Temwaiku

Mauri ngkami,

 I am back off of Marakei and am on Tarawa again, in the village of Temwaiku. We have a ton of work to do here, it is awesome. We are apparently going to go to each house in the village and ask if they have been baptized or not... Should be an  interesting week or so, especially since I am now Senior Companion so my language will be tested. But the people here are very helpful. I will keep you all posted....

I will have more info next week after I am settled in. New comp is Elder Breckenridge from Missouri. Other than that, not much else to say except this cool story.

When I was first in Tarawa 5 months ago, my comp had a Kiribati "Mom" that threw a birthday party for him. She lives in my current area right now and I got to see her and talk to her, and she remembers me and told me that I can actually speak Kiribati now. In fact, when I got back on Friday so many people were complimenting my language skills and and I felt better. But the truth is, I am not that good, every once in a while I will get humbled, so another round of humbling will come.

Ether 12:24-27 is such a great passage of scripture:

"24 And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands.  Behold, thou has not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them

25 Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our word.

26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying:  Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Remember that the Lord said "Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek"

Have a Great week everyone

Tiabo

Elder Farner

urubekebeke

Island Council

Well this will be my last email from the island of Marakei. I have had lots of experience in the last 2 years with leaving places that feel like home. What I've learned about myself is that I won't miss a place until I have left it. So I am expecting some sadness as the plane lifts off and it hits me that there is a very slim chance of me ever coming back here. But until then I won't worry about it as much.

These last 4 and a half months flew by, especially this last transfer. I am being transferred on Friday. I should find out Wednesday where I will be going.

I haven't had any convert baptisms in my time here, but the results of my work have yet to all unfold so I will keep on moving forward.

Word of the week = Urubekebeke: homeless/broke

 3 Nephi 18:19-20  -  "19: Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; 20: And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you."

Ao tekeraoi te ririki ae boou!

Mauri o!

Ao tekeraoi te ririki ae boou!

Happy new year!

This last week was the 2nd to last week in the transfer so I am gearing up to get a call to be transferred in a week or so, but we will see what the plan really is.

We have a person who has accepted a baptismal invitation! Her name is Veronica (sometimes they have English names out here) and she has been investigating for a couple of years. We were waiting on her husband's divorce to get finalized so that they could get married so that she could get baptized (I don't know why it has taken three years but it doesn't matter).  Her husband is a member and they feed us almost every Sunday. She should get baptized on the 13th of January.

So other than that not much has happened, for Christmas we ate the mashed potatoes that mom sent me. They were awesome! Apparently there is a big announcement coming in our mission in a week or so, so we will see what that's about soon.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Elder Farner

Remember to get your priorities in order this new year for your resolutions

Ether 12:4 - 

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

nanobwi

Mauri ngkami 

Kam na tekeraoi n te Kiritimati!!

This last week one of our progressing investigators' husband came back to the island so we can finally teach them as a couple next week. We also had cake at a Christmas party we held in Rawannawi in the chapel.

Oh and I got to Skype my family!! It was awesome to see you all, obviously I am sad its over but the work must continue. Baby Bianca was very cute, Genna you look great for 7 months pregnant (the Kiribati lady on the call called you botonaine- beautiful), Seattle and KJ it was good to see you and hear your voices, Nairne get a haircut (kiss, keep it simple stupid. Hurts my feelings every time), Mom and Dad I miss you, Addison keep on keeping on. Grandpa and Grandma keep it up you both are legendary - Great to see you Hunter family it was a nice surprise.

Mosiah 14:6 - All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.

Word of the week: nanobwi- competitive (shocking that that word came up....)

Tiabo ngkami,

Elder Farner

Hey everyone!

6 months out and that was quick. Hopefully I will get to skype this week. Our branch had its Christmas party on last Friday because there will be a lot going on the coming weekend in the villages. We got on the car at 3:45 and ended up picking everyone up and getting back at 6 ish.... it ran pretty late.. Elder Scholle and I opened up the dancing by freestyling, then doing the dance where one person fishes for the other. Then I did the classic canoeing on the ground. Everyone was laughing pretty good I think, not too sure because I was in the zone.

Moral:  Don't take life too seriously- otherwise you'll just be stressed.

That doesn't mean, however, that we can be lax in our obedience to our covenants, but it does mean we can choose how we feel about keeping them. Our attitude is our choice- are we going to complain or are we going to be grateful for the opportunity to grow. Something i have been subconciously learning I think.

Anyway, enjoy your Christmas Eve and Happy Birthday MOM!!!!!

Elder Farner

kuia

Mauri ngkami!

This last week was awesome! We got to do service twice! So usually when we offer service to people they reject, I am pretty sure its because in the culture we are guests on the island so they don't want to make us do work but finally someone accepted! We helped split coconuts open. I am way out of shape.

Moving on, we also had a pretty cool small miracle. We were biking back at night to come home and my comp's bike tire just popped or something because his tire was very flat. So we walked back for a while then got home. Turns out, the ward secretary for some odd reason just left his bike at the chapel, so we borrowed it the next morning to buy a new inner tube, and then the secretary just let us borrow his bike the whole day. Nothing huge, but just a small little gift that the bike was there, because I don't think the secretary has ever done that before.

Scripture for you all:

Alma 25:17- And now behold, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni, and their brethren did rejoice exceedingly, for the success which they had had among the Lamanites, seeing that the Lord had granted unto them according to their prayers, and that he had also verified his word unto them in every particular.

The Lord will, in His own time, fulfill every promise in every particular. We just need the patience and perseverance to hold on until that time.

Miss you all, have a great week!

Elder Farner

P.S. word of the week: kuia, which means driftwood

Taneti Mwamwau

Mauri ngkami!

This last week the Marakei Island Council turned 50 years old! It was a big deal, the President of Kiribati, Taneti Mwamwau, came to the island for a day. We had a huge party and there was some traditional Kiribati dances which were pretty crazy. There were probably like 2000 people in attendance, which is like 2/3rds of the island's population. I shook hands with the president of Kiribati.

Last night a member's son returned home from serving his mission in Papua New Guinea, we were able to have dinner with them and talk to the Elder about his mission. He got back the day after the President left and we told him that he missed Taneti Mwamwau but he thought we said Thomas Monson. He put his hands to his head and said "What? Really?" and he looked sad that he missed him. We corrected him and laughed but the message from that was that we should really be more grateful that we have a Prophet on the earth today. We are guided and corrected by God, our Father, through his Prophet.  That's a pretty cool fact that we take for granted I think.

I hope you all have a great Christmas season and that you are all healthy and well. I am still alive and we should start teaching a really cool family this week so there is the Christmas gift!

Alma 7:11-12: 

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

Love,

Elder Farner