Ebon Week 11: April 27, 2015

There has been a lot of exciting things happening this week. First, I'll have a new companion, Elder Ayala. I am way excited to be working with him. He is this kid from Washington and one of my favorite people in the mission. Also, top record of 34 people at church, 11 were investigators. This week has been way good but still some hard parts.

Sunday was really good. Investigators who came: Anije and Bahn, Amy and Russell, and Elabene. The other people who come are good but just not interested in studying right now. It's way cool to know we have that many people coming to church. I spoke in church and spoke for 20 minutes about baptism. Baptism is one thing that's way good just the more I learn about the gospel, the easier and simply I can share about it. Also, Sunday we had a bunch of food given to us, just a lot of members and investigators. We got a dozen fish, half a dozen taro, and a whole breadfruit. After church Relief Society was established. Now the branch will almost be ready to not have to depend on the Elders to function.

Some of the days this week have been hard, just not even having any lessons or maybe just one. I just get fed up and want to leave and almost bad enough to consider coming home. That's why I'm so stoked about Sunday. It really made me redevelop my outlook on Ebon and help me push forward in the work. I'll think I'm just on this island in the middle of nowhere with a few amount of people. There is a poem that reminds me a lot of Ebon.

Where shall I work today?

Master, where shall I work today?

My love flowed warm and free.

He pointed out a tiny spot 

And said, "tend that for me."

I answered quickly-oh no, not there

Not anyone could see,

No matter how well my work was done;

Not that little spot for me.

When He spoke, He was not stern

But he answered tenderly,

"Little one, search that heart of thine; 

Are you working for them or for me?

Nazareth was a little place

And so was Galilee."

Meade Macquire

I am grateful to be here. I honestly prefer it more than Majuro. People here are hard working and really nice. Life is slow. So, although there are a lot of struggles and difficulties it's overall pretty good.

Love,

Elder Weenig

P.S. I am now a pro at the Law of Moses; the Old Testament can drag on but it's pretty good.

Ebon Week 10: April 20, 2015

I really miss hearing from all of you. It's hard to think more than 1/4 , possibly 1/3 if I go to another outer island, is without communication from you guys. I probably won't write too much this week, nothing really happened. Oh! I did help prep and eat a dog.

Dog meat is actually way good; we ate it with rice and canned tomatoes. It's a little course but one of the best meats I've had here. It didn't make me feel sick like I get from eating other meats. To cook it we first hung it and then used an earth oven to roast it. Only saw a little after that because my companion was starting to feel sick. I am hoping also to eat shark but everytime we try to go shark fishing it doesn't work out.

Investigators are doing well. Since I've gotten here we've been trying to figure out Bahn and Anije's marriage. One night was way funny-Amy, Russell, Elabene and some others were looking at my pictures. There is one of all three of them and Amy points out, "look, 3 Mormons!" It's cool Amy and Russell have fellowshipped Elabene. Just cool to see investigators progress and work together.

The kids here are great. On of Bahn and Anije's kids is a two year old boy. All the time he says, "Waini-E, I Tuk"-just come Weenig. Also JR and Irinea in one of the lessons I was holding their daughter Gorina. Irenea asked me if I could take Gorina with me to America. She may have only been half joking...if you guys do want a Marshallese baby she's super fat, curly haired and has was chinky eyes..but, her name is Gorina. Irinea has another 2 year old girl and she's pregnant again. It's insane the amount of kids.

Other than just pushing through the work, I'm reading the Old Testament. This week I'm reading in Leviticus and Numbers-it can be a bit slow but it's way good. Also, in Romans 4 (16-22) Saul is writing about the faith of Abraham when all odds are against him having children and being a father of many but still he has faith. It states, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what he was promised he was able to perform (20,21)" The verses help me a lot just knowing God can do all things but we need to have faith and patience. Work can be slow and uneventful but God will do great things with these people.

Also, I want to add we are working on starting up Relief Society and really working on strengthening the members in their callings.

