I dunno what'll happen with our recommends, since we don't have a 

temple we can go to. But mine expires next June anyway, so I'd have 

to get a new one. One question: does this mean that one can't get a 

recommend just before (like, a day before) they go to the temple? 

Because it seems to imply some coordination with the stake clerk, and 

validation with the church, which would take a bit of time before the 

recommend could actually be used at a temple.

Elder Kaneko is from Majuro, and Elder Albert is from near Kawajilan, 

I believe. I dunno what exactly they think about the Marshallese 

here, but they do like Springdale. Elder Albert actually has some 

relatives that live in West Valley, and he plans on going back to 

Utah when he's done. I dunno what Elder Kaneko will do, but he's 

planning on living in the States as far as I know.

Which brings me to something I can't understand. They both have this 

"island pride" thing. When we tell them to do or not do something, 

they get offended. Like, storing food in the fridge, or cleaning 

their dishes after they use them, or not mixing bleach with other 

cleaners, or storing frozen chicken in something other than a 

Wal-mart bag. They just brush it off as if it's only a part of 

American culture that is stupid. They seem to have this aura of pride 

in which they feel they know the right way, even if it is a mission 

rule, and do not want to accept any other way. A lot of the 

Marshallese here live in pretty ghetto apartments. Only the Heons, 

who are members of the church that are pretty active, acutally own 

their own home, as far as I know.

The creamed honey will last me a while longer. I still have two tubs, 

so I'll probably have enough for 6 months or so. No new food 

recipies, other than rice and spam topped with ketchup (which I don't 

find too appealing) from the Marshallese elders. I really do need to 

learn how to cook genuine Mexican, though. Someday.

I'll think about things I'd like to request, and send them next week.

Nothing much to say in the way of the work. No one came to church. 

But I did visit with a crazy guy that, at first we thought he was 

golden because he said that the Book of Mormon has a lot of truth in 

it, but he says he's a seer, that he's got halos and pillars of light 

around his house at night, that the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of 

Life are in his back yard (and the Tree of Knowledge has an iron rod 

running through it), and that he made some rocks. Honestly, I think 

he's "looking beyond the mark." Apparently he found some Hopi legend 

that goes along really closely with the Tree of Life vision in 1 

Nephi 8, but he thinks it is trying to relate some bit of knowledge 

about something that only happens every once or twice a year. I dunno.

We're also teaching an agnostic that believes that Joseph Smith was a 

conman, and is fascinated that so many people would actually believe 

him. He's pretty cool about it, but he may actually come to church to 

check things out. I hope he does. Maybe he'll feel the spirit and 

finally understand.

That's about all I have. See you all next week!

Brady