Kiribati Missionaries Christmas and PDay Fun 2017

Pictures Uploaded by Sister Larkin, wife of the Mission President

Short Christmas Letters and Lots of Pictures from Tarawa

Mom,

Well This will be short because we have a lot planned today, but I had to get on to wish you guys MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you soo sooo sooo much! Seeing you guys was exactly what I needed.  And seeing Amy was amazing! Thank you so much for setting that up!!!

It was awesome to see everyone! Yesterday we went and had sacrament, ate lunch, people gave each other presents and opened the ones from home, and then we had a devotional for the light of the world.  I got asked last minute to do a duet with a sister so I sang in the choir and sang a solo in front of the President of Kiribati and even got a picture with him! It is way fun, but I am ready for it to get back to normal, our house is a mess, and we don't get to bed on time and there are a lot of elders who like to do their own thing! XD''

hahahahahahahah Oh my gosh that picture is absolutely the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD

So I talked to president and he really helped me out, I am going to be working on a few things that should help with everything!

any way I love you mom,
Love your son,
Elder Johnson

Dad,

Christmas was really awesome!!!! But I am so glad that it does not snow! I absolutely HATE THE COLD!!! It gets anything lower than 80 I'm freezing!!!!! hahah

Christmas was awesome!!! We had sacrament combined with 3 wards, we ate lunch together, American food!!!!!!!!!! But I waaaaay over ate! hahahah I am worried about that for when I get home! XD hahaha way tasty!!! Everyone talked and opened presents, and just hung out until the devotional.  The devotional was so spiritual. I already told mom,but I got to sing.  The spirit was so strong just singing about the savior! Amazing!!!! I even got a picture with the President of Kiribati! Me in the bow tie standing next to a Kiribati guy XD how cool is that!!!! It's great to see everyone!

The 70 doesn't come until Friday! I am pretty excited!

Are you serious about that tree??? that is so cool!!!!!

Sorry it is short, I want to get to the P-day fun!!! XD hahah

My new companions name is Elder Taylor and is from Minnesota! That is about all I know about him! hahahah We are going to Abemama. I am way pumped and we leave next week!

I got way lucky with internet! The internet cafe is closed and the Store called I-mart has a back office.  We explained how today is Christmas in America, so they let us use their office computers!!! So awesome!

I love you dad,
Love your son,
Elder Johnson

Elder Johnson with President Taneti Mamau, President of Kiribati

Preparing For Christmas and Transfers on Tarawa

Dear mom,

Well, I cannot believe that it is Christmas time again!!!!! That weirds me out so much!!!! It turns out that because there are so many Elders and Sisters coming in from the outer Islands, I will be skyping on Saturday this week.  Which means it will be Friday for you guys.  9 o clock our time 2pm your time.  I'm pretty dang excited!!!! I just can't believe that it has been 7 months since the last skype call!!! hahaha

That is way cool! There is a chance that I get my package today!!!! Maybe.... hahahah so we will see! Don't worry too much about the key chain thing it's all good I found one that I could use for now!

It's been rough the last little bit.... I have so much on my plate that I am so stressed and overwhelmed that I am not enjoying myself.... I am not having as much fun and not being my goofy self.... It is pretty difficult.   But I know that it will all work out for the best!!! I just have to work around it!.  I am in a threesome with a Kirabati visa waiter and Elder Sagapolu.  It is pretty over bearing at times but like they always say, you can't grow if it is easy!!

I haven't had time to finish the Plan of Salvation stuff yet... I really want to find time for it!!!

I am way glad that the APs are back it doesn't make it quite as stressful!! ahahah

Oona has been gone so we don't really know how she has been doing recently....

Well this week there were a lot of great days I wanted to write about but I chose one that stuck out the most.  Wednesday December 14

"Overall today went really fast, but was really good!  I woke up and only did a little bit of working out because my body hurt pretty bad from wrestling on Monday.  I feel so bad for doing that.... It wasn't till after I already wrestled that I was reminded that it was in the white handbook to not do that kind of stuff......... hahaha I am NOT going to be doing it again! I got dressed then started writing in my journal.  

