Climbing Hikes and Coconut Trees

Hey Everyone!

This week was an interesting week!

This week we had a lot of planning and not much happened apart from that. In addition to our planning, we had a lot of service projects. One of which included gathering coconuts :)

In the weeks to come, there will be a huge zone conference and Elder Cardon of the Seventy is coming to our mission! We are also preparing for many ward activities and between 2 areas, there is plenty of work to go around! Our investigators are progressing well, and this week, more than anything, was a week of preparation for the next 4 weeks!

The District on the 3 Waterfall Hike

Another crazy thing really fast, the power just went out at the church! So for the past 40 minutes, we have been scrambling to get it back, and the power came back! Yay! But now the time is short... :(

Culture Shock: This will go to Stake Conference. Here, there were 3 main subjects: The Sabbath Day, the Temple, and Missionary Work. In Utah, the talks are great also, but I can't remember the last time that we talked about missionary work! Shows where the focus is for the members here!ent: During our hike, we had a huge water fight! As missionaries, we can't really swim, but, water fights are still good to go! Defintiely a good time there!

Funny Moment: During our hike, we had a huge water fight! As missionaries, we can't really swim, but, water fights are still good to go! Defintiely a good time there!

Spiritual Thought: This week I have thought a lot about the concept of asking God with a sincere heart and real intent. As I thought about this, it is common sense. If we don't ask God with the two factors there, it will merit us nothing. God will only give to those who honestly seek Him. There are times where the answer of God will be difficult. There will be times where He will respond to our questions and we won't want the answer that He will give. But, as President Monson has frequently said: "May we ever choose the harder right rather than the easier wrong". It is easy to stay on the path of mediocricy, but it is hard to trek the path of Christ. To follow Him and His principles 100 percent of the time. How can we know if we are tredding the path of Christ? By asking in sincere prayer with a real intent.

Love you all!

Elder Garff

Manu, a member of Vaiaau, climbing a huge coconut tree

Happy Halloween - It's Weird to be a Frenchie!

For Halloween:  Elder Piazza is me, and I am him:)

Hey Everyone!

So, as today is Halloween, I am dressed up like a Frenchie (Elder Piazza) and he is dressed up like an American (Me). I have to say that the American style fits better, feels better, and looks way better on me :)

Anyways, this week was great! We had a baptism for an awesome kid named Gustave! He has been a riot to work with and we love every lesson with him! We have had too many jokes to write in an email, but his example is huge. Thanks to him, his family is now interested in the Gospel and though he is 13, he is an awesome missionnary! Definitely grateful for Gustave and his example! If a 13 year-old can do it, we can too!

Me and Gustave!  Awesome baptism service and an awesome kid!

Other than that, this week was a huge preparatory week in regards to moving, preparing for stake conference, and our zone meeting. It was great to have a break and see my old missionary companion, Elder Paulsen, and his parents! I never thought that I'd get to see them, but they came! Defintely great to speak Engish!

Great to see Elder Paulsen and his parents this week!
Too bad about his shirt... 

Funny Moment: While throwing out food, we had a huge eggplant (we didn't know how to cut it, eat it, or even use it), so Elder Piazza threw it in the abandoned lot just next to us. It was dark, so he didn't see where he was throwing it, and we think he hit a car! He threw it.... BANG! I couldn't stop laughing ha ha ha!

Culture Shock: This will go to the fact that Halloween for the French is November 1, and in Tahiti we don't celebrate it at all. So, this will probably be the most anti-climatic Halloween I have ever had. Definitely missed Ichabod Crane night with Grandma and Grandpa!

Always fun helping the Sisters (Our Relief Society) move houses!

Spiritual Thought: This week I have been thinking a lot about the influence of the Spirit. To obtain the spirit, Elder Holland in his 2007 General Conference talk "the tongue of angels" warned us against negative speaking. If we are positive and encouraging, we invite the Spirit and can talk with the tongue of angels unto the edifying of others. If however, we are negative and harsh with our words, the Spirit will not be with us and we will be ultimately unuseful in the hands of the Lord. In all things, be edifying in your language and speak in the words and tongues of angels. In other words, speak with the power of the Holy Ghost to edify others.

Love you all, don't take too many pounds tonight!

Elder Garff

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

This Week Was Really a Pain in the Neck!

