Richard!!! Daddy!!!
I don't have that much money so I'm writing you this as a word document and then I'm gonna send it to you! Then maybe I can answer a few more of your questions!! This week was pretty nice. I have never taught more lessons in one week than any other time on my mission! On top of that we did the "rescue" this week which was on Tuesday all the leaders and the elders quorum got together at the church, paired off with a list on less actives to see and went off and invited them all to come to church! Pretty legit!! The building was packed with people and it really worked! They were excited to do it and were gonna to be doing it every Tuesday from now on! They did it in Kiribati and wards with 100 people eventually had 250-300! And they had to divide the ward! So we're working hard to get those people back to church! I wish our ward back home could do something awesome like that! Who knows maybe you guys did and I just didn't know..
This week I really focused on the oath and covenant of the priesthood. Man that was good. Each week I am trying to deepen my understanding and knowledge of a certain topic and not the obvious ones like Faith and that stuff. Those are good, but I have already done them! Anyways, I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants and just really dug into it. Dang it was awesome. It's cool to learn how important oaths were in the time of Christ and the times of Nephi and how binding they were. They are promises that people back then wouldn't dare break, even unto death. Nothing stronger and more binding. It's so cool to see that we are promised all the Father has if we just do our part which is receiving the priesthood and basically live by every word that proceeds from God. Wow doesn't that just seem easy! Sounds like we get the better half of the deal! I read how was are under an oath and covenant to magnify our callings. If we are a Sunbeams teacher or an apostle, it doesn't matter as long and we do our best, we will receive God's kingdom. Wow!!! I guess if we don't magnify our callings, that would be considered sin. And when we're disobedient in missionary working that's not magnifying my calling. That hit me pretty hard. It really pushed me over the edge to exact obedience. I know I just gotta do my best and The Lord will cover the rest. So go hard in your calling and do work!
That's a couple days of my personal studies. There's ten times more than that but I thought I would give you a taste. This week was pretty good. Finding is difficult in an area like this. But the people here are sooo rich!! Then have like hummers, mustangs, chargers, and just quite a few nice cars! Their houses are pretty nice too! But I have noticed with wealth comes some hardened hearts, but we work through it. Rich or poor, famous or unknown all these people need is this simple message that us Elders have. It's a good time working with Prisbrey. He is really nice and to be honest reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite. I will send a picture home soon for you guys! I think President has some new opportunities to serve and I think I'm gonna be on the island for awhile. My knees are fine and they think it could be Osgood Schlatters or calcium build ups but they don't know. Either way even if I was healthy I think my place to serve is still on the island and I don't mind! I can go out later - I'm in no rush! Whatever God wants of me is what I want for myself. [I LOVE hearing this from him! MOM]
I hope work is going well for you. You have some fun and do something that makes you happy. I was pumped to hear about the gym membership. How is that going to work with Macey and seminary? What's the plan for that? I am not able to go to the gym at the moment and I think I have lost 5-10 pounds in the last month... So yeah I think I am close to 155lbs. I'm gonna weigh myself when I go to the office today! I'm getting pretty toned. I do 200 push ups every night with the perfect push ups. And then do abs and core! Conner's got nothing on me! Give mommy some yokwe! I miss that lady! Go enjoy some chipotle or something for me! Haha you have a good rest of your week! I will try to write a bit after I read your email! Love you dad!!!!!!!!!
Elder Ingalls
Thursday, March 27, 2014
I love you babe!! 3-1-2014
Mom!!
Sorry my email to you is going to be so short!! The computer keeps freezing and it's honestly the most frustrating thing in the world. It sounds like you are having a wonderful time at home and staying busy with the Relief Society. I want the sisters here to be strong like you! I wish wards would do more activities and spend more time strengthening the members and be strong together. It's all good though. The best thing I can do is to strengthen them myself. I can encourage and inform.
