Dr. Kennedy's prescription: Positivity, positivity. Positivity! December 20, 2015

Dang (waiting for) Santa for 3 hours? I can only imagine how many times the kids went to buy candy from that store hahahhaha! Let's see what else cool happened?

This past Tuesday we were going out and this person ran out and was like "we need a blessing ASAP" we like run through this swamp and on this booya this little girl who we know who is so nice and sweet is having this seizure so we give here a blessing and she goes on for like an hour we help these people try to care for her until the ambulance comes and we carry her in the ambulance (which turned out to be a bus apparently the ambulance was busy so they called a bus) so we climb in and bring her to the hospital and I totally had a moment like dad where his friend in band had a seizure and he wanted to be a doctor, then like as I had that experience I thought about how I wouldn't mind being a doctor too!

The hospital was a mess. I don't even know much and it was the most unsanitary thing I've ever seen. so they pull this sweaty just-dying lady off her cot which is still wet from her drool and everything.  We put the girl on it and after that they start taking blood.  No gloves and as the nurse is squeezing in the stuff she double checks it's the right one. Then she had me help her draw the blood, like I held the tubes and I dropped one of the caps on the ground. She picked it up, looked at it, put it back on. Just like the most unsanitary unsafe environment ever. So that was a different experience this week.

(Responding about how long a package takes to get there)

I think it only takes a month or more to get it. I bet if you just sent it I’ll get it towards the end of Feb. My companion got a HUGE christmas package it was actually insane (not saying I need a huge Christmas package to feel loved or anything I don't need much and if you do a flashlight and food pls)

Hahahaha which ones did he send. He really wants to send pics home it just takes a long time and is really inconvenient so I don't but I told him to send all the ones he sends home to you guys too:)

IT'S SO GREAT MY FEET ARE AWESOME IM IAON KAWAINA IBUKIN BAINA KIRIBTi.   I’m on my way to Kiribati feet) they look bad because I have HUGE calluses all over my feet, which are the most useful things ever like I can pretty much throw my foot at a door and feel nothing:) It was sick sometimes like I'll need something so like I can walk decently comfortably on most any terrain!! I really want Kiribati feet because they seem so handy for all terrain events! My companion says I look wayyyyy different from when I was in MTC, from pictures, idk about it. I have a lot of acne now so that's the change for me, and I have a little rice belly. It’s really funny everyone gets these rice bellies where it's just a little fat patch on the tummy. right on the lip of the tummy it's funny. and don't worry I work out every morning. It's a nice motivation because like you have to work out every morning if you want to be exactly obedient so it's a motivating factor.

Gross- I know!

And as for about everything being easy, like there are a ton of hard things, but like I don't dwell on anything bad that happens or is frustrating. If I keep my mind positive and don't see the struggles ever then how much better is life!!!

If you want to know hard things I could identify tons but like everything hard about Kiribati I absolutely love. Like one hard part about the work would be people nako nako n tai nako. (leave all the time). Like because everyone just always chills if they hear about a party or just feel like going somewhere they just go because like nothing matters and a lot of lessons fall through every day so it's just a process of planning for it I suppose. It's not that bad though I like it. 

OH HERE'S A HARD THING THIS WEEK. So I had my first interaction with a boil this week. Right on my bum. very much extremely painful n tai nako (all the time) and I couldn't sit on my left side for a few days while I treated it (I exploded it and you just squeeze out the juice until you dig out the seed) so that was kinda hard! Kinda funny though because like it’s a normal conversation to talk about stuff like that so people thought it was so funny by the way I was sitting. 

But no, I don't have any real challenges because nothing really bothers me. Like my only problem is myself and my human weaknesses. Isn't how it is for everyone though like external influences affect you but you choose how to respond. That's a skill I've really began to developed like in really intense situations we have had I can take control of myself pretty easily I feel like idk maybe I’m cocky which is something I’m working on anyways! I just don't think I have any problems I love all the crazy things about this place! To me I have no problems. Like I’m not a good enough teacher or language or good enough anything but like as I continue to push forward and progress while relying on the Lord, if I’m doing everything I can and try to change constantly I have faith the Lord will make up what I lack after I give everything I got first yanno! Life is good! too good! I’m living in the calm before the storm probably. And like I know for fact I’m living in the calm before the storm so all I can do now is enjoy it and prepare for anything the Lord sees fit to deal me right! All challenges are in the Lord's hands for my benefit so with that attitude in mind it's all good!

