Welcome To Beru!
Population: around 1,500 people
Size: Let's just say small
Language: Kiribati but they have a way of singing it instead of just talking, it's dope! haha Guess what kind of accent I am going to have since this is where I'll learn most of my language?
Heat: 5 or more degrees hotter than Tarawa, hasn't rained for the last two weeks apparently
Food: Fish and rice, no more variety like I got in Tarawa
My opinion: I LOVE it. It is incredibly beautiful. The heat doesn't bother me. The people are amazing and I think the singing aspect of speaking only makes Kiribati sound even better! Apparently we teach about 30-40 lessons per week here on average and I plan to work hard so we'll see, but it might even increase over time with Elder Klatt and I.
By the way Elder Klatt is dope. He's super cool and I can already tell we are going to get along great. All he wants to do is work and help people as much as he can before he dies. I think I can help with that!
Alright so let's talk about the last week:
We played the Kiribati national basketball team the P-day I missed my flight and straight up destroyed them. Let's just say Kiribati should stick to te Bouti Boro (soccer) haha but it was super fun. I spent that day and the next with this really cool Elder named Elder Smith
and his companion Elder Tapu'osi.
Wednesday I got tossed over to Elder Vaai's companion while he was in Tarawa since he just left to his island. Elder Ma'ora is from Tonga and is incredibly fluent in Kiribati but he speaks with a Tongan accent if that makes sense? Haha he's super chill except he kinda used study time to listen to rap and work out and so I got 4 hours everyday to myself to study. It was great.
We taught like crazy again and I can now participate pretty well in gospel discussions and I do alright in other areas as well. In fact, more than once we have gone almost all the way through a lesson or meal and then I'd struggle with something and the person would be shocked to find out I came just a couple weeks earlier. Haha I didn't believe them, but let's just say hard work courage and studies pay off.
Fun experiences?: Yesterday I went to the nurse because I couldn't feel the right side of my right foot. Turns out I got bit by something huge that kinda paralazyed my foot. I've been taking some pills to see if we can't fix that. Hahah turned out to be a tender mercy because
then I couldn't feel the pain of sitting cross legged in that foot anymore! Soo nice! I think my tolerance for pain has shot wayy up at this point not my ability to sit cross legged for hours at a time. Love it.
Next one: Right before I saw the nurse I counted my mosquito bites and I got 93. I just got bit by another one so I guess I'm at 94...6 more till I get triple digits. haha That'll shut future children complaining about mosquito bites right up. But seriously is it bad that I have
been trying to get bit more so I can hit 100? Well as long as I don't get sick and die right?
Third: went on my first transfer...me and Elder Tapu'osi (who came in the intake before me and can speak only slightly better than me) We got to spend a day together and we taught 6 lessons and found 3 new investigors for him and Elder Smith. Haha that day was fun. Although we may or may not have accidentally taught some false doctrine here or
there. We're still not sure...but it was a good day for growth fo sho!
Last one: I tried both crab and raw fish in the same night. Crab is literally amazing. Like wow. Raw fish on the other hand tastes good but smells like...well raw fish or something like vinegar gone wrong. Then we finished with hot chocolate...I didn't even care if we were drinking it in 100 degree weather it was soo good haha, although I sweated quite a bit...
My weight is now at 162ish I think so only 10 pounds less than when I came, not bad haha.
But seriously I love it her. I love picturing how a baptism can change these happy but clearly worn out people into something else. You can almost always tell right away when someone is an active member because legit they have a different light in their eyes and I want to see it in everyone. I know it because it is the same light in my eyes and it makes the worst situations seem like pieces of cake. Te Kimwareirei (joy) is what we are promising this people and it is real. Missionaries here get into routines with their lessons and I hate it when I see that because there is so much more to teaching these people. I don't want to teach people lessons so they can be ready for baptism. I want to change their lives. And you don't get that if you don't have the spirit.
I straight love it here and I cannot wait till I can be fluent in the language and I cannot wait to show these people the miracles this gospel brings.
Love natimi (ya boii),
Elda Betingirr ae karimwi ma te karimoa (Elder Pettingill the Younger)
Population: around 1,500 people
Size: Let's just say small
Language: Kiribati but they have a way of singing it instead of just talking, it's dope! haha Guess what kind of accent I am going to have since this is where I'll learn most of my language?
