Exact Obedience

Transfers!!!

Well transfers happened and I'm still on Bora Bora. There's no complaining here though because I absolutely love it and love the people. It even allows me to get to know the members in the ward a little bit better. 

Hiking:

We started off the week going hiking with our district one last time before one of the Sisters headed to Moorea and another one of the sisters off to her home since she finished her mission. The journey didn't start at the bottom of the trail but rather at the house as we had to bike 7 miles just to get there. The hike was super cool but also super hot. It felt like I was hiking kokohead midday because of the heat but the trail itself was more of a crouching lion type of hike. Super steap at parts with lots of loose rocks which made going up and going down really "fun".

Transfers/Splits:

Transfers happened, everyone in the house stayed and the other companionship even got an additional person. Having five people in the house is really fun but can also be a challenge when everyone needs to use the bathroom, or get ready in general. We also went on splits. I went with Elder Yates and Elder Stewart in their area and learned so much. From how to teach in different ways, different approaches of talking to people based off of the situation they're in, to my favorite one which has to be learning more French grammar and Tahitian slang. 

Cooking:

Meals are still very basic but it's nice that Hawaii and Bora are so similar. There's shoyu, furikake, and rice in the stores which is a staple for every meal. I even cooked up some shoyu hotdogs and rice for a fast and easy meal. Was soooo Ono and through off all the Elders from the mainland. Whenever I make local kine dishes the heads in the house always turn. Just need some Hawaiian salt on Bora to bring everything full circle.

Kids:

The kids here are just great. Whether they are chilling outside there house walking on the street or biking they always yell Elder MA Iaorana!!! Some of my favorite friends have been the kids here. They all are so kind together and even join in on lessons when they don't know the other kids were talking to. One funny thing that happened was when a couple of the kids took me and Elder Parau name tags and put them on and also took our bike helmets and backpacks. They started saying that they were us and even taught some of the other kids in the neighbor hood simple gospel principles such as faith in Jesus Christ and repentance.

Obedience:

Obedience brings blessings and exact obedience bring miracles. How does obedience and exact obedience differ? Exact obedience is paying attention to the small details. For my companion it means getting up right at 6:30am and not sleeping in for a few extra minutes. For me it means being in bed at 10:30pm and not brushing my teeth at 10:30pm. And for the both of us it means varying our daily workouts like it says in our missionary standards (rule book). For awhile we would just do the same workout pretty much everyday which isn't a bad thing but also doesn't help us grow. This past week we added running into the routine as well as yoga. Yoga felt amazing and it was nice that Elder Stewart already knew yoga so he was able to guide us. It helped to loosen up my body and even got rid of pain that I've had in my back for the past few weeks. Running was a different story. Me and Elder Parau both don't like to run a whole lot and having the humidity and hot sun doesn't help the situation either but we both push each other and having been holding each other accountable. In following the missionary rules exactly we have seen miracles happen. From getting five new friends in a single day to having one of our friends let us know he'll be getting married this month so he can get baptized. 

Exact obedience truly does help us live happier and healthier lives. 

"Vents favorables et mer suivante"

"Mata'i haumaru e moana mania"

"Fair winds and following seas"

Standing by,

Elder Ellis