So it's been an interesting week. Once again we have the best neighbors ever. This huge super strong Mormon family last p day we went and hung out with them and learned a dance for the ward christmas party this Saturday 

(AND BEFORE I FORGET SO WE SKYPE ON CHRISTMAS DAY(like your guys’ Christmas the day after Christmas for me) AND SINCE ELDER MILLER IS ZONE LEADER NOW HE HOOKED ME UP I GET TO GO FIRST SO EXPECT A CALL ON SKYPE AT 12 O'CLOCK IN UTAH time) Whatever time that is in Indiana idk. Yeah I'll catch y'all. If you guys have a different plan or something email me and I can probably change my time with someone for later or whatever but yeah. Later in the week just email me the skype name and I'll hitcha all up)) (

ALSO BEFORE I FORGET) So like the best thing ever is hearing about the people I left in Bikenibeu that I didn't get to finish are all getting finished up now and like everything is just like exploded since we left. Like so our neighbor in Bikenibeu is this YSA girl who just got baptized 8 months ago SOOOO SOLID! She did member lessons alllll the time she was our homie but like once we left she didn't want to let all the good things that were happening in Bikenibeu die so she like full on took all of the investigators we left hardcore under her wing. Brought all them to their family home evening, brings them all to activities, just like our YSA completely enveloped 4-5 of my favorite people and like now they are just killin it.  Two girls we taught, Veronica and Pre Tinta, just got baptized on Saturday and apparently they are just killing it so strong. Like they are they ones who live in the Kiribati casino they are 18 ish and they just stopped doing all bad things and just so good now. Its funny me and Miller wrote our names on the wall of their house, it's a Kiribati thing. And then our other killer convert we baptized Tammara is way helpful with our guy Tipi, who is getting baptized in a week.  Tipi is this like Lebron sized 19 year old. The kid is MASSIVE just huge and jacked in all ways, but he's way funny. Lots of good things are happening in Bikenibeu. It's amazing how the lord works because like it was the perfect time for us to leave because it made the ward work and the work got stronger as they acted to bring in people. So cool. The elders there now are way solid too, our old people are in good hands.

But anyways, about Temwaiku!!! So it was honestly like a just slow kinda hard week, it rained a ton and just no one was ever home, but it was a super good week nonetheless. Like I can't really say it was a hard week, it just seemed, like trudging through mud kinda idk how to explain it. We got another visa waiter!!! Elder Kaakau is working with us now soooo SPLITS EVERYDAY!!! We met a kid who had a dream that Jesus called him to be a prophet. He is like 100% with all his heart believes it and it's crazy because like the dream is patterned exactly after the Restoration, Satan is one tricky son of a gun. But yeah so Elder Johnson and Kaakau went to teach him yesterday and apparently like a ton of people were there and when they sat down both got a crazy prompting to leave now and not go back so they left so i missed that:/ BBBUUUTTT. Let's see.

We are marrying like 6 couples who are all wayyyy fun and super solid. This one couple we are teaching are soooo funny we are way buds with them plus they are our neighbors so I see them all the time. IT's so fun like I can have conversations and actually do things now it's so sick like I actually just can communicate I love it. BUT what else. I’m pumped about these people we started yesterday. So we have been teaching this super super sweet 14 year old girl and we meet her parents and turns out they are less actives so we taught them and they are way on board to get reactivated they just needed someone to reach out and they are SO funny. So like I’m excited to see but I hope that we baptize the daughter, get the parents reactivated, and then one by one pick at the 3 other kids til the family is complete:) long term goals. WE went on exchanges with Elders on Wednesday so that was fun. Heartbreak of the week: So two of my favorite investigators Korieta and Katiotio they are somehow in the same family idk the relation Katiotio is 25 with a baby and wife and Korieta is 13 and way a stunner. BUT so we went to teach them like every lesson has been so powerful because they are both so prepared. Like first lesson Katiotio said" I've been Catholic but I want to try Mormon because in Catholic there is no change and you guys promise me change in my life se we will see" SO good just like asks great questions and it’s sweet. ANYWAYS. but so we go to teach them and their Dad runs out starts yelling how we can never come back stop teaching his family yada yada yada idk. So we don't know if we can teach Korieata which is way sad but Katiotio is over 18 so we teach him at a different house. For a few days I thought we lost them though. But we bumped into both of them and they were both so ticked we stopped coming and like begged us to start lessons again and all that. SO PUMPED.

