Campin' with the boys

November 22, 2015

Mauuuuuuuri Ngkami <3

This week was another good week. I'm staring to realize that pretty much every week is a good week as a missionary :') Crazyyyy that it's Thanksgiving this week... Plz enjoy turkey and gravy and be happy that it isn't turtle or eel okay?!

Hahah the funniest things happen every week... Having a guy who doesn't have any doors in his hut fix our doorknob (not sure how that adds up). I also am now rocking a nice buzz-cut <3 A guy promised to cut my hair before he had "work" so he woke me up before 6:30 ready to cut my hair. Unfortunately our solar power wasn't working so he just went to town with craft scissors. After he got half way done he had to go to work. I was wandering around half the day with my hair half cut. When we were about ready to get picked up by the boat I decided to take matters into my own hands heheh. I basically got my head shaved when he knocked on our door ready to finish <3 Looks like I might not be sending home pics of myself for a while!!

As I mentioned last week, this week Elder Musser and I were going to be heading down to Tab South. On Tuesday we took a small one engine boat and set out before sunset... Seriously one of the most beautiful and serene feelings. I felt SO close to heaven and so peaceful. It was our motorman, Elder Musser and I boating at sunset in perfect weather on an ocean of glass. I was thinking about my life and how of all the places I could be I'm traveling from 1 small island to another tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Never have I felt smaller but never have I felt more like the Lord knew me perfectly. Of ALL the places in the world I could be I'm in Kiribati at this time. I didn't do much but keep the commandments and go on a mission. I haven't done much. If we can just do the best in the role that the Lord gives us, big or small, he'll do the rest!

Anywaysssss, we arrived to Tab South and were welcomed by Elders Ellis and Elder Tekangui on the beach. We went to our "family" that we stayed with last time and got settled in. The rest of the week was great. I went on splits with Elder Tekangui every day. Elder Tekangui is a 27 year old Kiribati elder who is a recent convert to the church of only 2 and a half years. He speaks little to no English so it was a fun week of progressing in the language. I feel like there was lots of progress to be made. One of my favorite things is working with different people and learning different things from every single person. Elder Tekangui had such an interesting perspective as a native Kiribati person and also as a former member of Catholic and Protestant churches. I also gained a newfound respect for my companion Elder Musser. 

Tab South truly is an awesome area... We were able to find lots as well as teach lots. The people there are SO interested and prepared for the gospel. We had people coming up to us asking if they could have lessons. That area is going to blow up with baptisms in no time. It was also great because of the smaller size... It required less biking. It couldn't be more different from Tab North. There are tiny roads that go every which way and you're in the middle of nowhere for 20 minutes at a time-- but I loved it <3

The last time that I was in Tab South I was so blown away by the living conditions... This time when I went these things that were blowing me away seemed normal... Sleeping on a mat on the buia in the open air without a mosquito net was great... Getting up in the morning to bike for 5 minutes to get cleaner (not clean lolz) water was no big deal. Even getting up at 5:30 to bike to buy some fresh bread was fun. We also worked on building the elders house down there... I was climbing around on the frame and nailing these crooked sticks they build with in place. Also, if anyone needs to know any part of the phases of a coconut's growth just ask me <3 

On Saturday, we hopped on a plane and took the 15ish minute plane ride bike up... It was a great week and went by WAY to fasttttt. I'm already looking forward to next month :')

Just think of it this way: Every day that passes is another way that my buzz cut grows a little longer <3 

I'm doing great...I hope everyone has a great week!

I tangaringkami ma nanou ni kabane! (I love you guys with all my heart!)

-Elder Bariti (Kiribati spelling whaaaaa)