Stake Conference - A Spiritual Feast

It has been a great three days of sitting at the feet of servants of the Lord.  The Tarawa East Stake is having its stake conference on August 11th and 12th.  Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the First Quorum of the Seventy and also a counselor in the Pacific Area Presidency was the visiting authority.  He was accompanied by Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, an Area 70 Authority who lives in Fiji.  President and Sister Shaw of the Majuro Mission and President and Sister Eb Davis, the Suva Fiji Temple President were also in attendance.

Friday morning was Zone Conference.  Pres. Shaw had all the missionaries from the outer islands including Christmas Island flown in for the Zone conference to hear Elder Pearson.  It was a great zone conference, we were all well taught and the Spirit's presence was very strong.  Elder Pearson was very direct and pointed in talking with the missionaries.

Some of Elder Pearson topics and thoughts include the following:

• He told them to be the kind of missionaries your mothers think you are. 
• He spoke on the importance of having the Holy Ghost in our lives.  
• Every thing begins with a vision, what is the vision of your mission.  
• There is "No Try" in the scriptures instead the example is: "Thy will shall be done"  
• Let go of things that are keeping you from being a Disciple of Jesus Christ.  
• A mission is not about me, it is about Him.  
• When life gets dark and dreary don't forget to pray.  
• The purpose of prayer is for us to align with Heavenly Father not Him with us.
• He drew a matrix showing the importance of Attitude and Effort in breaking through from having selected obedience to exact obedience.  This is where miracles and Spiritual Power happen for those who do so.
• Agency means you have choices, but choices also have consequences.
• The harder you work, your capacity to do things better will increase.
• Repentance is more than changing things that are bad, but changing things that are good for things that are much better.  
• Obedience is the Key to Faith

The missionary couples provided lunch for the missionaries.  Sister Thorne and I were asked to cook our dutch over beans for 80 people.  Using the Dutch Oven receipt was a challenge: finding hamburger, bacon, and other ingredients (we never did find molasses).   It took a long time to prepare everything but it was quickly consumed.  The other couple prepared very large hamburgers, which you seldom see in Kiribati.  The missionaries had a feast both Spiritually and food wise.

The missionary couples cooked lunch for over 80 people including all the missionaries from Kiribati and the special guests.  The food was good and plentiful

The Elders enjoyed a large hamburger, cole slaw, potato chips, dutch oven beans, carrot sticks, and ice cream and brownies.  No one went away hungry.

Friday evening they had a special program for the invited guests on the tennis court.  The Ward and Branch who won first and second place in the Stake Cultural Dance festival performed a number of traditional dances, it was very impressive

Special Guests enjoying the cultural celebration and welcome Kiribati Style.  From left to right - President and Sister Davis (Suva Temple), President Iotua B. Tune (Stake President of Tarawa East Stake), Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy and Pacific Area Presidency, Elder Taniela B. Wakolo (Area Seventy from Fiji), President and Sister Thomas Shaw (Majuro Marshall Island Mission President) and Elder and Sister Mabie, the senior couple serving in Christmas Island

Saturday was another Spiritual Feast at Priesthood Leadership Meeting and at the Adult Session.  Elder Pearson doesn't hold back or pull any punches.  He teaches the doctrine with great power from the Holy Ghost.  At the Priesthood leadership excellent instruction was given on how to rescue the less active and especially working with the Aaronic Priesthood to prevent more from entering the less active pool.  There are enough members in Kiribati for seven (7) stakes, if only there were more active Melchezedek Priesthood holders.  

He taught why every young boy and girl need to be baptized at age 8, why every young man needs to receive the Aaronic Priesthood and be ordained a Deacon at age 12, a Teacher at age 14, and a Priest at age 16.  As he spoke of the importance of every young man receiving the Melchezedek Priesthood when they turn 18 and serve a mission at 19.

In the Adult Session we had a special treat,  President Eb Davis told about how the church was established in Kiribati.  I was able to record his remarks and put them in the www.kiribati-lds-pioneers.wikispaces.com/ post. 

Elder Pearson taught us 7 things we can do to get the Holy Ghost in our lives:  

1. Worthily partake of the sacrament each week  
2. Study the scriptures every day  
3. Be virtuous
4. Forgive others
5. Repent
6. Pray 
7. Love and serve others

On Sunday, a new era began.  President Tune was released as stake president after serving for over 7 years.  Prior to that he served as a bishop and was the first district president of Kiribati, where he served for 15 years.  He truly is on of the Kiribati, LDS pioneers.  He attended Liahona High School, was one of the first missionaries to Kiribati and graduated from BYU Hawaii.  Pres. Tune is the manager of the LDS service center for Kiribati.  Earlier in his professional career he was principal of Moroni High School and later over all the Seminaries and Institutes in Kirbati.

The new stake president is: Tamaroa Tekeiaki, his wife Teaa is an English teacher at Moroni High.  Pres. Tekeiaki's counselors are both teachers at Moroni.  President Banririe Nenebwati was sustained as First Counselor, he teaches economics and is a HOD (Head of Department). President Tiorika Toromon is the new Second Counselor and teaches Kiribati Studies, Art, and Geography.

The general session on Sunday was also wonderful.  The evening was topped off with a single adult fireside where again Elder Wakolo and Elder Pearson taught with great power and insight.  Special blessings were promised the saints in Kiribati if they will live worthy lives.  They were promised if they will pay a full tithes they will prosper as will all of Kiribati.

It was a very special weekend, as spiritually up lifting stake conference as I can ever remember attending.  The stake choir and the single adult choir's singing was absolutely beautiful.  The I-Kiribati Saints love to sing and have beautiful voices.