TRANSFERS, EASTER, CRAZINESS EN NOUVELLE CALEDONIE (Week 21)

BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE!

OH MY GOODNESS I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START THIS WEEK HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE MOST INSANE WEEK OF MY LIFE!  I SERIOUSLY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START!

First off, I am so sorry my emails have been rushed and such the past few weeks, I can’t even express how crazy it has been with a companion who is leaving and all such things like that!  BUT, this week I have lots of time to email, and lots of things to share, so……..HERE WE GO!

Okay, so MY MOTHER IS GONE (Your first companion on your mission is known as your trainer and she is also called your mother, or father if you are man….)!  (Also, if you are someone’s last companion then it means that you killed them…..) SO,  I KILLED MY MOTHER THIS WEEK!  That’s always fun to say 🙂

Okay, so last week was craziness, I think I might have mentioned in my last email, but we had a new senior couple come from America this past week to serve their missions here in New Cal with us so we had a little welcome meeting with them and with President and Sister Granger, so that was cool!  They seem so nice, and honestly, it was weird to hear Americans again, since even our mission president is Austrailian!  I am excited to get to know them, it should be great 🙂

ANYWAYS, pretty much all of last week was trying to squeeze in all of Soeur Westerlind’s lasts, which meant, meeting with members for her last dinners with them, teaching her last lessons with amis, and just trying to squeeze 18 months of her life into two suitcases….so basically we were having a party all the last, but still doing the good work of the Lord!

Thursday night, was Soeur Westerlind’s last night.  We left our house at Dumbea Sur Mer and “slept” at Koutio with Soeur Todd (she left too) And Soeur Decady, who is now my companion until transfers (but I will get to that in a second..).  I put “sleep” in quotations because literally we did not sleep AT ALL! They got picked up by the office elders at 5 in the morning to head to the airport, and all night we were helping them pack and writing in each others journals, and it was just so fun, but boy did we regret the next day! Unfortunately, our goodbyes were rushed because they were late to the airport, but I gave a nice long hug to all of the wonderful departing missionaries (except for the elder of course 😉 and as the drove away, Soeur Decady and I broke down in tears….out of exhaustion and out of the realization that THEY ARE GOING HOME!  AHHH!!! It was sad, but I am so so so so SO happy for them!  I miss my wonderful Soeur Westerlind, but she served so well here and she has such a wonderful life ahead of here!  I am so blessed for the wonderful opportunity I had to serve with her, and learn from her.  She is forever my mission mama 🙂

THEN, the craziness began…..I will do my best to explain but I am not sure how I can best do that over EMAIL SO HERE IT GOES:

Okay so Friday Soeur Decady and I pretty much just went to Dumbea Sur Mer and packed up all my stuff because we would be staying in Koutio​ until transfers happened at the end of the next week…we also had to plan like crazy for the next week because we would be taking care of both Dumbea Sur Mer and Koutio for the next week…on foot/relying on members for rides….

SO the last few days we have been relying on our wonderful member, Frere Bluker to drive us around everywhere, and we have been spending lots of time with him!  Saturday we spent the entire day at his house doing service and he gave us a nice meal at the end!

SUNDAY EASTER! Honestly, it didn’t feel too much like Easter here!  They didn’t even have an Easter Sacrament Meeting or lessons, BUT SUNDAY NIGHT there was a stake wide Easter Concert WHICH WAS BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL!  It was the first time I saw the easter video that the church promoted this year and they told the story and message of Jesus’ life through music!  Oh it was so wonderful, and helped me feel the spirit of Christ A LOT better!  I didn’t get too focus too much on Easter this year with the craziness of Soeur Westerlind leaving, but I definitely felt it that night, so it was so great 🙂

OKAY SO THIS EMAIL IS KIND OF SCATTERED BUT WHAT ELSE IS NEW!!!

SATURDAY NIGHT WE GOT TRANSFER NEWS!  WELL SURPRISE, I am being TRANSFERED!  WHAT??!!!! I DID NOT THINK THAT WAS HAPPENING!  I was certain that I was staying in DSM since we JUST whitewashed it and Soeur Westerlind was leaving, but the will of the Lord is to move me elsehwere!  I am going to PAITA, which is a little further north 🙂  Just so y’all know..the further north you go, the less developed it is…but DO NOT WORRY, it is still safe, it is just like twenty minutes up the road from me….