What else. It rained BUCKETS this week, which slowed the work down a ton because when it rains the entire country shuts down and like sleeps or whatever. BUT I wore my black rain jacket we got and I thought about when you and I bought it,  it was SUCH a good decision.  No joke that thing saved my life. Also I need a new watch. It doesn't matter what it looks like just waterproof. No hurry though just next time you send a package. No hurry really though.

First stop in new area....dig a well.

What else. I’m an expert well maintenance person now. I’ve dug a well, cleaned a well, all things well maintenance I’m pretty good at. Also I help some members cook this thing and like when you do it fire shoots everywhere it was so neat. It was a good week over all for sure. After sacrament we were informed we are teaching the youth class and young men, so we (by we I mean I) whipped together a lesson in like 5 minutes it was a crazy time but fun.

I can't believe the Star Wars movie came out!! So crazy! Thats sick that its awesome. N te bong teyana (one day).

I was thinking a fun thought yesterday. So like why is it a commandment to have a lot of babies?  And the answer:  God wants people to be born in the covenant and everyone wants to be born into the church and such, but there are only so many slots based on how many babies Mormon people have. So the more babies, the more slots open up for people born into the covenant and the more spirits born into the gospel and the more the church grow when all those people have babies and just slots open up everywhere!!!

Also I have not burned since I got here:) not once! Fine-- one day like two weeks ago I got my first burn aka I was like a little pink. It wasn't even bad. But I'll start wearing sunscreen better for you.

Yeah like 45 minutes! Yeah I’m so happy about Bikenibeu.  I  always ask about our old people. I’m so jealous they get to see them finished. Like with Pretinta the first lesson she had this total bad girl like thought it was all so funny that they were listening and yada yada and like as it went she TOTALLY changed and they said now they just are like bouncing off the walls happy all the time it's very neat.

Responses to questions:

Yeah, that's what we did with the dude.  We just told him if he wants to know, act. But idk what his intentions are anymore honestly, like we taught him a couple of days ago and now he says he knows God is real and he prays a lot. We aren't sure his true intentions but I think he is testing the valor of the church through us idk. We will see.

It was the funniest thing, we got a ride from ZLs (zone leaders)and stopped by Bikenibeu and saw the mom of our neighbors she got so hyped!  Like this lady is a SAINT so so nice and good to us, like so good to so many youth for real a great example to all of them. But I saw her and she got so pumped and ran out to the car and it was so cool because like we actually talked in Kiribati.  The whole time I  was there I would just give them a dead confused stare  when we tried to talk because I would get so lost due to language, but I could totally communicate with her now it was awesome!  Hahaha.

Oh yeah and I think I misplaced the flashlight so if you send a package someday no hurry but my requests: a flashlight, a watch, and .38 G2 blue red purple pens. All colors expected except for black or ugly colors. probably mostly red blue purple nice colors. Make sure the G2 pen that writes thin .38 or point 05 works too honestly.

One funny thing that's been happening is Elder Johnson got a TON of little dollar item little tiny trinkets for kids and he's  been the Kiribati Santa Claus kids legit flock to us everywhere looking for toys. It's a little out of hand but it's pretty funny and a fun Christmas thing.

TALK TO YOU ON CHRISTMAS, LOVE YOU, BYE

Elder ? and  Elder Johnson

Elder Kennedy and Elder Johnson

The Word is well received December 13, 2015

To his brother Kipp: Yesterday I ate octopus with the suckers still on it it was super delicious. There are dogs that run around wild and free everywhere it's pretty cool. The beach is like everywhere so that's neat too. One other things that's cool about Kiribati every time anyone introduces himself they say Mauri moa and everyone else says Mauri back like in AA it's super fun.

