Week #8 and Week # 9: Elder Buhler Would LOVE Snail Mail

Dear All:

Jacob has been assigned to Marakei, Kiribati. He has no access to internet there. I will post a letter once we receive one by snail mail. If any of you would like to send him a letter or card for Christmas, I'm sure he would LOVE it.  It costs $1.15 to send a 3 page letter and $1.98 to send a letter 4-10 pages long.  His address is 

Elder Jacob Buhler
P.O. Box 400
Bikenibeu, Tarawa
Republic of Kiribati
Central Pacific

I met with a missionary who served as AP on the Kiribati Mission and returned home in January 2014. He said the mission conditions on the outer islands where Jacob currently is like the Disney movie, "The Other Side of Heaven."  

Also, I will be sending a care package to Jacob on November 1. If you would like to give me something to send to him, please let me know. I'd be happy to include it with what I send.

Love, 

Kim Buhler, Jacob's mom 

Week #7: Elder Buhler is Going to Marakei!

Countrymen,

Well I have been here for 4 days now and I just got assigned to work in Marakei, which is an outer island and one of the few that still doesn't have internet. So this will be my last group email for awhile. Super pumped though! To immerse myself in the culture and stuff. Don't know much about it though, just that there is lots of crabs and no email. There is no timetable for my return, but I actually feel pretty safe here so no worries. I will be able to receive handwritten mail though, so it would be awesome to receive some if any of you have time.

Here is the address:

LDS Mission
PO Box 400
Bikenibeu, Tarawa
Republic of Kiribati
Central Pacific

Well anyways I will tell you what it's like here. I actually love it right now! I stay with the Zone Leaders and so we have a dinky little van and the room we sleep in has a/c. But I won't be living that way for long. I love the kids, they are always running after you and naked or clothed are always hugging your legs. Super chill, we have already given probably like 10-15 lessons while I have been here. They are not crazy long, and they always ask about me so I begin by introducing myself and I have come to learn to bring pictures with me, they love it! I can understand the general ideas of lessons usually, the vocab is hard to distinguish since they sometimes slurs words and speak really fast and also kind of mumble, which is the hardest one for me because even when they're saying things I know I still don't understand them! I would say 80% of the time I say the opening prayer and then either during the middle or end I kind of say a few thoughts of my own and testify. But the coolest thing is yesterday we were at a lesson on Tuan te Itiaki (Law of Chastity) and Elder Raika was talking and I was trying to figure out what I would say about that, when suddenly out of the blue he turns the lesson over to me. Like the entire lesson. I had never taught it in English or Kiribati so I was nervous, but this was the type of moment I was hoping for. E. Trussell told me he would fill in the gaps and just to go for it. I only had to ask what the word for sex was, wene ni bure (the laying sin) and then I slowly went to work and it was super tough, but I found out after that the message was conveyed and most of it made sense so that was super cool. I also had my first dinner here. It was for the Bday party of this old lady with one leg. They textures were super weird and I gagged a few times and tried everything except for the sausage, because I don't even eat it in the U.S. and I can only imagine how awful it would be here. The food is super bland or has weird flavors. I tried sheep, chicken, fish, cabbage, papaya, raw fish with this curry sauce, rice, and some sort of drink. The food is definitely going to have some getting used too. And apparently that was some of the best food I will ever have. And I won't lie, it was pretty awful. Lessons are in this run down neighborhood hut thingies and I am awful at sitting cross legged.

Loving it here, I am already way close with the ward here on Tarawa. My favorite family has this 13 year old girl that thinks Jared is cute. And i'm super stoked to be headed to Marakei, this is me signing off. For an unknown amount of time. Ready to get to work for real. Tiabo Ngkami!

Elder Buhler

HE ARRIVED!!!

HE ARRIVED!
"Hey mother, I love you so much and the family. We landed about an hour ago and we are just about to start figuring things out. It's awesome here, super excited, the ocean is so pretty! Super excited, I'm fine don't worry about me. I will email Monday, that's my Pday. Love you and I will talk to you more then."
He was met by other missionaries. He meets his mission president on Sunday who is traveling 413 miles across the ocean to meet him!