Josh and Elder Piazza with their Tahitian Drums

Hey Everyone,

This week certainly was a fun week... As a result of the hike we did last week, my neck was badly sunburned and was stiff because the sunburn held it there for 3 days. So fun doing contacting and lessons like that!

Sunscreen.  Sunscreen, Sunscreen.

Other than that, it was a good week. The highlight would have to be the Relief Society Activity. We played the Tahitian drums for the Branch of Vaiaau and it was fun! We watched a dance, listened to songs, and saw a parade for each of the wards/branches, which was awesome!

For a more formal note, we had several great things happen this week, and a lot of progression. I'll say more in the weeks to come, but it is amazing to see the great miracles come to pass through the little miracles. Alma 37: 6-7.

Lastly, Elder Piazza and I are staying together another transfer! We got the calls a week early, and found that we will be losing 4 sisters :( But, they will be replaced by 4 other sisters, so we still have the Relief Society! It will be the first time that I will have stayed with a companion for 4.5 months and it will be great! I am excited to see the results this transfer! 

Le'a is one of their investigators.  She is awesome and should be getting baptized soon.

Funny Moment: We were teaching a 13 year old boy named Gustave about the law of chastity. We told him that homosexual relationships were not good for Heavenly Father and right after, he started laughing uncontrollably and said he wasn't MaHU! It is now a joke between us as missionaries ha ha ha!

Culture Shock: I was about to tell all of you to make sure to wear suncreen, but, I realized that in Utah there will be snow soon... So that was a bit of a culture change!

Spiritual Thought: This week, due to the sunburn and stiff neck, I thought a lot about a common word in the scriptures "stiff-necked". After being through a week of "stiff-neckedness", I realized how wise this counsel was. If we are too prideful for the commandments of God or if we are too set in our ways, we are only hurting ourselves. As we keep the commandments and as we become less "stiff-necked", we free ourselves and all pain associated with our pride goes away. My challenge to you all is to obey the commandments of God. This will not only help you avoid being stiff-necked (a perfect sunscreen), but will also help you loose your "stiff-neckedness".

I hope all is going well in Utah! Go Utes!

Elder Garff 

I Have Arrived at Raiatea!

The District at the peak of the hike up Te Mehani.  They have "Arrived"!

Hey Everyone!

I don't have a lot of time today, but I'll try my best!

The biggest news was that Raitahi, one of our investigators that we picked up in June, got baptized this week! It was a great change of heart that he had, and next year he wants to serve a mission! His baptism wasn't easy, but it was a great experience!

Raitahi's Baptism - Awesome moment and a great step for our sectors!!!!

Also, this week, we had a lot of great participation amongst the ward leaders and members. We weren't able to do a lot of lessons this week, but when we had them, all the members wanted to work with us. My favorite split was with our awesome Branch President, President Mapuna! He is awesome and a powerful President!

The Apetahi - Found only on Raiatea and Tahaa.  You have to hike the TeMehani (8 hours) to see it:)

Allow me to explain why it is a little rushed today. In Raiatea, it is said that if you don't hike the Te Mehani, you haven't arrived at Raiatea. At the top, there is a flower that only grows on this mountain and a mountain at Tahaa. So, it is extremely rare! It took 8 hours to hike, so sorry if I don't respond to all the emails today ha ha ha!

My Sunburn - it may not look bad, but I think I will start using the sunscreen that my parents sent.

Mom Note: We sent numerous bottles of many types of sunscreen.  Josh left it all in a package for us when he departed from the Provo MTC 14 months ago...

I am not sure how our guide got into this hole - We were just happy he got out.

Also this week we had a Leadership Council.  It was over Skype, so it was difficult to understand sometimes, but, it was great!  It was a great spiritual experience, but it also earns the Funny Moment of the week.  To liven things up, we took all the little figurines that I had and assigned each one of them to a leader at the conference!

Leadership Council

Culture Shock: This one will go to the flower. I am not a huge flower fan, but, it is always cool to see something rare, even if it takes a bad sunburn and 8 hours :)

One Last View

Spiritual Thought: President Bize talked a lot about the Holy Ghost. It is the one thing that every missionary seeks in their mission. And, for the Holy Ghost, it is there for us as we are worthy of it. If we are arguing with people, not being obedient, and not listening to His promptings, we can't keep Him. In True to the Faith, we can read that as we abide by the commandments, we will gradually receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost! So, no matter where we are (missionary, young adult, primary, highly aged person, etc...) we can continue to seek the Holy Ghost, so He can always be with us.

