Welcome Home!!

He's Home!!! We are so very grateful to have him back!!!

Hi From Tarawa!

(Elders Openshaw, McCormick, Seguine, and Davis. All but Openshaw go home next transfer and he goes home in May.)

Hi from Tarawa! I got in fine obviously, I only have a matter of days left now and I feel it, its crazy. How are you all??

My new comp is Jeff Johnson. We're working well together - he's totally shell-shocked. Good guy though. He loves working on the language so I can certainly help with that. Johnson taught a full lesson on the gospel on his own all from memory. Pretty good work after 2 days companionship study with me. He'll be great. 

(About speaking English again after so many months...) OH MY GOSH ZLs picked me up and I felt like an idiot! I seriously genuinely no exaggeration had such a hard time making small talk, I could hardly speak it was so crazy. Pulufana is our zone leader by the way, it was so fun to see him again and he's doing great.

Our house is dirty but nice. we have electricity and running water (via a hose turned on outside) and we even have a shabby aircon in the room we sleep in. Its paradise to me, but its not actually too nice. Dinners on Tarawa are uncanny though and there was like 150 people at church Sunday. Temwaiku is not a bad place. My last baptism will be on the 14th, we have a good investigator ready to interview this week.

We still bike in the sun but Tarawa is SO different from two years ago. I would venture to say it's nice now... the new road makes a WORLD of difference, like, they can have trash trucks drive places now so that the whole island is clean. A little infrastructure goes a long way, and people here are starting to take pride in no longer being dirty. Tarawa is WAY nice now actually. I really like it here.

It is such a waste to have a tropical island that no one wants to go to when there's no reason for it. Its really been nice to see the improvement. When we got here two years ago I thought I was entering a war zone, like refugees and such. But now its super nice. Part of that is definitely perspective, but still, its in the right direction here.

Yeah, so I'm the DL for these last few weeks. I think I give one district meeting before I go home. We have zone meeting this week and then maybe another.

Saying goodbye to Nikunau was so sad. I wrote like 15 pages in my journal, you'll just have to read it in a few days, I can't get it all out and a portion wouldn't be enough.

Also, news from Elder Tiaon... one of our members on Nikunau, Tearaoi, who is Tanentoa's wife... she gave birth last week and it's a baby boy! AND it is named SEGUINE! whaaaaaaaaat hahaha!

Can you believe that? So forever now on Nikunau, there is a baby boy named Seguine out there hahahaha the legend lives on I suppose.

(We asked if he got to see President Weir.) I did, he left the day after I got in, but I had our farewell dinner with him and Sis Weir and Davis and McCormick from our intake, and Openshaw was there as Davis' comp. It was super fun - we had burritos. Pres shared the talk "The first great commandment" by Elder Holland to us, and told us that we had all worked miracles, and reminded us that in 3Ne 8:1, there is an important doctrine that a prerequisite to working a miracle is being cleansed from iniquity every whit. He talked about how proud of us he was and he helped us realize that we really had changed the world for so many people. He talked about Nikunau and got choked up mentioning his visit. I love the man, he's great. We had a testimony meeting and I started in English and butchered it and switched to Kiribati halfway through (it was so so so bad speaking English)

For our interview, it was just a basic temple recommend interview, nothing extra, we didn't have time. He just said, "Go to the temple with this recommend and any answer you get there is better than what I could do for you." So those are wise words I guess.

Just said goodbye to Davis and Openshaw. I love those guys. They're going to Christmas to do AP work. 

I have to go now! I love you all, catch you all later!

love dal

*Here is what Elder Morley wrote about taking Dallin's place on Nikunau. Much of what has happened on Nikunau is a fulfillment of the blessing he received when he was set apart as a missionary. At the beginning of his mission it was hard for him to imagine that he would be so loved by these people and love them so much back. But as you can see, he truly is a brother to them. What a blessing it has been to watch.

