From The Cross Roads of the West to The Hospitals of Tahiti

Obviously this patient did not select his surgeon based upon tie selection.

My parents and Elder Davis's parents,

We are sorry that we didn't have the opportunity to email Monday. We have been in the hospital since early Monday morning.

Around 2 weeks ago, Elder Davis scraped his knee, and around Friday, we found out that it was infected. There were no signs of it at all until Friday night, and Elder Davis had a fever, aches, and swelling in his knee. We both didn't think it was serious until after our medicines and rest didn't help. We got to the hospital as soon as possible after we found out it was very serious and arrived Monday morning.

In the emergency room, we found out that he would have to stay for a few nights and they would be doing a series of tests. We find out either tonight or tomorrow if Elder Davis will be having surgery, because even with the antibiotics, the infection is pretty bad.

We will do our best to keep you all updated on the situation, but due to faulty wifi and bad room location, we only have specific times we can email and keep you up to date. Elder Davis has to stay in the room (no wifi) and it is a challenge to find the wifi port here!

Just know that the two of us are thinking of you and we are trying our best to keep you updated. If you have any questions (as I am sure you do), respond ASAP! We only have 40 minutes before our wifi time runs out.

We love you all! And to the parents of Elder Davis, when he emails again, he has a lot of cool expereinces to share, this week was a week of firsts, physically and spiritually.

Sorry again, but we'll do our best to keep you all up to date! We want to email, just the past 3 weeks have been out of our control. The power of cars huh?

Love you all!

Elder Garff

"Pictures Speak 1000 Words" (and it is a good thing because his letters keep getting shorter)

Walking on Water in Moorea

Well, for the 3rd week in a row, I am very short on time. So, if I haven't responded to your emails, I am sorry, next week we are going to make sure we have the time.

But, for this week, I'll send a bunch of pictures with little explanations under them!

Heiarii and his Wife on their Baptism Day

Heiarii and his son - Josh had us send a Big Hero 6 figure a few months ago.  This little guy was the recipient.   

Rachel's Testimony - She sent it to Josh to have him translate it into French.

Elders Rybin and Davis - apparently the Easter package we sent 6 weeks ago finally arrived:)

Funny Moment: Lots, but it goes to our movie night! Something I'll explain next week!

Culture Shock: It is easy to go from island to island. Next week I'll expound on our visit to Moorea!

Spiritual Thought: I will expound on the Atonement next week, but Easter is a great time to turn our thoughts to Christ. Search the Church's initiative, Hashtag Hallelujah!

For The Batman vs. Superman, Here is our Choice!

I love you all, next week will be much more personal ha ha ha!

Elder Garff

Taking the Elders to Isengard

The New Electric Fence

Hey all! This week was another week of rain and craziness!

I don't have a whole lot of time today, but I'll try to hit all the big things! The biggest thing that happened this week was we helped a lot of our investigators progress to baptism. It is interesting to see the Lord's hand in everything as I have seen tons of people who I didn't think would get baptized get baptized! Little miracles here and there which happen because of little obedience here and there are remarkable to see!

Culture Shock: Here, they have different names for things than we do at home. For example, Spongebob is "Bob de l'éponge" (Bob of Sponge), snow man is "bonne homme de neige" (good man of the snow) and St. Patricks Day "le faite du boir" (the holiday of drinking)! Just a little amusing!

Funny Moment: Definitely goes to our gate becoming electric. The other Elders have the car and the remote. We have bikes and a key. I feel like a Hobbit going to Isengard!

DMP, The Best Missionary of Tahiti

Spiritual Thought: Our DMP (Ward mission leader) came with us this week, on bike! Awesome to see a 54 year old guy following us on bike! He is very dedicated to the work, and when I get back from my mission, I want to be the kind of person that the missionaries and the ward leaders will look up to, like our Ward Mission Leader! I love that man to death! So, be like DMP!!! Frère Gilkey!!!

Love you all!!

Elder Garff

Happy Birthday Dad! 24 Straight Days of Rain

Crossing the river, this time with the water up to our knees and almost covering the wheels of my bike!

Hey you all!

I have to start off by giving my Dad a birthday shoutout! It was yesterday, but, everyone, if you could give him a rum tart, I think that would do nicely! Unfortunately, I do not think I can send any raw fish to him, so I can't send food...

This week was a crazy week! We went on 2 splits, and every hour of every day was filled, so needless to say, me and Elder Davis were pretty tired at the end of our week! Us, and our DMP (ward mission leader). We went with him a lot this week and it was really cool having him in all of our lessons! He actually speaks the language unlike us ha ha ha! And, he has great experiences that relate to every investigator, love this man!!!

Like always, things here are going well. We have people to teach, we are trying our best to find people, and trying our best to be obedient! Without obedience, good luck with anything Gospel related, it is impossible! Because every blessing that comes is because of our obedience to that law upon which it is predicated!

With Elder Davis about to cross the many waters

Culture Shock: So, just a little bit ridiculous, it has been raining now for 24 straight days... So everything we have is soaked!

Playing Chess with empty Rotui juice bottles

Funny Moment: I have been keeping all of the juice containers that I have been drinking here, and this week, Elder Millerberg and Elder Rybin decided to play chess with all of my juice ha ha ha! I won't give the exact number yet that I have consumed, but it's a lot!

Purple Sunset!  You've got to love having a house on the beachside!

Spiritual Thought: At the last event of our week, we watched the Joseph Smith movie in French. Hard to understand, but the one language that I felt was the Spirit. At the end of the movie, like always, I felt the Spirit very strongly and I cannot deny that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Maybe we get caught up in our own trials and our own lives, but compared to this great man, I know that my trials personally are not near what he suffered. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called by God and we need to follow the church that God reestablished through him. If you don't have this testimony, watch the Joseph Smith movie, and ask God if Joseph Smith is a prophet. God will respond through your heart and mind through the power of the Holy Ghost!

A la prochain!

Elder Garff

It's Raining for the 17th Straight Day

Me with Benjamin, a recent convert with my nametag - Ha Ha Ha!  I love this man - and Tinomana's dad is in the background.

Hey all, this week was very, very, very wet! It has been raining for 17 days in a row, and normally I love the rain! But, when you are always going on bike to appointments, it feels like Splash Mountain every day! Still fun though!

Elder Davis, Tinomana and Me

So, the big news this week was that we had a baptism! His name is Tinomana, and he has been receiving the lessons for over a year now! It was a very touching experience, and his dad, after the baptism, who is not a member, told me that everything that Tinomana did for the baptism came from Tinomana. His decision to get baptized, his testimony (especially of the Book of Mormon), and his actions all came from himself, he was never forced by his parents (non-members). It was really touching to hear that from a non-member, who is now taking the lessons. It is amazing what happens when someone bears a pure testimony (Alma 4: 19)

Other than that, just a great week! The work here is going well and we are working with a lot of great people. We are helping a lot of people right now that are changing huge things in their life and helping them to overcome tempations that have beset them for multiple years. But, everything is possible through faith in Christ!

This Picture Just Doesn't Do the Rain Justice

Culture Shock: That sad moment when you hang your clothes out to dry and it rains all week... So they are all still wet!

Funny Moment: Definitely goes to getting hit by a car this week! It was not serious, but let's just say I got knocked off my bike unexpectedly! Then, right after, I almost got hit again by a car backing up ha ha ha!

Spiritual Thought: I have been thinking a lot about a lesson my dad taught me before my mission with finding the "why" behind everything. For missionary work, if we start with the questions "what" and "how" first, we get an approach like this for missionary work: "we are here to baptize you, we will do this through lessons, so that you can be saved at the last day". But, if you focus on the why behind missionary work, like my dad taught me, it becomes like this: "We are here to help you come unto Christ, you can do this through obeying the Gospel of Christ, and the things you can do are accepting and keeping the commandments of God". So, focus on the "why" with everything!

Love you all!

Elder Garff

Parenting 101, A Bee Sting, And A Stolen Bike

More on this below...

Me, my son, Elder Davis, and Elder Peel - The only trio in which I will be the tallest:)

Well, parenting is a little harder than I was anticipating! This week, I received a son in the mission field! Meaning, I am training a new missionary! His name is Elder Davis! He is from Utah and is starting just like I did, with not a lot of French experience! It is definitely going well though! We made it through the first week and are doing well!

Other than that, not much has changed. I did however learn how to drive stick this week and got passed off by Elder Caldwell! So, I can drive in the future! So, I can get off bike duty ha ha ha!

Right now, we are doing all that we can to help the area and to keep our heads above water (figuratively, not literally... I wish sometimes!)

"A Mystical Foggy Day with a Mystical Missionary Pose" - Yes, his own quote.  Thanks Josh.

Culture Shock: This week it rained. And when it rains, it pours! On bike, it felt like we were swimming in a pool every day! It is a good change from the crazy hot, but still, just extremes in weather here!

"Just a little swollen huh?  Now teach a lesson in French and Tahitian with that"

 Funny Moment: Definitely goes to getting stung by a bee right on the lips while biking... After that, it swelled to 4 times it's size and as the trainer, I had to teach the lesson... Try teaching with a marble shooter sized swelling in your mouth in 2 languages! A "fun" experience I don't really want to live again!

(A Mom Note:  Josh also had his bike taken this week.  Likely not his easiest week, but we are glad he is toughing it out.)

Spiritual Thought: This week I have really thought about the scripture in Alma 4:15. We will all have trials and will probably feel depressed after them, but, the Spirit of the Lord will never fail us. He will never fail us if we put our trust in Him. He works according to our faith and if we have faith in Him and His promises, we will receive the Holy Ghost.

Hope you are all doing well!

Elder Garff

A Lovely Valentine's Day Weekend

"I thought 2 "Goods" would make a "Great", but I was wrong...  Somehow Rice Krispies and Pineapple Juice aren't compatible." - We are glad Josh is learning and sharing such valuable information.

Hey Eveyone!

I hope that everyone had a great Valentine's Day and that you all got your fair share of hugs and kisses! For me, definitely not on the mission and probably not after as well. The closest I'll get are Hershey's kisses and hand hugs. But don't worry about little old me!

Takivera and Benjamin!  Awesome Day!

This week was great! We had 2 baptisms! And they both have incredible stories! The first was Benjamin. With Benjamin, he had been taking the lessons for ages. Then, all of a sudden, we had a lesson with just him, and we gave him the Book of Mormon, the first one he had ever received for himself. After a week, he knew the Book of Mormon was true and asked us when he could get baptized! And was!!!!

The next was a 9 year old named Takivera. Defintlely a name I could give my kids one day! He comes from an inactive family who, right now, are trying to get sealed in the temple! Takivera getting baptized was the first step, and now we'll try to keep it up and help them get to the temple!

In all, this week was a rewarding week and after every baptism, there is a great feeling of "yes! That was exhausting... On to the next one!" and hopefully we'll have some coming in the future!

Funny Moment: Benjamin's last name is "RAVEINO", which in Tahitian means "do bad". So, we joked that after his baptism and confirmation (which was on Valentine's Day!) we should change his name to "RAVEMAITAI" :)

Culture Shock: Here, the last names are in ALL CAPS. So, if you don't write a name in all capital letters, it means that they don't have a family name...

Ward Activity on the Beach

Spiritual Thought: I have been reading the Book of Mormon in the book of Ether lately. As I read Chapter 6, I was moved by their willingness to thank the Lord. They were in tumultuous conditions, living with animals, over and in the sea, whipped around, and yet they still sang praises to God endlessly. All that for a year, longer than I have been on a mission! So, if they can stay grateful to the Lord, even during all of that, can't we do the same and be grateful to the Lord, during our little hardships?

Love you all!

Elder Garff - (I think he means GARFF)