26.7.10
I AM HERE IN MY FIRST AREA HAVING AWESOME EXPERIENCES AND EATING MANGOES: July 26, 2010
Dear Family
I am here in my first area trying to type on this crazy keyboard and it is taking me forever. I am in a new sector right next to Papeete called Fariipiti. My trainer is Elder Punu and he doesn't speak English so I never really know what is going on. But from what I understand we are getting to know our sector and things. Sorry I did not get to call. They got mad at our bikes and we had to do a lot of stuff to try to get them to Tahiti and almost missed our flight.
So, my first day we had dinner with President and some training and then I slept on the floor of the assistant's house. Then the next day we finished up our training and went to work. Me and Elder Punu are working closely with the other elders in Papeete until all of us are cool with our sectors, so we went first to this one family's house that I didn't find out was our Ward Mission Leader until after they made us teach him a lesson. He then gave me and Elder Crump some excellent advice which I didn't understand. (Me and Elder Crump were in the MTC together). Elder Crump is with Elder Childs from Utah and Elder Viellerm from Tahiti. Then we went to a members house for dinner and ate some fish and chicken and sat at this little tiny kids table on tiny stools and the huge father sat on a tiny stool with us.
The next day me and Elder Punu rode our bikes down this boardwalk thing right next to the ocean to one of our appointments. The guy was not there, but what was amazing was we then got a call from the other elders to hurry over to another house because they were being served lunch. I have found that if you are hungry, go and preach the gospel because everywhere you go people want to feed the missionaries! So we ate outside while they fed us and sang to us.
The people of Tahiti are the nicest, most generous people in the world. We had another dinner appointment where after eating off of plates that were huge (and almost dying I ate so much), they asked if we wanted ice cream. We said, "Sure," and the daughters left to get the ice cream from the freezer (I thought). Then it was taking a long time and I saw their car pull up. The daughters had driven all the way to the store to get us ice cream. Stuff like that happens all the time. They just give everything they have. Some random guy came to our house and gave us a bunch of mangos even though we have a mango tree and like 7 banana trees in our yard.
Also, I never really know what's going on. When people talk directly to me, they usually talk kind of slow if Elder Punu has told them I just got here, but somtimes they don't talk slow so overall I'm usually just walking around smiling and waving, saying hello and thank you and smiling and nodding when people talk to me, and then I laugh because I have no idea what they are saying. It's super awesome.
Last night me and Elder Punu did a family home evening in this house where the people didn't have electricity, so we did it by candlelight and people just kept wandering in and we got 7 new investigators from that lesson. It was pretty cool. I would keep writing but this keyboard is super frustrating and this internet place is expensive.
So I am alive. I have an awesome companion, and am already having awesome experiences teaching people in these awesome little shacks and eating mangos all the time. My only complaint is that my crotch super hurts from riding my bike. Also if you ever feel like sending me somthing send me some more ties.
Love Elder Cosby
I am here in my first area trying to type on this crazy keyboard and it is taking me forever. I am in a new sector right next to Papeete called Fariipiti. My trainer is Elder Punu and he doesn't speak English so I never really know what is going on. But from what I understand we are getting to know our sector and things. Sorry I did not get to call. They got mad at our bikes and we had to do a lot of stuff to try to get them to Tahiti and almost missed our flight.
So, my first day we had dinner with President and some training and then I slept on the floor of the assistant's house. Then the next day we finished up our training and went to work. Me and Elder Punu are working closely with the other elders in Papeete until all of us are cool with our sectors, so we went first to this one family's house that I didn't find out was our Ward Mission Leader until after they made us teach him a lesson. He then gave me and Elder Crump some excellent advice which I didn't understand. (Me and Elder Crump were in the MTC together). Elder Crump is with Elder Childs from Utah and Elder Viellerm from Tahiti. Then we went to a members house for dinner and ate some fish and chicken and sat at this little tiny kids table on tiny stools and the huge father sat on a tiny stool with us.
The next day me and Elder Punu rode our bikes down this boardwalk thing right next to the ocean to one of our appointments. The guy was not there, but what was amazing was we then got a call from the other elders to hurry over to another house because they were being served lunch. I have found that if you are hungry, go and preach the gospel because everywhere you go people want to feed the missionaries! So we ate outside while they fed us and sang to us.
