Turns out Nonouti might have good internet (we'll see how long that
lasts if at all?)
oh yeah and I kinda missed my flight today whoops so we'll see wednesday
Elder Vaai will replace me once I go and replace him on Nonouti :)
I'm realizing that as all of my english encounters with
the missionaries have left some kind of awkward pause where no one
really knew what I was trying to say...and I don't know.. and I'm
still in Kiribati haha at least I'm going to have an American
companion now in Nonouti so that should get my english back up to par
I hope
Also Elder Young (an elder from Australia that served in my district
soo long ago in Bikenibeu) and I saw each other again after a full
year. Had some Deja Vu and some fun time Reminiscing and then I
realized He's one of the only elders I know on Tarawa along with a
couple others that I've seen a time or two here and there haha
#onlyinthismission
Love you talk to you all next week hopefully.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Email from Tarawa: off to Nonouti
I received this email at 12:45 am, when I woke up to turn off Pandora.
Hey Mom.
Hey Mom.
I'm back :)
for now. I'll be headed back out to a different island, Nonouti tomorrow so...?
Haha love you
I quickly emailed back and was able to catch him before he got off. Here were my questions and his answers:
Who will your new companion be? Elder Larsen.
Any email? Sounds like there isn't email but we'll see.
Was it hard to leave? It was hard but different than leaving Beru and Christmas that's for sure. Haha we held a combined church before we left cause otherwise it wouldn't have gotten done and almost missed our flight cause our car ran out of gas and then the person that went to buy more gas didn't bring any money so we ended up saying a prayer and hitching a ride with a random dude who turned out to be a way long LA (less active) member haha. I'll try to get on tomorrow morning before going and talk then.
Here is what I found out about Nonouti from an Elder who served there previously:
Nonouti! 2nd biggest outer island in Kiribati, with a roughly 2 hour bike ride from the airfield in the center to the farthest village. Pronounced No Nose, with a hard s as in ice at the end (big joke before I came here was that people felt sorry for people from Nonouti, because they didn't have noses. Kiribati people love an English pun.) Reopened for missionary work in 2014 after 20 years. House has no running water, no electricity, no bathroom, but there is a kerosene stove. They get fed all the time by everyone, members and non-members. There are little stores all over the island. They usually ride 40 miles per day to get all over the island for teaching. Lots of rain which makes bike riding hard.
His companion, Elder Larsen, entered the MTC in September and arrived in the country at the end of October.
Here is what I found out about Nonouti from an Elder who served there previously:
Nonouti! 2nd biggest outer island in Kiribati, with a roughly 2 hour bike ride from the airfield in the center to the farthest village. Pronounced No Nose, with a hard s as in ice at the end (big joke before I came here was that people felt sorry for people from Nonouti, because they didn't have noses. Kiribati people love an English pun.) Reopened for missionary work in 2014 after 20 years. House has no running water, no electricity, no bathroom, but there is a kerosene stove. They get fed all the time by everyone, members and non-members. There are little stores all over the island. They usually ride 40 miles per day to get all over the island for teaching. Lots of rain which makes bike riding hard.
His companion, Elder Larsen, entered the MTC in September and arrived in the country at the end of October.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Maiana 14 Dec 2015 Snail Mail!!! arrived 12 Jan 2016
Hey Guys. Coming up on 3 months out here on Maiana. Time has seriously gone by so quickly out here. Quick apology that no letter came for last week. We were way busy past Monday and could never find time to make up for it until now. Sorry. :)
But seriously, my brain is so full right now. Let's just say there's a lot on my mind. Our Christmas Party is next week (Monday & Tuesday) so a lot of figuring out and reminding for that (mostly reminding :) ). Then you have typical member problems to figure out, missionaries we're trying to send on missions, other minor problems, oh and all of the typical missionary workload on top of it. And funny thing is, I'm not complaining. I like giving my all to help our people here. It's a nice spirit. Keeps my prayers real too. ;)
Elder Aru and I are getting along great. He's getting more used to/adapting to living on an outer island and things are going smoothly. Dibs on Jamba Juice when I get home BTW.
