TIATIA AND TIAONTIN

members!

ME AND THE SISTER TIATIA!

this is where we get our food! hahaha! these are the little stores I was
telling you all about a while ago..

Dearest Family,

Haven't gotten a big email out to you all in a while..been really focusing on getting personal emails out to everyone..but time calls for a big email. LOTS has happened..sometimes I just wish you could come see the work for a day out here..it's phenomenal, exhausting, and rewarding..you feel all of it in one day. Time has no gravity here..it doesn't exist..we just wake up and work until the sun goes down.

On Oct 9 my trainee came, Sister Tiatia. Her parents are pure Samoan and she was born in New Zealand..she's already graduated from BYU - H in a degree in Social work. She's 23 years old..and she is here for the right reasons. Love her, LOVE HER. She is great.

Because she just got here, we do a LOT of studying..studying the language, gospel principles, how to teach, how to talk, and a big part: learning how to be a missionary..and how to understand the culture here. It's been really cool because honestly..this is my first time being companions with someone "younger" (mission speaking) than me, so I get to do a lot of teaching to her: learning the language and learning about the people, and all sorts of things..learning what to do in certain teaching situations..etc.

Training is good - I really enjoy it. I have never pulled so much of the work before..so I'm really growing in strength...for example: doing ALL the talking..from morning until night (Poor Sister Tiatia, Kiribati people just speak so fast..), learning not to get stressed when there is much to do, being optimistic, just learning a lot of really good lessons right now. I really am thankful for our Father in Heaven for helping me continue to PROGRESS during my mission. New stages, new challenges, new people..which reminds me..

..the most important part of this email...THE PEOPLE.

Ah, I think I'm going to die when I have to leave this place..I love these sweet people so much. If we could all be more like them. Right now we have a lot of investigators. I just moved into this area about three weeks ago..so still fairly new. It's cool because Sister Tiatia just got here too, so we are learning the area together.

One thing that we really felt to focus on was families. That's every missionaries dream..teaching families..so that's what we have been working on lately..spent almost four hours on weekly planning (any RM will get it ;) trying and decide..how can we complete their families..how can we prepare our investigators for the temple..what can we do to get their family members to except the lessons..so on and so forth...we figured out that we have EIGHT potential families that could be completed...so we are just going to keep working hard, hard, hard!!!!!

Spiritual experiences this week: MWAITI (Kiribati word for many)

(Haha, everything I say in English, I then translate into Kiribati for Sister TiaTia..so I find myself talking in both languages.and tend to do a lot of remixing!! Hahah!)

Highlights of my spiritual life this week was:

-Stake Conference

1. The Stake President had an INCREDIBLE talk..I'll have to tell you about it one day. 

2. Reading the Book of Mormon:

a. In Kiribati - to help me learn to speak better Kiribati and learn the gospel in the Kiribati language and

b. in English - to gain a personal testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ..wow..that has been EYE OPENING.

Well, that's my email..just sure love you guys..make sure you go to the temple..I'm really missing the temple..LOVE YOU!

All is well,
sister j

She's here!

Hi - sorry we got off to a late start today due to laundry...lots of it!! haha!

As for my little daughter...SHE'S BRILLIANT! Born and raised in NZ then graduated from BYUH (in social work) and was residing in Australia when she got her call..she is 23 years old and very very very gentile and sweet..oh..I am so thankful for Heavenly Father! Best transfer ever! I LOVE training..it's just teaching little by little everything that I've learned on my mission..it's a beautiful time to reflect..and teach Sister Tiatia everything I know about being a missionary..I often think of the wise words you always tell me, "Your generation has to be better than mine.." I feel that is true now! I am training her to be a better missionary than I was. I like to give her her freedom, and let her grow at her pace, while standing beside her and encouraging her to reach a little higher. 

Because I am training it has let me reflect on really how much I have progressed on the mission...I had long forgot those long frustrated days when I couldn't understand anyone..and felt left out..learning the Kiribati languages was hard...but a year later I am so grateful I did. 


