Welcome to Kiribati

Dear Family,

Oh I just want to tell you everything about Kiribati! Well start from the beginning.

We left the Provo MTC and flew from Salt Lake to Hawaii and stayed there for the night. The next morning we got up and caught our flight to Fiji. We got to Fiji and weren't allowed to leave the country because we didn't have any work permits...long story, can't quite remember the details, but we were at the airport for a looong time:)...after we got to our hotel in Fiji it wasn't payed for, so we called the travel office because we had no money left (we had to pay for our hotel in Hawaii too). By the time we got everything settled and into our room we had 45 minutes to sleep. Our flight was at 5:00AM, so we had to be there by 2:00AM. We got on the flight..and made it to Kiribati.......

Now the Adventure starts....

The first thing that greeted me in Kiribati was the humidity. It is so humid here you can almost SEE it. Serious. I walked down the steps off of the plane and was then welcomed by all the children of the village with their faces pushed up against the fence. (The planes don't come often, so it's a big deal..and everyone wants to see who has come.) They have these huge grins on their faces and point and laugh saying, "Imatong!" (pronounced ee-meh-tong! Or white person.) It's not all the common to see a white female in Kiribati and it makes me laugh every time they say it. I get called that all day everyday! I have never been so informed of my skin color..but it is so darn funny when the little kids say it! I met my trainer, Sister Lavulavu from Hawaii and she is INCREDIBLE. What a powerful force here in Kiribati! I was then shown my new home...which is called the Pig House because there are loads of pigs next to us...and the work begun! 

A funny story I've gotta tell you. Sister Lavulavu and I were waiting at the gate for our investigator to attend church with us but after 15 minutes we decided to go inside (they didn't show). We were late so we sat in the back. (Truth: There is a total of 19 ceiling fans in the chapel). I didn't understand and of it..so my mind was kinda wondering..and all of a sudden the whole congregation turned their brown little heads towards me. I panicked..and look at Sister Lavulavu...she then whispers, "Bishop just announced you will be speaking next..." I nervously laughed...and walked up  the stand. I started it with the traditional, "Kam na non mauri moa!" (You say hello first) Then they all say mauri...but I messed it up..so everyone just started laughing...so I started laughing too..I bore a total of two sentences in Kiribati and then switched to English (If they are a member, then they speak English..) and bore my testimony. Afterward they all came up to my saying, "Ko bati n taetae n Kiribati" You are good at speaking Kiribati! Which I just laughed at...cause their are too nice to say anything else. Which brings me to the topic of the people....   

The first day I was here I learned an important lesson about Kiribati from my trainer when she said, "No one is homeless in Kiribati because everyone is." And it's true, I see how they use a piece of cardboard for a door to their house. I see how men, women, and children use the bathroom right in front of me. I see how there are no fridges because they have no food. But these people, man these people...I watched a whole village of children chase a grocery sack in the wind with all the joy and laughter in the world combined. I watch how the Stake President walks into church with flip flops because it is the very best pair of shoes that he owns. I watch as they feed the missionaries...saving the whole weeks worth of food to offer us their best..and they sit..with their hungry wife and children and watch us eat. These people...they mean so much to me. I don't quite know how to process it all...but I am experiencing so much.

And even though I shower with cockroaches (they come up the pipe when we shower), and eat raw chicken, and sit in front of the fan at the end of the day and still sweat because it is that hot...I love this place. I know this is where I belong for the next 16.5 months. There has been some hard hard times these past five days..and I know there will be more to come...but I know why I'm here so I stay.

I love this gospel so much. I love that the gospel is for everyone...rich or poor..and that the Holy Ghost continues to testify on this island as it does on the four corners of the earth. I love how pure these people are...a little population tucked away from the world, who still cooks over fires in their backyards... I love that Heavenly Father really does remember the "isles of the sea."

I am grateful that the gospel has so much to offer to a place where the people have so little.

Until next week,
Sister Johnson

PS. Here is my mailing information. To send a letter, write exactly this, it will be the same my whole mission:

Sister Johnson Service Center

Moroni High School

P.O. Box 217

Tarawa, Kiribati

If it's a package then,

Sister Johnson 

P.O. Box 1107

Majuro, MH
96960

Marshall Islands

Sure love you family! Thank you prayers & support!
sis j

 Our house! The mission couple told us before we got here, that although our houses may be different from what we are used to...it is honestly the best Kiribati has to offer.