FC Rangers, Now Serving the Lord!

As a Vietnamese mom, I thought playing sports was a waste of time. I wanted my children to concentrate on their academics. That's funny considering now that both my boys play college ball. Yes, I was THAT mom who called Coach Scott Mitchell & told him Josh couldn't come to football practice because he didn't meet the family required GPA (3.9). Years later, I realized I was wrong. Playing sports was one of the best things all my kids did. It taught them how to be a team player, how to delay gratification, and that to gain a skill, like playing the piano, or learning complex math problems, it took time. Today I got this picture from a team mother. Our boys were on Utah Rangers FC and played soccer together. Now, they are playing for the Lord's team as missionaries in different parts of the world. I'm grateful for the role sports have now played in my kids' lives

Week #6: I'm Leaving on Tuesday!

Hey friends, well I stoked to say that I leave on a few days!! Which is good because all I eat here now is the rice ( showing love to my ancestors, ya dig?) haha mostly because I am so sick of the food here. I am stoked for my two year diet of fish and rice! haha well funny language story. So since i'm DL I am the one who kind of gets class going and part of that is reading from the white missionary handbook. So a few days ago I forgot my book and my teacher said, "Enga am boki mitinaire ae mainaina? (Where is your white missionary book) and I looked him straight in the eyes and said what I thought to be "I maninga e n te auti," (I forgot it in the residence) but he had this look of sheer horror on his face so I said it again with more conviction, honestly thinking my pronunciation must've been off. But then I realized what I had said and I said "Tiaki!" "Tiaki!" (NO! NO!) I won't tell you what word I used, but I basically told my teacher that "I am gay in the residence." That made for a VERY UNCOMFORTABLE moment for both of us! Hahahaha oh it was a good time. But anyways I am just super stoked to be headed out soon.

A scripture I found the other day that I really like was Luke 22:32. Basically telling us that when we become converted it becomes our job to lift up those around us. Including less actives, those who have fallen away, those who are struggling, and even those who don't know about the gospel yet. Last night we were skyping members in Kiribati (Which is the name of language as well as the country) and we all shared our testimonies with him and then asked him to share his and after that I committed him to share his testimony with a non member. The spirit was super strong, at least that I felt, and the cool thing is I will see him next week so I can follow up! I was always scared to talk doctrine/share my testimony with nonmembers, but I realized how profound of an impact it can have on a person. I have talked to SO MANY people whose lives made a huge turnaround and contribute part of their conversion to a sincere testimony from a friend. I know we all know people that are struggling, and sometimes all they need to hear is "Ya know, God loves you."

Well anyways my flight out of SLC departs at 8:15 P.M. and I couldn't be more excited. Packing straight stinks. But I know it will be worth it. Kiribati is going to be so incredible!! I literally can't wait to get there. But I am going to be really sad when my district has to split up when we arrive. We are all super close. Have deep talks and are just really good friends. I honestly feel like lifelong friends. Including the sisters. Especially Sister Nena, who is this 25 year old little teeny Micronesian lady that is so cute (mom cute) and funny. We have the most interesting relationship. I call her mom, because she's ya know kind of like my mom (she even taught 4th graders for 3 years before coming on the mish) so she always treats me like a 4th grader in a super playful way. But since i'm District Leader she calls me mom also. It's pretty casual here. And leaving our branch president, President Willes, will be super hard too. He has been the greatest example to me. I honestly love everyone here. But i'm ready to head out to the field!

Sorry there isn't much to write about this week, and it's a little more on the serious side. Everything has been same old same old here with the departure date looming, but within the next couple of weeks I feel like I will have a good story or two! Can't wait to have airport food, not going to lie. But I am thankful for all the letters, treats (especially from the grasselys, so good), and prayers that have been offered for me. I appreciate you all. Utah it's been real.

"Happiness is right now, if you don't realize that now, you'll always be wishing you were somewhere else."

Love,

E. Buhler