Sun, rain, sun, rain... and keeping the focus

Hey guys, this week was pretty good.

We are trying to breath some life into an area that has been very quiet. We actually managed to get 12 lessons this week which is great. Any time this area gets more than 10 lessons it is a bit of a miracle. We have been working really hard, out of the streets in the burning sun, or the pouring rain---there seems to be no grey areas when it comes to the weather here. I am really enjoying the work, because I have already experienced a challenging area before on my mission, and I feel as though I am handling it a lot better than I did the last time. 

In my spare time, I’ve taken to uncovering strange verses in the Bible. Some of which are mega inappropriate, but apparently it's in the Bible (heh heh). , So I recently ran into one that has become one of my favourites... 2 samuel 10:4.

So yeah. life is going well. The zone is pretty fun, but our district is doing very poorly. I feel bad for the zone leaders. They had the worst week in their entire history as missionaries. They got "chasser"ed from every house, including inactive members houses. They worked very very very hard and only ended up with 4 lessons this week. I talked to Elder Porter this week, who is a very good missionary and was obviously finding this difficult. We must truly focus on being diligent, working hard and being ready for those who do have questions and want to learn about the Church. The rest is in the Lord’s hands.

Well that’s my week. I love you guys! Keep it real.

Elder Goodwin

Typical rainy day on Tahiti 

Elder Tapuhiro, my companion

My new zone! the zone of Paea!

The baptism we set just before I got transfered. I drove down with one of our zone leaders to attend the baptism. The fellow who performed the baptism is one of my previous investigators!

Missionary choir after performance.

Settling in to my new secteur at Papehue

Yo guys! 

This week was a good week. T’was interesting getting used to the new secteur. So I am senior companion as well, which is strange for me, but I can dig it.

 

The zone I am in is a lot more chill compared to Puunauia, but the work is overall the same. Papehue is a secteur that, about a month ago, they were only teaching 2-4 lessons a week, and they had only had two baptisms the entire year. But this week we managed to teach 16 lessons, which is the most lessons the secteur had had for a week in the year. So life is doing alright, I’m really liking the district missionaries so far--they are super sick. 

My companion is awesome. He is Elder Tapuhiro, he comes from the island Maupiti, speaks perfect Tahitian, so my Tahitian has been improving soooooo much. 

Cool event of the week, is that I bought a hand-made Tahitian ukelele. It costs me 10000 pacific francs (with a missionary discount!), instead of  20000 to 30000 francs.  I don’t have a picture of it, but I will take one for you. It is very, very beautiful. My companion has been teaching me Tahitian songs on it, and I’m starting to get a lot better on the thing.

Other than that, life is going well. I’m enjoying the secteur, it is less city-like than Taapuna, so it is a lot more agreeable to my taste. Life is good. Don’t worry about me!

Elder Goodwin. 

I bought my ukelele from the guy, that made this one. I didn't buy a double one though...

A sign in my secteur

Hey guys! 

Yes the watch straps fit perfect. I’ve got some sick pictures of Tautira beach that we visited last Monday (P-day).  

I’ve got some rather strange news... I GOT TRANSFERRED!

An Elder got an ingrown toenail and can no longer be in a bike secteur until he heals up. So I got emergency transfered last night to PAPEHUE in the zone of PAEA. dang. I Finally started to really love Taapuna, and now I have to leave... it kinda sucks but I guess the Lord needs me here. I have now been transferred twice, both emergency transfers. People are now saying that I’m the emergency transfer King. This time because an Elder got an ingrown toenail... well whatever, I guess its kinda cool to see another part of the island.

I am now in a bike secteur, which is awesome, but I have heard from many people that this secteur is challenging. One month ago they where only doing about three lessons a week, and now they are getting about 10. I feel as though these next couple months might be a little bit different. My companion is a big Tahitian dude. His name is Elder Tapuhiro, and he is actually pretty sick. (editor’s note: I think he means really cool). He is waiting for his visa to go to Sidney, Australia. He has only been on his mission for about three months now. So I am the senior companion. A rumour is going around that he may be leaving in a couple of weeks depending on his visa, so I don’t have very long time to get to know the secteur. 

We live alone in our house, The house is super tiny, and it is in the front yard of a member in our Ward. There are no thiefs that come into the house at night like our last place. Apparently they never lock the house, and have never had anything stolen from them.

I really enjoyed serving with Elder Owens, he is a very very good missionary and I learned a lot from him. He is a crazy cool dude.  Well now I’m on to the next big thing on my mission….

Elder Goodwin

View from Tautira Beach -  Northeast part of the Island of Tahiti

Orometua Faufaamaitai

Hey Guys I have internet today! yay! 

It's good to hear all is going well on the flip side. It's crazy to hear all the changes that happened this week... it must have been a shock for everyone. 

The weather here has actually been quite different lately. We are leaning into the cool season, so it actually gets quite cool during the night. I don't know what temperature it is but I have to use a blanket sometimes. But during the day it heats up and gets pretty dang hot as usual. I've noticed that my perception of cool or cold it very different now. I am currently sitting in a room with AC, and it is 24° C and I am pretty cold at this moment. 

I have heard that Jeff is growing his beard out until I get home. With his shortish height, red-ish hair and a big nose, he is slowly turning into a dwarf I imagine.

