Week 26: A Few Cheeky Megs

Hello

This week was okay

The highlight of the week was a guy we are teaching passing his baptism interview, getting free chocolate from a tourist, and Rachael getting into BYU (I heard via a technology loophole) all within two minutes. What a two minutes it was indeed.

Mami Anna also aggressively pointed at Terehau mid lesson saying Terehau wants to change religions, Terehau said it's true, so now we have another baptism! It was weird but hype.

I also went to an actual beautiful black sand beach and it was incredible. We picked up garbage.

Oh and I played futsal and soccer and actually played well which made me happy cause I've gotten bad.

I also set up a last minute missionary choir for sacrament and it made a mami we teach cry. It was powerful. Music can be so powerful. 

Have a good week everyone



Mom's note: Just adding some photos that he had uploaded!

He found a family who has the same "Rules" not eh wall that we do (except theirs is in french!)

They went to look for fabric as he wants to have ties made for all his brothers!

Week 25 Blessings on blessings on blessings

Hello, 

Just to start off I have given 45 priesthood blessings in a month. It is so hype and we've seen some miracles, felt the spirit strongly and I've cried with some of the situations people are in. I gave a blessing to a 17 year old and a baby in a coma this week alone. 

God blessed us with a better week after I struggled last. We invited 10 people to baptism, no rejections,  and had banger lessons with everyone. Literally everyone we are teaching progressed so much and we are really seeing what the gospel can do to help people. It was  a crazy week lesson wise and progress wise for me and the amis. We were also in the hospital every day, and I got root beer twice. On top of all the great work, we ate with members 4 times in two days this weekend, and one was traditional Tahitian food which was soooo good. Maa Tahiti! We also taught an English class at the Church which was fun. English connect!

I also found out Mami Anna and Mami Mareta used to be great friends and voyaged to the Cook islands together! But now Mami Mareta is being mean and I'm on team Anna. Anna has tried to reach out but Mareta is straight up rude so what can you do.

So yea this week was a good one, other than Josh's birthday which made me very homesick. Happy Birthday Baby Josh. Crazy he's 17 now dang. He's my brother btw to those who don't know. But yea Friday sucked.

I've definitely seen the power of the Priesthood and have learned to really use it confidently. I know we have God's power and authority to do miracles, bring comfort, and to act in his name. I've seen some tough things here in the hospital but also have felt the Spirit strongly.

I'm also starting to understand the Book of Mormon in Tahitian which is cool.

Love

Elder Fiore

Mom's note:

I'm adding pictures where I think they fit!

At the hospital:

With some friends:

Week 24: How to get 30 baptisms in one week

Bonjour, 

Figured I'd start one off like a local. Not a Tahitian local though since no one really uses that here. 

So this week was fine. A little hard to be honest emotionally, but the work was good, so that balances to fine.

We give many blessngs at the hospital which I love and even brought the sacrament to a few people which was nice. An interesting happening was we got rejected by a member for giving one. We weren't the right mssionaries he said. I guess he figured it was a no risk play. He coud call the missionaries and then just decide if we were fine to do the blessing when he saw us. We also went for another visit and met the patient in the hall, as he was walking back from downstairs. We shook his hand, talked a bit and were about to enter the room with him, until the nurse jumped out and said we can't go in without a suit and gloves. The patient went in and we suited up. I don't know how we were allowed to touch him outside if we had to put gloves to visit him inside. It's a little suss. I washed my hands well.

Mami Anna was mad we visited Mami Mareta and was very passive aggressive and then aggressive aggressive.

My mom sent me 40 hours of General conf videos from the Tahiti distribution centre so I've been ripping those.

Oh and it rained a lot here and we made it to orange for cyclone warning. I really wanted a cyclone (to chill) but then realized that could interfere with calling home, and as I've had a kinda tough week, I couldn't take the risk. So the rain stopped after a few days and I was happy. 

