This week has been wonderful

Hi, family!

I was actually wondering about how the band did! [American Fork Marching Band went to Grand Nationals last week] I'm so glad you included it. It's a bummer they didn't make it to finals, but... One day! Plus, my trumpet being there is definitely okay. I've been actually missing playing it, oddly enough... I better get a pin. ;) [the band wanted all silver trumpets for this event, so we loaned them his silver trumpet--it went to Indianapolis for the competition!]  17th isn't too bad, considering it's against the top bands in the nation!

Rikki IS amazing. I have so many thoughts and feelings spinning around my head about her, especially between the cancer and marriage... It's really just a big puddle of, "whoah" to me. It's weird to think that by the time I'm emailing again, Rikki Price will be Rikki Lanphear. I'm glad I can be there (ish)! :D Although I would definitely look better in my own suit than Mitt Romney looks in that one... Psh, the man needs some swag-ahem-class.

[We'll be making this Mitt Romney standup into an Elder Price standup for Rikki's wedding]

Sheesh, between Rikki's blog post  [I sent him the last couple paragraphs] and your wedding speech [I included a paragraph that I'll be sharing with Rikki and Zakk at their ring ceremony on Saturday], you all made me cry. It's alright though, Rikki's super awesome. I hope she gets my handwritten letter before the wedding! *crossing fingers* I'm gonna have a new brother! Weird...

New Kru Town and Point Four look very very much alike. We're the same district and everything! I'm glad you're making my blog look sweet! [the background photo for this blog is a picture of New Kru Town Road, courtesy of Elder Fairwell]

The sisters are doing pretty well!  [I'd specifically asked about the three new investigators he told us about last week] We're still working with a really large pool of investigators. We really have a lot of investigators with baptismal dates, so we're working to make those baptisms happen. I baptized a guy this week, Papi! He's 17, and I'll get photos soon. He's super great, and he already wants to work with the missionaries. I don't know if I emailed it before, but he is the one who wanted to have his baptism sooner, and we felt like that would be okay, so it happened! I'll try to get you photos as soon as I can.

The motorbike thing IS a bummer! Transportation is really difficult now, especially into town. It sounds like motorbikes are becoming more legal, but they're still not allowed to take two passengers (Driver & two others) when going into town. So we try to get cabs! But cabs are usually full, so we walk a lot.

My cleaning skills are alright... Nothing much different than what you've taught me at home! I find myself sweeping a lot, though, but the floors are still always covered with a thin layer of dirt. It's not really preventable.

I'm so excited for the envelopes and photos! I'm trying to send physical letters at a decent rate, but sometimes I get distracted...

I'm not sure what to have for any stories this week... I'm getting better! I'm becoming more bold and finding my feet out here. I'm trying to improve, still, always, but it feels like I've figured out a little bit of how to be a missionary. Stuff is just starting to seem more normal here, so it's hard to think of stories!

The coloqwa (or something...) word for "dog", rather, the same way "pork" is to "pig", is "ichu" Like "Bichu"! I think that's how you spell her name... Sorry, Dad, if that was wrong. But I thought it to be ironic. I haven't eaten dog though, just heard the term! [Rain's early childhood dogs were named Phantom and Bichu (pronounced bee-shoe), bicho being the Portuguese word for "bug"]

Really, so many things just slip my mind now. Oh, here's something! Our lessons are very very rarely indoors. Almost always they are outside the person's house, on plastic chairs on the sand or on the cement porch. There are distractions, such as little kids, really often, but it's amazing how spiritual the lessons still can be.

I ate pig something yesterday! I don't exactly know what it was... There was a pigs foot in the bowl, but I ate something else that was also pig that looked freaky.... Anyway, I'll try to write more of those things!

I miss Salmon though. I miss Salmon so much... Mail me some? ;)  [he misses it so much he capitalized it?] But really, don't hesitate to send stuff like chocolate, even if you think it'll melt. It's worth it.

I love you all, and I'm working hard to become whom the Lord wants me to be! Have an amazing week full of life-changing things.

Love,

Elder Makani Rain Price

 

[Excerpt from his weekly letter to his Mission President:]

Dear President,

This week has been wonderful. The lessons my companion and I taught were powerful, and we were blessed to have a baptism this week of a 17 year old boy who already wants to teach with the missionaries. I've also been able to improve very much this week; it feels like I've started to get my feet under me. As I've been praying for more boldness, I've felt the Spirit help me to be a stronger and more effective missionary. I've been able to use scriptures effectively in teaching, and I'm able to speak in a way that the people can very often understand me. I know Heavenly Father is helping me to become the missionary he needs and knows I can become.

My companion and I have gotten along very well this past week, and I've felt us grow stronger as a companionship. I have learned a lot from the difficulties between us. We're becoming an effective companionship, and I'm grateful for the improvement. I can feel the love growing between us, and I'm happy for it.
...

Thank you for your confidence and support.

Sincerely,
Elder Price