Tuesday, November 11, 2014

         

        She just Smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich

    Well i guess i will start off with the title. We went to an investigators house to teach and finished the lesson and it is culture to always feed the missionaries or at least give them a drink most of the time. They are very generous and sometimes I feel bad because they feel like they have to bbecause of the culture out here and they have so little sometimes. So anyway you have to eat what they give to you and be as nice about it as possible even if it is pretty bad. So after our lesson our investigator brought out bread with a jar of peanut butter and a jar of vegemite/ marmite. I think i would be completely fine with it if i never saw another jar of vegemite in my life. My companion Elder Fa'oliu said that he likes marmite becasue it was an energy food for rugby and the taste is good to him but not for me oh man i very much so dislike Vegemite and it gives whole new thoughts to the song "Land down under" by men at work.
  We also did some service this week and i had the chance to help dig a well for a family with some of our zone. It was pretty fun actually, I did cut up my feet a little bit since we do it bare foot and when you get 6 feet down or so you start to hit coral but that is alright because my feet will toughen up haha. The work out here is great and the people are very nice. I am starting to hear more and more of the language and being able to speak more of it. It is amazing to see the influence of heaven on the members and missionaries out here!
   I know that God hears and answers prayers I have seen it time and time again before my mission and so many times out in the mission even on a daily basis. I know that He is waiting for us to ask seek and knock so that He can upon unto us the answers that we so desire. Our Father in Heaven acts in mysterious ways because we can not always see the end of the road ahead from out perspective but He can. He will never leave us and I have felt His presence and help everyday out here. I love it here and I have noticed the thing that made it easier was the church, it is so very different out here but the Church is the same the Gospel and it's teachings are the same everywhere and the members who truly live by the teachings are likewise with purpose. The love and welcome that i have felt out here is amazing and as i progress I love to see everyone else progress as well. This is the church of Jesus Christ it was restored through Joseph Smith because he prayed with a sincere heart and desire to know the truth. He lived and died for the church to be restored because it was the will of our Heavenly Father and now because of it and the sacrifices of so many others we have this light today to share and progress with. I know the my redeemer lives and He died for us to be saved, for our sins to be paid for. There is always a way to turn and His love is there for us infinitely it will never be taken away and He will never leave us John 8:29 I bear my testimony to you all that i know these things are true, in the name of our savior Jesus Christ, amen.
  Love, Elder Scot Carrington

Monday, November 3, 2014

                                                     Smells like Bacon

It has been an awesome week! So first off we killed a pig this week for an RM party here in Bikenibeu and it was crazy! We cleaned the pig and helped a little with fixing it up. It was kind of sad at first but then I tried some of the pig and I felt better about it. The party was pretty cool and Kiribati people are very fun to be around so it was very family based and a good time.
   We had 2 more baptisms this week and it was an absolutely awesome experience! There was an older man Tiaon and his son Tekinnano that were baptized. This one was different though because Tiaon's right side of his body is paralyzed. I was a little nervous to do it but it worked out perfectly everything went well and he felt the spirit so greatly that he had tears as I said the baptismal prayer it was one of my favorite experiences I have had out here. The gospel blesses lives everywhere whether directly or indirectly. I noticed the other day as I was learning new words that there is no real word for try in Kiribati. I started to think about that and it is pretty interesting that they wouldn't have a word for try and I realized it is because the saying is true that there is no try only do or do not. If you know what you are worth then go and get what you are worth.
   There is so much good that comes from this gospel and blesses the lives of members and non members alike. A good tree beareth good fruits and it can not bring forth bad fruits. I know that this church is true and that it is pure and good because the fruits of the labor that it works are pure and good. Of course nobody is perfect because there has only been one perfect man to walk this earth, but this church is His church. I know that this church is run by God and our Savior through the prophet Thomas Monson and I know that you can find peace and love in it with its teachings and the restored power which it has.  This is the true church on the earth today and it will continue ever onward. I love you all and bear my witness of this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.