Tarooo (Bora Bora - week #20)

Ia ora na tatou!

We were blessed this week with some good experiences. The first would probably have to be with T---. We've been teaching him ever since we found him, and we've been going really slow with him since he has a really hard time understanding the scriptures, and some times we have to go over some of the same principles as before so that the can remember them. He makes such an effort and he's made so much progress, but he hadn't yet accepted baptism or come to church. This week was a milestone! We read in 3 Nephi 11 about baptism with him, and he understood then just how important baptism is for him. He accepted to be baptized this month! Then yesterday he made it to church with a member! Awesome progress! During the coming weeks we just gotta make sure he's all ready and he'll be down there in the water.We pray that he'll be able to overcome all temptation!

T---- and T---- progress well! T---'s  been coming to church, but T---  hasn't really made the effort yet, it's been years since he's been to any church! But Saturday there was a baptismal service for the Vaitape ward, and we had already invited them to come. The day of the service, Elder Duncan and I planned to ask them for a ride back to the other side to the chapel with us as a way of making sure they wouldn't miss out on this spiritual moment ;) T---- wasn't really planning on going, but luckily when we asked for a ride he accepted to go as well! He and T---- had a good experience at the baptism and they enjoyed it. We're glad they came as well!

The weeks keep passing by, there really isn't much time left for me huh? I'll be sad to leave my island home, but I am looking forward to seeing all your faces again. For now Ill be working hard until the end, no worries. I love you all, until next week!

Elder Ball

Que mon pays est beau (Bora Bora - week #19)

Ia ora na!

It's been another great week... in spite of another round of sickness. This time it was just a flu virus for both Elder Duncan and I. We kicked it's butt. Took us out momentarily but not enough to keep our hopes down. We had some great experiences this week and Elder Duncan and I are more unified than ever before, we've been starting to teach super well together! And to add to that I've started exercising again in the morning to keep me nice and in shape for the biking that we do. It's such a good start to the day and it makes life so much more beautiful!

Because of our sicknesses, and because of their work schedules, we didn't really have the chance to see C-- and K-this week, but C--was able to come to church, and we had a quick lesson with him on the Holy Ghost. He talked about how whenever he reads he feels God's presence, so all he ever wants to do is reads the scriptures... then he testifies to us how he knows that the Book of Mormon is true, and he just starts crying! Such a sweet, powerful moment, and the Holy Ghost did it's job.

Things are still going well with T-- and T--. My love for this family is truly starting to grow, and they've been super good with reading the Book of Mormon. We just pray that the Holy Ghost will touch their hearts and tell them that all these things are true. Apart from the lessons that we do, we have a really good relationship as well. From the start we managed to break the ice with them super well and we were laughing and joking with them. They always offer that we eat with them, and they even took us home after their lesson with them in their truck. Such and AWESOME family, I want the best for them!

This week our DMP found a house for us on the other side of the island! We were stoked, so we went over to check it out... such a beautiful house, right next to the ocean, smack dab in the middle of our area... but it's 3 bedrooms, and 1200 bucks a month. We called President Bize praying that it would be good, and when we explained it to him I could tell that he was shaking his head. He told us to find another one... go figure. That house is probably best with another family anyway. Today another member called offering us a house a little smaller in the same neighborhood, so we might go check that one out today. God's starting to be a little merciful to us!

Things are going well, my outlook on the work this week was bright, and I have a lot of hope and love for the future. Don't stop praying for us! I love you all and have a great week.

Elder Ball

Aue na tamataraa (Bora Bora - week #18)

Ia ora na tatou!

Another super quick week that has passed by. Things keep picking up in our area, and were finding more and more people who are interested in the Gospel. For the past several years our area has been the most untouched on the whole island because its so far away from our house, so it hasn't been until the new ward creation two months ago when Elder Duncan and I came storming in looking for those souls who have been waiting. Now we've found a good amount, but in all honesty we're tired... because of the distance of our house, we bike between 15-20 miles a day and have yet been unsuccessful in finding a new house in our area. It's not very likely that we'll be getting that car that President said could be coming, either. Well, gotta make do with what you got!

As for the news on the transfer, we've found out that there will be no transfers on the island, so Elder Duncan and I will be staying together. So it looks like Bora Bora will be my burial ground! I'm totally fine with that. This area is awesome, and just maybe Ill see the day when we actually live in our area. 

We love the friends in Tahiti who post pictures of Casey using social media.
This one is a selfie by Leen Nauta during a church service project this week.

C-- and K-- are doing better and better, in spite of the trials and temptations that come their way. With their marriage in a month, they've already started to respect the law of chastity, they fast, they pray, they read the scriptures all the time and they've been coming to church regularly. They are just about ready to enter into the waters of baptism. It's just so amazing to see how far they come, and how God has really blessed their life. Their family relations improve from day to day as they strive to keep the commandments and be ridden from the guilt of their past mistakes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They acquire so much new knowledge in their learning of the Gospel. It's been a privilege to be teaching them, and they are coming along great.

