Dec 5, 2011: LA ORA NA

Hey Family, 
Everything is going great.  So I did a split with the Elders of Mahina.  It lasted 2 days... and then president said a week... and now he just told me to stay here.  So now I am serving with Elder Teupoorautoa (which means "The many kinds of heads in stores. . .") in Mahina, where my first companion Elder Punu is from.   Elder Punu is getting married soon.   Also at night you see the light from the Mahina lighthouse go over the house. My companion really likes fighting because apparently he was a pro boxer before his mission, so on P days we go to the house of the biggest scariest man ever and practice kicking him.   He is at least 350 pounds and does flying,  jumping,  spinning kicks.   His name  means  "Clean river eel."   I'm glad he is my friend.   They also tried to convince me to practice kicking stuff, so I did.  It wasn't that great.  


 They also gave all of the Elders DVD players to watch Preach my Gospel videos for comp study.   It's weird.   We had a first lesson with a young man named Revatua, which means "Skyback"  . He is 9 years old and super super smart and he has a lot of faith. He helps me to understand what it means to have to become like a little child.   My companion showed him a picture of Jesus calming the sea and asked him "Can you do that?" He said,  "Hold on, I'll try."   It was raining outside and we were just under a little gazeebo thing, so he hopped up from his chair and looked at the rain for a few seconds, held his hand up like Jesus in the picture and waited.  After about 15 seconds he came back disappointed and said,  "I can't.". Revatua has a lot of faith
Love Y'all,
Love, Elder Cosby

Nov 21, 2011: URCHIN

Dear Family,

There is a guy that I call Urchin who comes to our house every night.  Apparently he has been coming for a long time and has received the lessons several times.  He claims to be homeless, but apparently he lives down the street at his brothers house.  He is really nice.  We have actually become really good friends. It's nice to come home almost every night to see Urchin's warm welcoming crooked smile bathed in the light of our car's headlights. We are also teaching a young man who before was terrified of his father but when we asked him to pray to be able to talk to his parents minutes later he was excited to ask them to allow him to be baptised.   He is a good kid.  

Love, Elder Cosby

Nov 7: I HAVE WEIRD FRIENDS

Dear Family,
All is well even though an Elder showed me a scripture telling me that we aren't supposed to say that. We have been doing a lot of door to door contacting these days because I'm super tired of being in the car. After being accepted by a family that wants their son to go on a mission after talking to us, and then having a French guy explaining to us in very great detail that we come from monkeys;  we came across a group drunk guys. Carl tried to preach to us, Will wanted to join us for polygamy and was very dissapointed when he found out it wasn't true all while Aito was screaming AMERICA ...CALIFORNIA at the top of his lungs, then as we were leaving Tetutahi he  tried talking in English and got mad at himself because he wasn't able to get a single word out, so instead caught me in a death bear hug and we laughed together for several bonding and scary minutes.   Tera'i and Raimanu just smiled. Also me and my companion go to Moorea to do baptismal interviews ,  so we drive our car onto the ferry for an hour and a half boat ride to Moorea and then come back.  It's hard to contact people on the boat because everyone pulls out their ukeleles and plays together.   I'm thankful to be serving here in Tahiti.  The people are really faithful and charitable. Love y'all
Love, Elder Cosby

Oct 31, 2011: IN ARUE

Dear Family, 
I'm really gone from Bora now. I am now in Arue with Elder Ferrin and we are in car . . .  stick shift. I have to learn how to drive stick. Me and Ferrin have had many bonding experiences as the car stalls through busy intersections asnd huge lines of cars are behind us. Ferrin just laughs. I get super tired from being in a car.  We also have a choir practice for a missionary program that we will do for Christmas.   The biggest hospital in Tahiti is in our area, so we get called almost every day to go and give blessings there.  We even started to do lessons in the hospital rooms.   Last night we ate with a super super french familly and they fed us by courses.  The course before dessert was stinky cheese and the stinky chesse is really stinky.  It might be worse than fafaru.  Elder Ferrin is from Salt Lake City, Utah and is close to ending his mission.  He is a great guy and an awesome missionary.  I am really glad to have the chance to serve with him.  Happy Halloween!  Love y'all.
Love, Elder Cosby