ALSO, MY NEW COMPANION: Soeur Reorau, from TAHITI!  AHHHHH!!! She is super funny and sarcastic so I think we will get along great!  Although apparently she hates Americans so we will see how this goes! 🙂  She has been in Paita for about 5 months now and she goes home in June, so I might be her last companion as well!  Also, this means I am switching wards as well, so Sunday was a rushed time to say goodbye to all my wonderful families and amis in my ward  in Rivere Salee!  They were all shocked because I told them I would definitely be staying, but it is the will of the Lord, and so off to new adventures I go!

Also, Soeur Reorau doesn’t speak english….SO MY FRENCH SHOULD BE PRETTY DARN GOOD BY THE END OF THIS TRANSFER!

So I am pretty darn sad to be leaving Dumbea Sur Mer!  I have really really REALLY grown to love these people here and I want to serve them with all my heart!  But, that is probably why the Lord needs me elsewhere, to help take care of another part of his garden here in New Cal!

So it has been a sad goodbye to all my amis, and all the families here!  We officially move on Thursday, so I am just with Soeur Decady right now in Koutio, she is also being transfered, so we have had to clean out both of our housesm update our area books, and visit all of our amis and families to tell them that we are leaving the past few days, and that is what we should be doing until we leave on Thursday!  I am so sad to be leaving her though 😦  She has become such a wonderful friend to me….BUT SHE IS GOING TO THE SOUTH WITH SOEUR CASUGA!  My two best friends together, lucky ducky them 🙂

ALSO Soeur MAT (MTC COMPANION) Is now my new Sister Training Leader,so I will be seeing her a lot in the future!  YAY!

Pretty much all the companionships are changing this transfer but, it is all inspired! My new district will be myself and Soeur Reorau, and four elders, two of them being Elder Graham and Elder Watkins, so YAY!

OKAY BACK TO CAR DRAMA: WE ARE GETTING A CAR IS PAITA, AND I WILL BE DRIVING!  So I have had to get a little bit of driving instruction and Soeur Decady and I should be getting a cartomorrow so that we can help with transfers and I can practice driving before I go up to Paita!

OKAY SO SORRY this email was pretty much about missionaries this week, but honestly our theme for the last week with Soeur Westerlind leaving and myself being trasnferred has been our last goodbyes to our amis here!  AHH BEING TRANSFERRED IS HARD!  Luckily this island is so small that I will definitely see these people again at some time during my mission, but until then, it is simply a God be with you, and time to move on to those who are in need of a little sunshine in Paita!

Also, members know me all over the place on this island!  I was talking to a random member at the Easter Concert of Sunday and he said “Oh yes Soeur Vogel, I have heard about you..” Good to know Good to know 😉  So maybe the members in Paita will already know me when I come!  AHH! It will be fun 🙂  I am looking forward to the future!

OKAY I know a lot of your wil be asking and have been asking:  GENERAL CONFERENCE!  No I am not watching this weekend nor have I watched any of it yet!  The whole stake will get togehter NEXT weekend and watch all the sessions Saturday and Sunday, and there will be english translation, so I will actually be able to understand what they are saying!  YAY! I am happy about that, and am looking forward to the spiritual boost, even if it is a week later than everyone else!

WELL ALL!  That is the crazniess from this past week!  By the end of this week, new adventures will be coming!  I will be in Paita, with a car with the wonderful Soeur Reorau ONLY SPEAKING french for the next few months…..WOOHOO!  But I know with the help of the Lord all is possible!

I love this gospel so so much!  I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I love being a servant for Him!  I want to emulate Him more in all that I do and all that I say!  I want to always make my Father in Heaven proud of me and the missionary and PERSON I am for Him!  Oh how wonderful life is when you have the gospel on your side!

IT IS TRUE MY WONDERFUL FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

As always, I have so many pictures to send!  So get ready!

Sorry this email was long, I had lots to update you on!