To me: One of my favorite things is all the time people start with Kabane ni Mouri moa and everyone says mauri back like in the alcoholic association things.  It's the most fun thing EVA!

Crazy crazy crazy week. Just crazy. So good though. We have so many investigators who are so prepared and asking insanely deep questions. I even had to teach the principle of dispensations which is like the more rare thing ever here. So I’m way pumped because same as in Bikenibeu 2nd we have gathered our army of young men like a ton who are just solid. Like yesterday we are teaching these 3 together and their other friend hopped in and they taught the principle of prophets from our last lesson to him perfectly like they are so hype to listen.

These other 3 guys we teach are sick two 18ish years old, like you can just see in their faces it's something they really and truly are deeply pondering everything, and they are way funny making it too fun to teach. Other sick people we teach are our neighbors and it’s so funny. There are like 5-6 couples we teach who need to get married so we are marrying them soon and it's so funny watching the process because for our neighbors like they are soooo solid and like just desire to be members for all the right reasons but like the wife was sitting not next to her not yet husband and she got frustrated and made everyone move so she could sit by him bc "they are getting married so they have to act like it".

Oh man! This one couple Takinoa and Kaiaba literally the most solid people ever. The dude just stopped smoking after he and his wife fasted and at the end of every lesson the wife bears the most powerful testimony. Like we taught about families and she went off about how people in today's world don't respect the family and they base it off the wrong reasons, but for her and her soon to be husband they want to be married so they can start their family and raise them in the church, because the strength that the church will give her family and teach her children to do the right things and just alllll the most amazing things!  It's so awesome she does it every lesson.

So we have two crazy awesome less actives. One that knows the church is true. He just didn't keep the commandments but in the past two lessons the Spirit literally has worked him over so hard like not even what we said just like the Spirit teke nanona (touched his heart). Like we taught about how repentance starts small and one thing he can do is read the Book of Mormon every day and little by little he will get strength to overcome his problems. Then he just went off how he is going to abandon all his sins, he wants to be clean and how right after we leave he is going to start reading and he will read every single day before work, when he wakes up, all the time until it's finished. And how he is going to church with his whole family and they will be the first ones in the chapel and all this stuff like he was just shaking and crying he felt it so strong it was sick.

And then our other less active is this guy who got lessons when he was in like 6th-8th grade (he's like 30 now) and he says he got baptized because "he finished his lessons" which just made me smack my hand on my face. Because he said he doesn't believe there is a God or anything. So at first I’m just stunned like how do you teach someone there is a God? I had no idea how to even approach. But as it progressed like his questions were so prime and it honestly just struck me like his questions would stump the most qualified members of any other church, but a couple of 18 year olds can answer all his questions somewhat well because they have the full restored gospel. We continued with his lessons and our deal is if he does what we tell him and he sees a difference in his life, he will believe there is a God. but no change no God. Which was a deal he took in .02 seconds he was like “heck yeah son, we will take those odds.” So the process began he received a Book of Mormon and said he will start praying. THEN we realized a bigger problem was that in  his life he knows the power of the devil, like he needs something and when he asks the devil the devil gives it to him immediately, but if there is a God it is a slow little by little process and he didn't understand the consequences associated one with another. As you can see LOOOOTTS of work to do but it's so sick because he really ponders and thinks deeply about all of it and I really think we can crack him:)

We choose or are compelled to be humble December 6, 2015

SOOOOOO its been such an awesome week!!! So awesome!!! So as we started the week I felt I had a grasp of the situation and knew we just had to plant our feet on the ground so we went CRAZY finding people. And we found SOOOO many people who are so prepared. Constantly asking for referrals and tracking and asking every person we talk to if they want lessons just we went crazy! And we found so many absolutely awesome people. It’s honestly unreal how prepared I feel some of our people are! And more than just prepared, they actually have questions like deep questions about things, which I was taken aback by as Elder Miller told me the hardest question he had gotten was "why was Jesus baptized".

But let's see, specific awesome things. So One guy was way a blessing for hard work, it was dark and our dinner got cancelled. The problem is in Kiribati if it gets dark EVERYTHING dies. Like everyone goes home, is getting ready for bed, and no one really wants to let you in honestly because it's night, but we wanted just one more lesson so we went to a ton of houses and I saw one light and honestly it was the Spirit told me go to the house way far back so we went back found this sick guy Lotabwa.  I’m so pumped to teach him. One family we started teaching yesterday little by little. Two daughters got baptized then one son and now they told us first lesson they are prepared to be baptized they will go to church everything.  They said they way want it all AND they have one other son they want us to teach to SO WE GET TO FINISH THE WHOLE FAMILY WHOOOOO!

The craziest experience we had was this lesson we taught with these two 18 year old boys, (I LOVE TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL AGE BOYS IT'S MY FAVORITE) so we were teaching about prophets and spirit was way strong and stuff and at the end of the lesson we challenged them to trust James 1:5 right now that they can receive their truth on the spot and so the kid gave an awesome heartfelt prayer with a  broken heart and contrite spirit and all 4 of us felt the spirit so strong testify of truthfulness. He described it as a feeling that was new peace happy SO PUMPED!  It was the best lesson of my mission thus far. Then one other guy we found Katiotio- this 28 year old dude.  He was like "you guys are coming back!!" He was pumped!  It wasn't just one lesson because one thing I always promise is that the gospel will change their lives if they apply the principles we teach and he got way pumped because he was like "I’m pumped because in the Catholic there is no change but I want change for better in my life.” SOLLID. With him he said he will see because he is scared of his parents who are hardcore Catholic so we will see. One lady we found was so so nice first off and she seemed so interested in the message and said that next time we need to teach her HIGH SCHOOL AGE SON (my fav) next time too.

One crazy experience we had: so this weird less active guy we visited like the whole time we visited he went on about how he has financial troubles and people are trying to throw him in jail but it's not his fault or something, and then he asked us to email our stake presidents in America so he could do business with the church in America.  It was weird (of course we can't do that sooo) But anyways, so we scheduled a time to dinner with him on Tuesday. But before we went to dinner like a hour before we saw him driving with his whole family in the car and he was like "hey come back in an hour our power is out but I have a new investigator for you guys in the house." And Elder Johnson after he drove away was like "we can't go to dinner" he got a crazy strong prompting that we shouldn't go to dinner and we prayed about it and felt the same so we left a note and ran! I don't know what would have happened or whatever but I’m grateful that the Spirit protects us! But only if we heed the promptings!! Disaster averted:)

Elder Aboki

ALSO so Elder Aboki (our Kiribati guy) got taken from us on Wednesday:(((( they needed him in another area that no one was working but we lost our Kiribati man, BUT Elder Openshaw (the one from General Conference) gave me the all- time coveted Kiribati dictionary. It's this way old dictionary they stopped printing but everyone knows it's the most valid dictionary in Kiribati.  They ones they gave us in the MTC are not correct.  SO I GOT A DICTIONARY WHOOOO.

Let's see what else. you'll be glad to know I can basically speak Kiribati!!! 3 months was my goal and I’m right where I wanted to be:) I can teach all the lessons and have a basic conversation. It's so freeing to finally be able to contribute. It’s different because I teach almost the full lesson of every lesson because my companion is new and is still learning the format the language everything. I am just trying to figure out the best way to help him because I feel like I’m not the best at helping him out, even though I’m trying. I’m so grateful for him though because one lesson and trial I’m so grateful for, is that it's making me more humble and teachable when the kid who hasn't been out as long as me is correcting me, sometimes I feel my pride rise up but I have been really working on just trying to become as humble as I can be. One thing I learned this morning as I read Ezra Taft Benson's book (WHICH ARE SO GOOD HAVE YOU EVER READ THE PROPHETS BOOKS THEY ARE SO GOOD AND INFO FILLED) was that pride is the stumbling block to Zion, and that being humble is so so key to any success. There was a bigger idea I learned but I just forgot it..... OH I remembered. So the scripture in Ether I think that says "blessed are those who are humble without being compelled to be humble."  So pretty much we have two routes about it! Either we choose to be humble and teachable, or God will compel us to be humble! I decided I would much rather just choose to be humble and teachable rather than wait to  be compelled through a real trial. Elder Johnson is a way good companion, he has the same desires to be exactly obedient and work hard, but the other thing God is teaching me at the point is how to correct or negotiate when you don't agree. Not that Johnson and I don't agree- I really like him! But it's just teaching me important skills all over. Life is our time for trials right. I started praying for more trials again because the more fire you get the more struggles you have, the more opportunity you have to scrub out the errors in who you THINK you are. Remembering that I had an identity before this life, and that identity qualified me the grow up in a place as the only member and an identity who got called to the best mission in the world, I would like to think that that identity did something right, and I want to be true to myself, my true self. The world will try to change that true identity and make you think you are someone different then you are. But when we die and remember who we really are and that faith turns to knowledge, failure is no longer an option. The devil is fighting now harder then ever so we have to too!!!!