I got a good way in when I got told that we were not going to be able to get a full personal study.... Dang it!!  All that I had time for today was Book of Mormon reading but that is okay,.  As I was reading I got so much out of the study to help me with my goals.  I am reading about the wars that are going on with the stripling warriors.  They are very helpful to try to figure out how to reach goals.  

The reason we had to go so early is because we had zone conference.  This is where both zones come together for a training given by President Larkin.  It was a really awesome training.  The main message that stuck out to me was that our missions help us with all other things in our lives after the mission.  We talked about things that we wast to take home from our missions.  We listed a multitude of characteristics, goals , and attributes.  President Larkin then explained something that really stuck out to me.  He said "when we work on these things, and pray for them the Lord will give us things or difficulties to help work on those desired things."  He went on to explain how "if we find ourselves getting frustrated that means God is answering our prayer to work on that thing."  It was an outstanding meeting.  

After we finished we got fed and President started interviews.  As he interviewed Elder Dinsdale, Elder Christensen, Elder Parry and I worked on our song we are going to sing for when President Haleck comes.  I am so out of practice XD  My interview with President pretty much went like this  "how are you doing? how is the work? how is training?  When are you going to leave.  Well it is now official that I now have to give him a date of when I need to go home.  

Well by the time we were done it was 4 p.m.   So we only got in 3 lessons.... DANG IT! hahah oh well.  Kinta and his sister are progressing well.  We are going to fast with them so we can get a way for him to get to church.  He can't walk.  Taungare, our recent convert's Teaoueatara's sister, is an outstanding investigator.  She accepted baptism and is ready to make changes in her life.  Mauteiti.... well let's just say we turned a really bad situation into a potentially good one,  We sat down and immediately knew something was off... Baka was crying , the kids were huddled in a corner and mauteiti was no where to be see.  He walked in a explained to us that he beat his kid worse than he ever had before... We tried out best to follow the spirit.  We told them the best way for kids to be obedient is to talk it out and show an increase of love.  We talked about how close they are to baptism and Satan sees that and doesn't like it.....We told them that we loved them and we set up a time to teach them how to do a family home evening for this Monday!!! I am so excited!  

When we got out of the lesson I had a great idea.  Because they don't have a lot of money they struggle to get food, so Monday we are going to pay for food, cook it and bring it for the family home evening ! I am really excited!!! 

Dinner Elder Kaibakia taught me kiribati bancing! Xd Amazing day!!!! "

I love you mom,

Love your son,

Elder Johnson

Dad,

Oh I love the simple Christmas, the only thing to think about is the birth of our savior! I absolutely love it!!

I cannot believe some people I do not understand why they would ever do that!

That is way cool how close the missionaries are with you guys. If there is one thing that I've learned while being here is that when you are good friends with the members your job as a missionary is so much easier!

Yes, I am training both...... so stressful... I feel like I can't be myself..... I feel burnt out! Elder Kaibakia is waiting on his visa.  Well, I now know that I am going to finally have my time at outer Island life, and it is for sure this time.  Because we are going to have 10 missionaries per house here on Tarawa, the AP's logically thought it out and put the elders in the area that they are going to actually work on when transfers come around.  So guess who is replacing me????? MY MTC COMP ELDER OSBORNE!!!!! well they only told him that I was leaving and are officially announcing transfers on Wednesday, but forgot to tel

l Elder Osborne that we don't know.... so he spilled the beans.... THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahah I have been ready for this for so long.

I love you dad, 

Skype is your time friday at 2 pm since we have so many Elders in for skype I am skyping on Saturday here.  Whooo! 3 day Christmas Celebration!!!!!!!!!hahahah

Love you dad, 

Love your son,

Elder Johnson

Elders Kaibakia, Johnson, and Sagapolu

Fish Head Soup, Jeff wants to cook this for us when he gets home.  Mom says no way.