WEEK 8 Still alive, first week over! Tarawa living-ready to work!

Mauri moa! What's up! I'm still alive out here. I got really really sick this week as all greenies do. I threw up a total of 11 times during one night, it was horrible. The next day I woke up with a lizard on my head which was cool.. but luckily I'm good now, I think. I just have major beka nako(runny poo). I guess I might have it for like the 1st month.. that's what the missionaries say. Last night we ate at a members house, then after we were walking home and I was about to poo my pants. Luckily, we made it back the house, then we realized the other missionaries had the key and didn't put it back in the spot.. so we were locked out until they came.. but during this horrible period of waiting I decided I couldn't hold it.. so I walked like 15 feet from my house to the beach and I took with me two big leaves which was a huge mistake..I get to the beach and do my business/bekanako. Then, I realized I definitely need more than two leaves..... then a crab pinched my foot.. but with limited resources to wipe with.. I called it good.

Anyways, I'm doing good now! My belly is getting use to the food. The bananas are tiny but amazing. The coconuts are super good to drink even tho we don't get them very much because I'm on Betio which is the bottom part of Tarawa-the most developed, and most dirty! But, when I go on an outer island I'll be eating them all the time. I miss food from home soo much!! I would kill for a hamburger or pizza or strawberries or like anything.

There is sooo much history here it is crazy. Like we would be walking and see rusty tank tracks or like the kids show us an old bullet or the bunkers made out of concrete, or the huge cannons.

I miss the food and the beds and the cleanness. But its ok because I can handle anything.

We set rat traps every night and there is usually one in the trap every morning. Then we walk to the beach and drown it. Sometimes we have to walk out a ways because of the tide, which is awesome.

The other day for service I cleaned out a well which was super fun. There's a picture on my drive. But, yea I'm doing good now that the first week is over. The language is still super hard and I have no clue what anyone says still. I'm drenched with sweat all the time and dirty all the time. The people here are super black especially the old guys. They all wear bae's and just go shirtless. The women here just breastfeed during the lessons and basically just whenever, it's very weird and gross. But, other than that the people look so much different then people in America. Like their eyes are crazy cool sometimes. It's hard to explain!

Anyways, I'm doing good. Very glad the first week is over, and I'm ready to start really putting in that work. This is not an easy mission, but definitely is awesome.

Elder Carson Bowen