Iaorana tatou pauroa!

How has your week been? We're doing well here in Tahiti! Soeur K- and I are together again, and Soeur Me- is our new roommate too, so the Raiatea gang is back together!

Not too much to report this week. One highlight was the baptism of L-, who you might remember was a reference from a couple in our ward for the secteur of Matavai. L- and R- came to all of the activities the week before last, and during one of the firesides L- received a direct answer to her prayer, so the next day they fixed her baptism for less than a week later. It was super quick, one of those obvious miracle baptisms. R- is on the path to become fully active again as well. I'm so proud of them, as well as the members who have been with them every step of the way.

Wednesday morning we had a lesson cancelled and while driving to the next one we saw them walking in the opposite direction. It was a fun start to the day. While thinking about what we should do instead, I thought of a potentiel investigator and a few houses nearby that I hadn't talked to yet, but when I saw that the investigator wasn't there it wasn't too encouraging. But we tried the other houses anyway, and after calling "Iaorana" in front of the last one for a few minutes, we were about to leave - but then they came out, pulled up some chairs and we talked for a good hour. Despite me following grudgingly, I know Heavenly Father led us to them.

Thursday was Mission Leadership Council. President Bize focused on faith, specifically what can impede or destroy our faith and what we can do to overcome that (based on a talk by Elder Pearson of the Seventy). Elder Pearson named six destroyers of faith: doubt, discouragement, distractioin, lack of diligence, disobedience, and unbelief or skepticism. We named lots of things that would overcome these blocks, such as gratitude, sincerity in prayer and scripture study, planning, optimism, and a fake it till you make it attitude. But most of all, a correct understanding of why we're here and a correct understanding of the Atonement. As President Uchtdorf said, "doubt you doubts before you doubt your faith."

Lots of love,
Soeur Ladd