The people of Tahiti are the nicest, most generous people in the world. We had another dinner appointment where after eating off of plates that were huge (and almost dying I ate so much), they asked if we wanted ice cream. We said, "Sure," and the daughters left to get the ice cream from the freezer (I thought). Then it was taking a long time and I saw their car pull up. The daughters had driven all the way to the store to get us ice cream. Stuff like that happens all the time. They just give everything they have. Some random guy came to our house and gave us a bunch of mangos even though we have a mango tree and like 7 banana trees in our yard.
Also, I never really know what's going on. When people talk directly to me, they usually talk kind of slow if Elder Punu has told them I just got here, but somtimes they don't talk slow so overall I'm usually just walking around smiling and waving, saying hello and thank you and smiling and nodding when people talk to me, and then I laugh because I have no idea what they are saying. It's super awesome.
Last night me and Elder Punu did a family home evening in this house where the people didn't have electricity, so we did it by candlelight and people just kept wandering in and we got 7 new investigators from that lesson. It was pretty cool. I would keep writing but this keyboard is super frustrating and this internet place is expensive.
So I am alive. I have an awesome companion, and am already having awesome experiences teaching people in these awesome little shacks and eating mangos all the time. My only complaint is that my crotch super hurts from riding my bike. Also if you ever feel like sending me somthing send me some more ties.
Love Elder Cosby
I'M READY TO LEAVE IN SIX DAYS: July 16, 2010
My Zone at the Provo Temple
I am for sure leaving the 22nd. We got our Visas and our travel plans. We leave here at 6ish in the morning and get on a plane to LA at 8ish. So I will probably call home when I get to LA. I'm not sure when that will be, probably 930ish in some time zone, I don't know. And then I fly to Tahiti from LA and will get there Thursday night at 6:45 and then I will start my real mission. I kinda thought that sitting in my classroom all day was what my mission was supposed to be because we did that for so long. Also for dinner we have had hamburgers for just about every single meal. 6 days left, everything is going good. The next time I check my email it will be on a real mission and I don't know when my P Days are there. Thank y'all for the package. I got the package with all the stuff. My address is that address in the missionary packet I left at home and it will be the same my whole mission. Also, make sure I have enough money to pay to transport a bike and luggage and stuff. Other than that, I'm ready to leave in six days!
Love,
Elder Cosby
Love,
9.7.10
TAHITIAN WORDS AND LEAVING: July 9, 2010
Dear Family
I am still here and the enter button on these key boards works now and also the period button. We got our travel plans yesterday and we are supposed to leave on the 22nd of July. That is if we get our Visas and stuff; we don't know yet. A lot of people get their Visas like the day before they leave so we will see. So if I do leave the 22nd, Ii will be in Tahiti at 6:30 PM Tahiti time on the 22nd. Also, I don't know what the deal about calling and stuff is, but I hear we are aloud to call family from the airport. I'm not 100% sure on how that will go down but we will see. Yesterday we were doing a teaching activity and I was talking about repentence in Tahitian. I was asking my teacher questions because he was pretending to be my investigator, and I asked somthing to the effect of if he wanted to repent of anything. He said he hit/beat (taparahi) children and I thought he said he slaughtered/vertically smashed (tupa'i) (one of my favorite words) his children cause they are about the same word and it caught me by surprise. So I talked to him about talking to the bishop and stuff, and afterwards he told me that that was a pretty big problem and that usually people also don't see the bishop for that and I thought he meant people killing their children, so I was really confused for awhile until he cleared things up. But that is one thing I love about Tahitian: There is a different word for all forms of hitting and that is pretty awesome. My ankle is all better now. I can't really jump on it, but it's all good. I hope that I get to leave soon. I've been here for a very long time. That' pretty much all I have to say.
Love,
Elder Cosby
P.S. Attached are pictures Elder Cosby later sent of his last days at the MTC.
P.S. Attached are pictures Elder Cosby later sent of his last days at the MTC.
1.7.10
Message from Sister Dee Key
"When I was in the MTC I came to KNOW that the Lord is with the young men and women attempting to learn completely new languages in such a short amount of time. It was insane that they could be conversant before even leaving the MTC. HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!! The double language challenge for Seth, and the fact that he is doing well in both goes beyond the regular miracles I witnessed. How can anyone DOUBT the Lord and His hand in this work?"
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