WEEK 50 Transferred to Abemama-Paradise!

Hey!!! So a big change.. I'm on Abemama right now!!! Transfers happened on Wednesday. I knew I was moving but I thought I was going to stay on Tarawa(main island).. but transfers were shown and they said I'm going back to an outer island!! I was going to Abemama on Friday, 2 days notice!

So I'm here now and flew in on Friday and was greeted on the landing strip by the elders on the island. There is 3 companionship's here: 6 elders- and they were super happy we came. Especially Elder Guiles who is from my intake.

So right this second I'm sitting at a little open restaurant emailing on the computer next to the beach. It's crazy nice here. It's like paradise and they get so much cargo compared to Nikunau. Nikunau they have only huts and eat fish and rice, but here they actually have a lot of food and cargo and stuff. It's less developed than the main island (Tarawa) but its soooo nice for an outer island. Also, this island is huge. We bike all day to get to the other side of our area. Me and my companion are working in the south part of the island which is the least developed. This morning for p-day we packed our bags and traveled over here on our bikes. Tonight we will sleep with elders in central in their hut on the beach, which honestly it looks like Shreks house. It's so awesome!

But today is the p-day where we get to relax at the restaurant, email, and stuff. Also they have a pool table at this restaurant!. This restaurant looks like a big porch and there is like a little stand, but its so nice.

My companion is named Elder Hanks and he is cool, a little slow, but way cool. The work here is very poopy.. we have 13 investigators. Each day we get 1 or 2 at most lessons a day because we are biking all day. This island is huge but Elder Hanks and the elders spot that I took, looks like they did not as much at this place has potential, so they put me here and hopefully I can increase the numbers a little.

Coming from Teaoraereke where the work is insanely good getting 6 or 7 lessons a day, to this is a big change for me, but it's so beautiful out here and I also get to poop on the beach again! Our house (which is tiny) is the farthest south and there is nobody by us.

Also, this island is not like Nikunau because it's shaped like a giant C and has a lagoon side(like Tarawa). So I can look and see our area from where we are right now. But, it's really really small because it is so far. It's like 10 or 12 miles to get to central. This island is huge and has like no people on it.

Yesterday we had combined church with all members on the island at central. We hired a truck and rode in the back and this will happen every fast Sunday as we will combine. Yesterday nobody was standing to bare testimony so I stood and first introduced myself then preached. These people love to laugh. If I tell them that one of my talents is killing flies because I worked on Nikunau for so long (land of the flies) they'll laugh so hard. Then, I told the branch president that my solar light was a taser and was going to taze him and he got so scared. So then I showed him and he almost fell over laughing. These people are so funny! and this outer island is awesome. I'm going to have to go crazy in this work for a little while so I can pick these numbers up a little.

I think that mission tour is going to happen again(that's when some special person comes and we all go to Tarawa). There is only 1 a year so that should be coming up soon as well. That will be nice to go and get the things that I forgot or that I need from Tarawa. I just brought a duffel bag and a back pack so I'm going light these next few transfers!

But I'm doing very well. Still trying to get back in the groove of everything and the work here and companion, but in another week I should have a good grasp of what to do.Also there are a couple Australian guys here on like fishing trips and they are funny. Australian people are just kinda rude and stubborn.. hahaha but true

I'm good though. There is a service tower here and they also have WiFi so I can email. Like I said this outer island is pretty well developed!

Tekeraoi ngkami!

Tiabo!
Elder Bowen