Recently I've taken to the "kabuti maan" or the cultural way of asking for someone to wife/husband and doing it for someone else. Don't worry, most of the ones that I've found have been for other people. ; ) Just kidding. No one has to worry about me taking home a Kiribati woman or any kind for that matter, but I have found/kabae'd (set an engagement) for quite a few wives for Adam and a couple husbands for Beth. You're welcome! Also a sister for Anna and nothing for Jeffrey (sorry bro, wrong age group.) Again apologies if my letters don't make sense. Too much Kiribati nowadays!
Spiritual Experience: Assigned one of our recent converts, Kamaraia, who is 9 years old, to speak in one of the Sacrament Meetings, giving him two weeks to prepare. Well apparently he went home that day and read ABM (Book of Mormon) until he found a verse in Alma 9:18 and then wrote his talk. He applied it pretty impressively with some help from his Dad. By the time his time came around he gave an excellent talk on changing our lives from bad to good and had a good amount memorized. We were all impressed (about 15 of us) and it was pretty cool. Also, we had the chance to interview a different RC (recent convert) to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. Hard work but tons of blessings right? I'm sure you all will attest to that!
I miss you all and can't wait to hear/talk with you all again.
Love you guys!
Elder Pettingill
But seriously, my brain is so full right now. Let's just say there's a lot on my mind. Our Christmas Party is next week (Monday & Tuesday) so a lot of figuring out and reminding for that (mostly reminding :) ). Then you have typical member problems to figure out, missionaries we're trying to send on missions, other minor problems, oh and all of the typical missionary workload on top of it. And funny thing is, I'm not complaining. I like giving my all to help our people here. It's a nice spirit. Keeps my prayers real too. ;)
Elder Aru and I are getting along great. He's getting more used to/adapting to living on an outer island and things are going smoothly. Dibs on Jamba Juice when I get home BTW.
Recently I've taken to the "kabuti maan" or the cultural way of asking for someone to wife/husband and doing it for someone else. Don't worry, most of the ones that I've found have been for other people. ; ) Just kidding. No one has to worry about me taking home a Kiribati woman or any kind for that matter, but I have found/kabae'd (set an engagement) for quite a few wives for Adam and a couple husbands for Beth. You're welcome! Also a sister for Anna and nothing for Jeffrey (sorry bro, wrong age group.) Again apologies if my letters don't make sense. Too much Kiribati nowadays!
Spiritual Experience: Assigned one of our recent converts, Kamaraia, who is 9 years old, to speak in one of the Sacrament Meetings, giving him two weeks to prepare. Well apparently he went home that day and read ABM (Book of Mormon) until he found a verse in Alma 9:18 and then wrote his talk. He applied it pretty impressively with some help from his Dad. By the time his time came around he gave an excellent talk on changing our lives from bad to good and had a good amount memorized. We were all impressed (about 15 of us) and it was pretty cool. Also, we had the chance to interview a different RC (recent convert) to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. Hard work but tons of blessings right? I'm sure you all will attest to that!
I miss you all and can't wait to hear/talk with you all again.
Love you guys!
Elder Pettingill
Monday, December 14, 2015
Maiana 22 Nov 2015 handwritten letter arrived Dec 14
Peace, chill, swag, Dawg
That's pretty much our life our here nowadays. Haha not. But seriously though how y'all doing nowadays? Sitting here with one of my Maiana sisters Nei (respectful way of addressing girls) Teitiranga (Tayee-gee-rah-ngah) who is same age as Beth. Weird making comparisons like that when the Beth I remember is what like eleven...
So what's life like in America nowadays For us here on Mwaiana we are stoked for our baptism this Saturday with some of our favorite people including Teitiranga so that's exciting (This paragraph was written in different handwriting.)
P.S. She's the one that wrote that part for me. Writes better than I do huh?
Also this past week I learned/gained the finishing touches on my building Kiribati houses. Including building walls out of coconut branches and make rope out of decayed coconut husks which is called "Taokora". 1001 uses of coconut trees right? People can survive on just that tree and its fruit. Or in other words WE survive on just that tree and its fruit. :) I'll have to bring one home and show you all how it's done.
