Week 3 - MTC Provo

MAURI AU UTU!!

This week has gone by so quickly but the days have been so long. its a weird sensation. 

Kiribati District - Provo MTC

An update on the language: Elder Graham and I are now teaching 15 minute lessons in the Kiribati language with out notes and we are finally feeling like we are teaching with the spirit. Elder Graham has crazy photographic memory and I am having to work extra hard to keep up with him but we are both feeling really good about our progress. Definitely feel like the gift of tongues is real. I don't know if I've told ya'll but I really love this language, its so metaphoric. For example the word for sorry is KABWARA AU BURE which translates exactly to "untie my sins". Its so cool!

Thank you for all the Birthday wishes it was a nice day, my district sang me happy birthday for breakfast and lunch, and the sisters made me a "candy" necklace and a card which was really nice. Unfortunately I didn't get my Crispy Cream Donuts and TimTams until Thursday but it was nice to enjoy some Vegemite toast this morning and teach everyone how to do  a TIM TAM slam. 

Something I thought Mum would like to know is that one of my teachers who served in Kiribati is now deaf in the left ear because of an ear infection he suffered from in country, so plenty to look forward too ;) 

Don't have much more news, days are really repetitive at the MTC so if there is anything in particular you want know about ask me and I'll try and tell you as much as I can. 

Something I've learnt this week is how much we are blessed for being obedient with exactness. When we are doing what's right with exactness I definitely am able to speak and understand the language better and feel the spirit more. 

The photos attached are from our Sunday walk which was really nice! We as a district sat underneath the shade of a tree and listened to some YSA playing the violin.

Sorry about the lack of detail in Emails, Elder Graham types 3 times faster than me! 

Okay till next week!

TIABO NGKAMI!!

Love Elder Berends

Week 2 - MTC Provo

Christus Statue, SLC.

Its Danien's second week at the Missionary Training Centre in Provo, Utah and its getting a little easier for Dad who is missing his son severely, the first week was a write off at work, couldn't concentrate without something reminding me of him, whether it was a plane flying overhead, a song, or the picture in my wallet. It has been physically and mentally draining, however, this second week has been a lot better and we now look forward to Saturday mornings when emails start arriving around 4am. What a great start to the weekend.





MAURI DAD!

...Say hi to all my St Vincents family for me (work colleagues at St Vincents Private Hospital Brisbane where Danien worked the past 13 months to save up for his mission)! Tell them I miss them and that the visa card has been a great help...

...P-day (day off) is Friday for our district. I' ve taught the whole district the "Aussie Oi" chant because every one is American except for 2 sisters, one from Fiji and the other PNG, and an and Elder Ellis from Temple View, New Zealand who went to school with Ezra (Daniens Cousin)...

...Also for my birthday could you send me a couple of cool neck ties? I gotta step up my tie game (I told Danien before he left that he needed more ties as this would be the only part of his dress he could vary from day to day, didn't listen and now what does he want?)...

Our district was talking to 4 sisters from Kiribati heading to the Philippines. They're so lovely! I cannot wait to be serving in Kiribati. They think its hilarious when we say "I KANI MATE" when they ask how we are. The exact translation is "I desire to die". It was one of the first phrases our teacher taught us. I love their sense of humour...

...The language is coming along nicely. I'm praying and bearing testimony in Kiribati now. Elder Graham and I have now taught 4 lessons in Kiribati now, the fourth we did without any notes so we had to listen to our investigator (our teacher) to know what he needed to hear. It went surprisingly good!...



Elder Berends & Elder Graham outside Provo Temple

... I heard this cool quote. "Christ turns outward to others when the Natural Man would turn inward". For example after Christ Atoned for our sins AND had been betrayed by one of his apostles, he still turned outward and healed the man who had his ear cut off which is amazing! I cant imagine enduring all that pain and suffering then still desire to help others...

 TIABO, Love Elder Berends.





The District - all Elders & Sisters going to Kiribati





Week 1 - MTC Provo

Elder Danien Berends - Salt Lake City Temple

We received Danien's first email from the MTC today, been hanging out for it all week ! Here are some excerpts from his email:

"...(on the 13 hour plane ride from Brisbane to Los Angeles) I was super righteous, didn't even touch the screen in front of me once (for those friends of Danien's, once you start your mission you give up a lot of your normal habits and interests, this includes movies and television). I didn't sleep, it was the longest day of my life, It must have been 36 hours without sleep. Once I got to Salt Lake City (SLC), Aunty Val and Uncle Mike were there waiting for me at the airport...

...Val and Mike took me on a tour of SLC, driving on the left hand side was weird but SLC is so cool, you are surrounded on all sides by mountains and everywhere else is so flat...

...Talk about Mormon Central, while driving on the highway you can spot soooooooooo many Mormon chapels and I at least spotted 6 temples...

...Visited Temple Square as well (see attached pictures) its amazing I'm pretty sure everyone who visits, member or not, must feel the spirit...

...MTC is super busy, still haven't had time to feel home sick, especially learning the language. Fun fact: Kiribiti alphabet only has 13 letters and the reason its pronounces Kiribas is because "ti" = c. Today I already taught my first lesson in Kiribit!! and its only day 2 of learning the language! We have a great district who are all heading for Kiribati and we are all trying and praying so hard to learn the language. Our language classes are all taught  entirely in Kiribati and we have to ask permission in the Kiribati language to ask something in English which is pretty hard but it will force us to learn quicker.
I'm 1 of 2 Australians that I've heard of out of 2000 missionaries which means I might be picking up an American accent.

...Sooo much food as well! its just like a giant Sizzlers including soft drink machines and kinda subway bar and salad bar.
My accent is already going weird. I catch myself pronouncing words like, tomato differently. My Companion is Elder Graham from Minnesota, he's pretty cool and really enthusiastic, loves working out and is trying to convince me to work out with him to get "Yoked".
My Australian Accent seems to be pretty interesting to everyone I meet, oh and on my first day I had to hang out with the Fijian speaking elders and sister because all the other Kiribati Missionaries where coming the next day, so I got to learn some Fijian and sing hymns in Fijian which is surprisingly easy. Just this week 600 new missionaries arrived at MTC and they have over that many every week which is insane!! sorry this email is a mess but I'm just unloading everything that comes to mind. I'll get better haha.

Tiabo!

love Elder Berends"

My address at the MTC is:

Elder Danien Gabriel Berends

OCT20 MRI-MAJ 

2011 N 900 E Unit 237

Provo UT 84602

Inside the Tabernacle, SLC

Salt Lake City Temple

Missionary Training Centre - Provo Utah

Elder Danien Berends just arrived at the Provo MTC (outside Wilford Woodruff Administration Building)

Layover in West Bountiful

Elder Danien Berends last night before entering Provo MTC, thanks to Mike & Valarie Thomas for showing him around Salt Lake City and having him overnight and dropping him off at the MTC.
Elder Berends, you need to change that shirt, you've been wearing it for 3 days straight! And you look tired already (Jet-lag).

Salt Lake City, Utah

Elder Berends flew out of Brisbane, Australia on the 7th Sept, arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah on the 7th September (Over the International date line ). Spent an afternoon visiting Temple Square and the Conference Centre. Here are some lovely pictures courtesy of my cousin in SLC. Nice to have family to take him around, ensure he gets a good night's sleep and take him to the MTC tomorrow.

Departing Brisbane for the long haul flight to LAX and then onto SLC

Final family photograph taken at the Brisbane International Airport - "Man I feel short (Dad)"

filling out final travel documents