Since we have now officially been here nine months I thought I should show a bit of our neighborhood to you all. We live in Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. We live on a hill above the LDS Temple. Sounds very romantic and beautiful...and some areas have charm...but it is a city. And it is the tropics. And the heat and humidity of the tropics can be brutal on buildings and infrastructure. Most of the buildings in Papeete need a good coat of paint 😊. But I thought it would be good to post pictures of our Papeete neighborhood.
Our House:
This is our house.
Looking from our house northwest toward the Temple...can you see the statue of Moroni in the distance?
This is looking southwest from our driveway.
It isn't the same home that I am used to but it is growing on me. I love the fruit trees in our yard...mango, banana, pomplemousse (which is grapefruit), lime, fig, and some new types of tropical fruits I didn't know about before. Still don't like the lizards but have made my peace with them as long as they stay outside and eat the bugs. And I now miss the chickens and roosters when they leave for a day or two (where they go I don't know).
The Temple:
a couple of photos looking down on the temple from our hill
Looking up the hill. Our house is at the end of this lane.
And here is the Tahiti Temple. Our lane is to the left.
The Temple Neighborhood:
Looking northwest from in front of the Temple.
Directly across the street from the Temple...Looking North.
The Mission office is through the fence. It is just a block west from the Temple.
Looking east toward the Temple...can you see Moroni above the auto shop?
Looking from the office toward the Temple (which is behind the auto store.)
So now you have a visual of our little neighborhood. It is an interesting mix of new and old, nice and run down.
And since it is Easter week I can't end without saying how much I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know he lives. I know that because of his sacrifice I can live again. Nothing I can do or say is enough to show my love and gratitude for that magnificent gift. That is the reason I am here...living away from my home and family for three years...in Papeete, Tahiti. He is the reason.
I have loved listening to this song, "Forever", sung by Nathan Pacheco, during this Easter season. I hope you can all sing Hallelujah as well.