Yeah so other fun news. We're starting/started a temple class for the members here to get a few families ready to head out and the eventual goal is obviously all of the families here. We have one sweet RM named Johnny and his wife Rereiti (recent convert of Elders Klatt and Loe) who I think will be farshore ready to head out in a few months. Different RM is teaching the class for us, named Tebwi (from Beru, taught his dad while I was there) who's going to do a great job teaching the class.
School's different here and summer break is starting now so all of the kids who go to school on Tarawa aka Moroni HS are coming back for break. So that's fun. Also Christmas package showed up this past week. Geesh Mom. That thing is huge! But way thanks. Stoked to give all the toys to kids at our Christmas party! It's going to be rough not to open the presents and stuff before Christmas. Big thanks for all the gifts for my comp since he likely won't get anything from his family for Christmas but you all gave us more than enough for both of us.
Sorry. Email hasn't been working so I guess letters will have to do for now!
I love you guys tons of buckets full
Elder Pettingill
These pictures were posted by a member last week on Facebook. I believe they are from when Daniel was in Tarawa before he transferred to Maiana. The older man is President Weir, the mission president.
That's pretty much our life our here nowadays. Haha not. But seriously though how y'all doing nowadays? Sitting here with one of my Maiana sisters Nei (respectful way of addressing girls) Teitiranga (Tayee-gee-rah-ngah) who is same age as Beth. Weird making comparisons like that when the Beth I remember is what like eleven...
So what's life like in America nowadays For us here on Mwaiana we are stoked for our baptism this Saturday with some of our favorite people including Teitiranga so that's exciting (This paragraph was written in different handwriting.)
P.S. She's the one that wrote that part for me. Writes better than I do huh?
Also this past week I learned/gained the finishing touches on my building Kiribati houses. Including building walls out of coconut branches and make rope out of decayed coconut husks which is called "Taokora". 1001 uses of coconut trees right? People can survive on just that tree and its fruit. Or in other words WE survive on just that tree and its fruit. :) I'll have to bring one home and show you all how it's done.
Yeah so other fun news. We're starting/started a temple class for the members here to get a few families ready to head out and the eventual goal is obviously all of the families here. We have one sweet RM named Johnny and his wife Rereiti (recent convert of Elders Klatt and Loe) who I think will be farshore ready to head out in a few months. Different RM is teaching the class for us, named Tebwi (from Beru, taught his dad while I was there) who's going to do a great job teaching the class.
School's different here and summer break is starting now so all of the kids who go to school on Tarawa aka Moroni HS are coming back for break. So that's fun. Also Christmas package showed up this past week. Geesh Mom. That thing is huge! But way thanks. Stoked to give all the toys to kids at our Christmas party! It's going to be rough not to open the presents and stuff before Christmas. Big thanks for all the gifts for my comp since he likely won't get anything from his family for Christmas but you all gave us more than enough for both of us.
Sorry. Email hasn't been working so I guess letters will have to do for now!
I love you guys tons of buckets full
Elder Pettingill
These pictures were posted by a member last week on Facebook. I believe they are from when Daniel was in Tarawa before he transferred to Maiana. The older man is President Weir, the mission president.
 |
| This pictures does not include Elder Pettingill but look at that amazing view! |
Maiana 16 Nov 2015 handwritten letter arrived Dec 14
Hey Guys
Fun Fact: the humidity here seals shut any envelopes that don't have a peel off for their sticky part. So I have different ones I found on Christmas.
Wasup? Yeah much not here either, just got back from checking the internet...Not working again. Hey but the fact that even has been working before was more than anyone expected. So I'm chill with it. I like writing letters anyways. I always feel very relaxed (optimistic) afterwards whereas emailing just drains me. Not used to handling electronics anymore. : )
So this morning we ate home cooked chicken. We biked through the pouring rain to a northern village to pick the chicken up. We were soaked. It's been raining pretty nonstop lately. Haha kinda lost my train of thought just met this guy next to our house our age who's way chill. He's been kinda friends with all the elders here on my Maiana since they came almost 2 years ago. Also these way nice members (one is our investigator) came and washed our clothes for us. We got a volleyball sent out to us. So stoked to use that on P-days nowadays.
