Episode 42, 43: Car Wreck.. Miracles?

WEEK 42:

So this was a really interesting week. Short story, I was in a big car accident. Long story, keep reading. 

One of our members had their birthday on Tuesday, and we decided we wanted to get a cake for them. There's a shop a couple minutes drive from our house, so right before lunch we drive down there. I had missed the entrance to the parking lot, so I pulled over to make a u-turn, since there really isn't anywhere else to turn around on Moorea, and you just kinda have to pull over and flip it around. Once I'm stopped on the side I look behind me, look ahead, and I waited a moment, like half a second, before going. I don't know why I did that, but I waited, and once I went there was a car that came by. The car tried to swerve out of my way but I clipped the front; their car swiveled out of control and off the side of the road, where it flipped twice before landing top-down. 

Even though everyone came out of this situation unharmed (spoilers), the image of seeing the car flip is kinda burned into my mind.  After the other driver got out and people started rushing over to the scene, I just started freaking out. It had all happened so fast and all I could do was look at the flipped car, and then the driver. I just kept asking "ça va???" (Are you alright?) over and over because I couldn't remember how to say anything else in French in that moment lol. By some miracle, she was completely unharmed. I was in a pretty big state of panic/shock and so I was sat down on the side of the road while I tried talking to people (our mission president, the police, etc.) about what happened, but next thing I knew they were putting me in an ambulance. Apparently it's procedural, because I wasn't harmed at all, either. Anyways, me, my comp, and the other girl in the accident (Mireille) are all suddenly taking an ambulance to the hospital. 

At the hospital things were pretty routine. We each got checked, got told we were fine, etc etc. The ordeal from there is not very exciting. So let's talk about the miracles somehow that came from this, because there were a shocking amount.

The first miracle was Mireille herself. When I say Tahitians are the kindest people, I mean it. From the first few minutes after the accident *she* was the one calming *me* down. She is one of the kindest, humblest, most Christlike individuals I've ever met. As I was going through the shock in the ambulance she just talked to me and asked me questions about my life. And then she started to tell me about hers. She said that she'd been praying for the missionaries to be put in her path (we were sure put in her path... maybe too much), and that before she had gotten in the car that day she had prayed for safety -- she wouldn't normally do that. She spoke about how she knew that our Church was true, and how dearly she holds the things she learned from growing up in it. She asked if we could do a prayer at the hospital, and we offered her a blessing from the elders. She accepted it gratefully. 

The second miracle came from all the love and support we've gotten from those around us. Honestly, it feels kinda melodramatic sometimes, because everyone's just fine, but there are like 5 accidents a year that happen on Moorea so it's a big deal for everyone I guess. Nevertheless, we've been so grateful to get caring messages from our members, friends, and even friends that we haven't taught in ages. Everyone's been super kind about it. 

The third miracle is, of course, the fact that nobody was harmed. I'm not gonna include the wreck photos here, but it looked pretty bad. I don't really know how we all escaped unharmed, but I know that it was by God's hand. And the split second I waited before going -- it was really weird, because I've never done something like that, it was like an awkward pause. Something just told me to wait a second longer. But thinking about it now, if I had gone a second before, the other car might have T-Boned us and hit my door head-on, but because of that split second, she hit the nose, and nobody was harmed.

Anyways -- there are a lot more details and a lot more things I'd like to say about this event but I'm just gonna end it there cause it's already so long lol. But I'm good, my comp is good, everyone else is good, and God works insane miracles. Voilà.

WEEK 43:

A week after the crash and people are still talking about it. I had a little kid come up to me at church, look me up and down and be like ".. so YOU'RE the one who crashed the car" lol. 

Anyways this week was good! We had a baptism this week for a little girl named Poehere. She is the cutest ever. She reminds me so much of another little girl we baptised in my first sector. She did so amazing, her entire family (aust, uncles, cousins!) came to support, and she even went up and gave her testimony on Sunday. She is so freaking cute. I love her !!

We invited our friend Muriel to be baptised! She.. sorta said yes? Lol. She said she believes in all the teachings and she really wants to go to the temple and she does want to get baptised, but she needs a little time. So.. if any of you have any tips on what to do with that, they would be much appreciated.

Sorry this email is so long. But thank you all for all the kind messages and everything, I love all of you and I hope you have a great week :^) !!

- soeur snuggs <3

1.) Poehere !

2-4.) Nature and palms and such

5.) Chapel dog

6.) Mtc comps for life