Don't you worry I know you love God! Where else would I learn it from!!! I teach the principle of the powerhood alllll the time with the stripling warriors, they had so much success they were firm in their faith because they learned it from their mothers. Something I can relate to! I use you and Dad as examples to our investigators allllll the time!

WEll that's mostly it from me!!!! I love you guys!!! You are in my prayers no need to worry about me I’m fine health wise and all wises!!! OH AND IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME THERE HUH MERRY CHRISTMAS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR WHOOOOOOTT :)

I love getting pictures from you guys!!! I’m sorry I never send pictures.... my companion is very wanting to send pictures so I'll have him send the ones he sends to his family to you guys too:)

(Isn’t he great?!  To clarify--- all the pictures I have been using are from a flash drive he sent in January 2016.  Which has mysteriously disappeared!!!!!! Hopefully my daughter has it and I will add pictures later.)

Quick email answering questions and new blog address December 6, 2015

Sorry about Peter. I sent him a couple of messages I thought but my time ended and then when I tried to get back on I couldn't!!!!!!!! But I can't plant vegetables, hammock please, up to you.  On Tarawa there are chapels but on outies you meet at members houses.  I don't need soap, I have SOOO MUCH soap hahahahah crocs are yes and no. I have these sick Kiribati flip flops I got they are so comfy and allowed don't worry so I don't have a particular need for crocs but hey! I don't care what you put in the blog really! I like Elder Kennedy in Kiribati! I dont really want "Kid Cody" in the name though just cause idk i feel like i'd be weird if its ok! That's so cool Noah is out and on it!!!!!! Noah sure did love his dog... (Noah just left for the Mission Training Center in Brazil)

Yeah- anytime I get a cut I triple antibiotic a ton and put a bandage on it.  I take care of myself don't worry!!! My foot got infected one time it was super tiny though not a big deal at all.  Don't worry about it I promise I’m healthy and I won't lose my feet!

*******************

Ok!  So if you are here you know where to find the blog.  The new address is elderkennedyinkiribati.blogspot.com

I changed it now because 1)I am getting oh so smart on this blog. 2) other people looking for missionary blogs can find it 3) I just reread this email and decided to honor Cody’s wishes.  I hope I don’t lose any faithful followers.  But I guess I won’t know will I?

No growth in a comfort zone and no comfort in a growth zone/Christmas visions interrupted by smelly pig - November 29, 2015

Mauri Mari everyone! It's definitely been a tough week to say the least... So right after I finished emailing last week I was feeling super gross and sick and when I got home I collapsed in bed and spent the next day and night throwing up and diarrhea galore!! Great weight loss program I literally lost 10 lbs and the little stomach pudge I was starting to get disappeared!!! It was a rough like 3 days working even though I was still kinda sick and everything, but I did it and I was good!! Honestly, every day when I woke up just feeling like I could lay in bed all day, and I could have, but everyday when I went out and worked by the end of the day I felt a lot better! I’m all good now though!!! Back to full health. My first real Kiribati sickness felt and overcome:) AND I GOT CRAZY NEWS.