Spiritual experience: One problem I have seen time to time is I get a prompting/random verse come to my mind to share with investigators but I won't know where to find it/it would take too long. One thing I've really been working on is recording/putting it in easy to find place every time I find a lesson that would be helpful. Well, this past week I asked an investigator what he thought it meant to be saved, following a prompting. The answer to my own question came in a verse I'd read a week or two ago. Alma 11:37 I thought it was cool and it really clicked with our investigator. His name is Teinatoa (Te enan toe-ah ). I think especially since he was the first one to church on Sunday with his little daughter, even though it was his first time coming. Way sweet. We are working long hard days out here trying to do our very best obediently and leading this unit/branch. Nice to see fruits of your labors/tender-mercies every now and then.
Lesson we got in an email from Pres Weir a couple of weeks ago. Talk of Pres Hinckley's to missionaries and how we "should get on our knees and plead with the Lord" every morning in prayer for specific blessings. That includes weaknesses. We can pray for specific weaknesses to be strengths.
Love you ALL
Elder Pettingill
Tatangiringkami
Fun Fact: the humidity here seals shut any envelopes that don't have a peel off for their sticky part. So I have different ones I found on Christmas.
Wasup? Yeah much not here either, just got back from checking the internet...Not working again. Hey but the fact that even has been working before was more than anyone expected. So I'm chill with it. I like writing letters anyways. I always feel very relaxed (optimistic) afterwards whereas emailing just drains me. Not used to handling electronics anymore. : )
So this morning we ate home cooked chicken. We biked through the pouring rain to a northern village to pick the chicken up. We were soaked. It's been raining pretty nonstop lately. Haha kinda lost my train of thought just met this guy next to our house our age who's way chill. He's been kinda friends with all the elders here on my Maiana since they came almost 2 years ago. Also these way nice members (one is our investigator) came and washed our clothes for us. We got a volleyball sent out to us. So stoked to use that on P-days nowadays.
Spiritual experience: One problem I have seen time to time is I get a prompting/random verse come to my mind to share with investigators but I won't know where to find it/it would take too long. One thing I've really been working on is recording/putting it in easy to find place every time I find a lesson that would be helpful. Well, this past week I asked an investigator what he thought it meant to be saved, following a prompting. The answer to my own question came in a verse I'd read a week or two ago. Alma 11:37 I thought it was cool and it really clicked with our investigator. His name is Teinatoa (Te enan toe-ah ). I think especially since he was the first one to church on Sunday with his little daughter, even though it was his first time coming. Way sweet. We are working long hard days out here trying to do our very best obediently and leading this unit/branch. Nice to see fruits of your labors/tender-mercies every now and then.
Lesson we got in an email from Pres Weir a couple of weeks ago. Talk of Pres Hinckley's to missionaries and how we "should get on our knees and plead with the Lord" every morning in prayer for specific blessings. That includes weaknesses. We can pray for specific weaknesses to be strengths.
Love you ALL
Elder Pettingill
Tatangiringkami
Monday, November 23, 2015
Maiana 5 October 2015 (letter in the mail)
Hey,
So yeah, no email today. Sorry. Apparently, the power/some battery died in Tarawa so the internet's not working today. Hopefully they'll have it fixed by next week though?
Would like to start by saying a huge THANK YOU for the package. It showed up last night when the plane came. (Flies here on Fridays and Sundays). Yeah, you're all pretty much the best. We were way tired from the whole fast Sunday and tons of biking thing but then I had to stay up late reading the letters and stuff. One good thing about letters vs emails is I might actually try and answer Q's from letters/respond (which I have been horrible at so sorry for that.)