We had an awesome lesson with T-- and his family as well. We taught the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and invited them to baptism. Unfortunately they didn't accept yet, but they sincerely want to search further and read the Book of Mormon. T----, his wife, and their two daughters M-- and M-- came to church as well Sunday. T-- didn't come because he was embarrassed that he didn't have the right clothes to come. The poor guy! This family is just super sincere and honest, and they feel so bad when they don't keep a commitment that they accepted. We just assure them that even if they don't keep a commitment, if they have a desire to do better than they'll be able to do it the next time and move on, and that we're not gonna yell at em or anything. Haha I'm just impressed by their integrity and their real intent to do the right thing.

That's what I got for this week. Keep cheering me on until the buzzer, its the end of the fourth quarter now and I gotta keep going in spite of the fatigue! I love you all, and I love this work, and have a great week!

Elder Ball

More exotic disease (Bora Bora - week #17)

Ia ora na!

Well, not much to report on this week, except the fact that I caught yet another rare exotic virus called coxsackevirus. It was basically a fever and a ton of blisters on my hands and feet, which was pretty painful. Luckily it only lasted about three days, unlike chikungunya. Apparently its rare in adults and more common in children, but the doctor said that because of chikungunya my immune system was weakened, so I was able to catch this new virus. How awesome. But I'm over it now, ready to move on!

This picture was emailed to us (Casey's parents) from a sister who was at that neighborhood concert.

We had an awesome time at a neighborhood gospel night that we put on in the Matira neighborhood. Elder Duncan and I taught a lesson on our relationship with our Heavenly Father and how he gave us his son, Jesus Christ. The Spirit was strong, and it went awesome. Matira is known to be a serious party neighborhood, and surprisingly enough we had a ton of teenagers come listen, and a good number of them accepted the lessons in the future. After we had finished the lesson and started eating the refreshments, out of nowhere two guitars come out, and of course Elder Duncan and I start getting ideas. The rest of the night turned into a mini concert by us, and people loved it. When you show your fun side as a missionary, people become so much open to you!

I'm grateful for the talents that God has given us all. It makes me remember the counsel that the Lord gave in Doctrine & Covenants 60:13. "Behold, they have been sent to preach my gospel among the congregations of the wicked; wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, thus: Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known." We might as well use our talents to uplift and edify others and help them to come unto Christ than be ashamed.

That's the short email for this week, more to come next week while I'm no longer sick. Love you all, and have a good week!

Elder Ball

Bleh (Bora Bora - week #16)

Ia ora na tout le monde. Unfortunately I got the flu so I don't really feel too much like writing a huge email, so I'm sorry. But the week was pretty good. We found quite a few new investigators as well and we're hoping to help them into the waters of baptism soon. Things are looking good, there's plenty of work to do.

A touching moment of the week: yesterday I was asked me to do a baby blessing for the baby of a less active member. This would be the first time that I do a baby blessing. But when we took the baby in our arms, she was so calm and just looked up at me the whole time as I was saying the blessing. It made me realize how amazing it will be to be a father someday, as I bless my own children. It was a sweet, loving glimpse into fatherhood.

Well, that's the news. I'm hoping that this flu wont last too long, but luckily it's P-day and we don't have to do anything. Love you all, until next week!

Elder Ball

Photo emailed to us from a kind Tahitian mother, Stephanie Teuira, who takes good care of
 missionaries there in Bora Bora.

The best week (Bora Bora - week #15)

Ia ora na!

Again, another week of really awesome progress. We almost nailed our goal of 20 lessons, but fell just a little short because of cancellations. But the work is progressing, and that is what's important!

First of all, things have been going great with K--- and C---. This week we had the first lesson in a while with both of them present, and for a couple weeks we've only been able to see one or the other because the other was working. And in talking to them last week, they've told us that they are willing to finally get married and be baptized... next year. Well, at least they have the desire! But this week Elder Duncan and I really wanted to help them fix a goal worthy of their capacities to follow Christ. We taught a great lesson with both of them on the Plan of Salvation, in talking about how this day is the day to prepare to meet God and accomplish or works. We then invited them to prepare for marriage and baptism in the month of March of this year. And surprisingly enough, C--- and K--- looked at each other and smiled. K---was totally down for it, but C--- wasn't too sure. We testified, and as we finished C--- just said "I want you guys to give me a blessing." 

How sweet was that Spirit as we gave him the blessing to reassure him of Heavenly Father's love for him. After the blessing, he looks at us and says "It looks like March is gonna be good for marriage and baptism." Who would've thought that an angry man who once would burn copies of the Book of Mormon and mock the missionaries as they rode by would 4 months later accept to be baptized and get married. What an awesome couple!

Things are also cool with T---! He's thinking about getting baptized soon as well, but wants to come to church a few times before making a good decision. This week he was supposed to come by bus, but as the bus pulled up to the chapel we were saddened to see that he wasn't there! Dang, maybe next week!

