April in Tarawa

April has come and gone, and May is here.  Seems like the weeks are turning into months now.  We are bulging at the seams with missionaries.  We have 68 in total.  We have added 3 flats (houses) and now have a total of 13 on Tarawa and 8 on outer islands.  This past month also saw us open the island of Beru to the missionaries, which is about 300 miles to the south.  Elders Mahe and Katene have landed there and will be of great service to the small number of members.  There have been a bunch of transfers this past few weeks, and we received 2 new missionaries, Elder Thomas and Elder Saksak

 This is Elder Thomas, from Sydney Australia.  Our one and only Aussie. We had a nice visit with him.  He has one crazy Aussie accent.  I had to have him repeat many of his phrases.  He also said something that I have never heard before.  When we asked him how he was adjusting, he said, that Tarawa exceeded his expectations.  He was expecting to be on an island with no electricity, no fresh water, no vehicles, and would have to carry water from a well.  We all laughed, as everyone else is rather shocked at the conditions here.  It was a breath of fresh air to hear this.  We told him that he will experience those conditions on an outer island, not to worry.

This is Elder Saksak, from Vanuatu.  He speaks very good English and when I asked him if that was the native language in Vanuatu, he said most people speak English, but Pidgin English is more common.  Pidgin is a way for two languages to merge into a common language.  I'll have to get him to share some of the phrases, it should be very interesting.

Elder Bradshaw has been serving on the outer island of Makin.  We have missed his energy about life.  He just returned back to Tarawa and wouldn't you know it, he got a boil.  He was proud to have his Picture taken with the boil in full swing.  It was so swollen, that if it had been on his bicep, he would have looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Not to worry, a dose of antibiotic and he was as good as new.

We had General Conference the weekend of April 8.  We were able to view all the sessions.  The talks are actually received a week prior and then given to the local translators who spend the week translating them into the Kiribati language.

It was standing room only for the conference in Kiribati.  It was held in a classroom, and the members  spilled onto the walkways to listen

The English version was beamed to the Moroni High School Chapel.  I was very surprised at all the members who came to the English version.  It was overflowing as well.

This was an interesting sight just outside of our patio.  I saw 3 people snorkeling above the reef at high tide.  I wondered if they were looking for fish...

and sure enough, they had a huge fish net.  They caught a bunch of fish that day. 

 This is the same place at low tide...quite a contrast.  At low tide, the natives search for fish that may have not made it out before the water.  The reef ends out there about 75 yards.  We have a high tide twice every day, one in the morning and one in the night, (that usually wakes us up).  

I just love sharing these baptism pictures.  Here is Sister Tieke and Sister Balenacagi, Elder Anderson and Elder Anderl.  We had six get baptized this day.  

Every Wednesday, the Missionaries in the District in the West Zone have lunch at the Pacific Restaurant. Of course, it is Chinese food.  Sister Tenoa and Sister Barlow pose for pics.  

Sisters Rebetta and Tieke

Elders Butterfield, Foust, and Jordan. 

Can't forget Elder Bradshaw.  He had raw fish for lunch that day, no I didn't taste it.  Note also, sometimes they get the private dining room with the a/c.  

This is a picture of a callus on the ankle of one of the Elders.  They get these calluses because they are always sitting on the floors of houses they visit with their legs crossed. This Elder calls the bottom callus his extra ankle. 

We watch a movie or a episode of a series most every night.  We use our computer on the bed.  I decided to make a speaker box and presto...

...you have yourself a nice set of speakers for movies

My friend Carol Bergen from work teamed with
BYU to send a bunch of jerseys, soccer balls, tennis
balls, basket balls, and footballs for the kids here.
It was a real chore for her to do and so appreciated.

Peter runs a camp for kids to play all sorts of sports.  The kids all put on the jerseys and couldn't wait for their picture to be taken.  

This is Peter.  He is such a dear servant who volunteers so much time to improve the lives of kids on this island.  He is legendary and loves to get the kids started very early so they will grow up with a love of sports.   

Even Elders Anderson and Anderl sported the BYU
jerseys for a short game of BB.

This year celebrates 35 years of Moroni High School.  From humble beginnings of just 85 students to a campus with almost 500, it is hard to believe what has taken place over here in just 35 years.  It all started with Grant and Patrica Howlett who arrived in 1976 to teach at Moroni High School.  In 1977, the Church formally approved a church school in the Gilbert Islands.  In 1978, Elders and Sisters Molini and Pratt arrived to teach and Elder Pratt and students constructed over 20,000 square feet of buildings.  Church membership then stood at just under 500, and now is over 15,000    

Of course the people of Kiribati need no reason to have a party or a celebration, so when we (Senior Couples) were invited to judge the contests, we knew we were in for a treat.  Many of the graduating classes were represented in the marching,  food tasting, other and preparations.  Even Liahona High School (from Tonga) was represented as many of the current teachers went to Liahona long before Moroni was here.   It was fun to see them march and dance, and then to see their food displays.  I have never seen so many ways to display the same food over and over at these parties.  In my book raw fish is still raw fish, not be be eaten ever.  

This was Sister Bonnemort's favorite table as it had a bug net.  

Now not to outdo the Moroni High School Celebration, but we also were very fortunate to be invited to attend a Kiribati Government State Dinner.  In fact, all the missionaries were invited.  It was held on the Presidential grounds under the stars.  The dinner was held in honor of the newly appointed Ambassadors to Kiribati, including the US Ambassador Frankie A. Reed.  We were treated to local dancing and speeches by the President and the Ambassadors.  

Elder Anderl with his Excellency Beretitenti Anote Tong, and the First Lady Bernadette Meme Tong

And here is Elder Anderson also.  They were the only two who had the guts to ask for a picture.  

Sister Bonnemort introducing herself to US Ambassador Reed

The Ogborns and Thornes with the US Ambassador Reed

Elder and Sister Thorne and Elder and Sister Ogborn

Elders Thomas and Kidder

Elders Butterfield, Lewis, Packer, Armstrong, Bradshaw and a loud Turner

Elders Jordan, Gawkoski, and Foust

Elders Norton, Saksak, Staley, and Mendenhall

Elders Enri, Everett, and Brown

I'

I'm reading in Mosiah, and just came across this scripture today. It sure is how I feel about serving this mission.    

Mosiah 4:21

And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.