"Elder Tiaon is AMAZING. It looks like he may be my favorite companion thus far. He is new so still has the new missionary fire. Plus he is completely willing to give his all to this work. He wants complete obedience and really understands how this work works. He is so cool. He's also super funny. People asked if Elder Seguine had left. He would respond, yes, didn't you hear the rain last night? Because a real storm was coming out of His and the member's eyes! Side note. It was really tender watching him get on the plane. He has such a beautiful connection with these members. He was the first to bring them the truth and they are forever grateful to him. This morning a baby boy was born and they named it Seguine after him so that his name will be remembered on Nikunau."

Pictures!!

These pictures are from Elder Farley. Many are from the first day they arrived on the island and others are from when President Weir and the APs came to visit.  You can see copra drying by their house, the one truck on the island they rent to pick up people for church, and how they prepare for sacrament meeting. The video at the end is my favorite. It's from about 10 minutes after they landed on Nikunau. They had arrived not knowing where they would live or if they would be welcome. They were sent by the sister they met at the airport to find her family. Dallin just looks so happy and ready for adventure. I love it.

Taco Tuesday

I'm doing good. We had a pretty good week, we had an investigator pass his baptismal interview and one of our marriage candidates just got back from Tarawa, so we're looking to get a marriage done before I leave here. (Dallin will actually get to marry them!) I hope it all works out. Today is a strange day for me, because I have as many days left on Nikunau as I will have left on Tarawa. So it's kind of split in half, which will let me see just how fast it is. Seems crazy!

I'm sure I will be training a new kid on Tarawa. I just wrote an email to Ian and I re-read it and my English is garbage hahaha My poor kid I'm training, he's in for a treat with me! I'll be sure to make the most of it. Even when I get to Tarawa I have a huge bunch of work for here, I need to get all the records set and certificates and everything all organized.

I was just thinking about the Hopkins. We should visit them again one time while I'm around before school, a home teaching reunion. They are awesome. They are so supportive and nice, and Bro Hopkins one email about my patriarchal blessing was instrumental in surviving my last month on Christmas.

UNRELATED BUT IMPORTANT:
The first Tuesday I am home, I would love for it to be Taco Tuesday, and the first Saturday I would like to participate in chores and cleaning things. I mean like cleaning the house, vacuuming and windexing things.
I'm freaking out about having things clean and tidy and I am so excited. That is all.
(Ed told him about a friend of ours who is currently helping in the translation of the Doctrine and Covenants into Yapese. He was saying that if Dallin is interested he could see about getting him in the group to help with the Kiribati translation.)
Are you serious???? I would LOVE that! I just finished the Book of Mormon in Kiribati and the translation is not cohesive at all. I feel like I have a unique grammar understanding for this language, I would love love love to work on translation, especially because Kiribati also has no doctrine and covenants! I would seriously love to work on that, it would be so fun! Here is an example:
In Alma 43, where Moroni gathers the armies for the first time and they encircle the Lamanites, he gives them an oath and says if they keep it they will be free. But the Lamanite leader refuses, and Moroni returns his weapons to him and says, "I cannot recall my words, therefore we will end the conflict." Sadly, the Kiribati translation takes "recall" and renders it "remember" so it's like Moroni has amnesia or something and he forgets what he just said, and as a result decides to kill people. Not the intended message at alllllllllll from one word that is horrifically mistranslated.

I am so ingrained in Kiribati right now, it's hard to speak English. Tiaon has been a huge blessing, I am way crisp right now. The only downside is that if I do real voice translation, people will make fun of me on Tarawa when they hear it because I have inherited such a thick Nikunau accent haha! It's like an Irish or a Scottish accent on top of my normal Kiribati. It's all about the inflections, impossible to explain hahaha.

I'm leaving on October 31st according to Davis. I told all the members and they're hurrying to get a special kie mat done on time so I can take it home when I leave. I love them. They already made dad a special scripture case, because i told them you were the bishop, and ALL the ministers/ bishops here have these special scripture cases. so you'll love it when you see it!

I plan on sending them (the family he has lived with) a box of things when I get home. Specifically crocs. They were amazed at how well my crocs hold up, because they burn through pair after pair of flip flops. They would love crocs and it would be really useful to them.

We've gotta go! Catch you guys next week!
love, 
dal

New Apostles!

