8-11-13

August 11, 2013

Well Gee, Chip,

This week was a good one.  Not a lot to report on.  I didn't get any letters last week cause the mail didn't come in from American Samoa, so I can't answer any of your questions.  

We met this old man this week named Popi.  I felt impressed that we should visit his house and then it turned out that he is actually a member, but he has been inactive for years.  So we talked to him and then invited him to church and he totally came!  Stoked for sure.  He looks like he is 75 or something.  His wife is not a member, so we have high hopes for Popi.

Right now we're teaching a girl named Aiga (translates to "family") who will be baptized this upcoming week.  So that should be def bones good.  Other than that we have a few investigators that are progressing.  Hopefully a few may be ready for baptism in the near future.  We're still seeing a lot of good inactive people come back into the church.  Moevanu has a calling in the Relief Society and even gave a talk on Sunday.  So we're stoked--they're totally strong now.

The area has a lot of potential, though.  we're hoping to find all these people who have been prepared for us to teach.  But I'm lovin' it, everything is way good right now.  

Today is also Samoa's Father's Day, so happy Pappie's day, papa.  I think the American one is in June sometime. 

I'm still trying to work my magic so I can get my mission extended a little bit.  I talked to my bishop from my first area this week and he said that Silia, my convert who is going on a mish to Australia, will enter the temple on September 18th.  However, I'm scheduled to finish on September 15th.  I talked to the APs just barely and they seem to think my lucky bones might just get tickled.  We'll see though.  I'm also trying to see if my buddy, Stout, from my MTC days can extend with me so we can finish together.  It will only probably be a week or two, and still probably will be before the original October 8th like in my mission call.  But it's all good.  I'll let you know.

I can't think of anything cool to say.  I'm just loving the mission and having a way good time.  My comp is good.  We work real hard and continue to progress every day.

It's the dopest,

Elder Jo Handley

8-5-13

8-5-13

Big stuff for this week.  It was a good one though.  This week the work really started to pick up, so I am hoping we may have a few investigators ready for baptism sometime soon.,  Esau is dope--still keeping the Word of Wisdom.  We baked him a cake and brought it to him the other day.  We tried to st a date for him and his wife to be married and be baptized, but his wife is super pregnant, so we may have to wait until after she has her baby.  But for sure Esau will get baptized soon.

We also have two sisters, Aiga and Taumaia, who are both preparing to be baptized this month.  So that should be good.

All of our inactive families continue to attend weekly.  I'm pretty stoked.  We're hoping to take some of these people for baptisms for the dead at the end of this month.  Working with weak members is tight though.  To me, I feel like it's the same as getting a baptism.  Either way, it's bringing others unto Christ to receive sacred ordinances.  It's good though.  I'm really loving the area.  It's been 6 months now that I've been in Lotofaga.  The mission president said he's stoked about all the good stuff that's going on here, so I doubt I'm going anywhere.  I'll most likely finish here in Lotofaga which is cool too.

I talked to the 1st counselor in my ward in Samata, where I started out my mission, yesterday on the phone.  But I was mega stoked cause he was telling me that this girl, Silia, one of the converts that my trainer and I baptized back in January 2012 has got her mission call and is going to enter into the temple next month!  She's serving in Sidney, Australia.  In fact the same mission where my trainer lives, so it's pretty nuts.  The only problem is that the APs told me I'm officially finishing on September 15th, but Silia doesn't go into the temple until the end of September or maybe October.  So I am going to ask the mish Pres if I can extend a little bit so I can attend her temple endowment.  Cause there's like only a few special exceptions that missionaries can extend for, so I am hoping we can make this happen.  I'll let you know though.  But I am way happy for her.  I was way surprised when I heard she already had her call.

Also, there's been some big changes in the mission lately.  Cause before there were no DL's, only ZL's.  But now cause of all the missionaries coming in, they're making both DL's and ZL's.  So my comp and I are still ZL's, but the zone got twice as big.  If you look at the map, it starts at Travea, on the far east side of the island, and goes to Siumu, which is more in the middle part of the island.  It's pretty far though.  Luckily, the new DL's have to walk and we still get the van.

