It's cool how inspired this work is!!

Hey Mom,
Its your favorite son. Dallin. So today is the big 8th month mark!!! I can't believe that I have made it this far!! Very impressed with myself!! Haha I can't believe that I am 1/3 done… What the heck… This is flying for me. I can't believe how far I am with the language, that I am working with somebody younger than me, that I have opened up a new area and started from scratch… its pretty crazy all the things I have done so far. I am glad to have worked on both sides of the island here!! Many of the Elders here have been to outer islands but have never even been on the west side of the Atoll…. Haha its pretty funny!! Some people never get out to that side so I am really happy to have gone there!! Its completely different than the work here. Its hard to believe that I am still on the same island, just 30 miles down the road!!

So lets review, in the last 8 months:
Favorite new food: sashimi, raw fish. It’s the best, and I really enjoy it. Idk if I’m gonna like the fish when we get home, but I like the fish here. Maybe it will be just a 2 year thing… haha probably… we will see I guess. And coconuts… love them. Don’t get to have too many on this side of the island, but I love them. Idk if I will like coconut flavored candies or foods, but I know that I love the real deal now!!
Favorite Word: Jumbo - Just walking around, chatting, visiting, doing anything. Just cruising. Basically the best thing to do here in the islands is jumbo. Its probably my favorite word. I’m definitely gonna use it when I get home. I read in a textbook that had all the countries and a little bit about them, that “Jumbo” means the art of walking around to visit and chat with people and is “a national pastime in the Marshalls Islands” haha what the heck. Whoever wrote that is crazy… haha
Favorite thing to do: Volleyball. For sure.  Haha I swear the 8 year olds are as good as the adults, but they are all good.  Its fun playing the kids, cuz I am pretty much taller than 90% of the island and I can jump to the moon. So yeah I love playing with them! Some of the Elders here are pretty good at the game as well. Its awesome.
Favorite thing to do on pday: email Mom
Favorite scripture: John 14:18, its just comforting. I really break the scriptures apart and study them and its one of my new favs!

So this last week. It was pretty good. Looks like I might be whitewashing a new area next transfer. So that would be crazy… I will probably still be with Dui or another new guy. Haha I’m up for the challenge. I was talking to President and he is saying how I am a missionary that is easy to get along with and I can really handle any type of missionary, so he told me I might be the one that gets put with the difficult guys cuz I can handle it and try and help them…. What the heck…. But it’s cool that he sees that in me and that I can better myself by helping these guys. So we will see… haha

This week I am not speaking English. That’s gonna be interesting haha I have gone full days where I haven’t spoken English, but a week is going to be so hard. But regardless, I will be doing it!!

So Conner at BYUI huh!! How is he saying he's liking it?? I bet he is having a blast!! I hope he can adjust well. He’s lucky to have friends out there and people he knows. I never got that… But I made some ballin friends out there that’s for sure!! Speaking of Bunji and Geoff, I will email you their emails separately cuz I have to look them up!! But I’m sure they would loveeeee if you sent them mail and such!! They are cool, I get to email them quite a bit and try and send a few letters here and there. I have really really slowed down with the letter writing because I can email now, and I am just so busy… but I try to at least get you letters. I am going to send home about 350 pictures next week. I am nervous because you guys haven’t sent me a new memory card and I have one but it cant hold that many pics on it… so send on quick!!

Give the yokwe to everyone for me!! I feel like a ton of people broke their hands or something because the letters have been lacking lately… haha at least that better be the reason ;) just kidding no worries as long as I hear from mommy, nobody else really matters. But it never hurts to get a ton of mail or something haha birthday is coming up soooo

Let's see what else can I tell you about this week…. I’m getting less stressed about things. I am getting used to talking to investigators more, just relying more on myself, and trying to help Duiriba the best I can. This was a good week. We try hard. I have learned a lot. I am trying to read the Book of Mormon with the BYU class manuals and really try and become an expert on the scriptures. That is my focus these days. I really wanna get better at them. I feel pretty confident to share and explain scriptures, but I wanna just know them better, really study them and be awesome at them. My mish is the time to do it!! I got all the time in the world! Haha So we will see how that is going a month or two from now!! Hopefully well!

I have really learned a lot while I have been out here!! I know this is the mission for me. And Heavenly Father knows I couldn’t manage anywhere else!! I talk to a few people that are serving missions right now all over the world and, boy, is it crazy to hear their stories and experiences and then try and relate them to mine!! They are just so different and I don’t know if I could do what they are doing and I don’t think they could do what I am doing! Its cool how inspired this work is!! I hope Conner serves soon!! I am so blessed to be here!

I love you guys. Sorry my email is short, but I tried to make it sweet!! We don’t have that much time cuz the internet wasn’t working!! I love you fam, love you friends. You all stay safe and remember I’m thinking about you guys over here on the other side of heaven. 8 months down… a couple more to go!
Love, Elder Ingalls the great

PS [I guess he forgot what he was going to PS because he never got around to it! LOL]