Beru-Week 6

Beru

First off I can't believe you all already heard that Klatt is leaving. I was going to say some really funny stuff but it just doesn't work anymore. I will be the only white guy on an island in the middle of nowhere starting next week, not to mention I've only been on this island for a month!

Haha but it's chill. I guess that's what you get when you pray that your langauge will be able to continue to develop at the same rate that it has been! I'm actually wayy excited because Klatt is more focused on relearning English before he gets back than teaching me a lot of the time so it'll be nice and hard to just get to plunge right in!!

As far as my mission president coming that turned out to not happen. The private plane that they charter when they come out to outies was broken so he won't be coming at all anymore. There are two traveling APs (they go to outies and check up on them) who will be coming next week though, with my packages and maybe my new comp too. That's wayy nice because I know one of them and I love the guy. He is wayy sweet so I am wayy excited for them to come out, not to mention food...;)

Challenge this week was the transfer for Klatt: he's really been pretty unhappy with it and it's been pretty hard for him. It is going to be sad to see Klatt leave. We've really gotten along well and worked hard!

Miracles? investigator named Taira and Tekiaa both stopped their smoking and tea
nangkona (sleep drug) completely when they found out we'd have to change their baptismal dates if they didn't stop then.

I set a few specific goals and promised that I would do whatever it took to get them accomplished even if it meant stepping on toes and I kept my promise. While I stilll wish more had gotten done, every one of my goals was reached!

Songs have been coming back to me one by one from America so I've been having fun belting those out as we ride from one side of the island to the other. You could say I've hit the point where I am just having wayy fun and loving my mission and being here forshore!

Anyways thank you for all of your prayers. Things are rough out here but they are as equally rewarding if not more so! I hope you all keep doing great and choose for each day to be your best because then it really is!

Love your boi,

Elder Pettingill (the younger)

Questions he answered:

No swollen face or other illnesses this week?  haha My legs got these super itchy rashes all over them but nothing too bad. At least I can see ;)

Does each unit have a Branch President, or are you and your companion doing that? Why do you have so many small units? What time do the units start? Do they hold more than Sacrament Meeting? We are the leaders for the new unit. Klatt has run meetings so far. There are a Branch Pres,1st and 2nd counselors for the other units, and each of them is over the unit they live in.  Times are 8, 10, 12 and then 4 and they all start and end late but because of the 4 hour break we'll get done arond 6 and then eat dinner with the last unit. Benefits are that that way no one has to travel to church and thus people without bikes can still go cause it's just right there in there village (5 villages or maybe 6 on the island. I still haven't been to the ends of the island on either side which is dumb.)      

Where did you have your baptisms last week? We got a car and loaded everyone in that unit up and went to this one secluded spot with a little lagoon. wayy sweet

You said you are excited for food to come? Did you mean my packages? Did you not send food?  Because that would be wayy nice for the next package, especially a bag of like mixed dried fruit (with pineapples if you could find it) and/or a bag of trail mix, just stuff that I can snack on before I leave and when I get back. Stuff like that wold be awesome. Also cheese and peanut butter crackers would also be greatly appreciated. haha I'm just hungry right now so the though of food sounds wayy good ;)

Have you lost more weight?  I'm sure I have. haha No scales out here to check though...now that I know I won't be able to share Klatt's packages anymore, I know I'm gonna need more food.

Tell us about your numb foot.  Can you feel pain in the numb area?  What part of the foot is it? Can you feel hot or cold in the numb area? Don't worry about that. It's just the side and a little more of my right foot now and it helps with sitting. If I ever go back in, I might have them look at it then, but as of now it is literallly the least of my concerns.

Do you know who your new companion will be?  His name is Elder Matari. He's currently on a different outie so I never met him before but Klatt says if he had to choose a Kiribati companion it would be one of the ones he'd choose...PS Klatt's last companion will be his first islander, some Tongan Elder. haha This'll be my second one if you count Elder Vaai.