27.3.14

Okay. 🙂 I’m alive. Amazingly. So I got my new comp Elder Hansen thrusday night; things were great, no problems or anything, I was really looking forward to serving with him. Thinking my old comp got the boot, I figured I’d stay a good 6 weeks to show my comp the sector, then get transfered back to Tahiti. Boy was I wrong. Friday we went around the island just cause it was his first day, had meetings, so hit the hard work around 3, had two lessons or so, went home to eat the food that had been dropped off. Go to bed; thinking all is well in Raiatea. Boy was I wrong. Wake up the next day; saturday. We go into town for a meeting with the Stake President to talk about missionary work. Before we even get there at 8 in the morning the phone rings…. Bum bum BUMM. Get a call from the assistants telling me I’m going to be transfered to the Tuamotos, (the islands in french Poly. Where there are only atolls) and train again. the island is called Manihi. So I thought he was kidding cause that’s everyones dream to go there. So I was in disbelieif and shock. My new comp that just got there doesnt know the sector; the investigators; the members; not even where we live; much less where the other missionaries live. So he and I start freaking the heck out, cause he’s the new Zone Leader, only missionary on the island with a car, basically in a nut shell, he’s screwed out there. We go FLYING around the island, me yelling where everything is; and he’s taking notes on everything he can. I’m trying to tell him all the duties of a Zone Leader cause it was the first time he’s a Zone leader in any place/ So I tell him where the boat comes where the airport is; who has what needs, where Stake President Lives, where our bishop lives, what stores not to go to; the WHOLE BURRITO people. SO I Say goodbye to everyone; he says hello; they give me necklaces and stuff like that, they gave him dirty looks cause he’s new. And it was the craziest 3 days ever. Tuesday morning; I get on the plane to go to Tahiti to go to a training meeting to be a trainer. And meet my newbie, Elder Webber.
All went well at Tahiti for the most part, my new comp is awesome. I love him. He plays soccer; and he speaks really well for being new; honestly, It’s great; So then me and my newbie get on the plane wednesday morning, and we stopped at 3 other Islands, Tikihau, Rangiroa, and Ahe, until we got to our island, we get off… Nobody is there… So I have no idea what’s going on, my newbie is more lost than I am and we just looked around; I prayed, looked around; the airport is on another section of the island, you have to take a boat from the airport to go to the Village Luckily a member was there! His name was Alma,(not too many people have that name, and if they do. You know their parents read a book we all know) he took us to the village and we show up there; Totally lost; We got there and so many members were welcoming us. SO great. 🙂 So the scenery here is BLUE water, WHITE sand. 🙂 and coconut trees. that’s all. But already this branch is awesome; the branch president, president Tehiotaata is a really cool guy, he’s so willing to help us and give us anything we need to get things going here; so honestly, we’re going to blow this island out of the water. 🙂 It’s gonna be epic; So we are in a great area, and things are going to be fine, there is a tiny little nurses office here, so if i get a fish hook in my finger, I’m fine. 😉 But yeah, it’s bloody hot here, SUPER bright, (thanks dad for the sunglasses; I would be dead without them here) very pretty, and my lips taste like salt.
Love you all, talk to you on monday. 🙂 thanks for your prayers, I think Elder Hansen is doing fine, and I’m doing great as well. 🙂 I’m gonna baptize this whole island. 🙂
Elder Purdy