Mauri au utu
This week has been really good, I still have poo problems. I'm constipated and I can't get this one poop out and at the same time diarrhoea makes it around the poop I can't push out. Sorry about the imagery but I'm doing really good, it's not getting in the way of the work.
This week has been very busy as Elder Afatasi found out on Thursday that there were tickets booked for 2 elders to go to Fanning Island and the boat was leaving Saturday. As you have heard Elders Afatasi and Dinsdale went
leaving me to work with Elder Darm (from California, and has only been out for 9 weeks) in London every other day. I'll still be working in Tabwakea with either Elder Johnson or Hungai, but only every other day. I'm also leading the work in Tab 1st because I know our investigators best, which scared me a little, I feel like I have little personality because Elder Afatasi would make all the conversation and I'd just have my input in the lesson. However after working with Elder Darm on Saturday I was forced to use what I know to make conversation as both of us are very inexperienced and I got pretty good at what I wanted to say. There was a lot of beating around the bush because there were words I wouldn't know but they understood.
Sunday morning I attended London sacrament meeting where I was asked to bless the sacrament, which I'd never done before, as well as speak, which is the usual. I spoke about building our faith (ONIMAKI) and testimony (KAKOAUA) on Iesu Kristo, and plain and simple truths of His gospel. I also shared Helaman 5:12, which went perfectly with what I was saying.
After London Sacrament meeting Elder Johnson picked me up so we could go to Tabwakea 1st branch. There were 3 of our investigators who attended church, which is good but we were expecting at least 6. Tabwa, (late 20's) one of our new Investigators, attended church and she is progressing really well. She is seventh-day
adventist and was told by he church leaders not to take lessons from us, so before we came to teach her for the first time she was really worried. But, she told us in our 2nd lesson with her, once we started teaching she felt a burden being lifted and felt like she didn't have to be told what to do. That's what I love about Ana Ekaretia Iesu Kristo (His church Jesus Christ), we know that God respects our agency and the way we teach as missionaries is we teach the doctrine and invite the investigator to find out if it's true for them selves. I'll talk about an investigator each week.
However, I'm very excited for all my investigators, and I'm really excited for them and their families. If everything goes to plan there should be 7 baptisms on the 28th of this month.
Question/Answers time:
So have you heard from any of your school mates?
- not since the MTC :/ Might shoot them an email and see how things are going with them.
Have you started thinking in Kiribati yet?
-I am in a way. Saying prayers in English is difficult because I keep using Kiribati grammar and say 'ao' instead 'of' and and little things like that. When teaching most time I don't have to translate what I want to say from English to Kiribati any more, I just say what I want to say in Kiribati.
What has been the most challenging meal so far?
- food has been really good, had no problem with raw fish, turtle tastes sooooo good, still need to learn to love SPAM but the most challenging drink is Karewe (coconut tree sap). It's just so hard to finish a full cup of that and act like you like it. Also what's really great about Tabwakea is that our members or Investigators feed us all
the time. After teaching a lesson they'll be like, "KAM TANGIRIA AMWARAKE" (you'll love it/want food) and they'll like you more if you let them feed you.
That's all I got, I'm so happy to hear that you have found a house and I hope you guys are happy with it and that everything works out. It's going to be weird coming home to a different ward. Also we don't hear about anything, so yes I'm very safe here in Kiritimati. Is there any other news about the world that I would like to know?
love you guys
love Elder Berends
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