Skyline Friends at the MTC

Josh met up with some of his Skyline Buddies at the MTC

Week 4 More Tahitian and LOTS of Vowels

Hey all!

This week was very similar to other weeks, but was a good one all the same! One of the things that changed this week was all of the new faces that arrived at the MTC! Hopefully the picture will send, but I saw one of my best friends this week, Elder Smith-Driggs! It was awesome to see him, Elder Larson, Sister Clark, Elder Bone, Sister Ring, and many more to come!

This week is also the Mission President Seminar, so the Quorum of the 12 Apostles will be coming! I don't know if I'll get to meet any of them, but I'm sure there will be an amazing Spirit!

Spiritual Thought of the Week:

This week I definitely learned the lesson of patience. I learned that no matter how patient we think we are, there are times where we have to be extra patient. When preparing lessons in Tahitian, I find myself very frustrated and then giving a lesson, it's even more frustrating because I can't tell what my investigator is saying! As Elder Richard G. Scott once said: "Patience is a great virtue to aspire to have. The only problem is we want it right now!". So, this week I definitely learned to maintain my long term perspective, look past the present moment, and endure until the blessings arrive and even after they arrive. So be patient in all things!

Fun Fact of the week:

Again, if the picture shows up, I met a Sister Garff, no joke. It was so weird to see someone with my last name that I'm not related to, it was crazy awesome!

Ua ita au e e nenehe Varua Maitai mau mea atoa mai te mea e ani tatou. Na roto Iesu Mesia e nenehe tatou ia riro ma e ia riro tamarii a te Atua! Ua hinaaro tatou ia faaroo ia Iesu Mesia e e pure tatou e Ona. Ua here au ia outou!

 

Orometua Garff

Elder Smith-Driggs Arrives at the MTC!

It is a welcome sight to see Elder Smith-Driggs enter the MTC.  The people of Thailand are truly lucky to have him coming in a few weeks.

Week 4 at the MTC

 

Tahiti has been found on the MTC map - Wahoo!

 

 

Meeting Sister Garff at the MTC

Week 3 - Tuahine vs Tamahine

Hey everyone! I hope that this week was a good week for everyone! This week in the MTC was a great one! I have actually started to understand Tahitian speakers and have started to get a grasp on the language! There was one slip up though that I'll put at the end of the email :) In addition to the language, things are starting to settle down here. We have heard a lot of great speakers and there are a lot of exciting things happening! One of those is that tomorrow tons of missionaries will be coming in, including none other than Abraham Smith-Driggs! I'm definitely sending that picture next week! It will be awesome to have one of my best friends in the MTC with me, for the next 9 weeks ha ha ha!

This week I found out the computer hates my camera... So hopefully next week I'll have some pictures :(

Thought of the week:

When looking at problems, it is more important to look at problems in the long term perspective instead of the present moment. It is true that problems have to be dealt with in the present, but it makes things so much easier if we look for what it will prepare us for. In learning Tahitian, it is one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. I find though that as I quit thinking about how hard it is in the present and instead think about how great it will be in the future and the people I can help, the trial in the moment becomes small. An amazing scripture is in the Book of Mormon: Ether Chapter 12 (All of it but primarily verses 6 and 27).

Funny moment of the week:

I was teaching an investigator with my companion (in Tahitian) and I accidentally told her that I have 3 daughters (tamahine) instead of saying that I had 3 sisters (tuahine).... That was a little awkward to say the least :)

Hope everything is going well in SLC!!!!!

Elder Garff

Week 2 at the MTC -The camera still eludes Josh

Hey everyone! I hope that you are all doing well! Things at the MTC are a little crazy! I played basketball with an Elder who is committed to play basketball at Gonzaga and I definitely came out on top a few times :)

In regards to Tahitian, it's all coming pretty well! Tahitian is one of the simplest complex languages that I have ever seen in my life. One of these emails I'll try to write some sentences in Tahitian, and I guarantee you won't see as many vowels in your life ever again...!

 

Lesson of the week: I learned this week that I have to remind myself that I need to do everything our Heavenly Father wants me to do. Our Heavenly Father is the one who sets the bar and we have no business to raise or lower the standard that He has set for us.

Sorry again about not being able to send pictures, I just found my camera this morning... And I'm very technologically inept... So I couldn't figure out my companion's camera... Next week for sure!

Elder Garff

Week 1 - Surviving Provo

Hey everyone! The first week at the MTC has been great! My companion, Elder Clements is awesome and the other Elders and Sisters going to Tahiti are amazing as well!

So, surprise for the week, I walked in and we started learning Tahitian, not French, I was surprised to say the least! So, now we are teaching people in Tahitian and I have no clue what is happening! So, wish me luck as I learn a language I know nothing about for the next few weeks here!

The greatest lesson that I learned this week was that in order to truly be like Christ, we need to turn outward, not inward. As we turn outward in service, we are more like Christ and we are able to do more things that He would want us to do. Instead of turning inward in times of trial and pain, Christ turned outward and performed the most selfless act of history in the Atonement. So, my challenge for the week is to look outward and care for others instead of looking inward and only caring for your own needs. That's what I had to do the first week, and it has made all the difference in my mission!

Hope you all had a good week!

Elder Garff

P.S. Sorry, I didn't upload any pictures, I think I lost my camera already ha ha ha!