WEEK 56 Great Zone Conference - Transfers - surviving rains on Abemama

Mauri!

So many things happened these past few days! I can't even explain everything, but I will try:

1) Me and companion traveled up to central of island and 2 members on the island threw us a big goodbye party in case we didn't come back from being transferred. Gave us the traditional flowers on head and we danced. Super fun. Kiribati parties are like parties on the other side of heaven. Way flipping fun.

2)Traveled up north and then stayed at the northern elders house next to the airport. The next day we went and waited for the plane. However, after waiting a few hours we were told that the plane wasn't coming because it's going to Peru (another outer island) because someone got stabbed. So we grabbed our duffel bags and backpacks and headed back to north house. Slept there the night then went back to the landing strip hoping the plane would come. Then fortunately, after waiting all day, the plane came and we flew to Tarawa! APs picked us up from the airport then took me and my new companion Elder Hansen(who was working in central of island) to my last area on Tarawa, where the house has AC!! Super lucky because my buddies were in that house too.

3) Mission Conference was way legit. Elder Natress from the 70's came and spoke to us like all day. And President Larkin and Sister Larkin. They actually knew my name this time hahaha. All the talks given that day were straight flames focused on Christ and stuff. It was way legit. Then we ate food that tasted like America! Pork sandwiches ahhhh! W cheese!! Ahhh so good. I haven't had cheese or pork or real vegetables in like a year. It was soo good. Also super fun seeing my boys from my intake and hanging with them before we all split and go on our separate islands.

4) Then my one week on Tarawa came to and end and only 4 of us flew back instead of the 6 of us. President is pulling a lot of elders from outer islands because a lot of elders are finishing. But the new intake coming in has like 14. So hopefully we will go back to 6 elders because this place is insane for 4 elders. So, south(where I worked before) , and half of central is me and my companions area now. We have like 36 investigators. That's insane but it should be fun.

Elder Hansen is my companion now who is almost finished. 2 more months and then he'll return to his home in Idaho. It's nice I have someone experienced right now because we have so many people and so much to do, so he can actually help me cause he knows what to do. Elder Hanks who I was with before just got transferred to Marshall Islands. So now he has to learn Marshallese language. He was actually born in Marshalls but was adopted and grew up in America. So now he's gonna go find his real family, so that's cool!!!

5) We flew back to Abemama and then no member was there to help us take our stuff back to the north house, so we walked. Then waited all day long for a car we hired to take me and my companion back south, and take everything out of the central house. Then we got home to our house that still has no power or lights hahaha. And unloaded then passed out because we were so tired.

6) Sunday came around and me and my companion are now in charge of conducting 3 churches. Down south at 9ish then ride all the way to central (1 1/2 hours) and do church at like 1ish. Then the sacrament to someone then travel back a little and to a little church session with these 2 families. For this church session we had no more crackers for sacrament, so we used coconut! It was awesome. Then it started pouring rain and didn't stop for a few hours(which is unusual) so we just started making our way back in the pouring rain. After biking home for like an hour and half we arrived to our dinner soaking wet. But they didn't care of course because their houses/huts are made out of sticks. It was so cold! This is the 2nd time of my whole entire mission I've ever been a little cold! Just because of the rain and strong wind, it was weird. You never get cold in Kiribati because it's so hot 24/7. It was awesome. The paths back to the house was way flooded biking with water going up to my knees! Super fun! Then we got back and our house was soaked because it's so small. But we managed and fell asleep.

7) Now it's p-day and we are chillin in central on this hut because no elders stay in the central house anymore.

Right now I'm definitely missing food that I had on Tarawa! But it's good to be back. I think we might go fishing later too!

I'm doing good though. Still surviving. Still loving this place and these wonderful brown people. Learning and growing more every day, spiritually, physically and mentally. Hope America is still America. Wish I had more contact with outside world so I could know what's actually going on, but the jungles good too.

Tiabo,

Elder Bowen

PS I actually own shoes now