Preaching in Paradise: 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.