IAORANA!!!
Well, I had my first week of Tahitian!!! It is such a cool language, it sounds so cool and I can't wait til I can really speak it. Tahitian is really so different from any language we normally encounter, and especially french. The culture really speaks through the language. The more we learn Tahitian, the more we learn about the people of French Polynesia. I really really can't wait to go there, I've been practicing and studying for weeks now to teach these people and I have grown a profound love for them, and I haven't even met them yet!!!
My previous district was split up, so half of my new district I've never met! They are awesome, and they have such amazing testimonies and personalities. I know they will do such amazing work and be such a light in people's lives. My new teachers are absolutely amazing too. They both served in Tahiti, and I can see how much love they have for the time they spent there. It's sad i'll only get to be with them for a few weeks, but I hope to be friends with them always!
My French passport is on it's way!!!!! I received an email that it was complete and that I will receive it soon!! I really hope it can help me out and that it can be taken into consideration. We will continue to hope and pray!
We recently talked about the Grace of God in class and it was an amazing discussion. The main idea of grace is "divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ." Through faith in the Atonement and repentance of your sins, we can receive strength and assistance to do good works that we could otherwise not be able to do if left to our own means. Isn't that amazing??? Maybe that's why they call it 'Amazing Grace' (such a good song).... In order to receive this grace, we must do all we can in our power to do the best we can. Grace means God will fill in the rest. "It is truly the grace of Jesus of Christ that makes salvation possible." So no, we can't receive this gift by sitting down and doing nothing and say "God will do it". But you can rest assured that after you do all YOU can, God will help you with the rest.
Before I started the MTC, I went to MTECH to become an Advanced EMT. For almost four months I did online classes. I absolutely dreaded it and it made my whole day worse. These months felt like years! It was 3 hours a day, which sounds pretty hefty already right? Well, I started to be scared because I soon found out that the MTC would be online too, 6 hours every day on zoom! Oh, the horror! I was so so worried I would absolutely hate it and everyday would be a nightmare, because I didn't want to! When I talked with my stake president before I started, we talked about this and he said something I took to heart: "The more you put into it the more you get out of it." I did exactly that, I told myself I would try everyday to make it good and learn as much as I can from it. Guess what? The time has passed so quickly I feel like it was last week I started. I've learned so much and I can feel the difference in strength, physically and spiritually. What did I do different? I put my whole effort into these classes, and I did all I could to learn more and be a good missionary, and guess what? I was blessed for it. Everyday is awesome, not a nightmare. I feel strong, not weak. I feel uplifted and happy, not sad and grumpy. That, is the grace of God.
I know that as you do all you can do to become better, God will help you and fill in the rest. Learn to trust in Him. Learn to hear his answers. Learn to see the help He sends your way. You are His child. He loves you, and He wants to help you all He can. You just have to do what you can, have faith and do a little better everyday, and prove you are working for it, and trying:) You will see it. Have faith :)
I love you all, I send my love and my prayers your way! Do some good this week!
E tatou mau utuafare, ua here vau ia tatou :) (You are family, I love all of you) Mauruuru roa, nana!
Elder Hansen