14 July 2009
Nepong Allim Ami!
It sounds like it’s non-stop back at home, man you guys are busy people. Keep it up! McKenzie good luck with Zones coming up, that’ll be fun! I’m sure you’ll do super. I mean since you can claim islander blood and you’re going to swim on an island you’ll do amazing!
Thank you for that information on our ancestors and you bet I’ll claim islander lineage, I knew there was something to our family being so cool and it’s because we’re islanders. Just from the Atlantic side, ha.
That story was neat about Nathaniel Wells Dad, thanks. I thought, before my mission, that family history work was for old people but man I like it, and I haven’t even done any! Ha But the magnificent importance of it for our salvation and for the salvation of our progenitors gets me pumped! Ha
We had a great week! All the elders came in for shopping and no one was injured and they all returned safely. They stayed the night so the “house” was torn apart but it’s always fun and I enjoy their company.
We have two baptisms this weekend, their names are Peter-s and Keinin, they’re great. We set two more baptismal (?) last week as well which look super promising. One in particular named Sewel is the head of a large family. He is intelligent, perceptive and looking for the truth. He could be a key to a flood of baptisms through his family. I pray that he may come to know with a surety the truthfulness of this Church because he could become a leader and bring many souls unto Christ. He has already attended church and plans to continue. He is consistent in reading the Book of Mormon and he took a priesthood manual home from church and read that. At our next meeting with him he had wonderful, fantastic, amazing questions about the priesthood and when they were answered the Spirit was penetrating and memorable. I know he had a witness from the Spirit that the authority is in our Church alone. Good stuff!
While the elders were in this past week we had another neat experience. While we were all waiting for them to email on the one working computer (why doesn’t he email us?), a drunk man with a metal pole was running around outside. He was bashing the ground, bashing trees and everything in sight. Apparently he was bored with trees and rocks so screaming like a maniac he ran over to our truck and bashed the side window in. Then ran into the road and stopped traffic and knocked the hood of a car in. I was outside for all of this and thoughts of running and tackling him were going through my mind until I imagined my skull being the hood of the car he just slammed. So I didn’t. But some other guys came flying by in a flat bed truck throwing rocks at him. Ha So he threw the pole and ran off into the forest.
It caused enough commotion the police showed up. They looked at our truck, looked at the pole and dented car hood. Gave us some concerned looks and then left. They did work! That’s the most I’ve ever seen them work, I’m proud :) I’m 100% positive that nothing will ever come of it. But the fact that they showed up was a nice thought. Anyway, so now we taped up a box and plastic bag over our window. We’re really striving to fit in. Right now we’re ¼ of the way there, three windows left and we’ll be like every other car in Chuuk.
It’s great and I love it! But don’t worry I don’t ever leave the camera in the truck anymore :) Those videos were great by the way.
Okay, I’m out of paper and 2 pages is a lot for me in my struggling English. Thanks for your continued writing it’s inspiring :)
Tong Ennet
Elder Wells Ito
P.S. “Famili ese much” is families are forever. I’m pretty sure I already told you that, but I like it, and I’m putting it up in my house when I return :)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Watch your fingers!
7 July 2009
Ran Allim Ngenikemi!
I sent the box! Wow, I did it. I also received the box with the camera in it thank you very, very much! I loved the videos of you all and I was impressed with Zach’s soccer skills but I think he used his arm to hold the ball. Ha
This past week went well. We had to take care of a bunch of zone needs, so we didn’t have much time to find new people, which funny enough, is probably my favorite thing to do having done it so much in opening two areas.
I’ve been preparing for Zone Conference which is next week, and the chapter from Preach My Gospel, we as zone leaders are training on is Christ-like attributes. The more I study it the more I enjoy it! A random question I had when studying this in the MTC was: Is it possible to live a perfect day? Meaning free from sinning for one day. It’s not important or even necessary, I just ask because I asked at Zone p-day and it started a huge debate with ½ for it being possible and the other half saying not possible. I was on the possible side . . . . but whatever.
We locked ourselves out of our house yesterday so we had to break in. I used a tuna can lid to open the door but as it opened all the pressure I was putting on the lid and my hand gave way and I quite literally sliced my middle finger from the very tip to my middle knuckle. Yeah, it was a big one. It was nice and deep and didn’t ever want to stop bleeding! Ha It stopped and I patched it up. But, today, coming down from the mountain I slipped and landed on my left hand (the sliced one) and it started bleeding like crazy again! It just opened it wider and I can see all the nice stuff in my finger but everything will be ok and I’m not even entirely sure why I just told you all that, because Mom didn’t really want to know. Ha
Transfer calls came and Elder Sorenson is my new official companion. We won’t be going to zone leader council until August 12.
Thanks for the poems dad, it’s harder to find time in Mwan to memorize but the little more than a month of time I’ve been memorizing I have memorized about 25 scriptures, quotes, or poems.
Love you lots and lots.
Tong Ennet,
Elder Wells "Ito"
Ran Allim Ngenikemi!
I sent the box! Wow, I did it. I also received the box with the camera in it thank you very, very much! I loved the videos of you all and I was impressed with Zach’s soccer skills but I think he used his arm to hold the ball. Ha
This past week went well. We had to take care of a bunch of zone needs, so we didn’t have much time to find new people, which funny enough, is probably my favorite thing to do having done it so much in opening two areas.
I’ve been preparing for Zone Conference which is next week, and the chapter from Preach My Gospel, we as zone leaders are training on is Christ-like attributes. The more I study it the more I enjoy it! A random question I had when studying this in the MTC was: Is it possible to live a perfect day? Meaning free from sinning for one day. It’s not important or even necessary, I just ask because I asked at Zone p-day and it started a huge debate with ½ for it being possible and the other half saying not possible. I was on the possible side . . . . but whatever.
We locked ourselves out of our house yesterday so we had to break in. I used a tuna can lid to open the door but as it opened all the pressure I was putting on the lid and my hand gave way and I quite literally sliced my middle finger from the very tip to my middle knuckle. Yeah, it was a big one. It was nice and deep and didn’t ever want to stop bleeding! Ha It stopped and I patched it up. But, today, coming down from the mountain I slipped and landed on my left hand (the sliced one) and it started bleeding like crazy again! It just opened it wider and I can see all the nice stuff in my finger but everything will be ok and I’m not even entirely sure why I just told you all that, because Mom didn’t really want to know. Ha
Transfer calls came and Elder Sorenson is my new official companion. We won’t be going to zone leader council until August 12.
Thanks for the poems dad, it’s harder to find time in Mwan to memorize but the little more than a month of time I’ve been memorizing I have memorized about 25 scriptures, quotes, or poems.
Love you lots and lots.
Tong Ennet,
Elder Wells "Ito"
"Finding"
30 June 2009
Ran Allim!
Our P-days have been changed to Tuesday so if you’re getting letters later that is why.
Well, first I am not with Elder Sorenson, yet. I am still in a threesome with Elders Varo and Ulmer, and turns out Elder Sorenson might not even be my companion. In my interview with President he said: I have no idea yet who your next companion will be. So, we’ll find out all that business next week.
This week was great! President taught us about the doctrine of finding at zone conference. Who’d a thought? There is a doctrine to even finding people to teach! Super! It’s even in a book that you wouldn’t think to turn to, the Book of Abraham. Basically, finding those people that are of the Abrahamic Covenant is what it is. We find those, soon to be, Abrahamic covenant people by finding through those people that are already apart of that covenant (man, I don’t know English) very simply, it’s finding through families. Finding through member families to any relatives or friends they have.
The whole reason I bring this up is because it works! We’ve applied it in our finding and our new investigators are just ready for it! One example, last week I talked to a member that had just recently started coming to church (thanks to the efforts of home teaching) and we talked about his family, all of them, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great grandparents, great grandkids, cousins five times removed and everything in between. After discussing them all I asked him if he thought anyone out of his large family would accept a visit and message from us. He said: Yeah! (in Chuukese of course) There are two that live with me right now in my house. You come teach them and they’ll be baptized. He wasn’t lying. We showed up at his house and walked into his ut (meeting house) sitting on the floor were two young teens both had a Book of Mormon and were waiting reverently. I almost jumped up and down and ran around.
