Week 21: Bye Bye Faaa

Yup you read it right. I'm leaving Faaa and am hyped. It was sad leaving the ward and saying by but I really needed the fresh start for sure. I'm getting ahead of myself though...

So i did some splits again this week and went to a place called "Oremu" with Elder Cowley. It took an hour and a half walk up a mountain to get to the area where we taught english and visited. It was so hot that day that even Tahitians were complaining. It as rough but hype. But yea, different than a car.

I also got a haircut in the chapelle in a classroom for free from a member. Missionary life.

I also organized and lead a service project cleaning garbage at a member's house. We found many t shirts, toys and a dead dog. A full dead dog. It was insane. We filled over 24 bags like 200L each. Nuts.

But yea transfers were the hype part. I'm in Arue (Ah rou way) in Pare (pah reh) and it's still city which I'm a little sad about; other than that looks lit and I have a part that is jungle which I'm  in right this moment; It's super close to Papeete too so best of both worlds I guess. I also have the big hospital for French Polynesia in my sector so lots of blessings. Bike area too which I'm happy about. Oh yea and an American comp, Elder Wilkinson! So happy for english wow; he's super nice.

I got 12 ties this week wow.

Have a great week everyone

Elder Fiore

Mom's note:

Zach had a ton of pictures he was disappointed he didn't have internet to download. He showed me a bunch on our call - he had taken pictures with all the members of his ward in Faaa. Despite all the ups and downs and challenges, he has loved the people he has served. He is excited to serve in this new area which is apparently very busy and he's looking forward to being exhausted from serving. He is feeling better  - I'd say he's worked his way up to being about 60% better - which is a big improvement from where he was a few weeks ago. Certainly his trials have helped him grow and develop in ways I did not think were possible  - they have helped us all grow as his family too. Looking forward to a new chapter for him in Arue. 

I'm going to add some photos that he downloaded but I'm not sure where and when they re from!

Week 20: 2020 in Toronto

Happy New Year everyone.

I had an unexpected surprise and facetimed home exactly at midnight in Toronto and watched the ball drop w family. It was very fun and unexpected. 2020 is crazy. Full year in Tahiti. Gonna be a tough one lol. I also went to bed at 10 New Years Eve which was sad, but that made it so the Toronto New Years was truly mine too. 

I did another mini split and loved not being in the car again. I also invited a person I taught for the first time, to baptism. I don't know why I invited the ami they're teaching but he said yes. I did the whole lesson too while my comp did a lesson with someone else at the same time next to us. Two lessons at the same time. That's efficient missionary work. I also set up an english tutoring session and taught 8 kids basic intro english. 

Back in my sector we taught a new convert how to get a guy and gave her love and flirting advice. 

We had a poke bowl too which was good and the people we were eating with were freaking out over how many veggies there were the whole meal. Shredded carrots and sliced cucumber. They don't eat many veggies here - it's difficult. But as their son said, we are spoiled to have so much. There are more veggies in a burger smh.

We also had someone get up in front of all in testimony meaning and not only sing a song, which is weird in itself, but chose a song for the ward to sing. About a third of people sang and the pianist did an awkward head shake when asked to play. It was fun and she's crazy. She tickled me after. And pinched me. 

I'm the king too according to gallet to roi, Three King day thing, 12 days after Christmas. I got a little Mexican head in my cake, so of course I win. It was weird but fun.

I've started just planning all our days and have been filling them so we've been a lot busier. Its made days a lot more hard working and fun.  Because I plan all now tho and my comp doesn't care, I've made it so there's literally nothing on a day I'm doing another split, going to another area. I don't want to miss anything haha. So we have every day extremely booked this week, like hour by hour full and jam packed already, and then Wednesday completely empty. Oh well. I have to start planning lessons Wednesday though cause there's no other time this week free. I like planning the days -  it's fun. 

I got 3 free ties too.

In the same crazy testimony meeting there was a 10 year old boy who went up all alone. He spoke for like three min then starting sweating a lot, deep breathing and crying. His dad came up and literally just stood behind him closely. The little boy looked up at his dad, nodded in a I can do this way, then finished well. The silent support of his dad was beautiful. We have support no matter where we are and what we are doing. We have friends and family and Heavenly Father standing behind us, there for us. It was a beautiful moment. 

