eldergoodwintahiti.blogspot.com: New comp... and more work to do here in Bora Bora

Dear family and friends,

We are trying to get a trip worked out so that we can go to Ra'iatea for a Christmas party, we are still working that out good ol Pres Bize. It would be really nice to get out and stretch the sea legs again.

The Weather report here in Bora was actually pretty bad this week. It rained a whole bunch. It kinda sucked because most of the lessons we do are outside---it is rare that we are in peoples' houses. So lots of lessons get cancelled when it is raining.

It is also more difficult to find teaching appointments when the population is spread out. In Taapuna my most densely populated area (300 plus people on a 500 meter strip of road) it is very easy to find lessons. But here I find we do a lot more running around than actually teaching. But we do find about 16 plus lessons a week… even with the rain. And yes I think over all, here is more rural that Mataie'a.

Yes there are a lot of tourists here compared to other islands, but there are a lot of locals and most of them speak very good Tahitian. More than Tahiti I would say. But also in Tahiti one quartier changes from the next when it comes to the amount of Tahitian spoken. This is probably the area I’ve served in with the most Tahitian. But at the same time it is also my area with the most English.

SOoooooooo my companion got a transfer wall on Friday. He is going to Papeno'o on the northern part of Tahiti. I really like serving with him, he is a young missionary but he picks things up super quick, teaches really well and has a good sense of humour. All in all one of my favorite companions. We did a lot of work together and had a lot of fun doing it.

Now my new comp is Elder Frazer from Vanuatu. He has been on his mission for about 1 year and his native language is the wonderful Bishlama, a pigeon of English.I think I’ve spoken a little bit about this language, it is basically sounds like a young person heard English and then wrote it down. So now I will be doing a section of my email called VANUATU TIME, where I will tell you stories maybe even a little insight into the wonderful language of Bishlama. Be sure in your free time to look up the "Buk Blong Momon."

📣VANUATU TIME📣

Olsem wanem=how are you.

Mi likem yu=i love you.

ae blong yu i naes=you have beautiful eyes.

(pronounced=eye blong you ee nice)

Thats what's up in my world. Just keepin it real on the flip side home slices.

mi likem yu!

Elder Goodwin

p.s. Talking about the weather at home… I am so scared for the cold when I get home, I may just die the moment I step out of the airport.