We sat down had a wonderful lesson, committed them to church and to read the B of M and pray. Sunday came, they showed up and have been regular ever since. They will be getting baptized in the next couple of weeks (most likely). Just like that! All we did was ask, and the Lord had prepared certain people to be there to help us and then had prepared the two individuals. There names are Peter-S, and Keinin. They’re studs. So, yeah the church is true if you didn’t know and missionary work is the greatest.
I’m still memorizing a way so if you have any sweet stuff dad, hook me up. Right now I’m memorizing the Articles of Faith. Embarrassing, I didn’t have them already memorized. Elder L. Tom Perry in 1998 General Conference said it would be a great blessing if every church member memorized the Articles of Faith and knew the principles in them. He promised that those who did would be prepared to preach the gospel. When I read that I got my act together and started memorizing them. Ha
Can you believe you’ll be the oldest at home McKenzie? Crazy! I love you guys guts, or lets just leave it at I really, really, really, (fakkun, wejewgen, ennet) love you guys.
Tong Ennet
Elder Ito
We also got a package the same day we received this letter!! Yea, our first one. The small note inside said this: Wow, here it is. At least some of it. Ha Just wash the wood carvings and they’ll be fine :) There’s more but I can’t fit it. The skatos “skirts” are for the girls, the octopus is Zach’s and mom and dad’s stuff didn’t fit but will come someday . . . . . Sea shells for everyone. Sorry it took forever, I have more :)
(the seashells are amazing!)
Ran Allim!
Our P-days have been changed to Tuesday so if you’re getting letters later that is why.
Well, first I am not with Elder Sorenson, yet. I am still in a threesome with Elders Varo and Ulmer, and turns out Elder Sorenson might not even be my companion. In my interview with President he said: I have no idea yet who your next companion will be. So, we’ll find out all that business next week.
This week was great! President taught us about the doctrine of finding at zone conference. Who’d a thought? There is a doctrine to even finding people to teach! Super! It’s even in a book that you wouldn’t think to turn to, the Book of Abraham. Basically, finding those people that are of the Abrahamic Covenant is what it is. We find those, soon to be, Abrahamic covenant people by finding through those people that are already apart of that covenant (man, I don’t know English) very simply, it’s finding through families. Finding through member families to any relatives or friends they have.
The whole reason I bring this up is because it works! We’ve applied it in our finding and our new investigators are just ready for it! One example, last week I talked to a member that had just recently started coming to church (thanks to the efforts of home teaching) and we talked about his family, all of them, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great grandparents, great grandkids, cousins five times removed and everything in between. After discussing them all I asked him if he thought anyone out of his large family would accept a visit and message from us. He said: Yeah! (in Chuukese of course) There are two that live with me right now in my house. You come teach them and they’ll be baptized. He wasn’t lying. We showed up at his house and walked into his ut (meeting house) sitting on the floor were two young teens both had a Book of Mormon and were waiting reverently. I almost jumped up and down and ran around.
We sat down had a wonderful lesson, committed them to church and to read the B of M and pray. Sunday came, they showed up and have been regular ever since. They will be getting baptized in the next couple of weeks (most likely). Just like that! All we did was ask, and the Lord had prepared certain people to be there to help us and then had prepared the two individuals. There names are Peter-S, and Keinin. They’re studs. So, yeah the church is true if you didn’t know and missionary work is the greatest.
I’m still memorizing a way so if you have any sweet stuff dad, hook me up. Right now I’m memorizing the Articles of Faith. Embarrassing, I didn’t have them already memorized. Elder L. Tom Perry in 1998 General Conference said it would be a great blessing if every church member memorized the Articles of Faith and knew the principles in them. He promised that those who did would be prepared to preach the gospel. When I read that I got my act together and started memorizing them. Ha
Can you believe you’ll be the oldest at home McKenzie? Crazy! I love you guys guts, or lets just leave it at I really, really, really, (fakkun, wejewgen, ennet) love you guys.
Tong Ennet
Elder Ito
We also got a package the same day we received this letter!! Yea, our first one. The small note inside said this: Wow, here it is. At least some of it. Ha Just wash the wood carvings and they’ll be fine :) There’s more but I can’t fit it. The skatos “skirts” are for the girls, the octopus is Zach’s and mom and dad’s stuff didn’t fit but will come someday . . . . . Sea shells for everyone. Sorry it took forever, I have more :)
(the seashells are amazing!)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
June 18, 2009 letter
18 June 2009
Ran Allim!