Love you all! And Go Utes!

Elder Garff

I didn't mean to dress like this for our sports activity...but it just happened like that:)

Conference and a Good Story for Maggie:)

I hope you aren't tired of these, because here, Elder Piazza and I aren't!

Ia ora na tout le monde!

This week was a good week! Our sectors are doing good work and the zone is doing really well! There are a lot of great things happening and it is a great turn around from a few months ago! It is crazy to think that I have already been in Tevaitoa and Vaiaau for 3-4 months! Time flies huh?

This week was great with General Conference, tons of lessons, and with errands all over! Nothing crazy new this week, but it was another solid week.

Elder Piazza and I preparing to take a swim in a fish pond.
As my dad has often said: "There is a pool and a pond.  The pond would be good for you."

Maggie, I felt like Ammon this week. We were at our second counselor's house this week and he was talking about his daughter who would be coming home soon from her mission. We were talking and then his wife came and asked if I was finishing my mission soon. After I said 8 months, she showed me her daughter and basically offered me her hand in marriage! Like Ammon, I had to keep my mind on my mission, but hey, I guess I am not only getting referrals for investigators, but now referrals for marriage. 2 Birds with 1 Mission! 

President Uchtdorf has changed a little while I have been here!

Funny Moment: Always good to watch a blue President Uchtdorf giving his talk during Conference!

Culture Shock: Here, many missionaries look for Tahitian Pearls. But, the members often say that a Tahitian Pearl is code for a Tahitian Wife. Check :)

Spiritual Moment: This week, I loved the talks given by Elder Bednar and Elder Oaks, and the message I will share is of an experience, a scripture, and Elder Oaks. Elder Oaks said that if you are a good example and keep the commandments, you can help with missionary work. In Romans Chapter 5 Verse 19, we can read that through the obedience of one person, many will be brought to the truth, but, through the disobedience of one person, many will be driven away. As a missionary, I have seen both worlds. People who have been baptized because of a great example, and someone who regressed because of a terrible example of a member. So, my challenge for all of you is to keep the commandments and be a good example. You'll never know the results of being 100 percent obedient, but God and those you will have touched will.

Love you all!

Elder Garff

Don't ask.  I don't even know.

First the Relief Society and now the Primary

Sunsets and Silhouettes - Welcome to Tahiti!

Hey Everyone!

I hope that this week was a good one for you all!

In Raiatea, it was interesting! For several days this week, Elder Piazza and I went to the Primary Program rehearsals :) I was asked to play the piano, and it was such a blast ha ha ha! The Primary programs here are different than at home, and I have to give a big shout out to my mom, for all the work she does for those programs! Wow.

You can't see me, but I am playing the piano for the Primary Program rehearsal

Other than that, this week was a good week. Elder Piazza and I are still working well with the members and have set in stone our sport activity! It is really fun to play basketball against the Tahitians with all the American moves that I picked up. But, just as a warning... When I come back, there are several Tahitian "Street Moves" that I am anxious to try out ;)

The Andersons will understand this picture - "I still reign..."

Our district is still the Relief Society, as the missionary couple hasn't come yet, so, Elder Piazza and I are the lone Elders still. As we spent a lot of time for the district, I can safely say that we spent a lot of time with the "Relief Society" and the Primary. If this keeps up, next week I should be talking about the Young Women!

A Chow Mein and Fries Sandwich.  Interesting choice!

Culture Shock: At one of our dinner appointments, we ate with a couple. Our maternal languages were: English (me), Italian (Elder Piazza), Tahitian (Fr. Raapoto), and Spanish (Sr. Raapoto). And what language did we speak in? French.

Got to Represent my Team!  Go Utes!

Funny Moment: This goes to the Duolingo Application. Who, after I did the beginning test rated me 1 percent fluent in French! After making 2 little errors you think that the app would be a little nicer to me?

Duolingo Application Score - We are cheering for you Josh!

Spiritual Thought: I'll keep this one short. But, Elder Piazza and I had the opportunity to listen to President Uchtdorf and his talk about faith during the General Woman's Session (again the Sisters!). With our faith, we need to realize that it is the power we need to submit to God's will. Not the power to change the will of others and God. With a strong faith, we can better adapt to God and His will. We cannot, with a strong faith, change the agency and choices of people or God Himself.

Ua here vau ia outou!

Elder Garff

Not Too Bad Eh?

Gorgeous View - That's Tahiti for you!