Sounds like Macey is in for a treat with that baby doll! [She has to bring home an electronic baby and take care of it for 18 hours, it records how well she does!] I remember when she had dolls and stuff when she was just that cute little 3 year old. That's the Macey I know best! I miss that girl tell her to email me!!! She's the worst out of all the kids!! Haha I don't have much time to email you so I won't get to check anyone else's emails!! [She did email him this week (probably out of guilt, but whatever!)]
I wrote Dad a nice long one because he needs to hear from his son!! It was one of my better emails that I have written and more spiritual! Nothing is really new with the work so I am focusing on my studies and more spiritual things. I'm gonna try and answer your questions but I gotta bounce so maybe I can hop in today after sports and shopping and stuff!
I hope you have a good week!! I love you babe!!
Elder Ingalls
Happy Birthday to You, MOM!!!!! 2-23-2014
HAPPPPPPPYYYYY BIRTHDAYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
are you 24 or 25 I forget? I wish I could take you on a fun date for your birthday but I guess that will just have to wait until next year!
Anyways....
How are you doing cutie pie? Life is awesome here and I am loving every second of it. Its difficult. I can definitely say that as time goes on it gets easier but some assignments are harder than others and some investigators are just more difficult. Prisbrey and I made a goal to find males ages 17 and up. Just because we wanna focus on bringing more priesthood holders into the church and hopefully being able to send some people on missions! That would be the coolest thing! So the work is going well and I have no complaints about it. I am just trying to really study and get the most out of my studies. I almost feel a tad bit selfish but, boy, am I getting good at the bible and the Book of Mormon. I always wondered why they had classes at BYU for the returned missionaries… probably because I don’t think I would ever stop talking and answering everything and giving my inputs…
Its all good. Church is crazy… the members don’t really understand the teaching manuals and a lot of them are not translated into Marshallese so that is a challenge…. The members here are great and strong but just some don’t know portions of the gospel because of the language barrier!!! I love them though! They try hard and its fun to see how different the people are here, but the church is the exact same thing here too!!
I really don’t know what else to write in my emails anymore… I empty of saying things… but I have a bit longer. I wanna just share how much I love this gospel and know that its true. Its amazing and it is the only one to help people progress. No other religion gives progression as a result of repentance. Its so true. Just taking a step back and looking at all religions.. Ours just gives the most hope and the best outcome. And the things we have to do only lift us up and give us blessings of peace. I know that this church is true. I’ve known it for awhile, but never really understood. They always say you only can truly know something once you can teach it fully to another person. And that’s what missionary work does for us. It just gives us a chance to teach other people and by doing so, my faith and knowledge is at an all time high! I really have been studying the restoration and the apostacy and just have been focusing on how to teach that. Its been wonderful and I am learning so much that will prepare me for the rest of my life. Obedience is the lock and Sacrifice is the key.
I love you mommy so much. I am happy to hear about everything you are doing! I haven’t got any packages yet, but I will be going to the mission office today so hopefully!! Say hi to everyone for me!! Especially Kevin and Sara and Trayson! Never hear much from them but I think about them a lot!! I love you all and hope you have an amazing weeks!! Ask questions, share your testimony, advice, quotes, stories etc with me! I am on the weak end of replying to it all, but I really want to hear about it all and read it!! Love you babe
Elder Ingalls
My house flooded. Really bad... 2-16-2014
Jina!
That's mom in Marshallese! How are you doing? How's life? How's Dad? How's Macey? How are the brothers? How's the weather? How's the food? Tell me everything!