Transfers are next week and I'm tryna leave lol. I hope i do.

Have a great week everyone

Elder Fiore

1 Conatcting

2. Given food yum

3. mountain

4. Lotus hills view of moorea i have all the time

5.King

Mom note: It was the best surprise to hear from him on NYE and have him there to ring in the NY! The past couple of weeks have been super super challenging, but he has been getting stronger and it has been nice to have more contact with him to help him get stronger. Here's a few more pictures from his week:

Daily views and activities:

Replacing the stickers:

More views and daily life:

Week 19: New area, companion and house! for 24 hours :(

Hello everyone. Hope all had a Merry Christmas. I'm glad it's over to be honest. Very glad. But it was good. We made food and handed it out to families in need and I also talked to my family which was great. No one in my ward invited us for dinner on Christmas eve nor Christmas so we called a member my comp knows and asked if we could eat with them. They live in the city over in Punaauia. He had us both nights and we had an insane Christmas buffet, with homemade sushi, sashimi, lobster, lamb, beef, noodles and much more. I was stuffed and pleased. I also got my package my mom sent October 1 on Christmas day! It arrived just in time. What a miracle. I tucked away the decorations she had sent but loved the package and the other contents! So Christmas was very tough but also fine. It's over, I did it and I'm hyped for next year with all my decorations and being better adapted. 

An amazing part of the week was a split I did Friday. A split is when you switch with another missionary for 24 hours. I went with a new, american companion, a new sector, no car and a hype house. We worked hard and it was such a good day. Maybe my favourite of the mission. Really gave me hope things can get better with a transfer and change. We didn't even have a lesson and it was still good. I was super sad when the split ended though and super sad to go back to my house and people. 

I also got 5 free ties this week which was incredible. Three tahitian made, two american. I was over the moon. I LOVE ties. I've acquired 8 here on top of the 4 from the MTC. Best part of the mission no one talks about.

So having the Dengue I didn't study at all as I felt sick when I did due to reading and being dizzy. I kind of lost motivation to study even after while recovering. Lost full motivation. I've started reading the Book of Mormon and studying diligently again and I see the difference in my life and days. I truly see the difference the scriptures have in my life, and I really saw that from the brief absence. I was still kind of reading, but I see the difference from really getting into them. I really love the Book of Mormon now and have gained that love while on my mission these pasts months. There is so much to learn in there.

This week was long and not easy but I kinda got hope from that split and getting through the dengue and christmas. Slowly, ungracefully and with difficulty I am doing it one day at a time!

Email you guys next year!!! haha. Get it? That reference of get it was for you person who probably gets it.

Happy New Year and don't go too crazy people. Word of Wisdom still exists. Look it up if you don't know it... and live by it! I'm just kidding, unless you want to.

Elder Fiore

1. Tahiti

2. Quiet Elfy in the handbook

3. District reunion

Mom's Note: It was so nice to be able to talk to Zach more frequently and longer.  We were able to talk with him on New Years too and that was pretty special. I think it really helped him too. He is recovering nicely for being sick, but still struggling with some challenges in the house and trying to feel stronger emotionally. I think  a transfer and a fresh start are needed.

Here are some of the photos. I found in his drive including some from Christmas! So glad that his package arrived in time. They picked it up at the post office on Christmas Eve and then he got it Christmas morning. He didn't bother setting up the tree I sent him - he'll keep it for next year - but he got his gifts. He also got the 12 days of Christmas gifts and I understand that the actual 12 days start on Christmas Day and go until Jan 6th (Three Kings day) so it really was perfect!

Here are the pictures of them making the food to give out on Christmas Eve day:

Christmas Eve dinner - so relieved that he had somewhere to go (both nights! Bless that family!!)

Christmas Eve - the polar express socks, lol. And he had everything he needed to do our Christmas program. He's truly a sentimental Christmas guy.

Christmas morning getting the package!

Some of the 12 days gifts:

Christmas Day call:

Not sure what these are - but they are there so want to include (well, some are obvious, and some are part of some stories he has told us:)) :

Some very generous people give them a lot of fruit!

New Years Eve/Day: