I feel like I may never leave Kiritimati

Hey,

   Things have been really good this week.  I guess I will start out this week answering a few questions:

Does it seem like you have been out 6 months?  Do you think about home or do you feel like Kiritimati is home?  So, yeah for me at the moment, I still remember home and stuff, but it just feels like I am never going back.  It feels like I will never leave Kiritimas (which I wouldn’t mind because I love it) but I am pretty sure that I am leaving soon and I am good with that as well.  So, you had a party for me without me there?  Haha, sounds chill to me.  Well, I can say that you did more than I did.  I was glad to hear that some of the family and friends came over and hung out.  The “Island Cake” was great Sarah.  Cake is definitely something I miss. They have a type of cake here, but it just isn't like actual cake. I will eat a lot of Sarah's cake in 2 more years.

Where should we send letters to?  So, as far as letters please send them to me on Tarawa.  Last I heard I am leaving this month so I don’t want to miss any letters.  If I don’t leave this month it might be in March but if you send them to Tarawa it should be good. 

I heard Elder Darm had a Birthday Party and there was dancing.  Tell us about it.  Haha, yeah Darm had a pretty big party.  Yes, there was dancing.  I may or may not have ended up in a leaf skirt.  By the way I found out that I can shake my hips quite well if I say so myself!!!

What is your favorite thing to do there and what about a cool experience this week?   I enjoy fishing, telling stories, and teaching.  Honestly just meeting new people and talking to them is way fun.  Cool experience.  Well, one day we woke up and it had been raining all night so it was slightly cold. (It rains a ton usually) and so I decided, hey, Elder Dinsdale let’s take a hot shower. So I boiled some water and micro waved some more and took a hot bucket shower. Ha pretty legit stuff. I have done that a couple times now when it is raining and cold and such. 

How is it going with Elder Beacham?  Since you both sing have you been singing?   Elder Beacham and I are getting along quite well.  We have not done much singing, but we have talked about singing. Yeah not much time to do singing.  We spend our time teaching and then there is not much time for many other things.

How is it going with your investigators?  Investigators are doing good. Not as many as we would like right now.   We are working to find more people to teach since school started up today.  We have started teaching a new kid. He seems interesting and wants to have lessons. No baptisms last week but 2 people interviewed yesterday that will be baptized this Saturday so that is really good.

Do the members help support the new converts?  Do you have to talk or teach each Sunday at church?  Some members are good at supporting. But honestly people need their own testimonies here to say in the church. Not that many members here are great at supporting.   As for converts that fall away, quite a few. Probably 1/4 fall away it seems.  I just heard that one of mine from Banana just started coming back to church though so that was sweet.   Do I talk in Church?  I pretty much try to avoid talking or speaking in church.  But, yes I did a couple weeks ago.  I have to say it is nice on Sundays being taught because all the rest of the week I am teaching people.

What have you been studying in your scriptures that you want to share with us?  I have been studying in the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. It is hard to understand why Jesus does some things he does, but He is quite awesome I would have to say. Also one thing is that I feel like no matter how many times you read the Book of Mormon you can find stuff new. I never read much at home, but I am always finding cool stuff here about random things.

So yeah the Island life as a missionary is good.  Honestly, I am just trying to do good things and trying to be obedient.  I have noticed here that God will definitely give us trials, but if we just endure, great things happen.    We just need to remember that obedience to the Lord’s commandments bring blessings.

Thanks for all that you do for me.  Have a great week!!

Elder Dinsdale

Cake the Sarah made for Scott!!!