BUT I LOVE YOU ALL AND HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE DOING WELL!

Oh this is the work of the Lord!  This is His gospel!

I am so blessed 🙂

OKAY LOVE YOU ALL

PICTURES: Soeur Westerlind on her last Sunday here!

 The Rivere Salee missionaries with some of their wonderful ward members 🙂

My boy, Elder Watkins and I with our wonderful “mother” Soeur Byatt!  She is the bomb 🙂

Wonderful Sisters at our mission meeting last week to welcome in the new Senior missionary couple!

This beautiful island 🙂 How am I so lucky?!

Missionaries straight outta paradise

ME and the leaving missionaries on their way to the airport 😦  So sad, but so excited for them!  Also don’t judge my appearance, I hadn’t slept all night and it was five in the morning!

Moi et Soeur Decady with our favorite member, FRERE BLUKER!  He has been our taxi driver for the last few days 🙂  He is so great!

OKAY ONE MORE THING OF PICTURES COMING!

The wonderful people I will so desperately miss here in the Rivere Salee Ward!!

Moi and Frere Fiti

Moi et Frere Fiti’s Kids

My Wonderful ward families

Moi et Haiata, the most dedicated church member I have ever met in my life!

OKAY THAT IS ALL! LOVE YOU ALL!  HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!

BONUS PICS!

Soeur Vogel with Soeur Decady

SOEUR WESTERLIND’S AND MY LAST WEEK TOGETHER (20)

BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE!

I don’t have a lot of time this week, but of course, I wanted to email and get tell you all about the craziness the last week has brought!

Well Sister Westerlind goes home in two days!  AHH!  So basically, we have been doing her farewell tour, meeting with members and investigators that she taught, and spending time with members, WHICH HAS BEEN SO GREAT!  But we have also seen some miracles!

FRERE F: STOPPED SMOKING!  He fasted for the first time last Sunday to help him stop smoking, and guess what?! HE HASN’T SMOKED SINCE!  Oh he is so humble and wonderful!  He then said ever since he stopped smoking he has felt a hole in his heart that only baptism can fill…like honestly what?!  So we are just working on getting him married, and into the font he goes!  Like actually, I LOVE THIS MAN!

T continues to progress as well!  She is scared to set a baptismal date, but she is so prepared.  She read about half of the Book of Mormon in two weeks, which is better than I have ever done!  She is so great 🙂

I SERIOUSLY LOVE THE PEOPLE HERE!  Oh I cannot explain how much I love them.  I am FINALLY feeling like I can communicate without the help of others.  Church I can pretty much understand but it gets hard because I have to concentrate really REALLY hard!  So sometimes I zone out and have no idea what is going on!  BUT I CAN TALK, like IN FRENCH!  I am thinking if I continue to work at it, and it is God’s will, I will be in good shape with french by the end of next transfer!  WOOOHOO!  Then I can be a real missionary!

It hasn’t really occurred to me that I am most likely taking over my area in two days, which means I have to manage everything!  I am pretty sure I will be staying in Dumbea Sur Mer, and that my new companion will come here with me!  But who knows, we will find out Saturday I believe!  It is all with the will of the Lord!

Anyways, I really don’t have much time, and I have a lot of pictures to send of the wonderful people here!  I should be emailing early next week, so you will hear from me soon!  I love you all dearly, and hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend.

I love my Savior, and I love the atonement.  That is why I am here, because I have truly felt the AMAZING GRACE of the Savior’s love.

I love you dearly, my family and friends, next week will be more updates 🙂  But for now, enjoy the pictures!  LOVE YOU ALL!  THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

LOVE LOVE LOVE,

Soeur VOGEL

PS I AM STILL REALLY DARN HAPPY!

PICTURE ONE: Tess

PICTURE TWO: JC and Hininui, our recent converts!

PICTURE THREE and FOUR:  THE CHINGS, oh how I love this family!

​PICTURES: The cool missionaries the the YSA (Young Single Adults) members!  They gave us a pizza party!

The beautiful sunset!  Oh how I love it here!

Me and Soeur Todd!  I love this sisters so much!  She leaves on Friday as well!

