Mahina!

9/28/15

Iaorana tout le monde!

Well life continues to fly by here in Tahiti! Transfers are officially over and I am settled here in my new area of Mahina! It is a little bit closer to the city, but still probably about a half hour drive. I am on the opposite side of the island of Papeari and things are weird here, because it has not rained yet! The sun shines every day and we also have a lovely breeze that never stops! These are blessings! There is a beautiful mountain in our area and the view is stunning! I will try to take a picture for next week! People are nice here, but have more money. The first couple of dinners with families, I felt so out of place and not good enough to be in their nice houses. I do not know how things are going to be when I get back to America. We have a couple of good investigators, and will be on the hunt for lots more so keep us in your prayers! Change is always a scary thing in life because we cannot yet see the blessings and miracles that are waiting. We do not yet know who we are going to become, what trials we are going to conquer, and especially what people are waiting for the truth of the gospel! We are in a car which is kinda strange, because for the last 8 months I have been loving the bike life! Also in my last area where I never found a post office, I prayed to have one in my next area and there is one literally right next to our house! Haha God is good! 

When leaving Papeari, it was harder than I expected! The morning of transfers the phone never stopped ringing with members telling me thanks and that they loved me and that they already missed me. Its crazy to think that 6 short months ago when I first arrived in Papeari, I was scared and alone and going through some of the hardest times of my life with the lack of investigators, lack of self confidence, and differences with my companion. Now in leaving the same area we had so many investigators we couldn't even keep count, I learned to be brave and bold and to commit people to changing their lives on every occasion possible, and I learned patience and unity and lots more in both companionships. Changing is hard, it pushes and pulls us and molds us to be better! I am excited to see what God will make out of me in this new area! When we are obedient and do His will, He changes us without us even knowing! I have absolutely loved my first two areas on this mission! Loving people is a choice! And its a choice that saves us! So everyday, look for opportunities to love and to serve! The only consequences are being loved back and blessings poured down upon us! 

In this area, I have been called as a Sister Training Leader. This calling is a leader for the other sisters in the mission! I had no idea before being transferred, but I have strengths that others need! It has been interesting helping the other sisters through experiences that I have already had and through example and love! Things are new but the serving possibilities are limitless! I hope that I will be able to bring a little bit of Christs love into the lives of those I talk with and interact with each day, investigators, members, and other missionaries. In my interview with President Bize, he told me that this was one of the things he liked most about me. That I invite EVERYONE to come unto Christ!

The Church is true! Life is good! The mission is indescribable! I am sorry that this email was more informational than spiritual, but know God lives and loves each and everyone of you! He has a plan for each of us and as long as we are doing our best and living our life to the best of our ability in accordance with the principles and ordinances of the Gospel, He will reveal this plan before our eyes and we will find joy in rediscovering who we are! I love and miss you all! Have a great week! Make only the best decisions!

Love, Soeur Kofford

First baptisms in Mahina!

Change Changes Us!

9/21/15

Bonjour tout le monde!!

 I hope you are all doing well and that life is beautiful for you! It was an amazing week here in Papeari! Throughout the week we had investigators and members calling us with references! We met lots of new people and were happy to help them start to find their way to the best path that life offers! It is amazing learning about people and their lives and their experiences! As missionaries, people open up almost automatically and with the spirit, we have the blessing of being the best psychologists in the world! Using our medicine of the gospel and its truths! I am excited for these investigators and I know that God has prepared something amazing for them! On Friday, we also had the marriage of Bayard and Djelma with the baptism of this couple and their two oldest daughters that followed! What a dream! This is what every missionary wants to see! An entire home transfer into something better! It was such a happy day and their testimonies are so strong and touching! We got to know this family through their youngest daughter! She used to live in the city with her aunt and went to school there, coming home sometimes on the weekends. While she was there, Heinaiki took the lessons with the missionaries! Then, not too long ago the parents decided that their youngest daughter needed to come back and live with them. And then we showed up! We continued the missionary lessons and she was baptized a couple weeks later! Through the change in this daughter, the grandmother also followed her example and was baptized the same day. Then slowly one by one the other four members of this family decided to do the same thing! I know that this is the thing that Heavenly Father had planned for them! Everything happens for a reason! I love this family and am so thankful to have helped them find the truth! We also had a baptism on Saturday, for Heikeani and for Araia! These two young girls are very smart and learned and accepted the gospel quickly! We all need to be a little more like children, they are full of goodness! These two girls also opened the door for their families who also take the lessons right now and are working to change themselves to be ready for baptism! On Saturday for their baptism, we had a surprise visit from our Stake President and from President Sinjoux (a member of the seventy). This was way cool! They talked at the baptism and afterwards congratulated us for the success and miracles that had occurred during our companionship together! This was so cool! The spirit was so strong and I know that these men are priesthood holders called of God! We got transfer calls on Saturday night and things will be changing! My companion will be staying in Papeari and training a new French missionary! I am so proud of her and her progress! She is a powerful missionary! I will be going to an area called Mahina with Sœur Statsny as a Sister Training Leader! I already know Sœur Statsny really well and am so blessed to be her companion! I am excited for this change, but at the same time I am heart broken to be leaving my ward family of Papeari! Miracles were seen, good work was accomplished, hearts were changed, and eternal relationships were started! The Church is true and I am so honored to be here representing our Savior, Jesus Christ! I want to wear out my life in this work! I love you all and hope you will have a great week! Thanks again for everything! JE VOUS AIME!!

Love, Sœur Kofford

Araia and Heikeani's baptism!

Our Bishop, Stake President, and President Sinjoux of the seventy all showed up to our baptism! So glad to have such great support from priesthood holders!