So for transfers I found out I’m staying on Tarawa BUT I’m moving areas to work with Elder Johnson.... who just so happens to be in the intake AFTER me.... Who probably speaks worse Kiribati than me.... ITS GUNNA BE INSANE AHH. For real though, it's going to weird being the senior companion and finishing a kid’s training when essentially I’m still a child and unqualified as well. It's going to be an awesome experience though. I’m soo pumped to take it to the next level. Like its going to be a complete turn to God where we literally HAVE to trust in Him in all things. I take comfort in the promise that the Lord qualifies those he calls so I know it's for our benefit. I keep noticing how many things I don't understand and how much I rely on Elder Miller to help me understand things sometimes, and that rug is getting taken from under my feet for sure! It's going to be awesome!! Literally, I’m taking it to the next level starting Thursday. Like all the people in that area will be on my being able to communicate and help them especially depending on how much Elder Johnson knows. It's going to be the refiner's fire for sure. I expect it to be ridiculously hard and I’m going to die but it’s going to be SOOO GOOOD for me. Like no growth in a comfort zone and no comfort in a growth zone right. It's going to be great. It’s funny how exact obedience means exact obedience to a T. Like the past couple of days I haven't worked out in the morning because I felt so weak from being sick, but I can see a notable difference in my energy from not working out! So that'll start back up whether I feel like my body can't take it or not.

One funny thing that happened this week was I was laying in bed after a hard day just completely dead and Christmas music came on and I just imagined being at home sitting on the couch with mom in the kitchen baking cookies with the warm smell of Christmas all around... and then I opened my eyes and it was just me on my plank bed and instead of mom making cookies it was Elder Miller boiling his leaves we picked (apparently this dish he makes where he boils leaves a ton is good) and instead of the smell of cookies it was the smell of sweaty pig outside hahahahahahahaha! I thought that was pretty funny.

Our boy Tammera is so awesome! So he just got baptised last week and he already taught Sunday School this week and all the time he wants to go out with us and just follow us around all day!! He says he has to get used to it for when he is a missionary. He told us he was going to fill out his papers today for his mission with a member and it wasn't until we said goodbye we realized... wait... he can't fill out papers he was baptised last Saturday. But he is the man for real! He always says super powerful things for people he can connect with because he just got baptised and has a huge change! So sick and awesome to watch that happen.

Then another one of our warriors Tipi he's 19 and a legit giant. Like he is taller then me and absolutely jacked. Everyone in Kiribati is jacked and ripped... they say it's because when the kids are babies they massage the babies all the time. It's a real thing like some kids don't get massaged and they are skinny!! But kids who are massages are just thick and strong!! It's a good tip!!  Anyways, Tipi was telling us about how he was reading the Book of Mormon and this weird feeling shot all through his body so he got scared and stopped reading and the feeling left, then he started reading again and it came back! He got scared stopped, and it happened one more time!! He’s crazy smart- like he read the same 20 pages 3 times so he understood it and he got tons from it! So awesome. It was so funny so the lesson before that happened we brought Tammara to the lesson with Tipi and Timion (Timion and Tipi lesson together Tipi is way on track but Timion is still good but not moving as fast) but Tammara was talking about how he got his truth to them and they were like "how much have you read" Tammara-"1st Nephi" and they were like "what no way E boni kaoua?!?!?!?" they couldn't believe it and of course Tammara told them it's because he prayed about it and it was awesome because in the next lesson when Tipi said that Timion was like" There's no was "E boni koaua (Is it true)" all surprised. It's so awesome Timion has all these examples:)

It's been sad- school let out so a bunch of our people are leaving... but so are we, I guess. One girl we have been lessoning with FINALLY agreed to baptism this Saturday. She was super not sure for a long time a big part was her family told her that she couldn't come home and they would kill her and stuff, but she said she wants to anyways!!! Very exciting her aunt she lives with is kinda crazy we heard her family won't actually kill her or anything but it was exciting to watch her fight the negative pressure.

