HUMBLED! (from Tab North)

October 11, 2015

Friends and familyyyyyy, 

How is everyone? I miss you guys SO much. These days are going by slow, but it seems like just yesterday was last P-Day. One thing I do know is how blessed I am to have amazing family and friends. Maybe if you guys weren't good fam and friends I wouldn't be missing you guys all the time </333 ;'(

First things first, I am writing this in TAB NORTH. Whaaaaa?! I was supposed to call this place home a month ago but yesterday I was able to officially call it my home <3 We chartered a small 5-seater plane and flew over the ocean for an hour and 15 minutes. What a beautiful thing to see the pretty ocean and the islands of Kiribati that we flew past. To be honest, one of the weirdest and worst feelings that I've felt is the feeling of seeing that plane take off.... I was left on a dirt strip with nothing but my bags, my nametag, and my companion. NEVER have I felt so alone. To get an idea of where I am, I want everyone to picture a deserted island... WOW! That's exactly where I am! It's crazy how easy it is to picture it! This place is nothing but trees and ocean. There are 9 villages on Tab North but given how spread out they are it's pretty much trees. It's a crazy feeling knowing that you are 1 of 2 white guys on the island in the middle of the pacific ocean a longggg ways away from civilization. I don't suggest trying to feel it any time soon.

As far as our house goes, it's pretty nice. We have a sink in the kitchen that works. We take bucket showers and flush the toilet with a bucket. The solar-powered fans work for like 45 minutes a day YAYYYY. It's whatevs it's not hot on the equator right? 

As you can tell, It's been a crazy 24 hours. Trying to adjust to this place I can already tell is going to be difficult. Serving a mission is the hardest thing that I have EVER done in my life and I'm hoping it will be the hardest hahaha cuz I don't know how things could get harder than this. I am SO truly being humbled. I am knocked to my knees and I don't know when I'm going to be able to get back up.

As far as my last week in Tarawa went, it was a lot of fun. I got to catch part of conference-- awesome experience. One day, I took an hour and a half boat ride to an island called Tarawa Ieta with a ZL so he could conduct baptismal interviews. The wind and sea-spray felt amazing as well is being out in the blue lagoon and the ocean. This country is so beautiful. I don't want it to ever get old. 

As far as plans for this week go, we are taking a plane to Tab South tomorrow. We will be staying there for a week. Elders are coming to stay there full time on October 26. We are going down to prepare things for them and to see if their stick house is completed. It should be an interesting week in a place even less developed than Tab North. Sounds like another humbling week. We should be returning a week from tomorrow if all goes as planned.

The work in Tab North is going well. i haven't been here for much but there are a lot of investigators and they were able to teach a 20+ lesson week. I'm trying to stay positive (it's a struggle), and find the way that I can strengthen Tab North in my stay here. Quickly finding that a relationship with Heavenly Father is about the only relationship that I might have for a while.

My companion is Elder Musser from LV, Nevada. He's a red-headed, 1 year home-schooled, ex F-LDS church member. He wants to be join the army. We get along alright. Clearly we are very different people but he works hard and is very obedient. 

Well, my time on the one computer with decent internet on the island is running shortttttt. Wantin' to send my love to everyone no matter where they are. Count your blessings-- I promise you aren't doing too bad.

Elder Parrish

P.S. Email me plz I want to hear from everyone next weekkkkk