Week 81 - Abaiang ( Companion: Elder Sagara)

Hey,

So yeah, we are still hiring a motorbike every Sunday, and yes we are not authorized, but our mission president is trying so hard to authorize it, I've talked with him about it, he knows the struggle of having such a long island and only 2 missionaries. But maybe something that we shouldn't post on the blog. (Oops).

New skills... Roofing a house with pandanus leaves, making the platform of a buia from the hard middle part of the coconut fern and tying it with cord made from coconut husks, just a bunch little stuff like that. 

I suck at dancing, but I really do love Kiribati dancing and have yet to devote anytime to learning, I know some songs though so I'm half way there, just gotta learn the moves. 

This week we've had some new investigators so we've been teaching a lot about Godhead, Prayer, the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. 

There was also a huge bootaki (party) this Saturday, 50th anniversary of the Abaiang Island council. On Wednesday we received an invitation, and at first I was reluctant about going, bootaki's like these last the whole day and we had lessons planned. However, after talking to members about this they were saying how significant this is for the church here in Abaiang. In the past members of the church have been segregated and left out of village councils and day to day life in general and at big parties like these only Catholic and Protestant missionaries would be invited as special guests. But now that is beginning to change, us being invited as special guests to this party being evidence. So we showed up at the party, sat amongst all the other missionaries as well as government officials, had another chance to shake the hand of the President of Kiribati. There was a march, all the schools on Abaiang participated, there was a lot food and at about 3 pm we snuck out to teach our lessons, it was a good day. 

Stuff to in my parcel.... Easter eggs, like the one that's gooey inside. And whatever else you feel like. We have everything we need here.

A'ight that's all folks

Love Elder Berends.