Week 36 - Tarawa, Temaiku 2nd (Companion: Elder Neeti (Kiritimati))

Email dated: May 23, 2016

Hey Family

In Tarawa, the big city. There is so many people here its crazy, I'm not sure how many there are all up but in Betio (kind of like one of the suburbs) there's over 30,000 people! In Kiritimati all up there is only 6000, so yes a big change. First time dealing with Sister's as well.

The language is a mix of everywhere because everyone from Kiribati comes here for school and work. They also mix random english words as well, like they'll just use the word "start" instead of the kiribati word, "use" as well. Its pretty funny how they use it as well because to make a word past tense in Kiribati you add "aki" at the end so when they say used they say "usenaki". 

My companion is Elder Neeti, from Kiritimati! I think I already told you that I dropped him of at the airport when he was heading to the MTC. We have talked a lot about home (I consider Kiritimati as home) and it was really cool to share with him that some of his friends and people he knows had been baptised. 

Btw, Kiritimati was so hard leaving, I love that place and those people so much. Also Elder Miller, I don't know if I told you but he is the man, such a hard worker and we really did work hard together on our area and I am so sad to be leaving him, he is one of the best missionaries I have met on this mission so far. 

The Tuesday before I left one of the families I got really close too put on a little Karaure for me. Tiim and Manuea is their names. They made me this sweet shirt with my name on it and they made some stuff for mum and dad also. 

Moannara, should have been baptised this Saturday as well! I'll have to email Elder Miller and see how it went, and tell him thanks for making my parents happy. Moannara made me some stuff as well, a pillow case with embroidery, it says "Matu raoi Elder Berends" (sleep good...) it wasn't quite done but Miller said he would send back with president when he comes to Kiritimati this week. 

Ngaia, time to stop thinking about home in Kiritimati and I'll tell you a bit about Tarawa and Temaiku 2nd which is my area. Elder Osborne and I landed in Fiji on Wednesday and spent the night in a super nice hotel, so weird seeing mountains, street and traffic light and just normal civilization, in the airport we had Hungry Jacks (Burger King) that made me feel sick, hahah. And I finally got myself some thongs. (btw don't know I've told you but I haven't been wearing shoes for 6 weeks:/)

landed in Tarawa Thursday and where picked up by zone leaders, Elders Tiaon (kain: Kiritimati!) and Elder Young (kain: Sunshine coast!) both sweet Elders. Elder Young is actually really good friends with the Mackies down in Coffs Harbour and it was sick sharing memories on their house down the road from Oma & Opa's. 

Elder Osborne flew out to Makin the next day on Friday. I love Elder Osborne he is such a nice guy and I've been with him since day 1 in the MTC and it was weird saying goodbye. 

Our area in Temaiku 2nd is really cool but we do need to get the ball rolling and get the work moving along in the area. However Elder Neeti and a visa waiter Elder Maeri have been working it for a couple of weeks we have a baptism this Saturday. Her name is Ataniwi and I've only taught her twice but she is the coolest, happiest 30 year old! 

So yeah this week we've 3 elders in our companionship, Elders Neeti, Maeri and and me. My companions don't know any english so you can be sure I'm taking full advantage of this opportunity to be with Kiribati Elders. Elder Maeri actually left for the MTC this morning, he'll be working in the Philippines. But just Neeti and I now, but it was really good to work with Elder Maeri for a couple of days, he is so cool.  

So yeah new places, new faces and I cant wait to get the ball rolling here in Temaiku.

alright that about it for now. love yalls

Love Elder Berends. 

Week 35 - Kiritimati, Tabakaia 1st (Companion: Elder Miller)

Email dated: May 16, 2016

Busy P-day here, as it is my last in Kiritimati, but ill try write as much as I can.

This week was really good, so sad to be leaving. Aretana got baptized this week and he is already coming out on splits with us! Love that guy so much.

Moannara will be getting baptized this Saturday, so mad I'm going to miss that. She really wanted to get baptized before I left as well. But I guess that's how missionary work is, you get to know and help these people and then you leave them.

There was a karaure on Friday for me (go away party). So sick, it was put on by the YSA and youth and there was some sick performances, and so many of our investigators came, Rutio, Aretana, Oiliin, Akineti, Beeta, Moannara and half of them were a part of the performances. It sucks so bad that I'm going to miss all of their baptisms.

Wednesday, I will be flying for Fiji. Battery charger still hasn't come, last chance will be on the Wednesday morning flight when the plane comes from Fiji then heads to Hawaii before it come back through to take me to Fiji.

So yeah leaving this area sucks, but I do feel I have left this area stronger, I was going through all the people at the Karaure, and a lot of them there were recent converts, investigators and a couple who we reactivated.

Well sorry this email is lame but gotta spend as much time with these people before I leave them.

See you later when I'm in Tarawa.

Love Elder Berends 

Week 34 - Kiritimati, Tabakaia 1st (Companion: Elder Miller)

Email dated: May 9, 2016

Sup Fam

Happy Mothers Day!! Mothers day did get a mention in sacrament meeting and I'll be honest I forgot about it up until then, but I LOVE YOU MUM!

But yeah no Skype for now, some of the Elders are going to try get it working but i just said I'll wait till Tarawa.

How did our baptism go?

