So, I'm gonna call you dudes in like two hours, so I don't really know
what I'm gonna write for this week. Actually, you bros are calling me.
I'm too important to make such menial calls.
Anyways, so this
week has been pretty cool, I guess. Last Monday I played cricket for
the first time. I didn't actually get injured, but the emotional scars
will take years to heal. Haha, yeah, cricket was like the suckiest
thing ever. It's like a big deal, so pretty much the whole village was
there playing, and then like all the chiefs were sitting on the sides
watching. Anyways, so they made me go up and bat, but freak, I had no
idea what to do. Haha, everybody was laughing at me and I kinda just
looked like an idiot in front of the whole village. But it's cool--I
guess I'm used to looking dumb in front of lots of people.
So
yeah, this week was good though, as work goes. We got two investigators
to commit to baptismal dates and to get married. Faasinoala and
Palepa. Faasinoala is totally ready--she's way strong. She just has to
be married before she can be baptized. And Palepa needs to be married
too, but also she hasn't come to church yet, so we're gonna work with
her to come to church and stuff. But it's good.
Also this week
we started doing family prayer and scripture study in the mornings with
the family we live with--that's been pretty good. And on Saturday they
made us get up way early and do "zumba"--that weird dance/aerobics
thing. Haha, my companion was way stoked on it--he was getting way into
it. I thought my comp knew me pretty well until he thought I would be
excited about doing "zumba." Haha, yeah it wasn't that cool.
So
anyways, another cool thing this week--actually it was like two weeks
ago--but the girl that we baptized back earlier this year--Tala--came
over to our house and asked for a blessing cause she had a big test
coming up and she was really nervous. Anyways, so I was asked to give
the blessing, which I was pretty nervous for cause so far I've never
really given any blessings in Samoa. So anyways, I gave her the
blessing and then we found out this week that she took the top of her
class! Haha, I was stoked. She's got a lot of faith. Their whole
family is freakin' dope--I'm way stoked on them. They're way mega
strong in the church--it's been crazy to see their progression.
Anyways, keep it thirsty, thirsty for the gnar,
Elder Eric R. Johansen
The Fresh Prince of Samoa 2012
Mother's Day (for America)
Sup you guys,
So
I just barely called you guys like an hour ago or something. So this
letter is in response to that. Mom asked what a normal day was like.
So it's pretty much like 6:30 am we have family scripture study and
prayer with the family we live with. Then we get ready and bathe our
bodies and stuff. And then at 8:00 it's personal study. Lately I've
been reading a lot of New Testament. It's really good stuff. I'm
stoked on the scriptures. I should probably spend more time studying
the lessons cause I wanna get better at teaching, but most of the time I
just get distracted reading the Book of Mormon or the New Testament or
something for the whole time.
So then at 9:00 it's usually
companion study. But really that hardly ever happens, so I usually just
keep reading whatever I was reading. But sometimes we have comp study
and it's really good cause we figure out ways to help our investigators
and stuff. But it's good. We're getting a lot better at doing all that
little stuff like that. It's been really good. And then at 10:00 it's
usually language study. A lot of the time that's when the family we
live with has food ready, so sometimes I miss out on language study.
But I read from the Book of Mormon in Samoan like every chance I get,
so it kinda makes up for it. But I'm trying to do better with that too
cause I wanna get dank Samoan.
So then for the most part we
then begin proselyting at 11:00 and we just go make visits or teach
lessons or do things of that nature. Lately we've been doing a lot more
member strengthening and stuff trying to get people ready for the
temple. So it's been good. And then at 6:00 is our fafaga, where we
eat with the members. And that can generally go til like seven thirty
or as late as nine thirty. It really just depends. Sometimes we get
there and they're totally not ready, so we have to wait for like an hour
or longer. So yeah, it's good though.
And then after the
fafaga we just go home cause missionaries aren't allowed to proselyte in
the evenings cause in Samoa they have what is called the Sa, which is
where every family has to go home in the evening and read the Bible or
church books and sing church hymns and pray and be with their families.
It's pretty much enforced in every village. They have all these dudes
stand on the side of the streets and they'll beat you up if you break
the Sa--like if you're walking on the road when they blow the horn for
the Sa, you just have to sit down wherever you are and wait til the Sa
is over, which is like fifteen or twenty minutes or so. It's kind of a
cultural thing--but it's good though. It just shows how religious Samoa
is. It's like illegal to be anything other than Christian, which is
good for us at least. So yeah, we usually just go home after we eat. I
generally just get more study in. So it's good. It's kinda nice to
have the evenings to just rest and stuff. So yeah, then I usually write
in my journal. Sometimes I forget and then take a shower and at 10:30
it's sleepy time. So yeah, that's a day for me in Samoa--generally it's
not all that exciting, mostly the same stuff every day. So it's good,
no danks, no bones, no beans.
Also, siblings, haha, sorry to
you all. I can't relate to anyone anymore. I had no clue what to say
to you on the phone. It's cool though. I think I've just matured too
much to take a part in your petty humor. I'm a sophisticated man
now--get on my level. Haha, but nah--it's weird being on a mission. I
didn't really know what to say to you dudes. ALL IS DANK IN SAMOA.
That's what I should have said to you. So, oh well, maybe I'll be able
to relate to you at some point in the far future. Until then, keep
shreddin' the gnar.
Also, haha, sorry mom, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I
think I totally forgot to tell you. Yeah, when I picked up the phone, I
was expecting you guys to call on the other phone, so I was expecting
someone Samoan talking to me. So yeah, way to go--keep steezin' the
buttery bones. I'll finish this letter later tonight after we hear
about transfers so you can have the hottest scoop on all the gossip.
Alright............................................................................................So
here's the scoop: My comp is getting transferred to Upolu--he's the
zone leader now. And I'm training a new missionary. Uhhhhh.....haha
yeah. Freak, haha, this is gonna be way good for me/my Samoan, but I
feel like I still don't know what the heck I'm doin' out here. Haha,
yeah what the heck. I don't know who it is, just someone from the
American MTC group. So this'll be way good. But freak, haha. I'm
pretty freakin' sketched out. I'm not gonna lie. So we'll have to see
how it goes down. I'll let you know next week what goes down.
Love,
Elder Johansen
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