I wish I was there to hear Joe and Emily Brough...I bet they did an amazing job...tell them that I'm training my little misisonary to be exactly obedient..we even had personal and companion study on PDAY ;) Hahahaha, little things do make a big difference :)

MOM! I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I READ THAT YOU spoke of our Savior to that man..AND THAT YOU PLACED A BOOK OF MORMON!  I am so happy for you! I am so so so grateful that you are being a missionary! You, Sarah, and Criss are all doing so good to be missionaries all over the world! AH! I LOVE IT! And how beautiful and clearly you spoke to him! Ah, I am so grateful mom..so so grateful! 

That reminds of me a section in PMG that talks about "How to Begin Teaching" that's what we missionaries tell everyone..we don't come to force anyone, take away their truth, bad talk any religion..we just come to teach lessons..and it is their responsibility to decipher with the Holy Ghost if it is true...LOOK AT YOU GO MOM! YOU ARE A MISSIONARY! 

Thanks for the pictures..I'll fill you all in next week!! Love you!

Sister Johnson

the Holy Ghost

Dear Family,

I transferred this week to be with SISTER LAVULAVU which we have now been companions three times and have worked in FOUR areas with her. She was my trainer! And it's been the BEST to come back and work with her again..seriously..it's been a dream..this week went by SO FAST because we are just busy with the work! We have LOTS of investigators! We had one baptism this week and have four planned for next week, and two for the week after that! Wow! The field is so white here! 

One of the best moments of this week was yesterday. We went on splits -- and being brand new to the area made it a funny experience because I forgot where some of the houses were..but thank heavens for the Holy Ghost who really just led us to lesson after lesson! 

We have two sisters who are taking lessons with us (we PRAY that their parents will want lessons..still working on them...) and our lesson was about the Holy Ghost. 

Now teaching about the Holy Ghost is one of the most important lessons to teach..and honestly for me one of the hardest lessons to teach..really really describing how it FEELS..it's hard enough in English..let alone Kiribati.. so we decided to approach the situation differently. 

We choose two songs..one a really crazy loud heavy beated song and we asked them to note how they felt as the song played..then we found a really beautiful church song -- a piano arrangement of a hymn -- and asked the two girls what the difference was..could the feel the spirit leave as the first song played? What words could describe the second song? We described that the second song -- the spiritual song --is like how we feel when we receive the Holy Ghost..those feelings of peace and calmness..is how the Holy Ghost speaks to us.

I sure am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost..and have been really trying to understand how the Holy Ghost speaks to me..it's all a leanring process isn't it.. :)

Sure love you guys!! My little samoan daughter comes next week! 

Love,

Sister Johnson

Pictures!!!

These boys got new ties!! wahoo!

pretty happy Priesthood!

sweetest lady ever! 

this lady..my miracle less active we found out in the middle of no where..haha..she's a sweetheart..her name is elizabeth too! but in kiribati it's eritabeta

this was this morning..hahaha..only in Kiribati would this be allowed! Hahaha!

this was bishop of the bikenibru ward, I've been working with him for almost eight months..these are my PARENTS! so I took them to a resturant for one of my
last nights in bikenibeu

and the cutest little boy in the world

love this sweet sister!

sunset after pday

the zone! to put things into perspective..our whole zone of sisters live in one house!
And there are only four districts on the whole island! FOUR DISTRICTS..that's it!
That's all for my mission! Four districts! If this isn't the smallest mission!! 

White shirts & ties...

(thanks to everyone's generosity towards Devin's Eagle Scout project, we were able to send 105 shirts and 130 ties to Lizzie's mission. Thank you for your help and donations!!)

HEY DEVIN! GUESSS WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL?!?!?! WHITE SHIRTS AND TIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING! I didn't even know where to start?! I was so excited! I will start passing them out this week..so proud you!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't tell you how much people are being blessed here because of your good work! DEV! You are changing the life of so many!!! Thank you so much Dev, I love you so much, thank you so much for serving these people..