Everything is going well... I have some bad news though.. My house flooded. Really bad... The power went out Thursday morning and one of the sinks was randomly left on in the bathroom and the vent was clogged in the bathroom and we didn't know it.. Well the power came back on at like noon and the sink started going! We didn't get back to the house until about 9 o'clock and there was water running off of balcony and down the stairs to our apartment... We rushed inside and little did we know our sink was left on for about 9 hours... The house had about 3-4 inches of water in it... Sooo yeah that was a late night of trying to take crummy brooms and brush the water down the stairs and out the balcony... Haha we live in a house and we have the top floor! Lots of my letters and notebooks got ruined, my quad scriptures are ruined and some of my pictures :/ my suitcases were in the water too so my clothes got wet but they should be fine. Uhhh talk about a challenging week! It's okay though we eventually got all the water house and just trying to air this place out and make sure there is no mold! My suitcases are fine and most of my stuff is fine except for my scriptures- the only thing that I wish would not have gotten wet... So I hate to ask but I'm going to need a new quad,the binding is broken and falling apart. I seriously wanna cry I have put a year of studying and work into those so I'm gonna need a new set. If there is a way you can send me a new one that would be wonderful! I only have a Marshallese set right now.. Haha. But if you can send me a new set, try to get the ones like Dad's. I like the smaller ones. And maybe a scripture case for it as well. Whatever you can get its good. [I already bought them and sent them too him - hopefully, he will get them soon!] And I could use 2 new pairs if pants. The ones grandma sent me were great except the zipper broke a couple days ago!!! Shucks!! Still a size 32. Some khaki tan slim pants would be nice. Whatever works! Take your time. [I already sent him those too! Good mom award goes to me!] There is a fine line between patience and not caring and sometimes I think I have just learned not to care haha
So yeah that was a highlight of the week I took some videos of me jumping in the puddles and what not... Kinda funny! Other than my jeje ko rekwojarjar! (Scriptures!) this week has been kind of slow.. We didn't get to see that many people just because everyone was gone! I have no idea where they all were but it was so slow!! The lessons we did have were awesome, but just not many! It's hard going from working in really populated areas to areas where there is just nobody! Haha it's hard for me to remember all the months I spent out in Arrak with slow work! But it's good. Prisbrey and I are very new to the area and still trying to figure out where members live and see who's active and who's not! It's fun. And if it's not, I make it fun! Missionary work is fun! I don't think I would enjoy it as much anywhere else! But it's good! I'm glad to be where I'm at and I can't believe how fast it is going!
Yesterday was 13 months... Dang!! That feels good. It's nice not because of the fact that I'm going home, but the fact that I'm getting better and better at what I'm doing! It just gets easier and easier. It's gonna be weird stopping what I'm doing. I just feel like this is my job and this is gonna be what in doing for the rest of my life! It's cool! I didn't think I would ever feel that way! I was talking to Dad a little bit of how I was studying about sacrifice! It's cool how what I consider to be a sacrifice is different that what I considered it to be a year ago, or even a couple of months ago! Perfection in my work and fine tuning is what I'm focusing on now. It's difficult to throw away bad habits or stop doing some worldly things, but I can accomplish and I receive blessings such as confidence in the language or better understanding of gospel principles or just being happier. It's nice.
Rita north is a good area! There's a reason I was to go here and stay here for a bit rather than to go to Ailinglaplap right now. I was so upset, but there has been some mission changing things that I've learned here that are preparing to me to eventually serve somewhere else! Who knows! I'm happy to work here. The knees are fine. Just poor healthcare here. The doctor asked me what I wanted him to do about it... Haha he held the X-rays up to the ceiling fan light... Haha it's different here. So your son might need to have back surgery for knee problems! Haha just kidding.
Sometimes I think to myself how different this place is!! Like seriously everything. It's gonna be so hard to adjust to the people and the way things are when I get home! Me and Prisbrey were just talking about it and we could list soooo many things... Haha it's just funny I think a rich person has a fridge and running water.... And the way people dress. They are very modest here. Thank goodness I'm going home in the winter, but even then girls find ways to do it. And driving fast in a car. I think the fastest I have been was like 55mph and I was freaking out!!! Just because the roads are rough and barely 2 lanes! I think driving on snow is something I'm definitely going to have to ease into. It's just a different world down here. I don't think people understand what land really is, or how many people 100,000 actually is, or that there aren't lagoons and that my house is a 2-3 day drive to the ocean.... Haha just funny!
