2-19-17 Just when I thought I was getting darker...

NAMSTE HAMAR BAHUT JULUM PARIWAAR!!

SORRY I have very little time today, but for a good reason. I haven't heard from Filipino Elder Ishibashi in a while now, though I try to check in on his blog every now and again. Anyway, he wrote me last week! I spent all my time responding to him, so my bad for the short letter BUT this last week was pretty uneventful anyway.

Today, I just wanna share two experiences I recorded in my journal over the last week. 

The first occurred on Monday.

"Tonight, I saw something that changed me. It wasn't HUGE or immaculate or anything, but it shook me a bit. In a good way.

I look at my companion every day in his white shirt and tie, name badge and backpack. A missionary. I wake up every morning and pick a tie for the day, clip on my name badge, slip on my sandals and leave the flat ready for another day of sharing the gospel. 

Tonight, we were privileged to join the Inoke family for dinner and FHE. As we sat in their beautiful home with them after dinner, I caught a glimpse of the television screen. It was off, but the image on the screen still shocked me. It simply reflected Elder Datoon and I sitting on their couch. 

What shocked me was that I'd seen that image all my life. Two young men in white shirts and ties, badges clipped just above their hearts, sitting in front of me. For an instant, I felt like I was back home; like we'd just finished a meal and we had all gathered in the living room, sitting, waiting for whatever spiritual meal the missionaries had prepared for us to top off the night. Except this time, it was different. I wasn't on my couch with my family waiting for the missionaries to share a message. I was sitting in front of another family, on their couch. This small family sat quietly and patiently before me, waiting for whatever spiritual meal Elder Datoon and I had prepared for them to top off the night. 

I loved and respected the elders all my life (maybe sometimes I wasn't stoked to have them over because I'd rather be on facebook or watching TV, but I did appreciate them) for the example they set for me. Now more than ever. It hit me good seeing that reflection and thinking "Woah. I'm one of them." I'm one of the young men I looked up to all my life, and I reckon it's time for me to BE that example that the missionaries were to me growing up."

The second occurred on Wednesday.

"This morning, something weird happened. I was awakened an hour before the alarm went off by a voice. I heard Lehia, clear as anything ever, whisper into my ear "Ohu..." Maybe it was one of the babies, because it sounded like Lehia when he was younger, but I heard it. JUST next to my ear. I could almost feel the breath on my cheek.

Disoriented, I responded. "Huh?"

No answer. What does he want??

"What?"

As you can imagine, it was a little scary opening my eyes and seeing that I was in the flat, but it was mostly just odd.

Hm. Maybe they're thinking about me! That's a nice thought. Anyway, today's gonna be a good day!"

I thought it might have been Elder Datoon for a second, who could have whispered in my ear and jumped back over to his bed knowing I'd be too disoriented to notice. However, I told him about it later and asked "What's my name? What does my family call me back home?" (I've told him once)

He seems to have genuinely forgotten haha. 

ANYWAYS, I'll just share one last experience because I'm out of time already.

This is straight out of my letter to Elder Ishibashi-Cauayan:

"Elder Datoon and I ate lunch with a family last week Sunday and talked to one of the returned missionaries in the family. She returned from her 18 month service in the Philippines, Bacolod Mission last year. I looove listening to her mission stories. One reason is that they give me a bit insight as to what you're doing, the problems Filipino missionaries face and the incomparable love of the Filipino people. Another reason is that the Philippines missions sound wayyy sick and humbling as a whole. She told me a story about how she and her companion were teaching a lesson one day when it suddenly started pouring rain. In this village, when it pours, it floods. The garbage bins are low enough where the rain water will carry the trash out of the bins and through the village. Sister Meci's companion was allergic to dirty water, and they had an appointment in 10 minutes in a village ten minutes away. Sister Meci suggested that she call another pair of sisters nearby for exchanges, where one would stay with the companion (I'll call her Sister Chrissy) in the safety of the home and the other would tread through the infected water to the appointment with Sister Meci. Sister Chrissy faithfully turned down her suggestion, sure that the Lord would protect her for the sake of the waiting family ten minutes away. She shared with Sister Meci an experience that occurred during zone conference several transfers previous to Sister Meci's arrival. Sister Chrissy told the mission president about her condition and asked him what she should do in a situation such as the current one. The mission president simply said this:

"Sister, if the rain is stronger than your faith, then you can stay home."

As Sister Meci and Sister Chrissy walked through the village, their shins brushing up against dirty diapers and discarded, rotting food, Sister Meci talked and joked with her companion to keep her mind off the burning sensation Sister Chrissy must have been feeling under the water. When they finally arrived at the steps of the next home, both sisters examined Sister Chrissy's shins. Expecting to find them red and swollen, it was a pretty huge tesimony builder for Sister Meci to find her companion's legs completely unscathed. 

I've been able to gain a strong testimony of having faith in the toughest of circumstances. Some things may seem ridiculous or even useless, like knocking on the gate of a green house (which 90% of the time is a muslim house), but NOTHING is impossible with the Lord's assistance."

Sorry about the short letter, just know that this last week was, though uneventful, great!

Elder Datoon and I are in GREAT health and spirits! OH some exciting news: Tabokai, our Kiribati investigator, is set to enter the waters of baptism in two weeks! Way good kid, looking forward to his progression!

In response to the letters:

I'm glad ward conference was a success!! and I'm glad you all left spiritually well-fed. Interesting to see how the new chapel thing works out!

You KNOW I'm so looking forward to eating all the fish you catch in every way you can possibly prepare it. 

WOOOO Yasmine! Please give my aloha to the Tubbs and the Autrata families! What a blessing!

and WOOOOOOOOO HERBERT AND JAZAMINE! I'm stoked out of my mind right now thinking that I'll be welcomed home by two new niblings! Maybe three, I donno, 16 months is a pretty long time. But MAN I'm so glad our family is doing well is bringing all these spirit children down here. How blessed are we (and them for being born into our awesome family)!

I feel so fortunate to have the family that I've been blessed with so tenderly by a loving father in heaven, thank you all so much for your prayers and efforts! I love you all, have a great week!

Ham aaplogke bahut BAHUT pyaar karta hai, hamar julum pariwaar!!

Kial rakna!

Elder Ishibashi

PS "Just when I thought I was getting darker..."

We often visit a woman who'd recently received a calling after being inactive for a while. She humbly lives with her three children in a Hart community for single women. Every time we go over, I'm enthusiastically greeted by a young boy who lives in the community. 

"KAIVUALGI! BULA!"

Now in Fiji, it's completely normal for kids to scream "KAIVULAGI" (haole) when they see a white person. It's how they acknowledge them. Apparently, I'm kaivulagi here. Vinaka, taciqu, vinaka sara.

Also pretty funny because I asked this obviously-fijian kid "O iko kai cava?" (What's your kai/ethnicity?)

"Kai India..." without hesitation.

Welp. I guess if this kid is Indian, I am white.

 

Tryna be inconspicuous in the internet cafe. Sorry there will be a drop in quality selfies! Some kids took my camera for five minutes and when they returned it, the flip screen doesn't work anymore. When I lift it, the screen goes black. Anyways, SORRY ABOUT THE LACK OF MORE PICS I didn't take many this last week anyway. I LOVE YOUS!!