Cargo Has Arrived!

Hi Family!

Pday miracle, the kaibuke came today! We should have food again. Tarawaa said she got 10 bags of rice and plenty of canned foods so we survived the worst of it. Good stuff! Its for the store, which is essentially for the family. If they run low they just stop selling and it becomes kind of like food storage for them. They're 45 pound bags, so 450 pounds of rice will last forever!

Fun story. On Sundays the whole branch just hangs out all afternoon after church, usually they sleep or eat and all together. It's really fun, the whole gang is so close right now. Anyway, we were just relaxing and Tiavin and Bikea (7 yr old boy and 8 yr old girl who live with us) came up and sat down with us and we chatted for like an hour hahaha They are the funniest kids ever. They just go on and on and on and they have that funny Nikunau accent so hard.

Elder Farley's mom sent us a box of goodies for the people on Nikunua, candy, etc. We gave Tiavin and Bikea some Pez toys and they thought it was the coolest thing ever. Of course, they happened to be superhero Pez: Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash. So we ate candy and played with Pez dolls and talked about superheros for ages. Afterward, they wanted to see pictures of you guys. They think everyone from America is beautiful. I was showing them those pictures from vacation at the OBX 2 years ago (wow that's long) and they saw all the extended family from mom's side. They were counting how many people were in every family, and then they counted the people in their own family. They said, "we are 10 people in our family - Mom, Dad, Bikea, Tiavin, Erivin, Pa Ivin, Ma Rutia, Tatairenga... and Elder Seguine and Elder Farley." I love those little kids. Nikunau is the best.

Yesterday in church I spoke about the apostle Peter. I set him up as a good example to our people of a person who is not perfect at any stage of his life, but perseveres and becomes the leader of the church. I focused on two questions Christ asks him and then had our members think about how they would answer those questions individually. The first one is from Matt 16, "Whome say ye that I am?" Peter answers, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." If we can truly, truly in our hearts admit and KNOW that Jesus is the Christ, then we are on our way to discipleship. We know the path to take and our fears and doubts cease. The second question peter is asked is from John 21, after they go quit the ministry to go fishing again, and Christ calls them back to the work. He instructs Peter and the others to lower their nets and they gather 153 fish (people here are astonished - they
know what 153 fish looks like and is and what it means for people who fish for their lives). Later on the shore, Christ points to the nets, and the boats and the fish, and he asks Peter, "Do you love me more than all these?" Peter responds, "Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." When we remember to ask ourselves whether or not we love the Lord more than our sins, attitudes, desires, etc., we are able to truly follow him. With these two questions as a guiding influence in our lives, "Who is Jesus Christ to me?" and "Do I love him more than blank?", we can follow the admonition to become a true disciple.

It was an awesome talk, and I was so happy. Our people have so much faith and they are well on their way to becoming like Peter. I left my binders of conference talks back on Tarawa, but I know that Bednar has a talk about testimony and conversion and I remembered he talked about peter, so I used that as a starting block. I actually really, really love Peter as an example right now. to read about him and how he goes and stumbles and falls - Christ literally calls him "an offence" once hahaha - but in the end he is so diligent that in Acts they bring people into the streets just so that Peter's SHADOW will touch them and heal them as he's walking in the temple. That's
crazy to me.

I also got an envelope of letters from kids at youth conference in the mail last week! Cami wrote a very kind note, she is a gem. I think when I'm home for that month in December I would like to drive to seminary, if that's okay with you guys. It'll be fun, and it'll keep me from being lazy. I might go to the YMCA or something while she's in
class.

Another hilarious note was part of that envelope, some kid who told me about how scout camp was the hardest thing in his life - but did I give up?? NO, and neither should you! I was inspired, quite honestly. I read it and I was dying. Especially funny to read in my house here. True, it is a lot like scout camp here. I cant decide if I will like
camping more after this, or never ever want to do it again. Not sure yet.

(We mentioned how at Stake conference today so many people came up and talked to us about his mission because they read his blog. He has obviously never seen it.) I cant wait to read this whole blog all the way through, I want to see it all at once when i'm done. 

(We told him we watched a meteor shower while we were on vacation at the beach.) That is cool! Did I ever tell you guys about the lunar eclipse we saw on Abaiang? it was the craziest thing ever, the moon just disappeared.
Kind of creepy honestly, we were outside our house after a ward party, FHE I think. it was way weird.

I have to go now! love you all!
love, dal