This last week was slightly extended as it was Easter and so emailing was delayed until Tuesday. Tuesday was a difficult day as I am slightly overwhelmed at the moment- Soeur Tepapatahi is leaving TODAY!!!  I’m sure we’ll have more details next week.

There were a lot of logistics to work through as well- Soeur Atkins is with us in a trio because Soeur Hansen had to go to Guyane for her visa, Soeur Hawkins arrives today at lunch so that she isn’t alone in Martinique as Soeur Hootini is leaving as well. The flight arrangements are pretty crazy this week and I am the designated driver.

Last week we headed over to the third chute de carbé,-it was amazing and breathtaking.

That evening we were invited to a FHE with the Kasongo family- it was a great night with their two teenage sons, the Elders and Matthieu and the Franciette sisters. Frere Kasongo gave a message about the ancient and new law through Christ and then we played the tie game and laughed a lot.

In Soeur T’s last week in her mission was spent with a lot of finding, teaching and exchanges as has become usual. We taught a lady who we had contacted a few week ago, this was a first lesson but she seemed very open and happy to talk openly about all of the difficulties that she has experienced throughout her life; a real talker we found it hard to get a gospel message in but we spoke about how we can overcome all of our problems by relying on the Saviour and he is always with us through the principle of prayer.

One evening we were contacting everyone seemed to be sleeping- we prayed and opened the scriptures to Helaman 4.19- we took that to mean that we had to retreat back to our own lands; i.e. go and visit a member… Soeur Eclar…she took us down to the bottom of her garden and there in our own grove of trees all three of us prayed for this work to progress and for miracles to happen within this branch. An experience I will never forget!

On Wednesday we had our miracle for the week and maybe month- someone who hasn’t been coming to Church for a long time called us up randomly because his 10 and 13 year old sons have started asking questions about religion and he wants them to receive a religious education. Amazing family- super sweet boys. Their mother sat with us for the first lesson. They are amazing and we have so much hope and love for them… On Monday we had another lesson with the family, this time with Soeur Eclar, we watched the baptism of Jesus and tried to teach them about the Godhead; they loved it and the spirit was so strong- one of the boys asked his dad if he needs to be baptised to enter into the kingdom of God.

The last exchange of the transfer began when meeting the Martinique sisters at the airport- their flight had been delayed by 4 hours!!

I loved seeing Soeur Hootini again as she always reminds Soeur T that she was my first Tahitian best friend but I got to spend this exchange with Soeur Hawkins who was transferred to the French side after 14 months on her mission in the English side…

Throughout our exchange together I noticed one overwhelming characteristic of Soeur Hawkins. She is so very motivated and confident. Specifically speaking about French. She tells me that sometimes she gets frustrated with the amount of time that is taking for her to be able to express herself. But she is continuing and persevering. She just opens her mouth and fears no man.

Soeur Hawkins and I kicked off the next day with a first lesson with a young lady who had been contacted by Soeur Reep and I on exchanges. It was really powerful- since our contact she has been using the Book of Mormon to answer her prayers and she sees the results- she says that she already knows that the Book of Mormon is the word of God however when we asked if she could come to church she said no because she already had a commitment at her church! Cool that she already has a testimony of the Book of Mormon…

We went contacting not many people opening their doors that afternoon but it gave Soeur Hawkins and I a chance to get to know each other, she is from Orem and is 23, a graduate of BYU and wants to be a political journalist.

A quick visit to the Desir family and then some more contacting before Soeur Kasongo, we did a roleplay of the restoration with her and she loved it- it helped as well because she is training to be a foreign language teacher and so she helped with our French… we did her washing up and then home for the exchange review and language study…

This week Soeurs T and Holt were also able to attend a Mission Leadership council over Skype. Some of her notes included:

• we need to depend wholly on the spirit
• D&C 1.17-32 we need to be those weak
• Philippians 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.
• D&C 122.8. Go home empty and completely exhausted; time is precious.
• What things can we do to reignite the dynamite of member missionary work?

It was also the Church’s General Conference this week. We ate and made calls between sessions as there was no point driving back home. Afterwards we had a kind of family home evening with the Price family that turned into more of a General Conference review. If you don’t mind my General Conference thoughts and notes will have to wait till next week- I don’t have time and haven’t prepared as I usually do; but I loved general conference and really needed it.

Sunday was transfer calls and I received my call as solo Sister Training Leader with Soeur Reep as my companion. When President Herrington called to give my transfer call he told me that this transfer I should do all I can to make every day my best day. With regards to her call to serve as solo STL Soeur Holt said I am eating my hat after telling Soeur T that I wanted a challenge for my last transfer…I have found counsel and strength through the messages of General Conference. When the newly called Apostles spoke of the tears they have shed over their incapability and weaknesses in their new callings I was comforted that I am not the only one and that the Lord has confidence in me.