Hi All,.This week was an extra busy week. We had our district meeting on Monday. The sisters & elders are making so many new friends. They have baptisms set up for October. We are excited for the opportunity to attend a baptism here. That will be a very special experience. We have been going to our ward building for several months and it wasn't until last week that we noticed there is an outdoor baptism font in the middle of the church's courtyard. I have never seen an outdoor baptism font. I think it is so funny that we have never noticed it before but have walked by it weekly. I have included two pictures below so you can see what it looks like. We had a zone conference on Tuesday. It is always such a treat to be with around 60 young elder & sister missionaries. They are amazing examples of the Savior and his teachings. They are energetic and enthusiastic and I love being around them. Hopefully they will keep us young and help us to grow to be as wonderful in spirit and testimony as they are. On Wednesday we took a young elder into the city to get a shot for his heart condition. He is from Vanuatu, and has to have an injection every 30 days. While we were driving the mission president's wife asked if we could take a young sister missionary to her doctor's appointment. So, we swapped missionaries at another zone conference and we were successful and got both missionaries to their appointments on time. We had the water heater element go out on our house water heater. We have not had hot water. Fun fact the water heater's here are just like the ones in the states however it is on the roof. It has both a solar element & an electrical element. We have had a few days of clouds and rain and so not much hot or warm water. The repair man who came to fix it told Phillip he needs to be a real Tahitian, take a cold shower then jump around after to get warm. That's not happening. On Friday we went to the temple. Saturday we went to our stake center and watched General Conference with the other elders and sisters in our area in english.{picture does not include all missionaries) We watched conference on Saturday from 6am-8am, 10am-12pm & 2pm-4pm. Then again on Sunday from 6am-8am & 10am-12pm. General Conference was wonderful. I didn't want it to end. It was so nice to feel the spirit and to receive so much light and goodness. I loved the focus on Looking to Christ. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, they are aware of us. They give so much to be grateful for and give us so many blessings and opportunities. I love each of you and pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your families. Love, Sister Gresham

Mission Experience - 12th Week

Received 9/29/25

Hi All, This week was an extra fun week with missionary work and us taking a whale watching tour. We had our regular missionary meetings and we were busy helping missionaries with health needs. We have a sister who has a herniated disc, we had a couple missionaries who we thought had dengue fever. An Elder crashed on his bike and we are still waiting for results to see if he has a broken wrist. Thankfully we were able to go back to the temple after it had been closed for 2 weeks for cleaning. I felt a somber unexpected disbelief of emotions on Saturday evening when we found on facebook that President Nelson had passed. He was 101 years old. As much as he will be missed I am sure he had a wonderful reunion with his loved ones that had gone on before him. And Sunday morning the news of the deadly incident in Michigan, with the shooting and fire at one of the church buildings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How sad, the world can be in chaos and yet there is peace in the gospel of Jesus Christ knowing that God is aware. We don't understand and we don't know exactly how things will turn out, or why things happen like they do, we need to remember & have faith that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are in charge, they are aware and know the beginning to the end. One of the easiest ways to identify and be a true follower of Jesus Chrst is how we treat other people. How we treat each other really matters. We can change the world one person and one interaction at a time. Be a peacemaker. I love each of you and pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your families. Love, Sister Gresham

Mission Experience - 11th Week

Received 9/21/25

Hi All,.This week we had a district council meeting with 2 sets of sisters and 1 set of brothers. They are amazing! They are such great leaders, they bring investigators to church each week and are so excellent at discussing, planning, setting goals & helping inspire each other. They are the light that is sparking our friends to have a desire to learn more & follow the Savior. They love missionary work and are examples of the strength and power that comes through living & teaching the gospel of Jesus Chrsit. We had a couple additional training sessions this week, had a picnic with another senior couple from Canada and on Saturday we were able to go to the temple. We plan our week and feel like we have some free time and then somehow the calendar fills in with other things to be done. This week I have included pictures of the oldest Notre Dame Cathedral of Papeete. Built in 1875. The Harbor of Papeete and our favorite restaurant in downtown Papeete. Our mission president has asked to visit and support young service missionaries in our mission. We will have seven service missionaries we will get to visit and get to know. Hopefully we can give them support and inspire them. It is a joy to serve, we love the missionaries that we are blessed to work with. No matter where you are in the world, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the same and the joy that comes from doing service and helping the gospel spread is a privilege and blessing. Have a great week. I love each of you and pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your families. Love, Sister Gresham

Mission Experience - 10th Week

Received 9/14/25

Hi All, We have had another beautiful week in Tahiti. I thought I would give some details and pictures of where we live. We are in an area of Tahiti named Paea. (Pronounced Pie-a) It is about 30 minutes from downtown Papeete. We live in a humble rented home pictured below. We have a banana tree lot next to our home. Did you know a banana tree produces one group of bananas and then it does not produce anymore. The stalk gets cut down and a new stalk grows at the base and produces more bananas as it ages and grows . We are blessed to have everything we need. Our home has 2 bedrooms, a living area & kitchen area. One bedroom is where we sleep & the other is set up as an office area with a single bed, desk & storage area. We have a small bathroom with a shower, toilet & sink. A kitchen with a microwave, fridge, stove & oven. We have wi-fi, a car port and a small yard with a patio for relaxing outdoors. We have a nice car with great air conditioning. Each weekday we wake up at 6:00 am and study language for 1 hour, then we walk on the beach for 1 hour of exercise. After we study the scriptures for 1 hour and generally do additional reading from conference talks and more language study time. In between we answer calls from missionaries that we get daily with health concerns. On Mondays our p-day, we wash the car, grocery shop, do laundry and cleaning. We have meetings we attend during the week in the evenings and on Sunday of course we attend our Sunday meetings. We also have plenty of time to explore and do activities. We have a very simplistic way of life with plenty of time to enjoy each other's company, relax and enjoy life. I am learning the joy of a humble simple life. I am learning the value of things that don't have a dollar value. I am appreciative of all the things we do have and I am becoming more aware of others who do not have the conveniences that I have. My life is gaining appreciation for friendships, family and our relationship, the things that will have eternal value. I am seeing the peace and comfort that comes from developing a greater relationship with the Savior and learning more of him. I have gratitude that I can represent him and become a better disciple. I see him more in my life as I study, pray and try to become more like him and better keep his commandments. This dedication is a sacrifice and things are different, but for me it is humbling. I am seeing how he can make a difference for the better. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Savior. I love to read the scriptures. I love the knowledge available to us and the many blessings available to us. Our Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ love us. I love each of you and pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your families. Love, Sister Gresham

Mission Experience - 9th Week

Received 9/7/25

Hi All, I can not believe how quickly the weeks are going. I gave Phillip a haircut the other day and he said "only 21 more haircuts and we will be home." Time seems to fly by the older I get. This last week we have been extremely busy with missionaries that have had some challenges. We had a Sister get bit by a dog, another Sister crashed on her bike, one with a toothache and several with stomach and sore throat issues. We pray for the missionaries' good health continually. Thankfully they are being looked after and nothing too serious. We are enjoying the beauty of the area. We walk on the beach each morning for exercise. We went to a beautiful garden with a waterfall and were able to walk around and enjoy the beauty of God's creations. No matter where you are, all you have to do is look around to see his handy work. It may be in the eyes or laughter of a child, the spunkiness of a teenager, the majesty of a mountain or a night sky full of stars. With all the creations he has made, his greatest masterpiece is each of us. He loves us, treasures us and cares for each of us. He wants what is best for us. He wants us to be happy and have peace & joy. He wants to be involved. Enjoy each day, look for the best in yourself & others. Have gratitude and look for him in your life and you will see he is in the details. I love each of you and pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your families. Love, Sister Gresham

Mission Experience - 8th Week

Received 8/31/25

                    France Country Side                                                                                    Paris Portrait

Tahiti Trees

Hi All, We had a very quick trip to France. We were assisting a sister who had medical issues and needed to return home. It was a sweet experience to be with her, and she was a joy. On Monday we flew from Tahiti to Los Angeles, from Los Angeles to Paris & Paris to Bordeaux. Then the same route back again after a night's sleep, arriving back in Tahiti on Thursday.. It was wonderful to meet her Mother, Aunt & other sister missionaries who previously been with her. She has a great support system at home and we pray for her. We rested and recovered for a couple days after traveling. Went to the temple on Saturday along with making a medicine delivery to a sister on the south end of the Island. To give you an idea of how kind the Tahitians are, we used our phone map to make this medicine delivery. We arrived at a location that was not by the sisters address. The map showed we needed to walk, not drive some distance. It was not an open walk, there were many yards, dogs, and gates. We tried to text & call the sisters but no answer. We didn't know what to do so we decided to pray. We no sooner said Amen and the gate we pulled up to opened. Phillip got out and spoke with a man (stranger) who did not speak English but was able to communicate through arm motions and the address on the phone. The man said to follow him. We followed him in his car back to the main road and over two streets, up a dirt road to a driveway with several houses. The sisters had called back by this time and met us on the drive. It was a tender mercy and answer to prayer. I have had many answers to prayer in my life and recognize the Lord loves us, he hears us and will help us. Look for him in your life and you will see he is in the details. I love each of you and pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your families. Love, Sister Gresham

Mission Experience - 7th Week

Received 8/24/25

Hi All, We attended the temple on Wednesday in the evening. The attached photo was taken with our phone. It looks like a postcard. While downtown Papeete we looked for evidence of something that would have likely been here in Tahiti when my Grandfather was here serving his mission in 1913-1917. While we were walking we found this huge  tree (pictured below) right next to the harbor. It had to have been here when he was. The trunk of the tree was at least 5 feet around. We attended a zone conference with all the missionaries in our zone. They filled the center section of the Chapel. About 1/3 of the missionaries were sisters. They were full of excitement, enthusiasm and pure joy. Several of them gave 2 minute impromptu messages on gospel principles. No wonder these young people come home so ready to be leaders, teach, speak and have no fear. They are amazing examples of dedication and faith. We went to get groceries yesterday and the fish, shrimp and other sea life (pictured below) were on ice in the middle of the meat section. I don't know what the big blue fish is or what I would do with any of this stuff, but the fist was big. They also sell fish on the side of the road in hanging zip lock bags with water and fish in them. I guess that is how you get fresh fish. We were asked as Health Coordinators to accompany a sister missionary with health concerns to France. We are leaving tomorrow Monday, 8/24 and will return on Thursday, 8/28. We always wanted to go to France but this will be a very quick trip and not for vacation or fun. We are happy to serve anyway we can, especially our awesome mission president and the young elders & sisters. This is truly the Lord's work, he loves and cares for us. Look for him in your life and you will see he is in the details. I love each of you and pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your families. Love, Sister Gresham

Mission Experience - 6th Week

Received 8/17/25

Hi All, A beautiful Sabbath Day. We attended the temple yesterday and today our Sunday meetings. It is good to worship with the ward. The choir performed a musical number. They had about maybe 8 choir members. The men were dressed in white shirts, white pants and white tie, the women had on all white dresses with matching long colorful scarves wrapped around their neck. It was truly a performance. They sang a song I did not recognize but it was beautiful, and they sounded so good with such a limited number of choir members. A brother spoke about I think families. and a sister spoke, I am not sure what she spoke about, but I did understand every time she used the words Jesus-Christ, which was a lot. Our French is still in its infancy, but I love going to sacrament meetings to partake of the sacrament to renew my covenants and recommit each week to doing better at keeping the commandments, taking Christ's name upon me, serving others and enduring to the end. 

This week I have included pictures of beautiful flowers that are here in the middle of winter. The creation of our world, us and everything in it is such a miracle. It was planned, the plan of salvation, the plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, the plan of restoration, the plan of mercy, the plan of deliverance, and the everlasting gospel. This is His work and His glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39) Only 48 days until the next general conference. I love each of you and pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your families. Love, Sister Gresham

Mission Experience - 5th Week

Received 8/10/25