Mom!!
Well... All I can say is I can't believe it's already January. What the heck, time flies! This time last year I was freaking out about leaving for 2 years and now I'm freaking out about coming home in a year. I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do with myself when I get home... It's weird. I was just thinking about it... It's like playing tennis all day everyday for two years straight, but literally do nothing else. Wake up study's about it and practice then go play all day, then plan about playing tomorrow. 2 years of hardcore training and then after 2 years, quit, and never play tennis again. That's gonna be jacked up. I know I will always be a member missionary and stuff but you know what I mean. No more hard core training and language stuff after 2 years of it is gonna mess me up hard. Tanner and Logan I don't think we're too bad but they also had technology and stuff similar to home. For me... Haha it's gonna be legit. There are rumors of me going to Ailinglaplap which is an outer island here! Nothing is final but I will know in the next 3-4 weeks! If I do, it'll will be "see you in June" cuz they don't have internet there!
My quote of the week: I will be more perfected in 2 years of trials and hardship than in a lifetime without them.
This week was legit! New Years here was pretty crazy! They blocked off their only road and had a huge block party with like the whole island on it! It was so bomb! Awesome fun, they had a live band and tons and tons of booths for stuff! Way fun and they had some fireworks!!! I was so bwilon kake!!! (Amazed) it was a way good week. This week was good with me. We did some serious work and had some serious fun! We went to the ward New Years party and we, the Elders did a dance and we did the dance to the chacha slide... Haha it was fun, they don't know English so they didn't realize that the song literally tells us what to do! Elder Faleono and me got 4 investigators and 16 less actives to come back to church today! It was huge!! There were almost 200 people at church!!! It was crazy I was pumped!!! Dang that was so cool. I felt like one of the best missionaries ever!! Haha I know it's not me but still! It also helps that church is at 1 now! Haha everyone wants to come then!
So it hasn't really rained here for almost 3 weeks.... Haha that's when the no bathing for a day or 2 or 5 comes into play! Haha and the laundrymats are out so we get the blessing of doing out laundry while we take showers! Haha pretty soon if it doesn't rain here in the next week we get to shower in the lagoon! This island really needs water so help pray for rain! Haha I'm really getting pumped for all the new things that are happening! 7 new elders come at the end of this month and 13 new elders come the end of February! About half the missionaries in the Marshall Islands are going to be under 3 months old by the time march comes! That's crazy to think about! These kiddies are so young!!! It's hard for me to remember the days a year ago when I didn't know one word of Marshallese! I feel like it was always a part of me and that I always knew it! Haha pretty weird because I read in my journal just 6 months back and I read about how frustrated I was not ever knowing what was going on or what was being spoken!! I'm not fluent but I'm on a quick path to get there! I really am challenging myself to learn it faster and better. I try to learn 10 new words a day and force myself to speak Marshallese to my companion even though it's so frustrating for us to tell stories and everything because we're American. Desire is the drive.
How are the boys liking it in Utah? Are they all moved in! I hope their apartment is better than Tanner's apartment when I was there. That place was pretty small. It's crazy to think that now, that place is large compared to where I live and the houses the people have here! This mission is really humbling me in that fact. I feel a lot more fortunate to have what I have.
Jenrok is my favorite area so far [He seems to say that about every one of his areas!]. The members are the nicest, there are a lot of investigators, and I am just happy to be here. It helps that I know enough of the language to make jokes and just have fun so the people really open up to me then it's easy to teach them and for them to be accepting and really feel the Spirit. I think that each area I have next is gonna be my favorite because I am just getting better at communicating with people and being a better missionary. I want to go to an outer island, but I love Jenrok so much right now I really wanna stay here for another couple of months too! Who knows?
How's everything going at home?? You guys all sounded so good on the Skype. I'm glad it worked out wonderfully. I am writing all these emails before checking mine so I don't know what questions you are gonna ask so I will send this and then maybe send a smaller one! How does Macey like being the princess of the house now? Give it a year and daddy D [I guess this means, him?] is back in town to run that place again haha
S/O to the friends and family also. You guys are amazing. I think about you guys a lot and I spend a lot of my days telling these people of some people who's skin is whiter than soap all the stories and the things I did back home with them! They are amazed when I show them pics of Justice or Duke cuz they all think just white people live there! Well, Justice is like the whitest black person I know... haha hopefully he reads that. And someone ask Duke if he ever got my letter.. I probably sent it to the wrong penthouse.... My b. anyways to my friends I love all you guys. I hope you guys are all doing well. Miss you all bunches. This time next year I hope you guys will be getting ready to party and celly my coming home again. Haha see you all in a couple
To the ward: yokwe family :) how's the best ward in the world doing?? I miss you all! I hope you guys can recognize this little brown kid coming home talking funny next year! I haven't quite forgetten English yet but my family says otherwise! I hope you all individually are doing well. See the missionaries around? Take advantage of those guys, feed them, drive them, work with them, make them work harder!! It took me being a missionary to realize the importance of missionary work... Don't follow that lead. Just get out and do it. I spend two years of my life with a name badge serving The Lord when in reality I will take off that badge, but continue doing the things I'm doing right now for the rest of my life. So take part, and do your part! I love you all. See you guys soon. I'm gonna be right back.
Okay back to you mom! I just wanna write you a mushy love letter cuz you are cute and deserve some love for your favorite son :) I just wanna tell you how much I love and adore you mommy! There are some great moms here that take me in and are wonderful to me and some remind me of you, but they are not you :) simply cuz you're the best :) I'm so spoiled to have parents like you guys! But then again I don't think I could have it any other way! I can't wait to come home and cuddle with you and watch some dumb girl movie :) and the bachelor... Omg. Haha but yeah I can't wait to take you on some dates and to just be around you!! These 2 years is hard because you never really have a family and I'll never have my mommy. That's the thing I miss most, even more than chipotle, my car (believe it or not), girls, Steve :), and everything else that's awesome :) this year went by so fast and this next one is gonna fly faster. I love you babe :)
I gotta bounce talk to you soon!!
Your favorite son Elder Ingalls