Crissy... THE PACKAGE CAME! And the skirt was GENIUS! Seriously couldn't believe that you sewed that! Thank you so SO SO Much..

And to answer your question about marriage..no - hardly NO ONE is married..most of them can't afford to get married..it only costs like five dollars I think..but it's not something that is really important..in the church it's huge, but outside of the church..not much.

I can NOT tell you how HAPPY I was to see all these absolutely AMAZING pictures of the extended family. I am so grateful for your gift with a camera mom! And I am SO happy that Ivy has found, "her one!" and sweet Drue is on a MISSION..ah, what a beautiful life we have..

One line that I really really REALLY love in preach my gospel.. it says: some missionaries are confident, some are very self conscience, but regardless of where you stand, place your confidence in the Savior. Focus all that good you are doing - and be absolutely CONFIDENT of the Savior and what HE can do! It's HIS love that changes people and it's HIS love that makes your work so powerful!  It is so true!!

UPDATE: I am not going to Christmas anymore! I had a meeting with the AP's and they said that President received revelation that I should stay on Tarawa and TRAIN! Haha! And get this..my child is from...G-U-A-M! Hahahah! I am 100% happy with it. I always told the Lord I'd do what He wanted.  

thanks for your prayers and support. love you guys!
love, liz

BREAKING NEWS!

WHOA. Okay before I respond back to all your sweet emails, GET THIS!

I AM GETTING TRANSFERED....TO.....

CHRISTMAS ISLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that the craziest thing you ever heard?! I am getting transferred back to Christmas Island..it will be my last transfer..WHAT?! MY LAST TRANSFER. I will stay there for two and a half months, and then I will fly from Christmas to Hawaii to UTAH AND THEN I WILL BE HOME! WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!! THAT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE IN MISSION HISTORY! It's just crazy cause i'm getting sent back out to an outter island! BUT IT'S SO TRUE!

Whew, gotta calm down, but here are the details. I will leave Septer 21 to go to Fiji and then stay in Fiji a couple days to wait for a little plane to fly me to Christmas Island. Get there Sept 26 and stay there until Dec 17.

It's just all crazy cause..man, I just gotta be so grateful for the Lord. My time in Christmas was incredible..and LIFE CHANGING..and now I get to go back to the island where I really grew up on. I was only there before for 3.5 months, and then got called to be Sister Training Leader here..but I have kept thinking about the investigators I left on Christmas this WHOLE TIME. And when I heard President felt I should go back...it clicked..There was work here I needed to do, and now there is work there I need to finish. I cannot believe it. Oh the Lord is good to us. And get this. My companion is...TONGAN! WHICH MEANS I WILL FINISH MY MISSION WITH LITERALLY 85% of my mission having been with with five Tongan companions..

Well I just had to get the word out! Oh which means, I won't get packages or letters again once I get there..so don't send any..but thank you for all of your love and support!!!!

love you!

sister tiaontin

A week in pictures...

a beautiful sunset.

The sweetest family, that changed my life. what struggles they have had. 

they have a small house and they never complain. they never wish they had more.
there is so much to learn from these people.

This is Nei. She is a MIRACLE! And just got baptized last week. This is at the chapel.

at her baptism! 

tribute to elder pauora who finished his time. he was an elder with me in Kiritimati. incredible guy, incredible voice.

This is little Bernard! He came to church, and we had a lesson after. He wanted a picture to put on his Duty to God book he's now working on. Whatta a sweetheart.

We live in Bouta now, which is about a 10 minute bike ride away from our area, so everyday we get a lovely bike ride to our area and this is the view! (PS- notice the road.. australia is spending 20 million dollars to give kiribati a new road! little by little!)

our cute little investigators home..let us all be thankful for what we have.

cute little kids..and that tin building in the back? that's the bathroom!