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.

Beru-Week 5

Okay first off I didn't get Dad's email this week so I don't know what's up with that?

Anywho, I'm glad to here you all are all doing great, and I am wayy thankful for your prayers!

What to say about this week? Well let's just start out with waking up Tuesday morning with my left eye swollen shut from an infection about an inch above my eyebrow...just think of that, it almost looked like there was no eye there at all. Elder Klatt after yelling 'That's awesome! Let's take pictures!' told me that if he only saw my left side I kinda looked like Two Face. Like the villain from Batman? So that was fun hahaha. It was sweet because I had made a goal to have at least one conversation with a Kiribati person a day, like a legit conversation. So what does Heavenly Father give me to help with that? He turned me into a cyclops...haha I got some special Kiribati medicine stuff to help (oil rubbed three times around, three different times and then a burnt leaf stuck to the spot) and, after a couple days and a lot of pus, I could see again!

Gosh I am really starting to love Kiribati. Funny story from yesterday: We just opened a new unit last week and so this past Sunday they all were wayy excited for church I guess. So as we rode by the house they have church in, we saw them all sitting there waiting for us 5 hours early. We yelled and told them that church wasn't till 4 for them but they were just like 'ti na tanginaiko!' (we will wait for you!) and they did. They are so awesome here.

Quick miracle about church attendance: 3 weeks ago there used to only about high 60s overall attending church. Yesterday we had 93 people at church.  It was just so awesome to see that when you just forget about whatever Satan throws at you and work real hard and with the Spirit, Heavenly Father is going to bless the people you serve and I have seen it.

Other miracle: It rained for the first time the other day but not enough for us to collect any real amount of rain water and since I hadn't been able to shower for 4 days at this point because of my infections, I was just sitting outside praying for more rain. It didn't come, but I had a prompting to go and put a small can under our gutter to collect some water and turns out I got enough to wash my face with, which felt so good! I would have been happy with that, but that night I got prompted to put a bucket underneath the gutter and in the morning I woke up with enough water in it to take a shower with clean water.

I don't know what I've done to deserve such tender mercies and to be in a place like this where every night I ride home to the most beautiful sunset you'll ever see, or if it's later, a sky full of more stars than I thought existed because you can literally see all of them so clearly.

Last thing, I got to go to my first baptism for four of our investigators (two brothers, and a brother and a sister) and I baptized two of them named Atuatu(13) and Angimaua(14). It was soo cool and I just felt so humbled and I hope so bad that they will all choose to stay in the church.

I hope y'aall doing dandy and maybe I've been able to calm some of your fears because as brutal as this place can be, it can be as equally rewarding, if not more! I love hearing from you all. kam tiku kareve! stay sweet!)

Love,

Elder Pettingill (the younger)

Psych, just got dad's email!  

Quick answers to his questions

What do you on pday now that you're settled? Pdays we wake up kinda take our time with things, I'll do morning study and breakfast and stuff. After we go to the house where this one sweet member does our laundry and we're there for a bit then email...and after today we're going to hear these three people we're friends with sing us some of their songs and play some Kiribati card games which aren't nearly as fun as American ones btw so I'm teaching them some. Next week hopefully we'll go explore the island.

What do you usually do for breakfast and lunch?  Do you always have a dinner appointment or do you sometimes have to make your own dinner?  
breakfast: peanut butter and noodles and crackers
lunch: nothing unless we get fed at a lesson which normally happens
dinner: if there's a gathering we'll eat there and it'll be wayy good, otherwise we'll figure something out at our house.

How is the language coming for you? I am understanding more for sure. Our goal is for me to be self sufficient by the time Klatt leaves. I am doing wayy better than I should be. This language is really something for sure hahaha.

Has your foot ever healed or is it still partially numb? still partially numb my foot

Are you able to see the pictures I send or is the Internet too slow? I can see the pictures you send just can't open them which is fine 
 
How is the teaching?  We have like 13 progressing investigators and a bunch of new investigators that we will be teaching soon. We also have a bunch of baptisms planned in a couple weeks, and we just had 4.

Love,
Elder Pettingill (the younger)

P.S. Elder Klatt said you could totally send me cinnamon rolls when you make them for conference. Just put a piece of bread in with them in a couple ziplok bags and they'll stay good. Also frosting in a separate container!

P.P.S. Our mission pres is coming out to our island this Sunday so we'll get everything that's been waiting for us then!