 This is our living room/bedroom. At night we pull out two foam mattresses and sleep on that :)

Walking to an investigators house to teach about the book of mormon! wahoo!

This is our bathroom! no shower curtin..but there is water! (but only if the electricity is working. A pump pumps water out from the well outside.) 

Hello to the Islands!

Hi Family!

I'm here on the island of Kiribati. I have just five minutes to shoot you an email to tell you that I'm here safe. I have SO MUCH to write you about on Monday, my Pday, but I'll keep it brief here. WOWOWOWOWOWOW. Kiribati is nothing like I expected, but it's okay. I got strep throat the day I left the MTC so having a fever in 100% humidity and 90 degrees has challenged me, but you better believe the first day that I got to the island with a total of 45 minutes of sleep I worked my hardest. My trainer is honestly the best sister in the whole mission. She is INCREDIBLE! She has only been here for two months, but knows the language and the people just flock to her...she is honestly an answer to prayers. wow. more to come. anyway. i'm still feeling really really sick but I'm working my darn hardest. we've already taught three lessons, had THREE DINNER APPOINTMENTS, visited two inactive members, sung songs with members, went to a funeral...all in half of a day! man okay I've got to go but I'm here safe. And i love you guys.

much loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,

sister johnson

Good-bye USA!

Family! Friends! Relatives! and Strangers!

This is officially my last email from the United States of America. Goodbye civilization. I leave on Monday morning at 6:15AM and from their the adventure starts! I fly to Hawaii and then Fiji and then to Tarawa:) This week...actually past two weeks...have had some amazing, but challenging moments. In Kiribati the word for study is: kamateaikau -- which the literal translation is: to make things dead. Hahah, whoever wrote the language knew that whoever would be studying it would feel this way! Hahaha. The language continues to be a struggle, but I've got to laugh at it. Nothing translates exactly! You use imagery for everything...it's beautiful! Examples: 1. To ask if you married you say, "Do you have a balance on your canoe?" 2. The word roof is: "Turned Heaven upside down and placed on top of a house." 3. To ask if you're smart you say, "Do you have a lot of ripe coconuts on your coconut tree?" Hahaha! It makes it hard to translate things, because they just don't see the world as I do. But I love how the people view life...:)

 

My spiritual thinking of this week includes this: F-A-I-T-H.

From the moment I got to the MTC I knew that I would learn this language by faith. As I've been here for five weeks now it's interesting to see how my knowledge of faith has changed. To sum it up simply it's this.

 

1. By faith I can learn a language.

2. I need faith in myself, faith in the Savior, and faith in the Holy Ghost to share my message.

3. Faith without WORKS is dead. I've got to be putting in my full efforts.

4. It is only AFTER the trial of your faith that you will receive a witness of the miracles of Christ.

 

When I first got into the MTC I thought that I would see miracle after miracle..that I would open my mouth and it would be filled with perfect Kiribati sentences. That never happened obviously those expectations are a little unrealistic but what I have learned is that the Holy Ghost will never give me hard earned experiences; I've got to get them myself, that's why miracles on a daily basis aren't realistic. I will not be given words I do not know. Missions are meant to be hard...wanna know why? (And now we segway into my next "thinkings" of this week...) BECAUSE CONVERSION TAKES EFFORT. This week I've studied and stuidied conversion because a passage of scripture hit home in Luke 22:32 Jesus speaks, "WHEN thou art converted, strength they brethren." The definition of conversion in the Bible Dictionary is: "Denotes changing one's views, in a conscious acceptance of the will of God.....it changes the natural man into a new creature of Christ" I love this definition because it is everything that a mission has been for me. Everyday I am given oppurtunity after oppurtunity to choose between conversion and the natural man Examples include: 1. Will I get up at 6:30 or snooze a couple of times..? 2. Will I use my language study time effectivly, or will I let my mind wonder? 3. Will I love my companion, or will I choose to be irratated and frustrated at her?

 

Standing as a representative of Christ is very real, and there is a lot of pressure...but those moments when I can feel the joy that Christ would feel when the Spririt comes swoooops in and the whole room is FILLED with the Spirit....beyond description.

 

Much much many much love,

I kokoaua bwa e koaua te ekeratio aio.

 

Sister Johnson

--sj

 

A few more pictures...

1. SISTER BUTLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
2. And a selfie because I only get to wear this badge once :) 
3. I play head, shoulders, knee's and toe's with Martha ALL DAY LONG. Hahahahaha. 

Last week at the MTC!

Note from Robin: Hi everyone! Sorry we didn't get to post anything from Lizzie last week. We were in England and couldn't upload to the blog because of a few challenges we had. Here are pieces of her letters that you might find interesting. Thanks for your love and support for Liz. She leaves next Monday and tomorrow is her last p-day in the MTC so if you want to send her a letter at his point, please send it by Friday through the website "dearelder.com". It is free and your letter will get printed out and put in her mail box the same day or next day if it is late. Thanks!

From Lizzie:
Sanity break for the week: We figured out you can write on our desk with markers...and our district is LOVING it! Two Elders pictures...just for funzies:)

Well, all in all I'm in the Lord's care. This is hard work, hhhhhaaaaadrrrrrrrddddd work but I don't think the Lord wants me to shy away now. I'm finding strength I didn't know I had, and growing up and learning a lot. 
This week was so good, and spiritual, but so so hard. I've kinda hit a wall with Kiribati. Please pray for the language to come, I need a miracle. I've got to teach these people, and the only way to do it is to speak their language. Right now, I can't even make simple sentances because of the way their sentances translate. Things don't translate to english at all, and so not only do I have to learn how to speak it, I have to learn how to write it, see it written and know what it means, and hear it and know what words they are using. I have been faithful, and I know that the gift of tounges is real, but I also know that I cannot do this alone. 

Hey fun fact, I was made senior companion and the "Travel Group Leader" for our flights! We got out flight plans. We leave next Monday (august 12th). We have a flight to Hawaii, sleep over one night. Fly to Fiji, sleep over one night. Fly to Tarawa, stay there for 18 months! It's my job to get my district there safely!! Good thing that I've had some practice in airports, thanks to dad! I'm very very happy, but getting the travel plans were stressfull! Hahaha! I'm really going! Mercy! At the same time I am so excited. I know I have been waiting for this chance for a long time...at least my Spirit was ;)

THANK YOU FOR THE LETTERS AND PACKAGES! Serious. It means the world to me!
I love you all so much!!
Sister Johnson

Dear Family & Friends,

The MTC continues to be a Heaven on Earth:):):) This week went by so fast I'm having a hard time remembering what I should tell you! Hahaha! But first I got to tell you about all the people here at the MTC. They said that there are currently about 4,000 missionaries (1,850 Sisters) where there used to be only 2,000 missionaries (400 sisters). Dynamics have shifted a lot! But for the 4,000 missionaries here there are over 4,000 employees at the Provo MTC. It is incredible what gets done in one day:)

 

Sister Butler is from the other district called to the Marshall Island Mission speaking Marshallese but I see her all the time. The first time we met we spent an hour trying to figure out how we knew each other...then it clicked, we're just Soul Sisters:) We talk like we've been best friends for years, and I know I know her. That happened with Sister H (my companion) and Sister Butler's companion Sister Seegmiller, they just know each other! It's crazy! There are two Elders in my district who are seriously twins separated at birth because they act JUST LIKE EACH OTHER. It's happened a lot around here we don't just act like family because we sit in the same tiny room for hours, and hours, although that is true. We had a district meeting and talked of how we all got to be here and the stories were crazy! Our district leader, Elder Maisey got his mission delayed for ten months and they never told him why. Another Elder got called to come a couple months early, and another one called the Mission Office and changed his date to come earlier to get back in time for a semester of school. It's a miracle how District 52-F came to be, but I'm pretty positive it wasn't planned on this side of the veil.

 

A Story from this week:

Sister McDaniel and I were planning for a lesson with our investigator, Terawaa. We were teaching about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance for our third lesson with him. Our lessons have been really good with him, and he follows through with all of our commitments so I really wanted to include a soft invitation to be baptized (**Soft invitation: Not setting a date, but encouraging to think about and start preparing for baptism.) Sister McDaniel agreed but five minutes before the lesson asked if we should really bring up baptism if we haven't even taught him what it is. I replied that he has a Christian background, and I thought it would help him really push along with his conversion process (We only get five visits). We talked back and forth, I was really pushing to bring up baptism and she was really against it and time was short. We started to get really impatient with each other and did not have the Spirit with us. TIME CRUNCH. We gave ourselves one minute to breathe, and then started talking again if we should or shouldn't and our investigator was almost here. Every time we teach, we start with a prayer so after our prayer Sister McDaniel looked up at me smiling and said, "Sister Johnson, I was thinking, do you want to ask him to be baptized?" I was so thrilled! And right then our investigator came and we started teaching. I was glowing excited! The whole lesson I just couldn't wait to ask him. (We had spent hours memorizing the **seriously long** baptism invitation. I asked him, "Terawaa, Ko kukurei ni ira ana, katoto Jesus Kristo n te, ara ma te na babatitoaki aroun te aomata n te......(it keeps going and going).....te bong ai?" He was smiling because I was smiling and said, "E tuai, e tuai iroun aeng." which means: "I'm not ready, I'm not ready, but yes." Man alive. I realize now how important having the Spirit is! Sister McDaniel and I kept our "argument" all very contained but you have got to be on the same spiritual wave length as a companionship to invite our other companion, The Holy Ghost, to teach the lesson. It was such a big moment for me because I was so frustrated at my companion because I knew I wanted to bring baptism up but she didn't want to at all and I had four minutes to:  #1. Get in tune with the Spirit. #2. Get humble enough to not want a baptism commitment for me, but listen to our investigators needs. #3. Feel charity (COMPLETE LOVE) for my companion and #4. Ask for forgiveness for having a short temper. Anyone who knows me knows that if something like that happens I refuse to talk about it in the moment. I can't handle talking about an argument that just happened; I need time to calm down, maybe even sleep on it, and then I'm ready to talk. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone to have an argument and deal with it right after it happened but I thought about the counsel that Devan gave to Crissy, "You don't need to put emotion into every argument you have. Just talk about it." (along the lines of that, so thanks Devan :)

 

Now for, "The Funnies / Keep Sister Johnson sane / If you don't laugh you're going to cry MOMENTS":

 

1. This one cracks me up. Hahahah. Alright. We were teaching our other investigator Benoka and things weren't going to well. He could NOT understand our Kiribati, and we definitely didn't understand his. He wasn't acting interested and didn't even make eye contact with us. We struggled throughout the main portion of our lesson and Sister McDaniel asked him to read a scripture and he said no. We asked him to pray, he said no. He said something to us, but we couldn't figure it out. We were sitting on the edge of our chairs, trying so hard to get this man to act interested in what we had to say. After an awkward five minute pause, Sister McDaniel was so discouraged and frustrated that she threw her elbows on her knees and face in her hands and didn't realize but she was in more of a rocking chair type chair and fell over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahhahahahhahahaha. Oh it was so awkward. So funny though. So funny.

 

2. Latest find in the dictionary! batokiaa: a man with extraordinary strength, like to kill a dolphin or whale. Hahaha, what?

 

Well last thing: we made a dictionary! Our goal is to learn 15 words a day (so much harder than you would think) and we finally got enough to laminate! So we started our little dictionary of Kiribati.

 

Much much much love,

SJ

Sister Johnson.

Thank you for your prayers, I can feel them!  

Week 2 (but who's counting right??)

her crazy district

Lizzie writing out a prayer to practice

Dear Family,

First of all you just gotta know what goes on in a computer lab on Preparation Day....madness. It makes me laugh every time. You walk in and see all these Elders and Sisters leaning at a 45 degree angle into computer screen typing faster then the Provo speed limit would allow. The noise of all those clicking keys sounds like a jungle in here! Hahaha.

 

WOW. Let's talk about this week's adventures. I really prayed about what I wanted to send home because I only get a few words; but I decided what I wanted to talk about is the power of listening.

 

In the Missionary Training Center I have been so surprised about the amount of time focused on learning to communicate. We spend at least HALF of the time we have in devotionals, lessons, and classroom studies learning how to listen and be effective in communicating. On Tuesday we had a devotional and the speaker, Richard Hinkley (emeritus status) spoke on listening. He talked on how missionaries are not psychologists, or counselors, but we are Representatives of Christ, and Christ would listen. He challenged us that next time we were listening to truly listen to what they were saying. When listening to an investigator DONT think about what you are going to say...let them talk, and when it's your turn your mouth will be filled with what the Holy Ghost would have you say. Being a Sister Training Leader I decided to put this into good practice and WOW! I've got to tell you about it!

    I was tucking one of my sisters into bed and she started talking about how she was "flirting with the idea of going home." Of course I immediately wanted to tell her why she was here, why she was needed, why her districts needs her talents...but instead I just let her talk about why she wanted to go home. At the end I said one or two sentances but she had completely talked herself out of it. She realized that she wanted to be here and she felt at peace going to bed. I love this because she figured it out for herself. If I would of jumped in and told her why she needed to be here, she would have never really expressed the root of her concern and clear up those problems. It was really powerful!