Our ZL responsibilities are all new though.  It should be cool I guess.  It's nice, though, cause they're taking out al the administerial garbage and we're left to just help the other missionaries spiritually.  Cause before, a lot of our time was spent picking up mail, reports, water jugs, random chores, doing the zone's shopping, etc.  But now they have a senior couple doing all that nonsense and my comp and I can just focus on trying to motivate the missionaries to be good.  It's tight though.  I'm down with whatever.  What's good though is that it means we actually get p-days.  For the longest time we spent almost all of our p-days driving to Apia and doig zone chores, but now they've eliminated that, so we have the whole day to do whatever now.  So I'm stoked on that.

We had a pretty funny experience earlier this week.  We were at dinner with this member family, but they're not super strong really either.  Anyways, there was this drunk dude there who was kind of just hanging out while we were eating.  But I guess he was going to go somewhere, so he came to say goodbye to my companion and I before he left.  So he comes up behind my companion and sort of shakes his hand, and then he indicates to my comp like he is going to tell him something important so the drunk guy leans in like he is going to whisper something in his ear, but instead grabs him by the face and gives him a big wet kiss on the cheek!  Haha, oh man it was the best thing ever.  Then he shook hands with me and tried to pull the same move, but I deflected him by pulling away and saying, "No, thank you!!"  Haha, but then he just left.  My poor companion was pretty shook up though.  He probably never thought he was going to kiss anyone on the mission.  Good stuff.

Yeah, but that's pretty much it for the week.  It was a good one though.

Your friend,

Elder Eimer E. Kay

PS  I found the guy that stole my wallet.  So don't worry.  I've got it.  My license and stuff was there, but the money was gone.  All good.  --Squire of Samoa

7-28-13

Buenos Dias Nochentos Dar Fuego,

Están duchentos mas puertas?  Imi guto, mis barbas!  Ah, si.  I'm definitely tri- lingual now.  I've been studying hard at Spanish and now I don't my "laumei" from my "chicos flojos."  I guess you can say it's been a little "das fuego" up in here.

As for the bones and the beans, it's all good.  I guess before I get to anything, I'll let you know the big news.  So I talked to the senior couple missionaries that work at the office and they mentioned that all the guys in my MTC group are actually going to get pushed back a month from their release date. Because of all the new missionaries coming in, the transfers are all messed up, so all the missionaries either end up finishing about a month early or a month late.  But my official release date isn't until November 13th.  So I've still got quite awhile before I have to go.  I'm excited for the extra time to serve.  That's what I wanted anyway.  Mom probably won't be too happy though.  Haha.

The work is going good.  We have a few investigators who are not progressing, but not a ton.  We're hoping to try and get a ton of referrals this upcoming week and maybe refresh our investigator pool.

Esau is doing good.  He still hasn't smoked and continues to go to church.  We're thinking he will be ready to be baptized sometime in August.  He is dope though.  

We also visited this guy named Poasa.  I think I might have mentioned Poasa before actually.  I can't remember.  His wife and kids are strong in the church.  It's just him who isn't a member.  Anyways, he was investigating the church for awhile and even came to church, but then in Sunday School the teacher made a comparison of his beard and the beard of Moses.  Haha, and Poasa got super offended and hasn't attended church since.  I guess I shouldn't think it's that funny, but I kind of still do anyway.  And since then he has always shaved and never grown his beard back.  (I'm going to make a note to not be so sensitive about my beard when I grow mine out.)

Nah, but Poasa seems really good actually.  He hasn't really ever talked to missionaries before, so were hoping we can get a time to sit down and talk with im.  I think he might be easy for sure.  I've been an expert on beards and mustaches for several years now and will know exactly what to say.  So we'll see what happens.

Also, Mother, in answer to your bamboozlement and baffledness about whether I tell falsehoods in my weekly letters, I would say that it is much like reading the Apocrypha.  I quote from D&C section 91:  "There are many things contained therein that are true..There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.  And whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth; and whoso is enlightened from the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom; And whoso receiveth it not by the Spirit, cannot be benefitted."

So I guess you just have to discern what is concrete truth and what is just a spoof and a goof.

Not a whole lot else happened this week...I got asked to speak in church.  In fact, we were sitting in Priesthood, and the branch president's first counselor came in and whispered in my ear that I was giving a talk in Sacrament Meeting.  My comp got lucky cause we were doing a split at the time so we could go to church in one of our other wards.  So it was me and the kid I was splitting with who gave talks.  I actually thought it went pretty well.  I talked about the importance of family scripture study and the importance of the temple.  So that was good.