Pictures from Vacation Week

Our hike this past week!  The trail, the good friends, and the BEAUTIFUL View!

My homies at Zone Conference, and a beautiful waterfall found on our hike!

Zone Conference!

ONE: Homies

TWO: Our Mission President

THREE: The North Zone with President and Sister Granger

Told you I had a lot of pictures! But these are the last!  Our butts after sliding down the muddy mountain!  Karoke with my girls, and in our Sunday best!  Love you all, have a great week!

Bonus Pics Sent to the Family:

 

 

 

Transfer 2 Week 7 VACATION WEEK

(MISSION WEEK 19)

BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE!

Wow what a week it has been!!!  Seriously, the past week has felt like we were on vacation!  Basically we had Zone Conference Monday and Tuesday, Pday Wednesday, and and then an activity with our ward on Saturday, so we have just been having a good old time all week!  I mean it is always a good time when you are serving the Lord, but this week was a little different then the last, and it went by so quickly!  Ahh, this longest transfer ever is finishing up so so soon!  My companion will be home in two weeks!  I am so excited for her, but oh how I will miss her!

ANYWAYS, on to my week!

SO ZONE CONFERENCE:

So we had zone conference in the church building right across from the beach in a town called Magenta, well it is actually the city, and it was so nice!  We had our mission president here for two days from Vanuatu, but it is always interesting because he does not speak french, and some of the missionaries here from Tahiti only speak french!  But we just have translation, and everyone still has a grand old time!  So Zone conferences here are so fun!  There are about twenty missionaries in our zone (there are only two zones on the island), and we are spread out throughout the entire northern part of the island, so we don’t see each other too often, so it was fun to have everyone down for the week!  Monday morning we had trainings which were so great!  We talked about having ourselves clean on the outside and the inside so that people can sense the wonderful message we have to share before we even open our mouths!

After that we had our interviews with our mission president and then we had a …. VARIETY SHOW!  And we had permission to DANCE!  That is right IT WAS SO AWESOME!  Our president loves to have fun, and so we danced our little hearts out!  We did the WAKA WAKA and the whip and the nay nay and we did tahitian dancing and samoan dancing, and sang songs, and it was just so much fun!  There are so many wonderful cultures here and it is so much fun to be a part of it all!

Then  Tuesday Sister Granger (our mission president’s wife) came out with Soeur Westerlind and I in our area!  We had no lessons PLANNED, but ended up having two that WERE SO GREAT!  We challenged both to be baptized, and they both accepted!  They haven’t wanted to fix the date yet, but their desire is there so yay!  One of them was Tess 🙂  She is the most prepared for sure, I think she is scared because she just started meeting with us, but as she continues to take the lessons and go to church, I know she will be ready 🙂

Then Tuesday night we had our big training from President Granger which was alL about the atonement.  He read a call letter to us and asked us to remember how we felt when we read our call letters, to remember why we came out here, and to go forth and do the work that we came here to do.  It was just so great.  It is crazy, it had been a year since I started my papers, but it has flown by!  Now I am actually here, on this beautiful island, serving the Lord!  I don’t want to waste one minute!

WEDNESDAY was PDAY and we had a district activity!  We hiked THE HARDEST hike on New Cal!  Chapeau Jont Darme.  IT WAS HARD! My legs still hurt, but it was so much fun!  It was pretty much straight up the whole time and there isnt really a trail so you just climb (Dont worry it is SAFE)  And then it started downpouring when we were at the top, so it was slippery coming down, but we pretty much just slide down the mountain.  I had to throw my pants out because they were so dirty!  It was great and definitely a bonding experience for all!

We had some lessons with our progressing investigators the rest of the week: Tess and Frere Fitialeata!  We also had our English class, and Saturday we had an activity with some families in our area!  There were suppossed to be a lot of inactives there but it started raining so not a lot of people showed up.  But it was fun to bond with the members none the less!  We did Karoke, which I have been begging to do since I got here!  It was so fun!

Anyways all, here I am Pday again!  So sorry not too much to report on a spiritual level, but still a great week!  The work continues!  Only two more weeks left of this transfer, and because my companion is going home, we are kind of doing her farewell tour, visiting all the people she taught and having dinner with members etc etc!  But this week we want to set Frere Fitialteata’s baptismal date, and we are continuing to contact all of our potentials!

