Sunday, December 7, 2014

Dec. 7, 2014

Ok!
It's been a great week. Here are the answers to some questions.

The stake leadership is great, they seem to do lots of great things. The Bishopric of this ward seems to be a little weaker, but we do what we can to help!

I'll send pictures of my chapel (if it ever loads). Stake conference was attended by around a hundred in a large chapel.

Inside Beito Chapel
Outside Beito Chapel
I supposedly have one hour for personal study a day, so I study one chapter in the Book of Mormon. I read it once through, then again taking time to mark things that stand out. I really love the second time through, I always get more out of it. That usually takes around a half hour, so I spend the rest studying specifically for my investigators. Then we are supposed to have companionship study, but that usually doesn't happen. So, really I study for about 2 hours, then language study with a variety of sources. My favorite is chatting with Claude the security guard at the chapel that we live at. But I still really only have time for one chapter which is sad.

I go to bed almost exactly at 10:30 every day, because I am so tired that I can't stay up any later. Sometimes I slip up and fall asleep lots earlier. It's only happened twice, but it feels so good afterwards. Then some  days my companion wants to run early so he'll wake me up at 5:30 (it's so early, but it beats the heat), some days he forgets to wake up to run, but I wake up automatically around 6 or 6:15, then some days I'm exhausted, so I sleep in to 6:30-45. You never know, but it's always pretty early. The sun comes up at about 6am, with the sky just barely starting to get bright at 5:30. I copied in a pretty standard sunrise from the corner of the property we live on. Oh it's always so beautiful. The sun goes down at about 6:30pm, but there are trees so it could be + or - 15 min.

Elder Carrington and most of my intake is on the same island as me (Tarawa) it's the main one, so there are 2 zones. He's on the other side so I don't see him very often. We don't do very much work after dark, it's weird culturally I'm told. But we go to dinner around 7:30, and get back to the house around 9. There are a fair number of chickens around my house, but only rarely do they wake me up. I'm always pretty pooped.
This week I Korokarewe (I cut karewe). Karewe is the sap of the coconut tree that is a really common native drink. Usually they boil it and add water, some times I drink it straight. It's definitely an acquired taste, and at first the only way I could get it down was with a big scoop of rice right after, but now I don't mind it. SO this picture was taken by one of my Kiribati family members. He put the bai (bay, like a lava lava) on me, then showed me how to climb up into the tree. Right then we were both in the tree and he would circle around it showing me where to go and how to place my body to best cut the karewe. It was so much fun! But relatively sketchy, cause you know, we're in a tree hopping around on the coconut leaves (which are so strong that they function like branches, but it's still sorta scary). But all of the people here were super impressed, because It's about as native of a Kiribati thing as you can do. Ah it's a good time in the islands.
Hope you guys enjoy the snow!
Climbing a coconut tree.  Picture taken from above.
Sunrise from his house.
Love, Elder Morley

questions:  Have you climbed other trees?  The trees around our house are fun. I use steps cut into the tree for easier climbing, it's super hard without.
There are steps cut into almost every tree on the island already. Climbing with steps is super easy, you can pretty much just run up the tree, but getting into the top part is sketchy.
I ate the shellfish (the stuff that I ate on my 2nd day) again. Now that i'm used to the Kiribati food it really wasn't bad. Definitely not the worst thing served at that meal.

Have you received any of my letters yet?  (7 weeks) 
I have recieved letters from Oct. 23 and 24th and November 3rd.
I loved your scripture study. On it's way is a letter about Nephi from me. He is my favorite. I love the thought that he prayed for me. Also I love that we are connected in our love for Nephi.

How are you feeling?  Do you have any stomach problems or anything?
I am surprisingly healthy. I have not gotten sick at all, the last time I remember my stomach hurting was about a month ago. Usually I only feel yucky when I eat too much (which is really often, because they give me so much food and then expect me to eat it all)

  Do you have a refrigerator? We have a fridge, but it's pretty pathetic, but I think that they will try to fix it this week. Bread is easy to get here.

Do you know about skyping yet?  The plan is for me to skype on the 26th. Which by the mysteries of time change happens to be your Christmas!!! That's all I know, but I'm excited!

Do you see any rats?
I've seen a couple rats, but only far away.
I got the 2 part nephi study (it was so awesome). It was perfect for what I needed.
The problem with this companionship is that he rarely welcomes advice or differing opinions. He almost got angry with me for suggesting a faster way to get to the baptismal interviews that we were late for. I would need to be incredibly brave to challenge his disobedience and lack of work. Usually It only feels safe to offer wishy washy side comments about different ideas. I usually feel that it is better to keep both of us relatively happy so that we can invite the spirit.
I have lots of friends. One of them took that picture in my email. Yes just about every one is full of love and wants to help us as much as they can. That's one of the reasons that I wouldn't be sur prised if I start getting fat...

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