Hi mom! Three new apostles! I actually shook Elder Stevenson's hand! He came to see us in the MTC, because his son was there while we. Lo and behold, Elder Davis is best friends with Elder Stevenson the younger, so we got to go shake the presiding bishop's hand while he said hi to his son and friends. Cool stuff huh? He is a super soft-spoken guy. His son is serving in Japan, if I remember correctly. Davis is probably freaking out haha I also love Rasband! I could never in a million years have called Renlund though. That is out of the blue, but he seems cool too.

(We told him we had gone to see his old companion Winston Farley who just returned home.) Farley is a legend himself.  I hope you guys are proud to hear about Nikunau. Only Farley really understands this I think. I miss Farley too, seriously. We worked so well together it was a blast. It was so sad when he left. Especially since he went to Beru, that was tough.

(He's been feeling very alone and isolated lately. He has spent a huge portion of his mission on outers and often its just he and his companion keeping the church going. He has only had a matter of weeks on Tarawa. On Nikunau he has been feeling the weight of getting the church established amid a lot of persecution, serving as the branch president, and not having anyone to really relate to or get advice from. He loves his companion, but he is Kiribati, so he doesn't speak English or really understand American culture either. He has been trying to finish strong even though he is just thoroughly worn out emotionally and physically.) I just have been trying really hard to think about charity and putting it all on the line. No external circumstances are different, but I studied like crazy, (I finished 3 Nephi to the end in Kiribati, restarted and I'll read king Benjamin tomorrow) and I'm praying really hard to be able to choose to be happy. I think its helping a lot. Pres told me I will be coming in this October transfer. I have 2-3 weeks left here, the rest I'll finish in Tarawa before I bounce.

We're teaching a great guy named Tebaoa. He's like 57, and he is a golden convert. The only problem is he hasn't married his wife. He comes to church and quit smoking and everything. We love him. We're just waiting for his wife to come back from Tarawa (she had an emergency where she had to fly to go visit their son who was sick in the hospital). When she comes back they'll get married and he'll get baptized.

Love you all! Catch you next week!

love, dal

A Bike Accident

Don't freak out, but I totally almost broke my wrist. Some little kid threw a stick at me while I was biking! (In some of the villages they want to make sure the missionaries know they are not welcome and it is pretty common for people to yell at them or throw things at them as they ride through.) I dodged it like a champ, but I hit a huge rock and flew over the handlebars. I took the entirety of the fall on my right wrist, and I was so scared it was gone for. My bike was miraculously okay though! We made it home and I told Teiaaba and Tarawaa and they took me to Teiaaba's aunt. She massaged my wrist all back into place (OOOW). Seriously, it hurt, but its a miracle because like two days later it is 100% fine! I'm typing with no pain. It was crazy, but really, I promise its fine. The worst part is that the inside of my palm is all cut up bad, plus my elbows and my knees. but that's okay. I survived.


I was so irritated with the kid, but you could tell he didn't mean for something that bad to happen. When I fell the kid totally ran away crying, so I figured that was scary enough for him. Still though, not very kind! If he had been seen by an adult, he would have been in HUGE trouble. I'm still a missionary, and that means I should be respected culturally. 

It was so sketchy! It was rainy too, so I was all muddy. I felt bad about that, since I pay Tarawaa to do my laundry. It was muddy and bloody and all I was thinking about was stains haha The lady who fixed my wrist was really very nice. She was scared to because she hadn't ever worked with an Imatang (white person)... she asked if our bones were the same haha! 

Seriously, lots of prayers all the time are definitely needed!

I'd say the best thing that happened this week was that it was normal. We have a lot of small simmering situations which could have exploded and been bad, but we kept everything under control. I'd say that was a success. We have one member who is slowly coming back to the church. He came to sacrament on Sunday, which was awesome. He wants to come back to full activity, but he has a big calling in the KUC right now.Maybe in two or three more months he'll be able to come back fully. A really good guy, we love him.

(We asked how he was helping the members with unity amidst the persecution they are all facing.) I don't really know actually, I just think about what people need and study the scriptures and it always comes. This week I talked about doing the will of the father and being united. Obviously its almost impossible to unite people who are so different and from such different backgrounds, but when you have a common goal of doing the will of the Father we can be united. Tiaon talked on charity, so it was a good complementary sacrament meeting.