My french continues to improve! I can talk on the phone now!  But when people start talking a lot I have to hand it to my companion because I can’t understand, but hey, I can survive here!  WOOHOO!

Anyways, that was my week my wonderful family and friends!  Look out for the Easter Video coming soon, and remember your wonderful Savior Jesus Christ who died and suffered just for you!  This easter season I am remembering the scripture in Isiah 53:3 to 5

Christ lives.  Come unto him, and feel peace.  I love my Savior so much.  I love the atonement.  It is why I am here.  It is why I have been changed for good!  It is the source of my neverending supply of happiness! Oh the church is true my family and friends!  It is so so so true!

Okay, I HAVE LOTS of pictures to send this week, so stay intuned!

Until next week,

Your Soeur Vogel 🙂

Isaiah 53:

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

*Note photos will be added

BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE! (week 18)

BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE!

 

Hello….it’s me :)!

 

Okay ANYWAYS, BONJOUR from down under, can I still say that even though I am not actually in Australie?!

​

Focus Soeur focus!

So I don’t even know how to explain these past few weeks!  I can’t even remember when I last emailed, I think last Wednesday?!  Who knows?!  It feels like I have been on vacation the past few days because we had zone conference for half the week, and then Pday…but I will explain that later!

 

OKAY!  So it is Friday here, the 11 Mars 2016!  But you will be getting another email from me on Monday (Sunday in the US) because President wants us to try to email on Monday starting next week…So we are going to search this island and see where is open to email!  

 

So with that in mind, I will give you a short update of what happened LAST week, and then give you an update on Zone Conference and such on Monday!

 

SO LAST WEEK!  Hmm, still nothing too grand.  Our area is struggling, but we have a few wonderful people that we love to be with, and we teach every week! Let me tell you a little about them!

FRERE FITIALEATA:  Okay so I think I have talked about him before, but oh my, I love this man with all my heart!  He has six children, and his girlfriend is inactive in the church, he has been taking the missionary discussions for about three months now, and has such a strong desire to be baptized, but he has a lot of obstacles he needs to do before he can be baptized, like stop smoking… So it is coming, but we want to set a date with him this week so that he can work towards that goal!  We are also fasting with him this Sunday to help him stop smoking!  Everytime we meet with him, he asks “When am I getting baptized?” I love him so much!  We have a special bond 🙂

 

TESS:  Okay she is our newest investigator, and our most golden!  She is the niece of one of the members in our ward!  She is from Lifou-one of the other islands of New Cal, and she is staying with her family here until she goes to University in New Zealand in July!  But she is so humble and is interested in the church!  She says she wants to be baptized but doesn’t want to rush it!  But she is so ready!  I just love her so so so much!

 

So those are our two golden people!  But we also have others that we see occasionally when they don’t cancel on us!  UGH!   But there is the Ching family who are less active but still super spiritual!  There is the mother and three daughters and the dad…the dad is really the problem because he is the only one that drives in the family and he doesn’t want to drive them to church!  But we still visit with them as often as possible, and oh how I LOVE THE CHILDREN!  The oldest is 11, Hinali, and we are BFFs! 🙂

 

I JUST LOVE THE PEOPLE HERE SO MUCH!  I feel like Heavenly Father has been preparing me my whole life to be here right now, to teach these people!  We had a breakfast with some members and they were cracking up at me!  They said I will do a lot of good here, and that I will be able to get into doors that no one has been able to get into before!  Well WOW, that was a nice compliment!  And so nice to hear!

 

Being a missionary, how do I even describe it?!  It is so amazing, but definitely one of the hardest things ever when people don’t progress!  But then you have amazing spiritual moments with the members of the ward or those you are working with that makes it all better!  I love being here.  I LOVE THE PEOPLE!  And all I want to do is serve!