Dream of every missionary! This whole family will be eternal one day thanks to this amazing gospel! The parents and two oldest daughters were baptized on Friday and the youngest daughter was baptized two weeks earlier!

Time Flies!

9/14/15
Iaorana Friends and Family!

Well it has officially been a year this week since I started on this miraculous journey we like to call a mission! I can honestly tell you that I cannot imagine my life without my mission! I have learned so much and life has such a deeper meaning now! This church is so true and I am so thankful for the knowledge I have found for myself in my life! I still love to say that as missionaries, we have the best job in the world! We get to study and unfold the hidden secrets of God, share our happiness with others, and invite others to Come Unto Christ! We had another great week! Naomi and Lucy were baptized! At both baptism services, their mothers (one who is not a member and one who is excommunicated) both said the same things! They said that even though their daughters are still fairly young, they have seen them change over the last little bit, when they first started the missionary lessons. Both mothers said that through the things they have learned and heard from listening in on lessons that the church can be nothing but true! These mothers do not know each other and the baptisms were on two different days and it was so cool to me to be able to hear the same things from both of their mouths! The thing that touched me the most is that they both said  that they wanted a better life for their daughters than they had lived themselves. We helped these women realize that it was never too late to come back to Christ in life and to start anew! Through Christ and His atonement, everything is possible!  With the teachings and the truth of this gospel, their daughters will lead a better life. Because they know who they are and what is available for them if they stay on the right path through their faith and obedience! We are children of God! We lived with Him before this life. He loves us and He knows us! I love thinking about things that we did with Him in this premortal state! I can imagine each of us seated with our Heavenly Father, our last personal interview with Him before our departure to earth! I know that in this discussion, we agreed to a great and marvelous work here on earth! We agreed to accomplish a lot and find who we really are and what we are capable of doing! As we crossed the veil to this mortal existence we obviously forgot all of these promises and agreements. But this is okay, because we are here to find them again! As long as we are living our lives to the best of our abilities in accordance to the principles and ordinances of this gospel, with God as our best friend . . . there is no doubt that we will find all of the items that were perfectly placed on our list of things to do in our premortal life! And this is where joy comes! Finding our new talents, repairing our weaknesses, and perfecting our imperfections! I know that these little girls have a lot ahead of them and God needs them to start preparing right now for their eternal destiny! So for you my friends and family, prepare yourselves now! Find your lists, put God at the center of your lives and witness the joy that comes through obedience and faith! God lives! He is in everything! I love and miss you all! Keep up the good work and be happy! Have a great week!

Love, Soeur Kofford

Last p-day! Beautiful view at Taravao! Passed lots of cows and grasslands getting to this spot and it made me think of the ranch! I miss that place and my grandparents so much!

Lucy's baptism!

Naomi's baptism!

Mission shirts! Matching on accident with Elder Smith!

Best Days of Our Lives!

9/7/15
Bonjour! 

Hello hello my wonderful friends and my perfect family! I love and miss you like crazy, but if I could choose I would not be anywhere else but in Papeari, Tahiti! Things are so good and miracles and blessings are flooding over us each and everyday! I know that God needs His children. He is calling forth the troops that will play a part in His army! He is touching hearts and changing lives! This week was great! On Saturday we had the baptism of Itia and her granddaughter, Heinaiki! The missionary discussions entered into their home through nine year old Heinaiki and soon interested the entire family! Itia explained to us this week that she has already had lots of experiences with the missionaries. All I can say is that I am happy that I was not one of those missionaries that had encountered her in the past hahaha! Itia is a new person and has completely changed! She opened her heart and accepted the life saving message that we have been called to share! When she asked us if she could see her husband that had passed away several years earlier, we were happy to respond . . . Yes! She has now committed herself to do everything she can to win this eternal life with her husband and her family! Her baptism was a beautiful experience! One that I will never forget! Now, like I have mentioned in previous emails, Heinaikis will be getting married on the 18th and baptized right after! What we didn't know is that Heinaiki actually has two other sisters! Surprise! They live in the city and came all the way here for the baptism on Saturday. When they saw the miracle of baptism, they immediately had the desire to do the same thing for themselves! So a couple hours later, we were at their house teaching them the lessons to prepare them for their baptism that will be the same day as their parents wedding! I love this family! With all of my heart! I cannot express to you how amazing it has been to see their lives change, to see peace enter their home, and joy enter their hearts! That is the amazing thing about this gospel. JOY! True happiness and joy are only available through the truth that is offered to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ! God is our Heavenly Father! He loves us! He knows us! And He wants the best for us! He will send never ending blessings if we simply put our trust in  Him and accept to change! It is only through this change that we will be able to progress and find who we really are! I know that God has something bigger and better planned for this family! They have a potential without limit! And they have just begun to taste all of the blessings that await! I know that God knows everything from the beginning! We are all being prepared in our own way for something bigger and better! I am happy to be an instrument in the Lords hands to help people find this great truth! So as you go throughout this week, try to be the person that helps the Lords work move forward! Be the person that He can count on! Be the person that He needs you to be to bring to pass immortality and the eternal life of man! God lives and this church is true! Thanks again for being such a great support! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Have a fabulous week!

Love, Soeur Kofford

Heinaiki stole my camera! Haha SMILE!

Baptism of Itia and Heinaiki!!! Such an amazing day! This has probably been the best day of my life and I will tell you why!

Love these little girls! They're honestly like my little sisters! They know the ten commandments better than the bible and pray and read their scriptures every single day!! They're just waiting for their parents to approve the baptism! Pray for Ravanui, Chloe, Terani, Aloe, and Hanalei!