Email No 47 - I Like Driving

Matt's new mission President and his wife, President and Sister Shaw have their own blog about their mission and when I was reading it, Sister Shaw mentioned how awful the drivers were on Kiribati, so I asked Matt about it, which is why he commented as he did.

Mauri Mum

So Zone Leader is okay... I like driving and yeah you’re right driving here is nuts... when I get back home I'll probably make some people angry on the roads! Elder Rameka is cool.. he’s from Hamilton in New Zealand but he is going home in 3 weeks. It is really cool to just work with him... he was saying as Zone Leaders, we don’t get to teach as many lessons sometimes only 1 a day.. so I am going to miss that a lot. But we're doing pretty good so far... so hopefully we can get some good work done.

My zone covers from Teaoraereke to Betio... it covers half the island... and then we look after some of the outer islands too... so it’s cool. But the best thing about being Zone Leader is being in a car again, I really like driving! We have a white van... I’ll try to remember to take some photos... I might send some now if I can because the Internet place I am at today is great compared to the others we use.

I work in Teaoraereke 2nd ward... Ambo is the town name.

When we got to church on Sunday Elder Rameka and I were asked if we would give talks in Sacrament Meeting and I’m saying to myself “look cool, look cool”

Then we get to Elders Quorum and they're like where is the Elders Quorum President? .......... Elders do you guys have a lesson? LOL… Me and Rameka look at each other... Yeahhhh... no worries..!

So it was a big Sunday for me... but all good lessons for me to learn.

Hey Mum, I love ya... be good... and please send my love to everyone... Tai kume

Email No 45 - From 60 to 120 attending Sacrament Meeting.. and by the way... I am now a Zone Leader

I love the way he just drops the bit about becoming a Zone Leader in the middle of the email... he is more excited for the progress of his Ward. His Aunty Kim had a quote on Facebook which I sent to him in this morning's email. I didn't realise how appropriate it was at the time...

"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons they will turn out to be heroes, even if its just in your own eyes."
- Walter Schirra snr


Mmmmmuuuuummsy,

So yeah the area is still going really well... we had big numbers at church again... I think I’ve had 5 baptisms in this area sorry if I didn’t tell you :P So at the beginning we were probably having 50 60 70 coming to church and now its up to 100 to 120.. it’s really good... the bishop is still recovering.. our 1st counsellor is pretty much the Bishop now... but they still haven’t called a new Bishop... but anyways the young men are alright... they still need a YM's President... maybe Steven should come here and help lol :P

You said Ross asked if my calling as Assist Exec Secretary has helped me on my mission.. it has helped me heaps with knowing how everything should work within a ward. Elder Turner and I just started the correct procedures and meeting up in our ward... now they have like a functioning Ward Council... but we had to explain it all to them. So it is good now… they are really excited too… about missionary work especially!

That sounds really bad with all the floods and stufff!! :( thats intense as... man people are so safe here on this island hahha its unbelieveable... but that’s awesome how so many people are helping... I’ll pray for them...

Thanks for that quote Ma it’s really cool. I guess I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed... and sad because I am getting transferred.... and I’m going to be the Zone Leader in this side... me and Elder Rameka... he’s been Zone Leader for a while now and he’s going to finish his time in 3 weeks. After that I’m going to have to train the next Zone Leader... it’s a lot of responsibility... I’m leaving here on Wednesday... so yeah I’m a really sad to leave Elder Turner and the area. I’ll be moving to Teaoraereke 2nd ward its a really strong ward too... but I would prefer to work in struggling wards becuase then I can help build it back up... I still wont be going to an Outer Island for a while... I’ll be going at the end of my mission when I get out of Zone Leader... every missionary gets a chance to go to Outies but I haven’t got mine yet.

I went to my first Zone Leader meeting on Saturday and it was weird… we had like a video conference with President and the Assistants... weird but I guess I’ll get used to it... I’m still here in Betio because I am just waiting for Elder Van Dyken to come take my place as District Leader... I’m hoping he’s the one that will come up to Zone Leader afterwards cz I’d I would like to work with Elder Van Dyken.

Love ya Mum... that’s the latest from here... send everyone my love.

Elder Nye xoxx

Email No 44 - About to reach the year mark in a few days (YAY from Mum)

Hey Mum

Yeah Tobwa's baptism was awesome!! He’s really good. He went to institute yesterday… we were like YEAHHH!! And another one of our investigators went as well... Ha-ha the ward is doing a really good job of fellowshipping our investigators and the numbers went up again at church to like 120 people... It was really good.. The chapel is almost too small.

Me and Turner are going good... We’re having fun... It’s cool just working and having fun at the same time... It’s kind of sad because two of the Islander Elders in our district got into a fight and now they're back together so I just need to keep an eye on them... Make sure they don’t do anything stupid again.

Wow mum I’m going to hit my year mark on Friday... Intense... Just one more left...

At church we teach the Young Men every week... there’s no YM’s President.. so yeah we teach them all the time and I really like it, they are great kids.

I gtg I love you Mum xoxo tia boo Please tell everyone else I love them.

Email No 43 - 2010 Ends with a bang!

Hey Ma,

Man I had a really fun New Years... LOL… first we went to a members house and we ate and it was really fun... but the time came around so we went home... And we made a fire in our back yard and made a bomb out of 4 fly spray cans and blew it up!!!!! And then we decided we'd move our two bunk beds out of the house and put them outside and stack them on top of each other.. That’s right...a 4 story bunk bed and I slept on the top... District leader sleeps up top. And then we had the countdown and popped the popper things you sent and laughed and went to sleep... and it was hard to get up that morning... Lol

Anyways had a really good week this week... Got plenty of lessons and we had a record 100 something people to church!!! Hard work finally payed off I guess... We also had 9 investigators to church so the work will go really well now... It makes me really happy that we have heaps of adults!! It’s a lot more satisfying too... we have a lot of adult investigators right now.. Tobwa is a 24 year old dude and he is the man... Gave up smoking and he’ll be baptised on Saturday :) He’s really active in the Ward too... and goes to every activity :) it’s nice to find the ones who are really prepared and ready.

Mum I love you.. I’m trying to make the lord proud of me. Keep on keepin on.

Love Natim