Note from Daniel's Mom: I got an email tonight from Elder Klatt's mother. Apparently, after Daniel got off email, his trainer got word that he is being transferred to a different island. Daniel and Elder Klatt are super disappointed because they are working so well together and having such success.  The Mission President says Elder Klatt is needed someplace else because he is such a hard worker.  Daniel was really blessed to have such a great trainer, even for such a short time!

Beru - Week 4

Alrighty! haha first off to answer your questions Dad:

Do you drink the last part of the drink with bugs in it every time?  The shot of protein? always there, turns out though that if you're in a setting where you can just toss it out then you can, I normally just drink it though. I honestly really don't care anymore...haha

Is the toilet in the house or outback; what kind of privacy do you have; does it ever get cleaned out?  Toilet is outback, and as far as I know it doesn't get cleaned, basically we just dump water down it after every use and then it all just goes away. And privacy is a little sticks and leaves wall that's falling apart around it. It's fine, all of my trips are pretty quick ;)

Regarding the shower, do you have running water, or do you pour a bucket of water over your head?  Shower is a bucket over the head and I'll refer to that later.

Do they BBQ the fish or what kind of ovens do they have?  Do you have propane stoves?  Do they BBQ it? haha I laughed so hard when you said that...no they set it out in the sun and it dries out and then you eat it and every now and then they use a fire (this really cheap gas that you can get out here makes the food taste a lil funny). Normally they'll have this rice and water stuff in the meal that I'll eat it with (tastes like oatmeal to me, so good), goes perfectly together in my opinion.  At this point I have eaten almost everything that they'll feed you but not the bocaboca (the mud), eel, or turtle. They are all on my list to eat.  Did have shark though and lobster and these things called donuts that taste exactly like Mom's scones back home if they're made right haha.

By the way I've started wearing the baiis (the skirts) around my house and I like them wayy too much haha but I mean you can use them as a blanket when you sleep so it's just perfect. Although I do feel a little less like a man when I wear them. 

Alright my week:

Tuesday I woke up and guess what?  Diarrhea had gone. SO nice and I also had a bunch of revelation that really cheered me up and I had a great day and went to work.

Wednesday: we decided to only speak Kiribati on Wednesday outside of the house, I had always wanted to do that and Klatt was down. It was an exhausting day, but at the same time no joke we saw every single one of our investigators gain a desire and just had a day of spiritual lessons. I knew God was blessing us for our hard work.

Thursday: I woke up exhausted, and on top of that my whole face and swollen up. Why? The well water we shower with had infected all of my acne so it was pretty nasty. It was a pretty tough day to push through, but I just prayed all day and made it through.

Friday: I woke up even more tired and of course strep throat. But I didn't let myself think negatively and I had an amazing day. Tiiua (see why), one the less actives we've been teaching that I really like and we want him to be able to baptize his wife had an amazing experience where he and his wife talked through a fight for the first time and then he promised to us on the Bible that he was done smoking and doing nangkona (a sleep drug).

Saturday: I woke up at 5:30 in the morning barely able to swallow because of my strep throat, but I just prayed to God and remembered his promise that nothing would prevent me from working so I got up, took some ibprofein, took a shower, dumped hand sanitizer on all of my infected spots on my face (one was now the size of a dime right above my lip) and some anti biotic, and started my studies. I think I hit the lowest point of my mission so far, but I read 2 Nephi 4 and it really inspired me.  Later that day, an tuun aine (old lady) we've been teaching told us how she can't read because of her eyes but when she sat down that morning to read like we asked she could see perfectly. Then we gave her some glasses.

Sunday: we went to the 4 different units across the island and I got to give a lesson w/ Klatt at each of them and a talk as well haha.

Basically I learned this week that as hard as it may be, when you forget your problems and just work, there is nothing Satan can do to stop you. In fact, he only helps because the more trials he gives, the more blessings the Lord gives in return. I love it out here, the people are amazing, the language is coming, Elder Klatt works so hard and I am learning so much from him. Being a missionary is awesome and it so humbling.

Love,
Elder Pettingill

From Daniel's Mom:  I have to add something because this letter includes a special miracle for me.  I had a hard time with last week's letter from Daniel. After thinking about it, I realized my biggest worry was the diarrhea and the dangers of that. So I went to Heavenly Father in prayer last Sunday night and told Him that I would stop worrying about everything else and trust Him to take care of Daniel if we could just get rid of the diarrhea. In today's letter, Daniel tells us he woke up with the diarrhea gone on Tuesday morning, which is our Monday (he is 19 hours ahead of us). I know that prayers are answered and also that the heavens are watching over the missionaries.