Heat: 5 or more degrees hotter than Tarawa, hasn't rained for the last two weeks apparently
Food: Fish and rice, no more variety like I got in Tarawa
My opinion: I LOVE it. It is incredibly beautiful. The heat doesn't bother me. The people are amazing and I think the singing aspect of speaking only makes Kiribati sound even better! Apparently we teach about 30-40 lessons per week here on average and I plan to work hard so we'll see, but it might even increase over time with Elder Klatt and I.
By the way Elder Klatt is dope. He's super cool and I can already tell we are going to get along great. All he wants to do is work and help people as much as he can before he dies. I think I can help with that!
Alright so let's talk about the last week:
We played the Kiribati national basketball team the P-day I missed my flight and straight up destroyed them. Let's just say Kiribati should stick to te Bouti Boro (soccer) haha but it was super fun. I spent that day and the next with this really cool Elder named Elder Smith
and his companion Elder Tapu'osi.
Wednesday I got tossed over to Elder Vaai's companion while he was in Tarawa since he just left to his island. Elder Ma'ora is from Tonga and is incredibly fluent in Kiribati but he speaks with a Tongan accent if that makes sense? Haha he's super chill except he kinda used study time to listen to rap and work out and so I got 4 hours everyday to myself to study. It was great.
We taught like crazy again and I can now participate pretty well in gospel discussions and I do alright in other areas as well. In fact, more than once we have gone almost all the way through a lesson or meal and then I'd struggle with something and the person would be shocked to find out I came just a couple weeks earlier. Haha I didn't believe them, but let's just say hard work courage and studies pay off.
Fun experiences?: Yesterday I went to the nurse because I couldn't feel the right side of my right foot. Turns out I got bit by something huge that kinda paralazyed my foot. I've been taking some pills to see if we can't fix that. Hahah turned out to be a tender mercy because
then I couldn't feel the pain of sitting cross legged in that foot anymore! Soo nice! I think my tolerance for pain has shot wayy up at this point not my ability to sit cross legged for hours at a time. Love it.
Next one: Right before I saw the nurse I counted my mosquito bites and I got 93. I just got bit by another one so I guess I'm at 94...6 more till I get triple digits. haha That'll shut future children complaining about mosquito bites right up. But seriously is it bad that I have
been trying to get bit more so I can hit 100? Well as long as I don't get sick and die right?
Third: went on my first transfer...me and Elder Tapu'osi (who came in the intake before me and can speak only slightly better than me) We got to spend a day together and we taught 6 lessons and found 3 new investigors for him and Elder Smith. Haha that day was fun. Although we may or may not have accidentally taught some false doctrine here or
there. We're still not sure...but it was a good day for growth fo sho!
Last one: I tried both crab and raw fish in the same night. Crab is literally amazing. Like wow. Raw fish on the other hand tastes good but smells like...well raw fish or something like vinegar gone wrong. Then we finished with hot chocolate...I didn't even care if we were drinking it in 100 degree weather it was soo good haha, although I sweated quite a bit...
My weight is now at 162ish I think so only 10 pounds less than when I came, not bad haha.
But seriously I love it her. I love picturing how a baptism can change these happy but clearly worn out people into something else. You can almost always tell right away when someone is an active member because legit they have a different light in their eyes and I want to see it in everyone. I know it because it is the same light in my eyes and it makes the worst situations seem like pieces of cake. Te Kimwareirei (joy) is what we are promising this people and it is real. Missionaries here get into routines with their lessons and I hate it when I see that because there is so much more to teaching these people. I don't want to teach people lessons so they can be ready for baptism. I want to change their lives. And you don't get that if you don't have the spirit.
I straight love it here and I cannot wait till I can be fluent in the language and I cannot wait to show these people the miracles this gospel brings.
Love natimi (ya boii),
Elda Betingirr ae karimwi ma te karimoa (Elder Pettingill the Younger)
P.S. Hey so I've been trying to send pictures for the last little bit but they are too big and none will send...there was one of a sweet Kiribati planner cover that a lady made for me says "PETTINGZOO" on it and then one of the amazing tan/sun burn line I have already and then a couple of Beru...sorry idk if there's anything I can do but I have to go now.
From Daniel's mom: Here is a link to Elder's Klatt's mission blog letters. The top two letters are from when he first arrived in Beru and give some more details about what it's like there.
Also, here are a couple of pictures from Elder Klatt's blog to give an idea of the mosquito bites.
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