It was fun yesterday while Miller did interviews I went with Smith to go pick up the AP's Elder Openshaw and Elder Davis from their return to Marshall's and all they could say was "be grateful you are in Kiribati" hahaha Apparently Marshalls is literally America like they have Pizza Hut!! And Real groceries!!! And apparently they actually knock on doors and people are ice cold. Thinking back on the Bilimons  (a Marshallese family in Indiana home ward) the Billimons were not Kiribati at all. Like in Kiribati it doesn't matter who you are if you need anything anytime people try to make you as comfy as possible. And they are constantly trying to feed you and give you drink and love to chat. Which is all very frustrating sometimes when literally they try to do so much for you like this one guy Paulo. He always insists on feeding us and it's inconvenient because we don't have time to sit around with him, yanno!!! So usually we try to escape before people feed us or try to chat and we are usually successful. but literally stark contrast.

One thing I've noticed the other day is the power of a smile. Like I literally felt like a celebrity the first time I drove through Kiribati because everyone smiles so big and waves when you drive by. EVERYONE. It's so pleasant honestly like all the time everyone like EVERYONE gives you their best smile all the time. Like I saw this cranky looking old women and I waved at her and her entire countenance just completely changed and she smiled and waved at me. This place is literally heaven on Earth.

Also if in the next package there was corn chips and cheese sauce I wouldn't be mad. or nacho cheese doritos. Or mac and cheese. Fish and rice constantly wears me down I'll be honest. I had a moment while I was sick and just feeling gross, I realized I always always feel gross and there is nothing here and I realized that's life for two years and I craved society for a second.

Its soooo weird when people are watching American movies and I see a picture of a normal home. It honestly looks fake to me at this point, like that kind of absolute luxury cannot be real. Even that photo where you were all on a couch was freaky because of how clean and friendly it looked. Like lighting is everything all the lights here are scary like LED lights but lights in the world have such a friendly tone. It's all weird, I just don't think about it, it doesn't seem real though.

Kiribati is literal heaven though, everyone is sooo friendly all the little kids are so funny they run around free all day everyday just doing whatever they want. One of our investigators was in our army and SUPER SOLID named Taumua was supposed to get baptised this Saturday got on a boat and went to this outie yesterday.... there is probably like 20 kids who we basically got to baptism but last second they left so we can't see them baptised. I count them as mine if I hear they get baptised.

Also this week I decided poverty is such a choice!!!!! Literally, if you want to classify Kiribati it's one of the "poorest places in the world" But honestly the people here have so much more and are so much happier than anyone in America. Poverty is a state of mind. You choose to be poor. You choose to let the lack of material bother you as you compare. People here, there is nothing, you wear clothes because its clothes, not because its style. Which is funny sometimes when a hardcore teenager is walking around in a hello kitty shirt.

Awh yeah! I'll get Flat Stanely all set up real good!  Don’t worry, it'll be the sickest Flat Stanley ever.

November 22,2015 Thanksgiving

I’m so pumped for tomorrow because our YSA is throwing us a karaoke (goodbye party) which was super convenient because we were already planning on throwing ourselves a goodbye party where we invited all our investigators to the chapel and watch the Joseph Smith Movie!! It's going to be awesome though because now they can socialize all our investigators and they will bring lots of food:)

I

You can't see anything in this but you can hear Cody's laugh...kinda.
The first laugh sounds like him ....the second one is just weird.

                                                              I can't believe it is Thanksgiving!! 

Also, I read one or two of the letters (from his home ward Young Women)  in those envelopes!!! SO awesome that was like the coolest gift ever. I’m so excited when I can read them all!!!!! I’m thankful for my family. You guys will have to eat lots and lots of real food for me. There is no healthy food here. Just processed canned meat. It’s called corn beef and I would relate it to dog food, but we eat it with crackers anyways. Also, I've been breaking out a ton because I sweat so much. Is there something I can get for it? I don't know if it can be stopped since I sweat constantly but what do you think!

I’m so excited for Christmas.  I can skype with you all!! One thing I realized... so there is like max 60 Elders in Kiribati and over a 3rd of those Elders are in my intake or in The intake after us (Elder Johnson) So the odds of working with experienced Elders for much longer is slim:/ but it'll be good. Preach My Gospel, if you follow that exactly,  I'll get all the tips I need anyways.

Well I’m bouncin out!!! I love you all so much and you must all have a very Merry Thanksgiving for me. I hope you all continue to be awesome and everything.   I’m doing just fine over here.  Really lovin life.  ok gotta go see you guys:)