Week 6 on Ahe, Week 12 on Mission!

First Morning in Tahiti, September 29th

Hey family,

I am still alive. This week was more of the same. It's very difficult but I am growing spiritually. I started carrying all my books around and now I just sit down and study wherever. I was able to get in a full hour of language study 7 days this week! Fist bump. Anyways, I've been studying chapter 6 of PMG a lot and I really love the virtues Patience and Charity. I pray for them every day and I try and gauge how patient I am with my companion every day. Also, I prayed for charity after studying one day and had a really special experience. I felt my heart fill with the Holy Ghost and felt like all my shortcomings and sins were purged, and I only felt a desire to serve others. I want to feel like that all the time, but now I'm kind of back to normal. Haha!

 Elisabeth said life is really good for you all. That's an answer to my prayers. I pray every day for 3 specific things: patience/charity, the gift of tongues, and for my family to be protected while I am away. I can see myself slowly changing, hopefully becoming more humble, etc. My only regret is that the week before my mission with you and G/G Barlow in western Washington, I remember I was grumpy all week because my shoulder was injured. You remember that? Please forgive me. I could care less now whether or not I could workout. Haha. 

On a less spiritual note: I am now 87 kilos. There is no fresh fruit here except for Coconuts, which you can't really eat. The only food is what the members feed us. Fatty stuff. Combined with being stuck on a tiny island it is very difficult to not gain weight. But the Word of Wisdom is a commandment, and 1 Ne. 3:7 teaches us that God prepares a way for us to keep the commandments. So now I also pray for fruit to be provided and I am going to start eating only 1 plate of food at each dinner appointment. Anyways, that's the news this week. We lost power yesterday morning, so I showered from the bucket again. But today it is back. This weekend President Bize is coming to visit Ahe and then another island nearby with other church leaders for a conference thing. So that will be good. Also, I may start an English class here soon. 

Glad you are all doing well.  Stay righteous and pray for me to have healthy food and spiritual endurance. Pray, pray, pray for me please!  I can honestly feel the prayers. Love you all,

Avec beaucoup d'amour,

Elder Barlow