I Want to Be Baptized This Sunday...?!

Ia ora na tatou!

This week was a crazy week. The biggest event that happened was that a Mami (grandmother), Mami Miryama called our Branch President and told him that she was sick of waiting and wanted to be baptized this Sunday. Mami Miryama has been what you can call an "eternal investigator" and after coming to the chapel for more than 5 years, she decided to be baptized! Defintitely a shock for me, Elder Piazza, the Branch President, and the entire Branch! Wow. See more for the spiritual thought!

Awesome experience with Mami Miryama!  Talk about a miracle!

Other than that, this was an eventful week. We had a lot of sport activities and a lot of service, and this time, I wore sunscreen :) We went from a tired and sweaty sport activity, to a lesson, to sports again, that is definitely the dream life of an Elder (but I can't say the same for our investigators who were taught ;) ) All of our lessons went well, and I can't complain for the progress of our invesigators. We are truly starting to see some miracles, and another great miracle was that Raitahi (a recent convert) came to church in a missionary haircut, received the Aaronic Priesthood, and a calling! The comments about Raitahi have changed from "When is he going to fall inactive" to "when is he going to receive the Melchezidek Priesthood". Through the obedience of Raitahi and the miracle of Mami Miryama, there is a renewed sense of faith and hope in the sectors of Tevaitoa and Vaiaau that didn't exist before. Amazing

As my high school basketball coach, Coach Bunting, always said, "Don't make the same mistake twice!!"
Sunscreen Works

We also said goodbye to 3 of our sister missionaries (all replaced by Sisters, so we are still the Relief Society) Sister Ladd, Mendenhall, and Jeanneau, and welcomed 3 others: Sister Toyon, Durrant, and Padbury. It is a fun district and I'm excited for the next 6 weeks!

The District (Relief Society) One Last Time before Sisters Mendenhall, Ladd, Jeanneau, and Noble left

Culture Shock: A Sister Missionary came home (Sister Rooarii) and she came up to us and asked to be put to work! Before church this Sunday, she took her parents and did Door-to-Door contacting to get people to come to Church. That is some Sister Power right there!

Funny Moment: This will go to when we found a lot of ants. Instead of being angry like usual. I rushed to my suitcases and pulled out a bunch of ant poison that my family sent me. Probably the best birthday present ever, thanks Mom and Dad!!!!! :D

You see the white box?  There is ant poison inside.  After one night, all of the ants were curled up and dead.
I am finally on the scoreboard.  Ants: 5  Elder Garff: 1

Spiritual Thought: For the past 3 months, Me, Elder Piazza, and the members have been doing a lot of lessons and family nights focusing on getting a family baptized. We did everything for them, and when they started to not progress and elongate themselves from us, we all were devestated. We all thought they were a family sent from God to be baptized right now. But, they thing we didn't see was that our efforts were maybe not to help the family at this time to be baptized, but that our efforts did help Mami Miryama get baptized. Starting 3 months ago, she starting to quit drinking coffee and keep the commandments of God. We literally did nothing directly for her, but, through our efforts, Mami Miryama told us that she was ready to be baptized. It was another strong testimony for me that every effort is not wasted. Had we not done those firesides and family nights for the other family, Mami Miryama might never have been baptized. But, thanks to the Spirit and a little effort from us, Mami Miryama, an eternal investigator, was baptized this week.

Every Effort Counts!

Elder Garff