What
up FAM! And friends! Dang its crazy its already summer for you all. Its hard to
remember seasons here due to it being the same weather all year.
Well the begining of the week was a lot of good solid work! 2
new studly investigators who come to church even before we started lessoning
with them. Nabaruru and Kirara. One is an old lady (Kirara) and the other a
young smart boy.
So this Saturday was a HUGE party for Maiana. The 50th
anniversary of the counsel (gov.) here on Maiana. We first started off in the
morning by welcoming the President of Kiribati. It was us along with the other
religious leaders and old men of the island of Maiana. It was really cool to be
representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in front of
the President of Kiribati.
After that there was the march, where the President stood on a
podium thing and the police men and all the schools and students and teachers
did like marches in front of the president and relresented their school. Some
of the schools did some funny marches, i love that Kiribati people have a great
sense of humor and can do funny stuff with the President.
After the march was the huge Botaki (Party) in the Manieba.
Basically everyone from Maiana was there. There was a ton of cultural dancing
which is always super cool. One cultural thing that Kiribati people do is when
the people are dancing they spray perfume on them and put baby powder on them
too. Haha weird cultural thing.
There were 5 girls who danced, some from Tarawa and
some.from.Maiana, and 2 are older and 3 are like super young and tiny and i was
like oh this is.going to be a cute little dance. And then whaabaamm! Those
girls were the best dancers i have ever seen here in Kiribati, they were
so fast in their dancing it was
crazy. It was soo cool. (the next day those girls came up to me.and asked
me.what my name was.and where im from, you could.say i felt honored
hahaha)
Then as you all know there is the Tiwiti (swiss) dancing, where
people ask you to dance. I got asked 3 times while my comp didnt get asked once
i felt bad. But the dancing was so fun! 2 grandmas who get crazy on the dancing
asked me hahahaha it was sooo funny and fun. One tried to kiss me hahahhaa so
funny.
At the end of the party the President and hjs wife shook our
hands and the First Lady told me "Ko nang boti n te twiti" which
means "You are very good at the dancing" hahahahah i died laughing. I
felt honored.
Sunday, was a long, tiring fast sunday. This island is soo long.
I would sing church songs while i was biking for hours so that i would try to
forget how tired i was hahaha (it worked sometimes). I led church again which
was cool, my.Kiribati is.coming along, with a lot.of help from our Heavenly
Father.
This week we have 4 baptisms planned please.pray for.my
investigators to endure and. Be ready for baptism.
Well 2 more of my friends here on the mission went home early
due to being sick. Its sad, missions are hard.
Lastly be grateful for all of your blessings at.home: AC,
refrigerator, microwave, oven, stove, bathrooms, running water, hot water,
cold water, ice cream, fruit, any food you want,.cars, good schools and jobs,
beds, etc. Just take a second and take a step back and look at all
your blessings, especially the Gospel in your lives. But remember that all but
one of these things that i have mentioned are just "things". The
important things in life are what makes these islanders the happiest people on
the earth, especially those who have already received the gospel.
Love you all! Endure and enjoy life!
Elder Darin Tingey
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