We just had zone conference and all the elders crammed in our house, so this letter is a little late due to preparations and making sure all the elders stayed alive!
Zone Conference was super, as always, and everyone had good feelings about it. We, as zone leaders, trained on chapter four from Preach My Gospel, which deals with the spirit. A kick-awesome chapter if I do say so myself. Best part about training on this chapter of recognizing the spirit was having the spirit present in the training so that all were enlightened and edified.
Being in the islands I’m surrounded by islanders obviously. President Dowdle made some statements about his ancestry being from Ireland and England and since those are isles, he was claiming the title of islander. I like that, and it got me interested more in our ancestry. Our ancestors came from Wales and England right? I’m not sure, wish I would have paid more attention but dad I know you can tell me, so if you could write or send something about our genealogy that would be sweet. Because if President Dowdle is claiming islander, you bet I’m claiming islander as well, President also mentioned that there are statements by some members of the Quorum of the 12 about the inhabitants of the British Isles and if you know of any of that would be super sweet as well, because I have no access to that. ha It struck a chord of interest when he started talking about those things and I have no way to find them out in Chuuk. If anyone can find time to help me out that would be great!
I’ll share with you the quote I just memorized from Joseph Smith. I’ve been studying a lot about receiving personal revelation and the necessity it is to receive it, particularly in proclaiming the gospel: “The things of God are of deep import and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, oh man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search unto and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity--thou must commune with God. How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of God than the vain imaginations of the human heart! None, but fools will trifle with the souls of men.”
The coolest thing about personal revelation is that every person that has the Holy Ghost is entitled to receive it if we will ask, and seek.
I love you all, like my own blood! Oh, wait ....... :) I really mean it when I say I love you all. In Chuukese culture/language to tell someone you love them is a very meaningful expression and is not treated lightly. You will never tell someone you love them unless you honestly do, and when someone expresses that it is taken very seriously. So, when I say “Ua men tongeikemi” (I love you guys) I mean it in a very serious way.
Take care, don’t die.
Tong Ennet,
Elder Wells “Ito”
Ran Allim!
We just had zone conference and all the elders crammed in our house, so this letter is a little late due to preparations and making sure all the elders stayed alive!
Zone Conference was super, as always, and everyone had good feelings about it. We, as zone leaders, trained on chapter four from Preach My Gospel, which deals with the spirit. A kick-awesome chapter if I do say so myself. Best part about training on this chapter of recognizing the spirit was having the spirit present in the training so that all were enlightened and edified.
Being in the islands I’m surrounded by islanders obviously. President Dowdle made some statements about his ancestry being from Ireland and England and since those are isles, he was claiming the title of islander. I like that, and it got me interested more in our ancestry. Our ancestors came from Wales and England right? I’m not sure, wish I would have paid more attention but dad I know you can tell me, so if you could write or send something about our genealogy that would be sweet. Because if President Dowdle is claiming islander, you bet I’m claiming islander as well, President also mentioned that there are statements by some members of the Quorum of the 12 about the inhabitants of the British Isles and if you know of any of that would be super sweet as well, because I have no access to that. ha It struck a chord of interest when he started talking about those things and I have no way to find them out in Chuuk. If anyone can find time to help me out that would be great!
I’ll share with you the quote I just memorized from Joseph Smith. I’ve been studying a lot about receiving personal revelation and the necessity it is to receive it, particularly in proclaiming the gospel: “The things of God are of deep import and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, oh man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search unto and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity--thou must commune with God. How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of God than the vain imaginations of the human heart! None, but fools will trifle with the souls of men.”
The coolest thing about personal revelation is that every person that has the Holy Ghost is entitled to receive it if we will ask, and seek.
I love you all, like my own blood! Oh, wait ....... :) I really mean it when I say I love you all. In Chuukese culture/language to tell someone you love them is a very meaningful expression and is not treated lightly. You will never tell someone you love them unless you honestly do, and when someone expresses that it is taken very seriously. So, when I say “Ua men tongeikemi” (I love you guys) I mean it in a very serious way.
Take care, don’t die.
Tong Ennet,
Elder Wells “Ito”
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