Sister Kofford in Tahiti: Papeari!

4/13/15

Friends and family,

I have successfully been transferred. I can honestly tell you all that it was one of the hardest things I have done until this point in my life. I love Huahine. I love the members. I love our investigators, and I loved my companions. I was so incredibly blessed to have served there on that beautiful island. The day I left it was hard to do our lessons because we had people calling and saying goodbye all day, people wanting to meet up with us to give me a little gift or note, and people just offering to help in anyway possible knowing we did not have a car. These people are amazing. When it got time to go to the airport, everyone had already beat us there. The entire ward of Fare, Huahine was waiting for us. I could not believe my eyes! I had a hard time telling everyone goodbye and boarding the plane. As I was climbing the stairs to the plane, I looked out one more time at the beautiful night sky of Huahine and found in the light of the airport that my ward had all waited to make sure I got on the plane. People are so amazing. It truly is like I knew these people before and I just needed to take some time to get to know them again. We truly did become family. I trust these people and truly do love them with all of my heart. I was so sad to be leaving but did not want to cry on the plane haha so I immediately started talking to the scary tattoo man who was next to me. Soon enough, I had his name, his number, a date, and time set up for the missionaries of Mahina. You never know who God has been preparing and I never want to lose an opportunity to teach someone who has been prepared to hear the gospel from me. When I arrived here at Papeari things were not as I expected. I soon found out that we have zero progressing investigators. My companion has been here for three transfers and is a little bit tired of this area . . . things are just not as good as they could be. These things a long with lots more made the last four days pretty difficult. I felt like up until this point in my mission that I was always progressing, changing, becoming a better person . . . the person that God wants me to be. And then when I arrived here it was a sudden stop. We did not have lessons, the spirit was not as strong, and our companionship was interesting. I was sad and distressed and did not know what to do. But then a thought came to my mind. In life, we have to fall at times to be able to ask God to help us and lift us back up higher than we originally were. Again, it is in our extremity that God finds His opportunity to make us stronger and better than ever before. I have prayed so much over the past four days and am thankful for God's love for me. I am thankful that we have a God who loves us. A Savior who saves us each and every day that we live, and the spirit who can comfort and guide us. I am happy that I have the opportunity to better apply these three important things in my life. I know the key to success on a mission is just to love. I will try to love this ward and my companion with the same love that I gave on the island of Huahine. I know that God wants us to love and be loved. I am so thankful for Him and His love for me and for your love for me and for the opportunity I have to love! Never miss a chance to love! People are in need of your love! I know that there are lots of reasons why I am here in this new area of Papeari! Haha and I will just keep loving until I find them! Thank you for everything! Your love, support, prayers, everything! I love love love you all and am so blessed to have you in my life! Keep Soeur Faana and I in your prayers! Have a great week!

Love, Soeur Heather Kofford