New companions!

 This is Jordan's email from last Monday. He was able to take a tour of a pineapple farm and do a little more sight seeing on his P-day! He is doing well with his new companions, and has joined two other Elders, since his companion finished his mission and went home. These Elders serve a part of the island that is farther away, so they have a car! Jordan says it's nice to be able to get places so fast! Haha He's used to riding his bike everywhere. It has been hard to make and keep appointments with anyone since it's the week before Christmas and everyone is partying all day every day! He still gets invited to dinner with members a lot though and he was finally offered Fafaru - the fermented raw fish they make there by letting raw fish sit in a jar of coconut water out in the sun for weeks or months.... He had been dreading it! But I think he also feels like he has officially been initiated into Tahitian culture, haha! He said it was so pungent and strong, and the smell alone was so strong and rancid that it pretty much made everything else on his plate taste like it too! But he ate it respectfully and now he can say he's had it, haha.

During our video chat with Jordan, Jared was able to look up where he is on Google Earth, and let Jordan show us around a little! We were able to see where the church building is that he's assigned to, where his house is, where the store is and where the area he serves is! It was so neat!! I am so grateful for technology that makes it feel like our boy isn't quite as far away, and we can actually see live images of where he is! It really is a small island, with only one paved road that goes around it, and dirt roads leading off from that to everyone's houses and everything else. And it's beautiful.

Here are some screenshots from our video chat:

The Island of Moorea is shaped like a Gecko foot! Jordan's church building is the red spot on the bottom left, and his area he serves is to the left of that. He lives over above the smaller red spot on the lower right side. 

And here are the pictures he sent!

The lady in the background is a member of the church who makes these hats for all of the Missionaries! She actually hand weaves them!

The husband of the lady who made them hats, holding a giant fish. This is the one who offered them the Fafaru.... ;)

Same guy...holding a pig head...!! I'm sure it'll become some kind of yummy dinner...

He didn't explain this pic...looks like maybe a wedding?

Pineapple farm! Fields of pineapple plants

This is so cool!! Its the blossoms of a pineapple that is just starting to grow! So pretty!

At the pineapple farm

 Sight seeing....

And I got my missionary name tag pictures! It's kind of a tradition to send pics of your name tag to your mom from wherever you are... and Jordan sent these!! I love them :)

Here is Jordan's email!

New companions!

Iaorana! This has been a good week, it was really sad to see Elder Bennett go, I'll miss him a lot, but this next phase will be a great learning experience as I have more responsibility. Im now in a trio with Elder Harker from Canada and Elder Mozos from France! It's going to help my French a lot haha :D A chapter I have been thinking a lot about is Alma 7 in the Book of Mormon, which is a great chapter for Christmas! A prophet named Alma prophecies of the birth and mission of the Savior, as well as things that we need to do in order to become more like Him. I invite each of you to read it and choose something that you are going to apply to your life. The scriptures are worth nothing if we do not apply what we learn into our lives. They are our greatest resources to learn what we need to do to return to live with our Father in Heaven again and become like Him. You will find more joy in them than you thought you could. I've seen that so much in my life and I know you will too :)

I love you all! Je vous aime beaucoup! Ua here au ia outou!

Elder King