(We asked if he was approaching his studies in any new ways.) I've been only reading the Book of Mormon in Kiribati, something I never did before now. I made it over the 2nd nephi hump and have been cruising
since. Just finished Christ's ministry in 3 Nephi and it was awesome. It'll be fun to finish in the mission language. 

(We asked how pday was different from a regular day because they still do a lot of teaching and also go the the primary school each week.) Pday is just slower, we usually eat and sleep more. Sometimes we go fishing or do something else fun like that.

(We asked if he was going to take up fishing after his mission since he has to do it so much.) No, I don't actually enjoy it, I just like having food.

I only way 130/140 right now I think (He was 160 when he left). Super light, but hey that's not a bad thing. I really am healthy, don't worry about it.

Gotta go! Love you all!
love - dal

A Week Of Walking

We were super lucky, the internet lady opened on time for the first time ever since I've been here.

Highlights: Tiaon's bike's rear tire got destroyed under suspicious circumstances... so we may or may not have been WALKING the entire island since Thursday. ouch. It's 2.5 hours out to our southern unit, so lessons were low this week. And my feet hurt. But we are pioneers!

It was LONG. I am sunburned like you wouldn't believe it. I'm in the sun every day, but we were just frying and Tiaon pulled some Kiribati mischief and he made us some hats out of leaves... so that was fun hahaha

It's all good. how was your week though? I had a scary dream about you Saturday night... the island is out of gasoline, so it comes to the island on a big ship, and you were aboard said ship coming to visit me and Tiaon and mom and Ian? But right when it came into view it exploded.... all passengers survived including yourself, and you came ashore via a small dinghy. but you had some serious shock or something. It was a sketchy dream.

(We asked if it is a big deal to be out of gas on the island?)
No gas isn't a big deal - I bought a drum of gasoline about 2 months ago, and we just have it at the house. We use it for the generator for FHE and game night on Fridays, but our members use it as a gas station. They buy their gas in coconuts. So we're fine actually, but the rest of the island is not doing so hot. The drum was expensive, $240, but it's worth it, gas has run out twice since I bought it.(There is actually nothing for them to spend their monthly money on, so this was a pretty good use of his money. The family he lives with and the branch members can all use it. I'm not sure I love a drum of gasoline sitting next to a stick hut, but I guess that's just one of many things I'll try not to think about.)

(We asked about the lady who was recently baptized and the couple who are trying to get married - by Dallin - so they can get baptized.) She's great, came to church fasting and paid tithing yesterday - champion.

Lots of progress for the couple. He's the man. Their paper will be due 2 weeks from Friday, so we'll marry them sometime after that. Pres sent me a paper with an explanation on how to perform a marriage, I haven't read it
yet.

(We have been praying for the members that they will feel unity amidst all the persecution. It was starting to have a negative effect on the group.) They're doing better. I talked on the Pharisees last week and I've had lots of conversations about the concept of living what we know with lots of members over this week. They get the picture and they're doing their best.

When Farley, Risk, and Fausett go home this week I will be the oldest missionary. I got off the plane first out of our intake :)  Tiaon and I have to split in October. Not sure which one of us will go where, but one will stay and one will leave. Whoever stays will acclimate the new missionary on Nikunau, and then leave pretty quick after. We'll see. 

(He asked if he would have time to get a new suit before his homecoming talk in December) I think i'm only bringing home what I'm wearing and very little else honestly. I only really want to bring home my Kiribati tie, and one tie Kalani sent me. I think i might leave suitcases too, because elders here always needing suitcases and they're surprisingly hard to come by. I will bring home meaningful things... one of my goals for the mission has been to create "artifacts" out of some select things, like scriptures, my fan, my white handbook, name tags, crocs, sleeping mat, my belt and a few other things. Those things are the only important things.

Davis, my MTC companion, is our new AP this transfer. I just heard from him. Goofball. He was on Abaiang this whole time I've been here. Seriously though. its impossible to describe this mission.  Life is just crazy here.

Gotta go. 
love, dal