I got the birthday package on Friday. ITS SO AWESOME. its like Christmas . The watch straps are actually awesome, now I can coordinate colours. As you can see from the pictures, we got our ties last week, and have been wearing a bunch. They are fantastic! 

The mission this week has been pretty good, I have been really enjoying the work lately.  My companion and I have been working really well together. And the house that we live in has a bunch of really fun, yet super hard working Elders, so the house isn't boring when we get home in the evening. We get a bunch done during the day. 

Mom, the music stick is awesome, keep in mind that MP3 format songs work on most devices but M4A formats only work on some. No big deal, I'm pretty sure I can convert them somehow. but I love the music on there and if you ever want me to learn a Debussy song or something, just scan the music and email it, I can print it off and start to learn it over here. 

Gross story of the week...

My poop was in fact a Christmas-tree green colour. I do not know why it is that colour, and I haven't really eaten anything out of the ordinary, so the most logical conclusion I can come up with is that I have a disease and that I am going to die of here. (I feel OK though!)

Well, I've really come to enjoy this secteur, even though I feel like I work on the same road every day. We have a couple baptisms coming up for sure. We have a bunch of really excellent people investigating at this moment. 

There is a transfer on the 20th, and I will most likely get a new companion, so we will see what the next couple weeks hold in store for me. OH and I got my Faufaamaitai name tag. I don't really wear it for doing work, but sometimes I wear it in Faatamaaraa's (a meal in someone's home) and stuff, just because the members think its cool.

Well ...I love you guys, I can't think of anything interesting to talk about... just know that I love you!

Elder Goodwin 

My new name tag! My Tahitian nickname.

I got to wear this nice fellow's hair the other day. And yes that is his real hair!

The tie draft! We got our beautiful ties made from local print fabrics! Three "mamies" (Grandmothers) in our Ward slaved away for us four in the apartment.

Roommate silliness

When we found this nice fellow he said it is the first time he has seen missionaries at his portail (gate) for 18 years. We have been teaching him a bunch and wants to come back. He is a super awesome guy

Dog= Yumi, cutest little guy in the South Pacific.

Internet issues this week... sorry

Hey guys. 

I'm sorry the Internet isn't working on the computers but for some reason Our crappy phone works... so four of us have to share the phone. 

This week was great. A lot of work this week, tons of potential. P-days have been great. And we got our ties. (editor’s note: a member was sewing ties from local fabric).  

I have a bunch of stories but no time, and a phone that is impossible to type on.

Next week I will send a big ol email. Tell those who emailed… sorry for not being able to reply. 

I love you guys!

Elder Goodwin

Birthday in the mission field...

Haha. Its good to hear the fam is still doing the whole May long weekend cabin party thingy. Yeah, I got a bunch of emails about mission calls this week, 'twas kinda crazy. It's exciting though. 

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes.

The Birthday was a very exiting day on my mission. In fact it was much like a regular day... but my companion kept bugging me about it. 

It all started when the night before my birthday 10:25 or 5 to Babylon (as we say). I received a call from a certain President Bize. I'm not going to lie--I was already asleep for about 30 minutes when my companion woke me up and told me it was Bize. I can't remember everything he said, but I distinctly remember hearing him click a button and have some corny music come in, and then he starting singing, in English, Happy Birthday. Which by the way, with the french accent was so funny. The next day I received some other calls from missionary friends saying happy birthday. It was over all a pretty great day. 

That night when we went to our Faatamaaraa (dinner apointment) the lady, who didn't even know it was my birthday, felt the impression that she needed to brush up on her cake making skills so she made us some cake and it was delicious. So I did end up having some cake on the blessed day that marks the 19th year of me not being dead yet. 

We fixed a baptism yesterday. For.............. wait for it..................... the 12th of August. I probably won't be here, but what ever. It is so far away because he needs to marry his sweetheart first. 

Pretty normal week. We got a lot done. It was another one of those weeks where we just did a lot of work. 'twas great.

Love you guys. Keep it good in the hood. Don't do drugs, eat your vegatables and go to school. 

Elder Goodwin

The Elders in the zone of Puunauia. The one with the shells got transferred to the island of Rurutu two weeks ago.

This is my house currently.
The new guy is Elder Mclouglin from Portland, Oregon. He is serving with Elder Stewart now. 

The work is progressing well...

Hey Guys! its awesome to hear the news this week! Just curious, how is the fire doing? People keep telling us the "Canada is on fire.” That's basically what happens when the land mass you live on is smaller than most Canadian cities.

Not much news on this side other than the work is progressing at a reasonable rate. We have been working really hard lately, getting a lot of progress going on over here. We did a huge missionary choir performance in Tahitian, and French this week. We will be passing through all the stakes over the coming months. You should be able to see some pictures out in the world and on the Pierre and Bridget Bize Facebook blog.

I have really no photos this week because nothing crazy interesting has happened this week. BUT I GOT LIKE 18 EMAILS THIS WEEK, my fingers are bleeding. Great to hear from everyone. Well I love you guys, keep it good in the hood. I love y’all.

 Elder Goodwin

A recent multi-zone conference (courtesy of Pierre and Bridget Bize Facebook blog) 

Classic Elder Goodwin photo bomb

Elder Goodwin and Mission President Bize