Beru-Week 3

Hey everyone so I'm still alive in case you were all wondering. Although I have had at least double digit bathroom/ocean/bush visits a day. I took some Pepto-bismol and that helped for a bit and then I ate more Kiribati food and we were right back where we started, or rather I was right back where I started. Elder Klatt is doing just fine...

Haha funny story actually: So on Mondays Elder Klatt really likes to have conversations with people back home so he'll have the lady lock us in so no one bugs us and we'll be in the email room until she comes back. We just got locked in and settled down when it hit me (refer to my previous bathroom comments to know what it is) and without saying anything I grabbed a plastic bag headed into the back room for a bit with my notebook and hand santizer and that was that...although Elder Klatt had a good laugh about it.

Let's give some details:  My house consists of the size of our living room and dining room combined and then walled off to make 3 rooms: a sort of kitchen, sleeping/study and then the one where all the junk and luggage is kept. Then we have a hole in the ground for our bathroom and then a well where we get our super clean water from (sarcasm) and then a group of rocks where we shower. So all in all it's pretty sweet and I have no complaints.

And the food: typical meal, dried rotten fish, that has flies on it from the second they take the cover off to the very last bite we take, and rice. Then we've got kareve (coconut sap that's been boiled) which tastes ok and smells, well not the best for sure. Oh and did I mention that flies like to dive bomb our drinks and then drown in them? Yeah when that happens you just flick it out and keep going. ;) Oh and the last gulp? It's not just backwash you're worried it about haha because the last gulp is basically just bugs that at some point got in the cup. It's like a pure shot of protein.  The worst part about it though is I actually really enjoy the meals here, like they're really good. Elder Klatt doesn't agree.

This week? We hit 35 lessons (we ride anywhere from 15-45 minutes to each group of lessons)  with like 16-20 different investigators and we have 5 planned baptisms for the 16th. I've had 3 different parties (all of the different church groups on the island, about 4 units of like 20 each) thrown for me because I'm new. And I have one last one I think tonight. And yes Beth I got to dance with the girls haha it was wayy crazy and wayy fun, but exhausting, like everything here.

My Companion?: Elder Klatt is wayy fun and yeah he works pretty hard. I can already tell we're going to get along great. I know I'm going to learn tons about the culture and the language from him.

Anyways I straight love it here and yes I have been having a really positive attitude because I don't want to waste any time letting anything get to me. This last week I learned a really valuable lesson about how when things are at their toughest, just forget yourself and go to work helping others.  It is the truth.  Because I'm not gunna lie, I feel like this place preys on every weakness I have. In fact, the other night I had a dream where I saw Heavenly Father choosing where to send me and he chose here and all of the angels gathered around just gasped because it requires so many things that I am weak in here and uses so few of my strengths. Then Heavenly Father just responded and said, "Just imagine who he'll be afterwards though."  Gosh it just hits me so hard everytime I think about it.

But anyways I love you all thanks for your support! It means tons!

Love,
Elder Pettingill (The Younger)

P.S. Hey mom thanks for sending some packages but it's really ok. I don't need too much and so you don't need to worry about me!  Although I could really use some triple A batteries, a calendar would be nice, Gatorade mix and fruit tootsie rolls would also be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to get settled with the food here in Kiribati for awhile and eat as little American food as possible. And since I'd like to be as thankful as possible for everything I receive, I'd ask that you just send a little every now and then or if I ask for something I really need! I'm not sure if this making sense but what I am trying to say do not feel like you need to take care of me out here, but if you could send a little something every now and then that would be more than enough!

I seriously am so grateful for you all back at home and trust me that isn't something I developed out here when I said all of those things at home. I really meant them! I love you all and it's always so fun to hear about life back at home!

Daniel's mom: Here are some pictures I found of the Beru chapel, outside and inside. Also, you can see how the people all sit cross-legged. 

Tarawa/Beru--Week 2

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)

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.

Beru--Week 1 (still on Tarawa)

What's up y'all?