 

SO JUST A LITTLE MISSION UPDATE!  Usually mission life is split into transfers which are a period of six weeks.  So you serve with your companion for that amount of time in a certain area in the mission….WELL THIS TRANSFER is nine weeks, so I have been here in Dumbea Sur Mer since the last week of January and will be here until the last week of March!  So two months!  I will most likely stay here if there are enough missionaries to keep the area open, but if there are not, then I might be transferred to a new area…BUT I will definitely have a new companion, because my wonderful Soeur Westerlind is headed home in two weeks!!!  AHHHH!  I am so excited for her, but will miss her dearly dearly dearly!  

 

Missions are so crazy!

 

Okay everyone, that is all for my update for today!  You should be getting another on very very soon!  I love you all dearly, and am still happy as ever!  🙂  The french continues to improve, I can pretty much communicate with people, very simply!!!  

 

The church is true! God Lives Christ Lives, this Easter Season, Find them and find peace!  YAY!

 

Also here is a really awesome scripture that motivates me every day:

 “He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all.” Doctrine and Covenants 50:26

 

Serving others truly is the greatest gift of all.  I am so grateful I get to do it everyday!

Until Monday my lovely family and friends!  Je vous aime beaucoup!  L’Eglise est vrai!  Jesus est le Christ!  Venez a lui, et trouvez le bonheur realle!

LOVE LOVE LOVE,

Soeur Vogel 🙂

PICTURES: My district, I love these missionaries so so much!

Soeur Decady, my sassy girl from Canada, we are the bestest of friends 🙂

My beautiful New Cal….I am living in Paradise!

BONJOUR FROM NEW CALEDONIA!

BONJOUR! SALUT!

​IO​RANA!

It is your sister missionary from New Caledonia, reporting in!

Okay, so so so so sorry that my email never sent last week!  I sent it again, so hopefully you all got it!  If not, you can always check my blog soeurvogel@wordpress.com

🙂

OKAY!  So as always, I don’t have too much time, so this email might be short and sweet!

THIS WEEK WAS HARD!  It was the AFTER BAPTISM BLUES!

So many of our appointments cancelled, it was HOT, and Soeur Westerlind and I were getting discouraged!  WE WANTED PEOPLE TO TEACH!  We have been still trying to contact all those in our area book, but we are pretty much getting ignored.  But the HARDEST thing, is when someone who has so much potential, who has felt the spirit, and knows how much joy the gospel can bring to their lives, rejects you!  LIKE WHY!  Well, that pretty much sums up our week!  UGH DISCOURAGING!

Well, I have learned some VALUABLE THINGS!  I CANNOT DO THIS WORK ALONE!  I need my Heavenly Father more than ever, and I need the help of the spirit!  And so, I will take this trial, and move forward.  I have said some pretty sincere prayers this week!  And this week ahead of us is already starting to look forward!  We have had what we think is a beginning of a miracle with one of our amis (investigators) that I love SO MUCH!  He wants to get baptized so badly, but he has to get married to his girlfriend who he is living with!  Well, he didn’t really think she was the one so to say, and he informed us on Sunday that she is moving out….which isn’t the best case scenario but hey!  HE CAN FINALLY GET BAPTIZED!  We are setting a date with himtomorrow night! 🙂

Also we have one new investigator who has A LOT of potential!  So we are exciting to start teaching her!

Other than that, that pretty much sums up our week!  We have had lots of bonding time, Soeur Westerlind and I!  It will be so sad for her to leave at the  end of the month, but she has such a wonderful life ahead of her!

As for me, I have been here almost four months (well on a mission at least, here for like one LOL)!!!!  But what a wonderful four months is has been!  I am still here and as happy as ever!  And loving life!  I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!  Even when we have weeks like this!  We can still find joy even in the hardest of times!

Anyways, I have lots of pictures to send this week, so I will let that sum it up!  I ahve been enjoying the sun and the BEACH!  And just being around spiritual goodness ALL THE TIME!

The church is true my wonderful family and friends!  I love you dearly, and will hopefully have more to report next week!  THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

LOVE LOVE LOVE,

Soeur Vogel 🙂

PICS: Ma collegue after I cornrowed her hair!  And our beautiful area walking and chilling in the hot sun, finding those people to teach :)!