So yeah this week was good. I'm writing this all before I read your email so I will send this and then maybe try to write a smaller one to answer any questions or what not. Love you mom so much, you are the best! Happy valentines day, happy birthday pretty soon! Happy everything! be back in a couple months! you're the best!
Love your favorite elder/son
Elder Ingalls
Ps I loveeeeeeeee you
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Happy Valentine's Day 2-9-2014 (13 months)
Mom!!
What's up babe? Hope you are doing well. My time is Rita is pretty slow but I have never been working harder. Rita is the end of the island in the town side! Pretty nice place. Some pretty well off people live here so it's cool seeing nice cars and semi big houses! Haha I can't even really imagine our house... Like carpet, ac in every room, electricity... 2 stories... What the heck we were spoiled. Anyways Elder Prisbrey is the man! And his first name is Dallin as well! Haha pretty funny. It's weird working with somebody older than me... He's decent at Marshallese. He kinda has an accent and just sounds like an American belle... But it's decent. I still learn a lot from him. He's really obedient and I just try to be even more obedient haha it's fun :) we're getting some serious work done here!
We don't have many members in this area... Rita is split up into 3 areas and each and like 4 football fields by 3 football fields... Haha and that's what we have to work in! It's so much different than Jenrok because there really aren't that many people here.. I'm used to just hundreds of kids just wandering around and mobbing me when I came by! I miss that place. I still think Jenrok was one of my favorite places to work on my mission so far. Rita is legit because it is the very edge of the island and there are like 3 outer islands tha,t on low tide we can walk to and we actually have some less actives there as well as some investigators! Everything is cool here. We work with some YSA kids and its legit. They don't have anything to do so they come walk around and work with us all day. Its so legit cuz they help us out cuz they know everybody and we just speak only Marshallese. Its tight. Gets you way good at the language really fast!! It's weird being the younger companion and it's hard to adjust to the knowledge of someone who is more experienced! This time next week will be my 13 months mark! Where is the time going.... It's so crazy. Just way fast. It's weird reading my entries in my journal a year ago and reading how I thought this language was so hard and all this stuff. But I feel pretty good now! It's so easy to speak and I swear I sometimes think in the language! I bet Tanner and Logan both said the same thing about always knowing their language... And it's true it's hard for me to imagine the time when I didn't know it... And just saying stuff around the new elders, it's like come on guys this is so simple and easy... How do they not get it??? Then I read my journal a year ago about how frustrated I was about the language... Haha weird. I haven't had too many solid solid lessons lately because we don't have too many people to study with, but I get to bear my testimony a lot and give people a two minute lesson about the church. You don't tract here in the Marshall's, you kinda just run into people. Haha it's interesting. In doing that, I tell a lot of people about the church and if I can't get them believe, at least they can see the absolute conviction in my eyes that I know it's true. I haven't prayed in English since July... I honestly think I'm gonna suck when I get home... Life's good though. These people need me to be able to pray in their language so they can really feel the spirit. It's cool one lady we met who has being studying with the elders forever who knows perfect English, who usually studies with the elders in English asked if we could just study in Marshallese because she said my Marshallese as well as Prisbreys was the best and most fluent she has ever heard from elders before! Legit. It's a blessing because I feel like I wouldn't be able to do it in English!