I skewered my neck on a tree playing an intense game of basketball with my comp last week, but it's all good now.  I've been lathering the wounds with neosporin and it's pretty much healed up.  

Zeek (family dog who is passed on) visits me in my dreams,

E.J. Spunkydance

PS  The November 13th finishing date was just a spoof and a goof.  I have no idea what date I finish, but probably the beginning of October or the end of September. Los barbas con pranks!

7-21-13

Sup,

It has been a double doozy, my friend.  This week was the dopegnar.  Not a ton to report on really.  Our dog had puppies, but I don't know where they are.  Our crab, Sipologo, is quite healthy, thank you for asking.  A lot of time he likes to hang out in the bathroom on the shower curtain, but lately he has been playing in the mats we have under the bed.  He is a real keeper.

Not much for this week really.  We started lessons with this dude, Esau.  I don't know if I wrote about him or not.  Last week we were halfway through SUnday School in Lotofaga when we just felt prompted to leave and go to our other ward that is like 15 minutes away.  At the time I didn't really think it was a prompting of the Spirit, but now I realize it was.  So anyways, when we got to the other ward we went to the bishop's office to talk to the bishop. But not too long after, Esau came in cause the bishop had sent for him.  Cause Esau has been going to church for over a year off and on, but is not a member.  So the bishop talked about how he wants Esau to be baptized and receive the priesthood so he can bless his baby son.  And then I talked for a little bit about repentance and how baptism can cleanse us of our sin.  The Spirit was pretty strong.  So we finally were able to convince him to start lessons because until then, he had refused.  So then later in the week we visited him and got to talking.  He is a way cool guy.  He kind of opened up and explained that part of the reason he never wanted to take lessons was that he was embarrassed cause he doesn't know how to read.  So we told him not to anyone nag his gnar about it and not to worry.  So now we're just going to watch church DVDs, which is way cooler anyway.  We also committed him to quit smoking, which commitment he has kept so far, so it's good.  He's in his mid 20's and has 4 kids.  He said sometimes he would go spend their money on beer and then the next day the kids would be crying cause there was no food and no money to buy food.  But we'll help him out with that for sure.

Also, this past Monday we ran out of gas on our way to Apia.  The day we went on a split, my comp went to fill up gas, but it didn't end up being enough and we ran out.  So then we waited forever for the senior missionary dude to come with gas.  He took like 3 hours.  And then when he came, he chewed us out.  Haha.  And then when we got to Apia he sat us down and chewed us out again for like 20 minutes.  He is kind of an angry old man.  He almost made us take the bus home.  And now my comp is banned from driving the van.  Haha.  It was a lame p-day though.  We got back home and it was already time for our dinner appointment.

Also this week we gave this old Catholic woman a priesthood blessing (Moevanu's Mom) cause she has all these pains in her arm.  So for like two days after the blessing I guess she was completely relived of pain and she felt way good.  But then she started praying to this big 4 foot tall statue of Mary that they have in their house and I guess now her sickness is back.  I don't really know.  Haha.  That's just what Moevanu told us.  Pretty crazy though. 

Also, this less-active guy, Faivale, that we play basketball with every Monday has been attending church regularly now and on Sunday brought this other inactive kid as well.  So that was sick.  Faivale said that he is stoked on my comp and I cause we were the only ones who tried to be friends with him.  I guess everyone else just looked at him like a ranjo and never talked to him.  He is from California, but got jailed or something and is now stuck in Samoa.  He has been here since like 2004.

Also, Toaono, this other girl who has started coming back to church, has been attending regularly and this upcoming week we're going to start lessons with her mom, Naiu'u, and her broth, Le'u.  So good stuff is going on.

And this week we went on splits with this 75 year old man name Pese Brown.  He is the 1st counselor to the branch president, and is like the goofiest old man ever.  He is probably one of my favorite people in the branch.  I always go with him when we do splits.  He lives in a tiny house by himself and has a couple of dogs that he always talks about.

But that was this week.  Not much else exciting happened--just spankin' around like Doug Davis would do.

"Get on yer horse and ride!"

Elder Johansen