Wiiki te Uuoua (Week 2)

Mauri everybody!!

SO... the second week of the MTC has been really enjoyable! Each day we wake up at 6:20, study until 7:40, eat, then have three hours of class. The classes are awesome! They are so different from school classes You know all those times in high school that you say you'd like school as long as there were no grades, tests, or quizzes? Well, we don't have any of them. We do have homework, but it's up to you to do it and keep up in class. We don't turn it in. So the stress levels are way lower.

The language is crazy. There are only 13 letters, so all of the words sound pretty much the same. For example:

karabwarabwa - (ka-ra-pa-rap-ah) blessings

kabwarabwara - (ka-pa-ra-pa-rah) overview

Yep. Try doing that with 280 flash cards.

But honestly, it is coming fairly quickly. We have taught our investigator Biiri twice and our investigator Taorakira once, each for 15-25 minutes. I can actually understand almost everything the teacher says, but saying things myself is still tricky (see example above). I'm starting to have trouble pronouncing words in English when I read out loud because the letters are pronounced differently in Kiribati. Our teacher says we will be fluent in about three more weeks.

This week, my companions and I attended the MTC choir practices. It was so fun!! I really really miss music. On Sunday we performed for the devotional speaker, which was none other than...ELDER BEDNAR!!! So we performed for an apostle AND it was broadcasted to the other 14 MTCs in the world. The Spirit was so strong, I had to stop singing a couple times to keep my composure. Seriously, if you have the choice to be in the MTC choir...you actually don't have a choice. You just have to do it.

One of the sisters in my district from Samoa received some tough news from home. She couldn;t focus and wanted to leave. She asked my for a blessing. I was able to give her a priesthood blessing of comfort with my companions. I really felt inspired to say the correct words. She is doing way better and is still here!

I am getting way good at beach volleyball. Every day we have an hour to exercise, so we usually do some workout for 25 minutes and then play beach volleyball. It's a pretty big deal in the MTC, and our district is getting pretty good.

Also, I ran into three people I know! Sister Breyfogle (from the SH ward) and another guy (from Branson), and one of the Shanklins' cousins. Small world!

I know it sounds like I'm just on vacation here, but it really is hard work. We have study/class for about ten hours each day. We read so much that my eye muscles (sorry dad, I don't remember what they're called) hurt. We wake up early and go to bed. And we probably pray 30 times a day.

I kakuaua bwa e ana euankerio Iesu Kristo kuaua. Ngaira tangira te mitinare ngkoe, ao I ataia bwa ti kano namakin te Tamnei ae Raoiroi ngkanna ti karaoa ana ekaretia.

I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I'm glad for my chance to serve a mission, and I know that we can have the Spirit with us if we choose the right.

N aran Iesu Kristo, amen.

Akea te kanganga (take it easy)!!!