strong Spirit and I learned so much!  Your quote reminded me of one of them.  "Our missionaries are not salesmen with wares to peddle; rather, they are servants of the Most High God, with testimonies to bear, truths to teach, and souls to save."  Already in my mission, I've seen God help people change their lives and become so happy and joyful!  A joy that can last forever and can lead to eternal life.  But, Elder Nelson helped me remember that the work is even bigger than that.  There are missionaries all over the world right now and WE are gathering in the House of Isreal.  But, it's not just the missionaries, it's US.  We have this wonderful blessing and it's our divine call to gather His sheep.  I like a scripture in 1 Nephi 15:13-14.  And, when we look at Jeremie 1:4-5, we can see that we have been called even before this life to help this people receive the gospel.  Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity that you have given to me to be on my mission!  I love you so much!  And I am forever thankful to you!  I'm so grateful for the knowledge that we have the opportunity to become an eternal family!  I know that this church is Christ's church!  I know that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet of God today.  I know that Elder Nelson is an apostle of God.  I know that God is really our Father in Heaven.  He loves us so much!  Thanks, again!  I love you!  And, I know that God loves you so much!  I'm so grateful for prayer, for the chance we have to talk with Him!

Ua here au ia outou!

Elder Jessop

Klause's Baptism

Ia Ora Na to'u Utuafare!

My new companion and I doing a service project our first day in
the area

Yeah, I was sad to leave my last sector.  I loved it too much!  But, my new sector is amazing, too!  And I know it's where the Lord wants me to be!  So, my new sector is Taapuna, Punaauia, Tahiti.  It's 45 minutes away from my last sector and is more of a city, aussi.  There aren't really tourists in my sector, but there are where the house is.  It's super weird to see!  I thought it was weird when Carson talked about seeing white people and it being really weird when he was on his mission.  But, now I understand him a lot better ha!  My sector is on the mountainside of Punaauia, so everyone has amazing views of the sunset with the ocean and Moorea.  I speak Tahitian a lot more here than in my old sector, which I wasn't expecting.  Oh, and my new companion is Elder Irihau.  He is from Raiatea and speaks super good Tahitian!  He is way cool and I love him!  

That's such a cool story with the fast!  (We recently had a stake fast for snow and moisture.)  And, I love D&C 82!  It's so true!  The Lord gives us commandments to bless us and, when we obey them, He happily blesses us immediately!  

Klause and his cousin at Klause's baptism

This week, I got to go back to Papeari for a baptism!  I went with my first companion, Elder Fitzsimmons, who is my zone leader now!  His name is Klause Ariiveheataiteraipoiri.  He is 19 years old and got baptized by his cousin, who was baptized by Elder Fitzsimmons last year!  I loved his testimony because the Spirit was so strong and it testified to everyone that he has changed!  We did all of the lessons in one week and baptized him that Saturday!  Normally, we don't ever want to do that!  But, the Spirit guided us, and he really was ready!  The Lord had been preparing him for years and he was ready!  I know that there are our brothers and sisters out there that God has already prepared to receive the gospel and all we need to do is find them.  I love you so much!  I know this church is true!

Ua here au ia outou!

Elder Jessop

Punaauia, Here I Come!

Ia Ora Na!

Sorry, I don't have time to write this week.  I just got transferred to Punaauia, Tahiti.  I'll tell you more next week, but all is good here and I love you!

Ua here au ia outou!

Elder Jessop

(Here is what comes up if you google Punaauia.  Awwww!  We should be there!)

The Priesthood…. What a Blessing!

Ia Ora Na to'u utuafare!

I didn't even know it was the superbowl.  But, the seahawks are my team, so I guess that's cool ha.  

The priesthood is such an amazing thing!  When I first came here, my favorite thing to do was give blessings!  And, I still love it so much!  You can really feel God's love for them when you're giving a blessing!  With the weather, there weren't really thunderstorms here.  I've only seen two, maybe three, here so far.  But, it was close because it's been hot and rainy.  For p-day today, we left to go to town at 7, sang, and then visited a returned missionary at the hospital.  Last week, he got a disease from rats and almost died.  We went to the hospital last week and gave him a blessing when he was in a coma.  The doctors said that he should have died, but today he was out of the coma, eating, and talking just fine.  Just another crazy experience with the priesthood.  We're sooo blessed!  Anyways, we just got back and are doing e-mails.  After, we have a lesson and a family home evening with one of my favorite families here right now!

I don't really have a lot of time to write, but I just wanted to share a short story.  The family who we are going to have a family home evening with tonight we teach twins and their kids.  We have had two lessons with them all.  And, at the church yesterday, we have a class where we teach our investigators.  Before we started our class, one of the twins, Iolanda, stood up and introduced herself to the class, said that she knows the church is true, which she hadn't told us yet, and then invited the rest of the class to pray and ask God if it's true!  Cho nave!  Power!  I love how it's always the Spirit that converts people, not the missionaries!  And, it always brings them joy and makes them want to follow Christ and help others do the same!  I know that this church is true!  And, I love my mission and the people here!  And, I love my Father in Heaven so much!  I'm so grateful for everything!  Thanks so much for all you do!  I love you!

Ua here au ia oe!

Elder Jessop