Ijela ke jerbal in ej mol im ij yokwe iien in ao me imaron bed lo majol im kwalok gospel eo nan ro motta. Ebin ao tomak bwe elap tokjen jan ao jerbal in mijinede. Naij lukkuun missi baamle e ao kab aolepen menin jerammon ko ao. Ij kamool bwe anij ej yokwe kijuij kajojo. Ejela kajjied. Naij jar ekijen baamle eo ao kab aolepen ro motta ilo jekan bwe ren bok jerammon ko jan ao jerbal in mijinede. Naij lukkuun missi likatu ippa im ikonaan ba nan eok bwe ij katar eok im mottan wot jidik kwonaaj bed ippa. Naij yokwe eok momma. anij ippam
Its just hard for me to believe that you cant understand that... Like that's so easy to me and so basic.. Haha someday I will explain it for you guys. I'm really working on the language these days to start really being comfortable and confident to find new people and just be as outgoing as I can. It's weird how it just becomes easier to speak to people in Marshallese.. Haha it's weird talking in Marshallese to other elders but with some it's so legit! Even when I speak English I use Marshallese words because they just work better and the elders here are all pretty fluent in Marshallese! Pretty crazy to think in 5 weeks or so, my intake [The young men he travelled to the Marshall Islands with 13 months ago] will be the 2nd oldest group of elders in the mission! What the heck!!! There was a huge gap where no elders came in for a couple months so yeah the next elders to basically go home is Parkinson's intake! Man I miss that guy! I think he was my all time favorite companion and I just loved working with him so much!! It's funny I'm in Rita which is one side of the island and he is in Laura right now which is the other side if the island!
You know you have been here too long when you start thinking this island is big... Haha boy am I in for a treat haha anyways, whitewashing for the 4th on my mission is tough, but it's nice to have a fresh start and try to get an area jump started again! President has some real faith in me! I'll probably be here for the next. 4-6 weeks and then probably be able to bounce to my outer island! Haha well hopefully! My knees aren't bad and they are just making sure everything is going well first. No worries. You guys have nothing to worry about!
How are my brothers and my sister doing?? I hope Macey kills it at State this year! I feel really stupid but I'm 90% sure she is a sophomore...? I couldn't remember if I come home when she is a senior or not... Man I suck. Haha the boys sound pretty good out there in Utah! Motorcycles huh? Haha I guess dreams do come true! I saw some pictures of them and boy am I jealous! I think I might get a blue or red or black one depending on what Tanner eventually gets! I can't believe this semester is half way over for those guys right? Man I thought my 9 weeks at BYU for summer was long! But that's only like a transfer and a half! That's nothing!!! Crazy to think I'm 7 transfers from coming home! That's probably gonna be like 2 or 3 more areas depending if I go to an outer island eventually... anyways, the kids... Any big news with then that I gotta know about? Nobody is prison? Married? Death? Aced a hard test? Learned a new language? Forget a language? How's mcdonalds and chipotle? Those guys were my best friends. I hope they wait for me. Nothing gets me trunkier that talking about cars and Texas Roadhouse steak! Haha it's weird seeing shacks here but they got camaros, chargers, there's a 300c here and some other way nice cars. Haha they really take the humble house, nice cars approach to the max!
I gotta bounce now cuz the internet is probably gonna shut off soon! I'm being super careful! Tell everyone I love them and I'll see everyone in a couple months! Peace out and love u suga ;)
Elder Ingalls <3
Ps I love you
I work in Rita 2-2-14
I typed up an email on a word document and the computer shut off cuz the power went out for a couple minutes... So that's the status of everything today... Stinks because I was basically done and I don't have the time to rewrite it...
This week was good with me. I work in Rita which is the end of the island on the town side it's like suburbs. Haha well compared to the city. I work with the district leader right now who is Elder Prisbey. He is the man. He came from Ebrye and we are both whitewashing the area so it's been an interesting week.
My investigators... I don't really know them but there is one guy named Jimmy who is really cool. We are talking to him about baptism and law of chastity and we said he could get married or live some where else and he was just like " I'm gonna get rid of her by next week " hahaha it was so funny! He's the man.
Congrats to Macey on State [dance competition]!! Way impressed! Say hi to everyone for me! Love you all bunches. Hopefully next week goes better! Give the yokwe to dad especially! I loved your emails but I just can't really respond. I love you so much. I'm gonna tell you more stories next week!
Love Elder Ingalls
Ps I'm happy
Don't you worry about me! 1-26-2014
Yo Mom!
I'm fine and not going to die so don't you worry about me! I don't get much time to email here in Rita because we have to pay for it and I don't have any money in the budget to spend on that! So they will be short. haha sorry!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)