Soooo good! Has to be one of the most rewarding baptisms so far... Kautaake, who we have been teaching for 4 months now, is now a member of the church! And she is so solid. After she got baptized she got up to bare her testimony and it was so good, her testimony is so solid especially after the hard time she had getting to baptism. 

But the best was after the baptism service had finished, two of our investigators attended the baptism so we decided to split with Tab 2nd Elders and teach them real quick before dinner. So Elder Osborne and I taught Akiniti (actually one of many referrals from Kautaake) and Kautaake sat in. 

We were teaching the Word of Wisdom and the lesson was really good, handed the time to Osborne to do some explaining and while he was teaching, Kautaake grabs my bible and starts looking through it. Then she taps me on the leg and tells me she has something to to say. 

So after Elder Osborne finished I hand the time to Kautaake and she starts reading John 14:15... "if you love me keep my commandments". She then goes on saying if we love God we will keep the Word of Wisdom... and then she turns to the most random verse that I don't even know the reference to and goes a long the lines of nobody is perfect, we are all sinners. and after she explains how she is a sinner, Akiniti is a sinner, us Elders are sinners, ma ngkana ti bwaka ti na manga teirake (but if we fall, we will stand right back up). She then goes on saying how she had a hard time with the Word of Wisdom and she fell a lot and sometimes she wanted to give up on baptism but she endured and was blessed for trying to keep Gods commandments. She then ends it with her testimony and leaves Elder Osborne and I blown away. So yeah our baptism was cool.

How was our Fishing Adventure?

It was fun, went with some of the sickest YSA and one of our investigators, Aratana. We only had fishing lines wrapped around a rock so the fish weren't that big but we ate them all. We just chuck them on a fire until its cooked, nothing fancy, ate it with coconut and for drink... cocnut. Pretty cool, didn't have to bring any food with us and we still were able to feed everybody. After fishing we went to this random forest that shouldn't belong in Kiribati and there were big bee hives that we got a bunch of honey from, the honey was the best I'd every tasted. So yeah, fishing trips with YSA is cool.

How has my week been?

Just amazing! I think like 45 lesson got taught, and investigators are just the best right now, I'm really bummed I'm leaving. So yeah, the week was cool. 

Is Elder Miller going to make it to Fanning?

Nope, plane still hasn't left and Elder Miller got the tickets changed to the Elders who are replacing Osborne and I. Our area cant afford to have someone leave for a week, way to many investigators right now. So yeah, Elder Miller is staying.

What is a District Leader?

A district leads a district of Missionaries, leads district meeting every week, gives training in district meeting or can delegate it to other missionaries, interviews all baptismal candidates in the district, reports stats from missionaries in the district, resolves problems between companionships/in the district... etc. I'm pretty nervous, just found out that there are 16 Elders and Sisters in my district and majority are from Kiribati, so I'll be giving training in Kiribati :/ also I have to companions in Tamwaiku, Elder Neeti and Elder Ititaake, so not going to be using english at all. So yeah, being district leader will be fun.  

Any last requests for my parcel?

I was thinking... it's way our there but I've been missing my Pentax K1000. It would make me happy to be reunited with it. So yeah, shooting with film again would be cool.

Do we celebrate Mothers Day in Kiribati?

Not really... but i just want to say that mum, you are the coolest Mum and to be honest you raised me so well... You had the right amount of chill and enough discipline that I didn't turn in to a druggo. You weren't too protective but I still know that you care and love me, you taught by what I think is a perfect example, thinking about you know and really do have Christ like attributes, patient, loving, charitable, faithful, humble... You really are a great example to me, Rhys, Vaughan, Dad and to all us ratbags at home. I'm actually really proud to be your son and if i am being a rat bag, ao ngkana iai au bure iroum, i butiko bwa kona kabwarai au bure (and if there is my sin with you, i ask you to untie my sins).  I love you, 1# mum. Okay enough mushy lovey stuff. So yeah, love you Mum. 

Okay one more thing that I think is cool, Moannara (Kautaake's mum) she has a smoking problem and so we said we would fast with her and she was really excited. So on Wednesday morning we go to her house and open the fast with her. we come back at lunch to lesson with her and she was still going strong and she really wanted to close her fast with us at dinner but we had a dinner already. So she suggested that we come back for a early lunch on Thursday. So we were like yeah if your down. So the next day we have a really busy morning and didn't get to Moannara's until 3pm. We get there and she is still fasting! We felt so bad, she was so faithful. We quickly let her close her fast and eat with her . She has got to be one of my favorite people right now. 

Everything is just going so good with this family we are actually teaching Moannara's husband now, he is so fascinated with the Book of Mormon. it was really funny during one of her lesson tua n te itiaki (law of chastity) was mentioned and he must have heard it as Tua n te kaitiake (law of cleaning). So Moannara was telling us that after that lesson, Tebau (her husband) starts cleaning their house and yard because he thought there was a law of cleaning. Moannara thinks it so funny. She really wants to get baptized before I leave and I really want to be there as well but she hasn't quite been taught everything yet and wont make it until the 21st and I'm leaving the 18th so lets pray the plane doesn't come.  

Alright thats about it fam, really doing well in this area right now, missionary work has to be the most rewarding work/activity.

Love ya'll 

Love Elder Berends