3-26-17 Been a week

Namaste hamaar bahut julum pariwaar!!

MAN, where to begin.

I guess I'm 20 now, aye? Funny thing is that transfer day fell on the 24th of March, so I was so preoccupied with other things that I forgot entirely that it was my birthday until the sisters called that night to wish me a happy birthday. It's good because I was able to focus completely on the work all day without the distraction of any selfish thoughts. I totally see it as a blessing!

Speaking of transfers, hamaar paas ek nawa sathi hai! I have a new companion!

Elder Mokie is from PNG and has been out for 22 months, SO it's anticipated that I will be killing Elder Mokie here in Nasinu! This means that either 1. I will be serving in Nasinu for the next three months and Nasinu will be whitewashed when Elder Mokie finishes, OR 2. I will serve in Nasinu for the next four and a half months, receiving a new companion after Elder Mokie for one transfer so that they don't have to whitewash the area. It'll definitely be an interesting next three months, whatever happens! I'm excited to serve with Elder Mokie here in Nasinu, his stories about PNG are crazy and we like comparing our cultures and languages. Imu in PNG is mumu, just so you know.

Yesterday at a lunch appointment with a family in the ward, Elder Mokie asked the father (served in the UN force for like 30 years) a question, to which he responded in full Tok Pisin (the national language of PNG. He was actually speaking the dialect they speak in Vanuatu where he was stationed, but they're close enough to where they're both understandable to the other nation). Another fun little fact, Tok Pisin is literally just a fob pronunciation of 'talk pidgin'. Just like Hawaiian Creole, Tok Pisin is just a mix of English, Hiri Motu, German, and several other languages of the people that have history there. Tok Pisin follows the sentence structure of Hiri Motu but chucks in random mix-plate words, like Hawaiian Pidgin follows the Hawaiian structure but we use words with Portuguese and Japanese influences. It really is a super interesting culture and language, I'm stoked to get to know more about it. Aside from that, Elder Mokie has a strong testimony of missionary work and I look forward to carrying out whatever work we can/will get done together!

Other than the several birthday celebrations put on by my awesome district mates and ward members, and transfers, the last week has been pretty normal. Leading the area over the last few days has been a bit difficult honestly, but I feel the Lord guiding me when I need it most.

I'm glad everything is going well back home! Talk of the pohoiki ward camp made me miss Hawaii and the ward heaps, those camping trips have spawned some of my most treasured memories. I'm overjoyed that our ward is leading the stake in missionary work, but also a little afraid of the idea of our ward splitting. Please give my aloha to the ward!

Please send me Makana's email, I don't think I have it. Coincidentally, I've been asked to give a training in district meeting this next week on the benefits of serving a mission. I'm still compiling some of the countless reasons I can think of, but one I thought of that I reckon I could share with Makana is that it will bless him in unimaginable ways for the rest of his life. You learn independence, tolerance, patience, humility, diligence, perseverance, and countless other things in ways that you otherwise never could have. I know that's pretty vague, but I'll be more specific with him haha.

U'i, thanks so much for the pictures and videos!!

Anyways, I'm heading out now. I love you all so much! Elder Mokie and I are in great health and spirits. Thank you all for everything, the birthday wishes and the prayers and everything else!

Ham aaplogke bahut pyaar karta hai, aaplogke hafta me kushii raho!

Khyaal rakna!

Elder Ishibashi-Fiji