It's night right now and I'm about to go to bed, but I need to finish writing this so here goes...Today was pretty busy. Did not get studies in today so I've been feeling that. Instead woke up and we fixed Elder Nauer's bike, then hand-washed our clothes. Then ran down to a marriage we were going to be doing for some of our investigators (not doing, just witnessing.) Yeah they didn't show up. Everyone's all busy right now cause the Kiribati Pres (who's final term is up) came today to have a celebration/party/gathering here since Maiana is his home island. Pretty big. He'll be here tomorrow too and leave Wednesday. So since we got stood up, we went and Elder Nauer dropped us some coconuts (moimoitos) and we messed around and had a good time. Then we played volleyball with people who are actually good and on a low net. It was fun. ; ) Elder Nauer's a stud at volleyball. Then with no one home (the whole island but us is staying at the gathering) we had noodles and crackers for a lunch snack and dinner. And Elder Nauer got chatty and I got tired...
P.S. to answer Fanning Island trip Q's:
-no missionaries on Fanning because no plane that comes, only the boat every 3ish months. So round trip boat rides. :)
-we stay at church maneba/Kiribati house (chapel/giant shade structure) for the Elders near it. Members feed us the WHOLE time. Between the two of us we had one pack of fruit snacks. I didn't bring them.
-we had two people get baptized by their dad who we interviewed. We gave the Aaronice Priesthood to the dad.
-Easily the greenest, most alive agriculturally place I've seen yet in Kiribati (Maiana's the 2nd.)
There should be pictures on the SDs Elder Stone took back with him. So those should be getting to y'all around now.
Love you all,
Elder Pettingill
Pictures from his trip to Fanning Island
So yeah, no email today. Sorry. Apparently, the power/some battery died in Tarawa so the internet's not working today. Hopefully they'll have it fixed by next week though?
Would like to start by saying a huge THANK YOU for the package. It showed up last night when the plane came. (Flies here on Fridays and Sundays). Yeah, you're all pretty much the best. We were way tired from the whole fast Sunday and tons of biking thing but then I had to stay up late reading the letters and stuff. One good thing about letters vs emails is I might actually try and answer Q's from letters/respond (which I have been horrible at so sorry for that.)
It's night right now and I'm about to go to bed, but I need to finish writing this so here goes...Today was pretty busy. Did not get studies in today so I've been feeling that. Instead woke up and we fixed Elder Nauer's bike, then hand-washed our clothes. Then ran down to a marriage we were going to be doing for some of our investigators (not doing, just witnessing.) Yeah they didn't show up. Everyone's all busy right now cause the Kiribati Pres (who's final term is up) came today to have a celebration/party/gathering here since Maiana is his home island. Pretty big. He'll be here tomorrow too and leave Wednesday. So since we got stood up, we went and Elder Nauer dropped us some coconuts (moimoitos) and we messed around and had a good time. Then we played volleyball with people who are actually good and on a low net. It was fun. ; ) Elder Nauer's a stud at volleyball. Then with no one home (the whole island but us is staying at the gathering) we had noodles and crackers for a lunch snack and dinner. And Elder Nauer got chatty and I got tired...
P.S. to answer Fanning Island trip Q's:
-no missionaries on Fanning because no plane that comes, only the boat every 3ish months. So round trip boat rides. :)
-we stay at church maneba/Kiribati house (chapel/giant shade structure) for the Elders near it. Members feed us the WHOLE time. Between the two of us we had one pack of fruit snacks. I didn't bring them.
-we had two people get baptized by their dad who we interviewed. We gave the Aaronice Priesthood to the dad.
-Easily the greenest, most alive agriculturally place I've seen yet in Kiribati (Maiana's the 2nd.)
There should be pictures on the SDs Elder Stone took back with him. So those should be getting to y'all around now.
Love you all,
Elder Pettingill
Pictures from his trip to Fanning Island
Also, if you haven't watched the videos he sent from the boat and on the island, here they are again. Just click on the links below:
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Maiana Week 6
We fasted that we would be able to successfully combine the
whole island for fast sunday church and it worked out! The little
stick chapel was packed. We had a sweet break the fast lunch
afterwards and planned a Christmas party! I felt like it was a pretty
sweet answer to our prayers...
