9/11/17 Huahine Week 13 - Gene & Eugene, Drunks, Centipedes

Bonjour tout le monde!!!

So boy have I had an interesting week! We had our first experience with creepy drunk guys at night, battled a giant centipede, and somehow scheduled two baptisms without realizing it. ;) Anyway, stay tuned!!!

 Making an Exit

BIG NEWS! I have finished my training! I've been a "grownup" missionary for a week now and to be honest it's not much different. Super excited though! So... the story with the drunk guys. A Faatamaara'a fell through (our meals with the members) so we decided since we had time to go watch the sunset on the beach. When we got there we were so excited because there wasn't anyone.

Normally there are people drinking or something so we just stay in the car to stay safe, but this time there wasn't anyone we could see so we got out to take pictures and watch the sunset. Just after the sun actually set two guys with beers in hand approached us out of nowhere and started talking to us. Instantly I'm freaking out because we're like the only ones on the beach and it's after dark, but Soeur Miller kept cool and even taught the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity quickly while we exited. Super grateful for a companion who can laugh and joke her way out of awkward or even potentially dangerous situations!!! Direct quote from creepy guys (translated of course) "If your church wants to save us they need to send more sisters like you," Like ok, let me just call the church real quick and let them know. ;)

Don't Mess With Centipedes

Now since I can't joke my way through situations like she can I make up for it by being significantly less afraid of bugs... I have killed so many spiders and cockroaches here it pretty much doesn't phase me anymore... or so I thought. We came home late one night after a Faatamaara'a and it was super dark because the sun sets here at like 6:00 when we just see THIS GIANT CENTIPEDE ON OUR POARCH. There was a lot of screaming and I'm sure our neighbors were like "Oh goodness, not again." So when I say giant centipede I mean giant. It was as long as my foot and terrifying. The worst part was it didn't just leave, it crawled inside our door. INSIDE OUR FRONT DOOR. How does that even happen? Anyway, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that thing was inside our front door, So I did what any intelligent human would do... I threw on some tennis shoes (you gotta make sure it can't bite you) and grabbed the nearest butchers cleaver (to hopefully chop it up into a million pieces and then scatter the pieces in the farthest corners of the earth) and took the door off it's track. Before any of you are super impressed it's a sliding door and not a huge deal to take off. Unfortunately I didn't get to chop it into a million pieces, but we did shove some pieces of paper into the door so it can't get out. Hopefully it dies quickly so we can take the paper out because it hasn't been sliding right since then. ;) More about these centipedes: they are the only thing that these people are scared of. I've seen people pick up spiders with their bare hand and just nonchalantly throw them across the room, but they are scared of these centipedes because their bites hurt A TON. Like a gazillion times worse than a bee sting. I have also heard stories of people being paralyzed for a day or so after being bit. Good thing we don't see a lot here, this is the third one I've seen this whole time... And the other two were already dead. 

Hurray for Jean and Eugene!

So last night we were at ward council talking about the calendar for the ward when Soeur Mapuhi just announces that there will be a baptism on the 23rd. We were so confused because we normally know when all the baptisms are happening because either we schedule them or people tell us before counsel, but I guess Jean and Eugene have decided to be baptized the 23rd! We're so excited for them!!! They're so cute and super ready to be baptized! 

Polynesian Dancing, Bad Idea!

Also, I cannot dance. I'm the whitest person ever when it comes to dancing and there will be a relief society activity where they're performing a dance and singing a tahitian song which is awesome except they want us to be in it... So this week I faced my inadequacy and attempted to dance. Good thing now we have a lesson scheduled for when practice is because I think some poor old women are now blind because of how bad we were. ;) Like no lie, most of the transgender men here dance a thousand times better that I do. I'm only a little bitter.  

A Parent's Love for their Children

Something that's really stuck out to me this week is just the love parents have for their children. I cannot tell you how many times we've asked if there's anything we can do to help a family and the mother says "Nothing... I just need you to pray for my son." Or "can you give my child a blessing?" like of course! We can't bless your baby, but we can ask someone to and of course we can pray for your son! It just makes me think of our Heavenly Father who has given us everything and is with us every step of the way as we return to him. How cool is it that we have parents all around us who can show us a little bit of what it's like to love like God loves us! ​

Anyway, that was my super exciting week! I hope all of you are doing well! Love you all and stay away from giant centipedes! Trust me on that one.