To answer the question we've all been reading for. The way to get 30 baptsims, and the way I did it was by going to the temple and doing baptisms for the dead with a new convert! Finally made it inside the tiny Tahiti Papeete temple! I wore crocs due to rain which is kinda bad.  I baptized the convert for his grandfather, giving the grandpa the opportunity to truly accept the gospel in the next life,  which was such a spiritual experience and definitely the highlight of the visit. Other than that the temple was okay and I got super homesick from it. Not the best temple visit in all to be honest, but I'm happy for the convert and am always happy to do missionary work on the other side of the veil as well. As missionaries we can't go to the temple often which sucks. I urge everyone who can to go more often as it is such an important work and brings so many blessings for you and others. I wish I could go more and I'm hyped to go when I'm back. 

Have a good week everyone

Love

Elder Fiore

Mom's note:

I am so happy the General Conference DVDs made it there. I ordered them on Dec 23 from the Tahiti Distribution Centre. Not sure why it took so long?!?! lol I guess the hold up is always inTahiti?!?!  His Valentine's Package which I sent right after Christmas  has not made it yet, and Rob sent him something in mid Jan from the US thinking it would take less time - but still not there. 

Elder Fiore is still hanging in there with the ups and the downs of dealing with anxiety. It really is trying him, but we are so proud of his courage to share how he feels and the effort and faith he is putting in. We had a terrible internet connection this week so it was super hard to see him.

Here are some photos:

The DVDs that finally arrived:

I'm wondering if this is the top of the hospital?

Week 23: Casting Out Evil Spirits

Hello everyone, 

Another grind week here in Pirae which was good but I'm gassed. I'm so tired lol. Every day we are nonstop which makes the days go by fast but also feel so long. Biking makes it more of a grind but I'm getting better and can make it up the big hill suddenly.

Some people are so rude. My least favourite thing is people just cancelling lessons like it's nothing when we are standing there dripping with sweat and soaked in shirt and tie ready for them. Or just simply not showing up. It's annoying, but because we've been so busy with teaching we haven't visited anyone, so at least we have time for inactive and old people visits. 

My favourite thing this week was visiting Roger after he didn't come to church, despite saying he would. We asked why he didn't come and his answer was literally ``Maybe I had something to do?". Not in a rude way but in a not knowing way. We then said "wdym maybe. Did you or did you not". He answered saying maybe his girlfriend's mom was in the hospital. When we offered to visit, she was maybe out. We let it be and asked what he had been up to that day. He had been looking at the plants and trees and gestured to a mountain behind him. Now i see why he didn't come. He was super busy doing that. This is the same couple though that can't be baptized due to concubinage, but don't even live together. He just sleeps in her bed and she can't say no. They're jokers.

So the kind of unique part of the week was when we got asked to give a blessing and when we got there found out it was to cast out an evil spirit that had been bothering a sister, and choking her even. It was scary hearing her talk about it. We blessed her, then went to her house after and blessed the house commanding the spirit to leave and blessing the house as one of God and good spirits. I'm gonna be honest, there was not a good feeling in there and it was a little scary. It kinda shows with all the good and miracles we witness, with the Spirit we feel so often, there is the other side. I know many don't believe in ghosts, and I'm not saying it's like in the movies, but Satan does exist, and so do his spirits. I have felt the highs and the lows. I know Satan's a part of this work and that was made apparent this week. The thing that was also made clear though is that God and the light always beats darkness. I have absolute confidence in what we did. The woman isn't even crazy btw - she's normal.

We also had a very religious person, huge faith,  pray for the first time outloud in her life. She was crying throughout and the Spirit was so strong and her prayer was so powerful. That was really beautiful. Figured I'd end on a good note.

I'm ready for another grind as we are all booked up. It's hard but I enjoy it more now. I come home in a year and a half which is crazy. It's been tough so far but continues to get better each week.

I love you all 

Elder Fiore 

*******

Mom note: It is always so nice seeing Zach on our video calls. He is working so hard. He's enjoying his new companion, and enjoying the others he lives with. He still struggles in the morning with anxiety, but he is coping. He is such an example of determination, perseverance and commitment. He really just wants to serve and we are so proud of him - for his service - and his vulnerability in sharing his struggles. Life is tough and his young self is learning that and along the way he is maturing and developing compassion and empathy. He's truly an example to me:)

A few random pics of his apartment and his roommates:

Random photos he uploaded: