For 20-year-old Teraiura Teinauri, a member of the Orovini Ward in the Papeete Tahiti Stake, an important decision weighed heavily on her heart: should she continue her studies or serve a mission?
As a self-proclaimed overthinker, she was spending an extended amount of time trying to decide what she should do. Teinauri eventually turned to the Church’s career coaching program in the Pacific.
What she found was more than practical guidance — it was a spiritual resource that she said deepened her faith in Jesus Christ and gave her confidence in the Lord’s plan for her future.
“I discovered a new way to cooperate with the Lord in every aspect of my life, such as submitting my projects and goals to my Heavenly Father in my prayers,” Teinauri said, adding: “Thanks to career coaching, I feel guided in my decisions and relieved in my reflections.”
Strengthened by the Spirit and by mentors
Beginning her coaching journey in April 2024 with a career coach in the Papeete Tahiti Stake, Teinauri found encouragement to involve the Lord in her life plans. She said the coaching program not only offered support and follow-up as she started to prepare her missionary papers but also inspired her to envision her studies and career after her mission.
“Having a career coach is like strengthening the foundations on which we build our life path,” she said. “You can have someone to rely on to guide you in your choices, and most importantly, someone who encourages you to involve the Lord in all your life projects. These are truly people called and inspired by God.”
The good habits she learned — regular prayer, seeking revelation and focusing on what she can control — have helped her to see every experience with greater faith and trust. Even when outcomes were different from what she expected, she said she felt reassured that “something better awaits me on my mission.”
Part of a growing program in the Pacific
The career coaching initiative, supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Pacific, has been designed to help individuals make education and career choices through gospel-centered mentoring. The program pairs individuals with coaches who help them set goals, seek spiritual guidance and prepare for both professional and personal milestones.
Sister Penny Owen, a careers and education specialist senior missionary for Welfare and Self-Reliance Services in the Pacific Area, said the impact among the rising generation has been consistent and inspiring.
“The repeated theme we hear from the rising generation who participate thrills us,” she said. “They draw nearer to the Lord, feel His love and learn to ‘hear Him’ through the love and skills of their career coaches.”
Looking ahead with faith
As she continues working on her mission papers, Teinauri said she feels confident in her decision and hopeful about the future. She credits the coaching experience with teaching her to better understand the Lord’s will and to let Him prevail.
“The coaching sessions have opened my eyes to the plan He has for me and that He knows me personally,” she said. “I am grateful to feel His deep love in the things the Church has put in place to help His children.”