PICS: The American missionaries take over at McDo!  And NEw Cal Money in case you were wondering 🙂

Photoshoot at the beach with the beautiful water 🙂

Me and my Collgue (my mission mommy)  And Seour Todd and Decady!  The crew!

Okay that is all my lovely family and friends!  Sending you lots of sunshine and joy!  Love you dearly!  THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

BAPTEME WEEK

BONJOUR ALL!  Here is my email from last week!  Sorry it never sent!

BONJOUR MA FAMILLE ET MES AMIS!

Okay I don’t have a lot of time this week, so sorry if this email is less informative and a little scattered, but I will do my best!

This week, we had our couples’ marriage and baptism!  OH MY GOODNESS IT WAS SO GREAT!  They are so beautiful, and it was AMAZING to see these people enter into the waters of baptism and receive the holy ghost and really just change their lives!  And then, we got to stay for their meal/reception at the church and their love is so beautiful!  It was also so fun because a lot of the culture came out…we got to see some good Tahitian dancing! I have so many videos, but they are too long to send 😦  But, like I said, it was so great, and they are such a beautiful, lovely couple!  Their testimoneies are so strong, and I love being with them!

Also, Soeur Westerlind and I had a wonder lesson this past week!  It was a first lesson with a man, his wife, and their little four year old girl that we had just talked to on the street on our miracle morning!  AND OH MY!  They are wonderful!  We didn’t get to share the full message of the restoration with them, but we testified and told them that we know that our message would bless their lives and their family, and as we are testifying, the wife starts crying, and says she feels this warmth, and she feels it everytime she is praying, and whenever she is talking with God.  We talked about how that is the spirit, and gave her a LDM (Book of Mormon) To start reading!  It was literally SUCH a  good experience, and I loved it so so much! The spirit was so strong!
I cannot wait to meet with them again 🙂

Also, today (Tuesday) we had a meeting with all the missionaries on New Cal and the APs flew in from Vanuatu!  We talked about having Unity and limiting mission distractions so that we can reach our full potential!  It was so wonderful, and the spirit was so strong!  Also the APs (Assistants to the mission president) Told us that between all the missionaries in New Cal there is about one baptism per week!  LIKE SO CRAZY!  I am so pumped to do more missionary work!

Other than that, we have just been doing our thing!  I love all the missionaries here, there are about thirty of us total, so everyone is tight!  ALSO I LOVE THE CHILDREN HERE!  Even though I can hardly understand what they are saying!  BUT THEY ARE SO AMAZING!  And they also point out any sunburn that I have 🙂

My language continues to improve!  I am understanding better, and I am going to start trying to talk on the phone more!  Which is scary because the phone is so hard to understand, but with the Lord anything is possible 🙂  AND I AM FEARLESS!

I am happy as ever, and love being here, even though it has been super rainy this week 😦 There are cyclones passing over the Pacific BUT DON”T WORRY all is well here! Just rain, and we don’t have a cyclone headed for us!

CULTURE UPDATE: Everyone here calls me Soeur Vogel like Soeur (Sir) Vojel, because Vogel with a g sound is a REALLY mean way to say shut up to someone in french!  Although all the missionaries like to joke that that name is fitting for me since I like to talk so much 🙂  I would have to agree! 😉

ANYWAYS!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH!  This week will be a week of normal missionary work and then next week the North Zone (my zone) has zone conference for a few days with President Granger!  So that will be exciting!

BUT!  Church is still true!  JOSEPH SMITH WAS A PROPHET OF GOD!  This is the work of the Lord!  He loves us so so so much! I know this with all my heart!

I love you all, and wish you all the best of weeks!  The church is true, in case you were wondering!

Love love LOVEEE,

Soeur Vogel 🙂

As always pics to follow!

Bonjour Tout le Monde!  Here are my pictures from this awesome

​LAST ​

week! Love you all! 🙂

 PICTURES: JC and Hinanui at their bapteme and wedding!

Some of my favorite children 🙂

They like to make fun of my sunburn- they have never seen red skin before! They also like to play with my hair, so I’ll take that 🙂

Last Ones!  Love you all! 🙂

Some of my favorite missionaries at our missionary meeting this past week!