Love,
Elder Weenig

Ebon Week 9: April 12, 2015

This week has gone by way fast. I feel as if I wrote last week's letter yesterday. Highlights of the week are new neighbors and a few celebrations, including the birthday of the Protestant's pastor.

We had Amy, Russell, and Elaine all come to Family Home Evening, which is way great. It can be hard enough for them to come to church. Sunday I honestly thought church wasn't going to happen. It was 10:00 and there was only one member there; luckily, more people came and we were able to start at 15 after. The reason was because it was completely pouring yesterday. I was excited we actually had some people come; I heard that even the Protestant church was cancelled. So at church we barely had strong members, let alone investigators so it's good they were able to come Monday night.

Saturday morning after personal study, Wilson and I heard everyone was going to the birthday of the Protestant Rikake so we decided to go with. He called us all back to lunch and said it would start at 1:00 at the latest. Marshallese time it was almost 4:00. Basically, all of Saturday was spent doing that and it was pretty cool. Wilson and I sat at the table with the pastor and all the deacons of the church. It was also probably the most food I've had at a Marshallese party. Also, we had a few other celebrations-we celebrated Jamilik, Judy's husband's, birthday. Also were went to the birthday of Bahn ad another kid named JunJun. It was just Wilson and I who birthday's JunJun so we just sang English songs. Welcoming our new neighbors was fun. We brought them food and gave a few speeches.

Our new neighbors are this 86 year old woman and her daughter. The older lady has lived in Kwajalein for at least 30+ years and basically came here to die. They're both pretty nice but we haven't really talked to her because she drones on and on and she can't really understand anything I'm saying. My Marshallese is good, just sometimes I'll say something and they'll have no ideas what I'm saying...but most of the time it's good.

The week was good, just still trying to contact Majuro so Anije and Bahn can get married. Also Amy and Russell are doing really well. Elaine is well but she's also living with a 30 something year old guy (she's 50 something). Work is going well, just gradually improving.

Kids are alway asking me to help them with their English homework. Also, J.R., Bahn and Anije's child, knows my name and also says, "Waini E, Tuk", which means "just come here Weenig" and he's about 2. Glad I'm able to serve her and there's a bunch of children. They all ask to check out my pictures.

Love,
Elder Weenig

Helamen 5:12

Ebon Week 8: April 6, 2015

I believe have of the work here in Ebon is staying sane. Pushing through, staying positive and not swimming. Hope Easter was good, it's weird to think Hailey will be married shortly.

This week has been really great, possibly the best I've had here in Ebon. Yesterday for Easter Sunday we had 32 people at Church. Out of those, seven were investigators. It may have been the fact that we did a program. All of the members worked together and we had a massive lunch. We ate rile, ramen, fish, bread, cake and bwiro. I was so full afterwards it was insane; I couldn't even finish my plate. It was way fun. Also, out here everyone likes to look at pictures on my iPod and camera all the time.

When the week started out I assumed it was just going to be horrible like last week. Tuesday and Wednesday were both rainy but luckily it was clear in the afternoons. We had  a lot of good lessons and just great things happened. In weekly planning I told Elder W were were just going to drop a bunch of investigators-all the old ones who just Bible Bash and won't listen. Work and the days have been significantly improved. Amy and Russell were some of the investigators that came to church and have been progressing really well. We asked them to be baptized and both really want to. We had to explain to them we still had a lot to study. It's way good in one lesson Amy was telling us how she used to hate Mormons and thought we prayed to Joseph Smith. It was funny when asked to pray about Joseph Smith and The Restoration she replied, "we'll pray about it but we already understand it's true." Also, we just casually spent time talking to one of our investigators, Elabene. She's was busy so usually we'll only have time for a quick lesson. Also, what I've been doing is just weaving the gospel into casual conversation. It's hard because people are hesitant to study so usually you can't ask people straight up to study, because they will probably say no.

As far as other things...I had a pet cat for a few days but it ran away. We were going to use it for shark fishing. One couple, Amue and Bann want to get married but she was married before and has to file for divorce, but it's really difficult to do that stuff in the islands.

Love you guys,

Elder Weenig