Oct. 11, 2015 Pioneers

Hello!
This has been another great week! Before I start I have some news...
I'm getting transferred. I will fly off of this island on Monday
October 26 after almost 6 months here. I will then wait in Tarawa for
a few days, then fly to Nikunau. I will be companions with [....] a
Kiribati Elder. I will be senior companion and since this island was
opened for missionary work just at the beginning of the year, I will
also be the Branch President. The work there will be similar to here:
being in charge of all members, investigators, less actives and
everyone else. It should be fun!


Last week was fun because the government on this island completely ran
out of money. We couldn't get our money for the month. All of the
teachers and government workers didn't get paid. Plus the main income
for people is copra and the money comes through the government, so the
entire island was out of money for a week. Now we've gotter money, but
most people are still broke. Good thing food doesn't cost anything!

 Yesterday in church I was responsible for giving a training to all the
members. I taught them how to teach. Basically I tried to help them
learn how to make the simplest talk, lesson, or spiritual thought
possible. It has been kind of awkward uptil now. We ask someone to
give a talk and 1 of 2 things occur. First, they give a really strange
talk (We've had some fun ones...) or second, they go less-active. So
hopefully the training helped. I had lots of fun. I had to be fun, ask
them questions, do roll plays, etc. I felt like a seminary teacher
with no practice and minimal preparation! Also last week we got 10 or
so copies of the Liahona in Kiribati, so for the training (and also
for my talk) we talked about the Home Teaching message by President
Uctdorf, 'All is Well.' It is all about pioneers.

 As I was studying the talk to first teach then train with it occurred
to me that these people have no idea what a Pioneer is. They've never
even heard the word. So I prepared to describe what a pioneer is, and
it occurred to me that We are Pioneers. All of my members and
investigators here are pioneers. They are the first to come to church
here. They are setting the culture that will be built upon and used
for years in the future. Then it hit, I am a pioneer. I am the 10th
Elder on this island. I will be the 4th  Elder on Nikunau. A
large responsibility has been placed upon me. I am ready to accept
this work. I'll do the best that I can, and with the Lord's help All
things are possible. I know this work is true. I am greatful for this
chance I have to work with and be a Pioneer in these exciting times.
As President Brigham Young stated, "We're not going to wait for
Angels...We are going to build [Zion ourselves]!" I pray for you all!
Love

Elder Morley