First off I need to start out by explaining that I have not left for Beru yet...my flight got pushed off until today and then when we went this morning they had too much weight on the plane so I got the boot which sucked. Oh and by the way there is only one flight a week because Beru is so far out so I just might not make it until next Monday...Good thing I know the Lord knows what he is doing haha

My companion situation for the last week has been a trio, Elder Loe from Utah been out same out amount of time as Jacob, a native Elder named Iotebwa (Joseph in English) and me.  Let's just say my Kiribati has skyrocked this past week..why? I'll tell you.

Tuesday morning the day after I got here we woke up, did our studies and then after companionship study Elder Loe was like "Here's how it is going to go for all of our lessons from now on, Iotebwa will do the initial talking and ask them who they want to open with a prayer (which was always me because I'm new..), then [Elder Loe] will ask them about previous commitments and introduce the lesson and then you Elder Pettingill, you get to teach." and then laughed and said "How's your Kiribati by the way?"  We taught 30 lessons, not including dinners, this week all of them in the cross legged position. But hey I found out that when I'm having a hard time if I just picture Dad's face if he were in the same position as I am, I can just laugh it off and work through the pain/inability to speak the darn language.

Haha and then Sunday rolls around and I'm just like sweet just a few more lessons and church and I'll be on my way to Beru and   Nope.    The Bishop asked me to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. Straight up Other Side of Heaven.  So I gave a quick introduction (My name is Elder Pettingill, I'm from Beru I love eating the bocaboca [Beru is famous for eating mud aka bocaboca] and that's my mom over there Elder Loe and my Dad Elder Iotebwa) and they're all laughing and then I'm like hey might as well keep having fun while I'm up here. So I started my talk with "Ti riai n nakon te roki ni katoabong bukina bwa e bon te tua mei te Atua."  - We must go to the toilet everyday because it is a commandment from God. 
  

Hahaha I got all kinds of looks from that one.

But seriously I love it here even though it is really hard. But I could go on all day telling you funny stories about the toilets, the kids, my companions but I think I'll save some for later. Just know this the Lord gives us weaknesses that we may be humble and when we are humble he will make weak things become strong unto us.  He is on our side and he wants us to be spiritually in a position that we can help these people who struggle with so much.

When I see how the gospel can change all of these people I have no problem teaching every lesson, saying every prayer, drinking water that makes me wanna puke, eating food that has been giving me the number 3 all week long despite the pills, sitting cross-legged for hours on end with sand eating away at my skin, heat like the hottest and muggiest I've ever felt all day everyday, and language that some can't even pick up after a year of being out.  Yeah all of that is nothing. and I mean it nothing, when I see how the gospel can help these people.

The amount of faith asked for from Lord is not much, only a mustard seed. Please don't come up short because then we can't see the miracles God is just itching to perform.

I love you all bunches or heaps as the Auzzies say haha.

Hopefully I'll be in Beru when I email you all next but for now 

Tarawa will just have to do!

Elder Pettingill (The Younger)

One more story:  

Kids here are straight like monkeys and they have this game where they all do handstands and then they fight each other with their feet trying to knock each other over. You'd think I'd have an advantage when I play because I'm way bigger but that just means they have prime access to the kill shot if you know what I mean. Plus I can hardly ever stay up long enough to compete. Although one time I did stay up longer than one of the kids...my companion pushed him over for me hahah

From Daniel's mom:  No pictures this week. If you want to see more about what it's like there, check out this blog which tells about a couple traveling with their boat all over Micronesia and Melanesia and has lots of pictures.  Scroll down to the pictures of locals and you can read about how it's a cultural tradition that everyone sit cross legged, as Daniel describes above.

Safely arrived in Kiribati

Hey I'm here in Kiribati!

I am going to be headed to Beru and guess what? Elder Klatt is going to be my trainer!  I think I'll head out on Wednesday or something. I'm not entirely sure, but I can already tell I am going to love it and am so excited! Everyone here is awesome. Fun fact: there is only one set of zone leaders for the entire Kiribati side of the mission and outer islands (like mine) aren't even part of districts so that's interesting. Yeah it'll be Elder Klatt and I pretty much untill we come back so I'm kinda just plunging in.  

Elder Vaai is also going to a different outer island but it is the biggest (land wise) in all of Kiribati so not really much of an outer island is what they said. Then the other two elders are going to different islands which are considered part of Tarawa.  Sister Pasina is going to stay here in Tarawa.

Anyways I'm going to play basketball with the zone leaders!

I love you all!

Elder Pettingill

PS: I should have email on my island

Here are some pictures from the airplane landing in Tarawa (the main island of Kiribati)