    This one is the craziest.

    Last night I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning...I was so exhausted but I stayed awake for an hour. Finally I decided to take a lap. (Me and Sister McDaniel often take a lap when we are studying for too long in our classroom, and it helps SO much to kinda "restart". We just walk outside of our building a couple times to get some fresh air) Anyway, I started walking around my floor (It's shaped as a rectangle) and literally ran into this Sister sitting on a couch. I was half asleep so I said sorry and kept walking. I got to my room and decided to take another lap (not sure why..just did) I saw that Sister again. She asked if I was okay and I told her I was super good I just couldn't sleep. I asked her how she was and she started talking...and talking..and I soon realized that this Sister seriously needed to get her concerns out and talk to someone. So I sat down on the couch and listened. I didn't think of what I could say, didn't even comment on her situation just let her completely dominate the conversation. This Sister ended up telling me about her concerns for her district, her life story, her discouragement as a missionary, why it was hard for her...this sister talked for forty five mintues. During it I thought, "Oh man, I just wish I could be sleeping right now, this is directly cutting into my sleep." and would wonder why she was getting so personal with me when she had just met me. BUT I remembered this. God has no time, so why should I...because in reality I'm on God's time. So she talked and cried, and finally it was winding down. I knew we both needed to go to sleep (it was way past midnight now). She was talking about how badly she wanted her district to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, feel converted, feel mature enough to stop playing around during class...and I stopped her and said. "Sister, can you change your Elders?" She thought about it for longer then I expected and said 'no'. So then I asked her, "Then what can you do about it?" She must of been on the same spiritual wavelength I was because she responded that the only thing she could do was pray. Nailed it. So we kneeled down in prayer...and mercy I was in tears. I can't remember all of it but it ended up being an answer to MY prayers! She said something like, "Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much that Sister Johnson couldn't sleep. (Then she looked at me and said, "Sorry if that sounds rude." ha:) Thank you that she just listened while I rambled....then she told all her concerns about everything we had talked about. She ended the prayer with asking that I could learn my language...It was so sweet. I just listened, that's all I did but I did it with my heart. I didn't comment or say anything to change topics...there is so much power in listening. I walked her to her room and we both got a full night's rest in the six hours we got:)

 

A couple days ago we were talking with our district and I realized this. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world but here at the MTC. Not even Heaven! Because at the MTC, the Spirit of the Lord is so strong you ARE in His presense. All you boy cousins and girl cousins. Start getting ready now! A mission is SO SO hard (especifally if you are learning a langage) but BOY! It's LIFE CHANGING.

 

There is so many miracles and incredible things that happen but honest to goodness this is 100x harder than anything I've done. It's basically finals week every week, but you've got to keep everything you learn in long term verses short term cramming. It's a 18 month test and you've got to know your stuff. So Me and McD have moments that help keep us sane.

Funny Fact #1. We have one correct dictionary for our class, and half (SERIOUSLY HALF) of the words have to do with coconuts. Hahaha! I wrote down some words to show you, but I forgot the paper so I'll write them next week but there is a word for a three-day ripe coconut, a baby coconut, a coconut that is green, a coconut that is past ripe....oh. my. word. Haha, this language...

Funny #2. Every Wednesday we get a new bunch of missionaries. They all wear a orange dot on their name tag and EVERYONE says hello to them in their mission language. It's so cute! Anyway, Me and McD devised a plan while taking a break in between our class. We spotted our victims and walked up to them (they looked really lost.) We said our hellos and asked if we could bear our testimony in our mission language. They said yes. Here's our conversation.

They asked, "Where are you sisters going?"
"Oh we got called to the Atlantic Ocean Mission. (Then we bore our tesimony in WHALES {GET IT, FROM FINDING NEMO? DORA!}) And all I could get out in my best whale tone was, "I know that this church is true." Hahahha. We laughed so hard. I realize that at home this story would only be funny to Sarah but bearing our testimony in whales CRACKED us up. We thought we were the funniest little missionaries....talk about missionary humor. We showed them where their building was and me and Sis McD were happy little campers the rest of the day.

 

WOW. This is so long! My word! Well thanks for reading,

Love y'all to the moon and back.

 

Sister Johnson