Third Week on Tarawa -General Conference Weekend October 4, 2015

Let's see here where to even start. Legit just like the fastest week ever I don't even understand. Well, lets see here. Big thing was President Weir came in!!! It was funny like none of the missionaries ever get to meet him so when they actually do it's a big deal! Elder Miller and I got to interview with him this week and it's just like WOAH. I’m super pumped he said we can sit down sometime and plan out my life... like college and everything so I don't have to worry about it. Which would be wayyyyy too awesome because basically he is a Patriarch and ultra in tune with it so he will help me get some big inspiration I’m sure! He is just crazy though like we kinda hung out with him for a while and asked him deep spiritual questions and it was just insane. Also if I go into medical I’m almost guaranteed to go to military as well. Or anything really I think military for a while would be sick whatever it is I do!!! Anyways, that’s a side track!

We went on splits with Zone Leaders (They are the only other Elders in our district) It was super fun going to their area and working with Elder Afatati! He got me food like twice. It was amazing. Miller and Smith were in our area and they had a SICK lesson with our guy Parry. So he's like this super smart guy which is just so weird to teach but awesome so we taught him about The Restoration the lesson before, and he told them he had been praying AND fasting about it, and he got his answer. Too bad his answer was  "Beware false prophets" Lol Anyways they went crazy and had a awesome lesson about the Book of Mormon and now if he reads it it's pretty much over. The fact that he actually put effort into it is siiick and unreal, and it also means he's super on track to finding the truth. It's so easy really, as long as the have the real desire to know truth, and they put forth the effort the read the book they can know of the truthfulness!!!! That easy!!!OH YEAH and we had our first baptism this week!!! M first person baptised is named Euneke!! Super fun and exciting really! We have around 5-7 more on track for the next month. Which is good now that we need to find 4 people who want to get baptised a month! In total in a year our mission goal is 2,500 baptisms! Crazy! Let's see what else. We've been going to a ton of botaki (parties) lately. We didn't have a dinner so we went with ZL to one of their botaki and its was unreal.... There was real meat and pig and dog. Dog is soooooooo good. They put this sauce on it. Yum yum yum.

We wash our clothes in a washing machine, which is super spoiled, on all the outies it's all by hand! I’m living in a 5 star hotel compared to outies but I’m enjoying it while it lasts! Fresh fish is super good. I love raw fish the most. We ate fresh shrimp the other day it was so good. Also we ate dog and it was delicious. Don't tell Leo.

( Cody’s brother Kipp responds: How you eat dog that is sooooooo mean. It's like eating Leo how could you eat Leo!)

hahahahah when you haven't eaten meat in days you do what you gotta do brotha. On outers the missionaries see people killing the dogs and cooking them and everything. I saw a guy butchering a shark he caught the other day. It was awesome.

The fish are as big as you basically!

Answers to questions:

We are watching General Conference next week at Moroni High School! (General Conference is a semi-annual church conference with the Prophet and 12 Apostles and other church leaders that is broadcast throughout the world. ) I’m actually super lucky to be on Tarawa right now because like so much is happening. I got to meet President Weir..... the man is unreal. I’ll tell you about that later. But yeah on all outies no one gets to watch it so we are super lucky! This is most of the missionaries first time watching it in a year or so! Also, next week an Area Presidency is coming to Kiribati!!!! Whooott!! Should be super sick! But we are watching it next week! A week late because they translate it to Kiribati but we will watch it in English... I hope.

(We asked him if he knew Elder Openshaw since he was mentioned in the Conference and in the Marshall Island Mission right now.)

Yeah he is our AP!!! He's super cool too I hung out with him and went with him a little bit before Elder Miller came in. How did you hear about him? I’m assuming you heard his story... So sad... There is another missionary in our mission where his family died too... SO STAY SAFE PPL.

Elder Openshaw is on the left

(Elder Neil L. Andersen's talk Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice is found here:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/faith-is-not-by-chance-but-by-choice?lang=eng

I’m living way super good now in Tarawa,we have a washing machine and then we hang it all up to dry! It’s not real Kiribati but I’m sure soon enough I’ll get to head out to the real deal. Tarawa is like the equivalent of a normal super poor place, but they have a lot of conveniences on Tarawa. My friends on the outers are doing crazy stuff though, I’m sure my time will come!! I don’t mind though I’m enjoying Tarawa while it lasts!

(Where will he watch the rebroadcast?)

I don't know!!! There is Moroni and it's super nice because it's run by the church so maybe in there?

AHHHH NO I HAVENT GOTTEN IT!!! IS THERE FOOD. PLEASE TELL ME REAL JUNK FOOD IS IN THERE!!! Don’t worry I eat!!!! People give us crackers all the time so it's cool!!! I am getting fed enough don't worry hahahaha!

Nope!! I got everything I need really! Plus I wouldn't be able to bring anything out regardless, the planes all require your bag be like 30 lbs, so you bring like 4 shirts a few pants and just the bare essentials and you just go live it!! It was so funny watching the kids in my intake try to decide what the could or couldn't take

No I’m not really writing anyone but you guys based on they don't write me! They are all of living college life so I’m sure they are all very busy!

Thats one thing I miss for sure is the temple. After going once a week and then cut off completely it's like ouch.

Provo Utah Temple earlier

(We told him about Elder Openshaw from what we knew in the Conference)

LOL! I knew it! It was super crazy yesterday they were like "Hey where is Openshaw... Either Elder Anderson or Elder (Another Apostle) is on the phone for him" I was like "that's so weird that two people with the same names as apostles. And then I found out it was the Apostles and I was like woah. But yeah, he's a beast for real.

That's so wild honestly!!!! I can't believe it was on conference. It was crazy so he drove me to the airport to get Miller and we chilled waiting for like 6 hours and he told me about it... I was like Woah!

Also mission president was dropping wisdom and he said we would all have to go through a Job like trial in our lives. He also has like told missionaries he has "seen their mission" The guy like drops visions like nothing apparently it's crazy. He also said IU would be his pick.... idk what that means but….