We found a great new family this week. It was actually a door to door contact that we made with a man named T---- at the beginning of the month.  He wanted to receive us that day, but was too occupied so we fixed a return date later that week. And here's where Elder Ball makes a big mistake: the day of the lesson, I decide that we really needed to see a family of old investigators instead of going to T----'s lesson, so we did. I guess I thought it was the Spirit? We had a good experience with that family and they came to church that weekend, but frankly I shouldn't have made that decision to pass up T----.

So this week, with a lesson cancelled, we decide to go pass by T----'s again to see if he was still interested, and he was and we fixed a return date with him for later in the week. Then this time we made sure to really pass by to see him! And when we arrived, we were surprised to be welcomed in by him, but also by his wife and his two daughters. This was a whole family! We had a great first contact with them, and in speaking with them, they revealed their desires to change their lives: to stop drinking, to have better family relations, to pray more often. And they truly, all four of them, had this desire and were so excited for us to come over and help them and tell them that they could truly change thanks to Jesus Christ's atonement. If only I had known that this family was really wanting and waiting for this, I wouldn't have passed it up a month ago! And to make it worse, T---- talked how he joked with his wife saying that he had a dream that two angels would come to the house that first day. So he made food and got everything ready and they waited... and we didn't come. Again... IF ONLY! I truly repented. And I thanked God that it still worked out and that this family still wanted to have us. They thought nothing of it.

Well, that's the week in a nutshell. The biking is hard, but it's worth the effort because every day brings small miracles. I love you all and have a great week!

Elder Ball

Typical Bora Bora

Me between Tahaa and Raiatea

Matira Beach

An angel named Ellis (Bora Bora - week #14)

Ia ora na!

Good week this week! Maybe the best we had since the new ward creation. We were able to have 15 discussions this week, and next week is looking like 20. But apart from the new goals that we've attained, God truly helped us this week.

There was one day in the week when we were biking along to a lesson, and we were going pretty fast in order to be on time. As we were going, a Tahitian guy on a scooter passes us and in English says "Hey Elders!" He then makes a u-turn and stops us. He asks us "Which ward do guys serve in?" We reply Anau and then he says "Oh, right on. By the way my names Ellis. Good luck guys!" Then he rides off. My companion and I were kinda standing there wondering what that was all about, then we go on our way. But as we start to leave that spot, we hear a whistle, and we turn to see a dude waving his shirt around trying to get our attention. We ride on over, and recognize that it's Taro.

I don't know if you guys remember when I talked about a dude named Taaroa in a previous email, when we talked to him for like an hour and gave him a Book of Mormon, but didn't accept the lessons. Well, his names actually Taro, and we've been trying to contact him ever since to try and do a follow up on the Book of Mormon, but haven't been able to find him. And now, we found him, and his house! He saw us while we were talking to Ellis, and had just enough time to run out and get our attention. We talked to him for a moment, and told him that we had a lesson and that we would try to come back again later, but after getting to our lesson to find that our investigator wasn't there, we figured out that Taro was the one that we really needed to be talking to at that time. 

We headed back to Taro's house, and he accepted to discuss with us. After finishing the prayer, he takes out his Book of Mormon that we had given to him. He had read many chapters at random, and the night before he had finished reading Alma 40-42. He asks us a ton of questions about the things he read, and we do our best to answer them all, because he had a ton! Then the craziest thing, he pulls out this binder with tons of paper in it. He shows us the things he's written on the paper, turns out that he copied in writing pretty much the entire Guide to the Scriptures. He turns to one subject, which happens to be the gift of the Holy Ghost, and asks us what all that stuff meant. By this point Elder Duncan and I are a little overwhelmed but marveled by what this guy has been doing. He then goes off showing this list of questions he has, from "Where do I truly come from" to "Why are there so many churches in the world". If only we had time to answer all these questions! We gave him brochures on the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation and told him to do the studies that were in the backs of the brochures, and we shared a super short message of the Restoration and just testified. This time he accepted the lessons, and we fixed a lesson for next week.

At the time, that whole experience was honestly super weird, but looking back and talking about it with Elder Duncan, that was one of the most miraculous moments I have had on my mission. Taro is someone who is obviously hungering and thirsting for the Gospel, and he's wanted answers to his questions for this past month and we weren't able to find him. And now, after some seemingly coincidental meeting with Ellis in front of Taro's house, which lasted just the right amount of time for Taro to see us, we were able to meet with Taro again. The only thing is, Elder Duncan and I have concluded that it wasn't at all coincidence. God knows how to make things work in certain ways for the salvation of His children. Thanks to an angel sent from God named Ellis, we'll be seeing Taro again next week.

In addition to that awesome experience, we had a good district meeting with President Bize, along with Elder Larsen and Elder White. It was great to just have that support from them, and it was also refreshing to find out that Elder Duncan and I will be getting a car soon. Right on.

Well, that's the news for this week. I love you all, and until next week!

Elder Ball