Pretty much the same old same old living in our stick house and taking
bathroom breaks in the woods and stuff. President Weir and the two APs
visited us (elders Davis and Openshaw) to give us a pick me up
(homemade bread and 4 apples and some pringles) and to do other church
stuff. It was fun and we spoke English and everything! Also we got
this way good feast made for us. Elder Davis who's preparing to go
home (only has like 2-3 weeks left) reminded me of how different
America is from here and stuff #thedifference
#notsureIllbeabletohandleit
prayer as a form of communication has really been a focus of mine this
past week and I have started teaching investigators to ask in the
personal prayers the question Ko uara? or How are you? to our Heavenly
Father as a way of starting out and have actually used it myself. If
nothing else it is a great reminder everytime that someone is
listening. Talk to him. Definitely seen answers to our prayers this
past week.
Love you all so much
Elder Pettingill
Questions:
I'm guessing the internet was down last week? yeah the internet was out last week
How is missionary work going over there? Are you able to teach a lot? Do you have good bikes? yeah we teach a bunch and we have nice bikes, I think we average 20-25 miles a day on these super nice dirt roads that should be flat but never are ;)
Can you tell us about one spiritual experience you had this week? too many spiritual experiences to share any of them sorry...actually I forget them all and don't bring my journal (I record at least one every day)...OH! We've been teaching these kids who's parents are more than happy to let them have lessons but they aren't ready themselves and then lately they have been hanging around listening in until nowadays they get ready and listen silently and support their children. We talked with the wife yesterday and she said that is because they've seen such a change. Before it would be her husband doing one thing and her another but the lessons bring them together as one and she really likes it and wants to take lessons too she's just gonna wait a little longer to see if her husband will take them with her. I then quietly testified to her of how we don't want to teach people so bad for any other reason than the one that she just stated. Te bitaki or "the change"
Here is a video from Daniel's birthday in June that we loved watching. This was when he was still on Christmas Island.
whole island for fast sunday church and it worked out! The little
stick chapel was packed. We had a sweet break the fast lunch
afterwards and planned a Christmas party! I felt like it was a pretty
sweet answer to our prayers...
Pretty much the same old same old living in our stick house and taking
bathroom breaks in the woods and stuff. President Weir and the two APs
visited us (elders Davis and Openshaw) to give us a pick me up
(homemade bread and 4 apples and some pringles) and to do other church
stuff. It was fun and we spoke English and everything! Also we got
this way good feast made for us. Elder Davis who's preparing to go
home (only has like 2-3 weeks left) reminded me of how different
America is from here and stuff #thedifference
#notsureIllbeabletohandleit
prayer as a form of communication has really been a focus of mine this
past week and I have started teaching investigators to ask in the
personal prayers the question Ko uara? or How are you? to our Heavenly
Father as a way of starting out and have actually used it myself. If
nothing else it is a great reminder everytime that someone is
listening. Talk to him. Definitely seen answers to our prayers this
past week.
Love you all so much
Elder Pettingill
Questions:
I'm guessing the internet was down last week? yeah the internet was out last week
How is missionary work going over there? Are you able to teach a lot? Do you have good bikes? yeah we teach a bunch and we have nice bikes, I think we average 20-25 miles a day on these super nice dirt roads that should be flat but never are ;)
Can you tell us about one spiritual experience you had this week? too many spiritual experiences to share any of them sorry...actually I forget them all and don't bring my journal (I record at least one every day)...OH! We've been teaching these kids who's parents are more than happy to let them have lessons but they aren't ready themselves and then lately they have been hanging around listening in until nowadays they get ready and listen silently and support their children. We talked with the wife yesterday and she said that is because they've seen such a change. Before it would be her husband doing one thing and her another but the lessons bring them together as one and she really likes it and wants to take lessons too she's just gonna wait a little longer to see if her husband will take them with her. I then quietly testified to her of how we don't want to teach people so bad for any other reason than the one that she just stated. Te bitaki or "the change"
Here is a video from Daniel's birthday in June that we loved watching. This was when he was still on Christmas Island.
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