8-13-12

8-13-12

Sup Dude Buddy Bones,
It's crazy gnar over here.  This last week has been super nutso for sure.  So the last letter I sent you I said I was getting transferred to Faaala, and that my companion was going to be Elder Uri.  Well that was totally a made up story, I guess.  Cause my Zone Leader, Elder Boren, was cheesed off at me cause of all the awesome pranks I played on him and because I made fun of him for getting written off by his girlfriend.  Anyways, so he scammed me good and told me made up stories about transfers.  So what really happened is that I got transferred to Upolu, in a village called Aleisa.  It's way close to Apia.  It's super different from Savaii.  Me and my companion are Zone Leaders too.  It's cool, I guess.  I don't really know.  I'm not that stoked on it, but I'm sure it'll be alright.  Our zone only has six people.  I'm the only white guy.  My companion is Samoan, but he moved from American Samoa to Idaho when he was like 13.  His first name is Pioneer.  Pioneer Ofisa.  But yeah, we have the same birthday too, just he's a year older than me.  So tomorrow we're gonna party for sure.

The area is way sick.  It's a mega tight area.  The work seems to be moving way good in this area.  I'm stoked on it.  We have two investigators that are going to be baptized on Saturday.  We taught their last lesson yesterday.  So things are really good with the area. 

Oh yeah, so on the day I got my Samoan license, I wrecked the car.  I seriously had my license for an hour and within three minutes going out on my first drive, I put a foot long dent/scratch on the side of the van.  Cause they're like these massive 12 seater vans and I turned too sharp around a corner and scraped the side.  It was the suckiest thing ever.  I totally hated it.  And it was weird casuse they drive on the left side in Samoa and I hadn't driven anything in like ten months, so I still had to get warmed up.  But the senior missionary couple that is in charge of the vehicles was pretty cool about it.  They'll get it fixed up and fancy right quick.  So it's good.  That sucked though.  I was all sketched out.  I'm a lot more used to driving here now though.  It's all good.  My comp doesn't have a license, so I pretty much do all the driving.  And the roads are like the worst thing ever--like dirt roads with gnarly huge rocks and stuff--just like when we go camping, except I'm driving a massive van. 

I was pretty sad to leave Savaii though.  I'll miss that area for sure.  But I was sort of ready to go too.  I think 8 months is pretty long to be in my first area.  It'll be a bummer not to be able to see all our investigators in Samata be baptized though.  They put sisters in.  Jackson got transferred to the back of Upolu in Siumu.  I'll miss Jackson too--that's my son.  He's just a humble guy.  I'm gonna miss being comps with him.  We worked mega hard together.  It was mega good.  But it's cool.  That's how things go.  They change.  And then you have to get used to other stuff, I guess.

Our zone is a little bit wild, but most people are afraid of me cause I'm buff and ripped so I'll just give 'em the "Stone Cole Steve Austin" if anyone gets out of hand.  Haha, nah, but it's good.

There's been like tons of stuff that's gone down like the last week, but I can't really think of anything right now.  Everything is good though.  Keep on steezin' fans.

Keep the bones
--Elder Johansen
PS  Thanx for the package.  I'll open it tomorrow!