LIFE AS AN ISLANDER

Easily the best few days of my mission! (If you can't tell by the pictures).  It was so amazing. So Wednesday night we got on this boat that was a lot smaller than expected. We had 50 people on the boat. It was impossible to sleep. Impossible. Dad, you would have thrown yourself overboard within the first 10 minutes. There was no room at all to sleep so everyone was laying on each other and we were all smashed, and it was super hot. The waves were crazy and the boat rocked back and forth so much. People were throwing up off the side of the boat but luckily I didn't. 

After 12 hours of that, we finally got to the island of Ruo. It's in the middle of nowhere. SO BEAUTIFUL YOU HAVE NO IDEA. Pictures don't even come close to what it looks like. The water was about 80+ feet deep they said and it was crystal clear to the bottom. The whole island was straight sand and palm trees. There's 400 people on the island. When we got to shore we were greeted by pretty much the whole island with flower lays and coconuts, and they were singing and dancing all over the place. This island is so clean and they take such good care of it, unlike Chuuk which is a dump, hah.

 They brought us into their town hall and sang to us and danced. They're so good at singing. The Chief and the Mayor then spoke and welcomed us. We then got out to teaching. In Ruo they loveeddd it so much. The people are amazing and so loving and have the best culture in the world. I honestly think we committed 400 people on a baptismal date that day. Such a miracle. Then they fed us lunch and sang and watched us eat. I have the coolest videos so I will have to send my SD card home sometime so you guys can watch them.  

The food is crazy. My body is getting a little more used to taking in all their Chuukese food, but it's still nuts. Mom, you'd be so proud of everything I eat. Nothing phases me anymore haha. We had no food on the boat so the only way we could eat is if they fed us so we got lucky, but we starved for breakfast and dinner haha. Then after lunch we taught more and played with the little kids and played volleyball with them. Its sooooo hotttt on these islands because since there's no dirt or mud and just sand the whole island is on fire. Must have been 115 degrees with 100 percent humidity. I thought I was gonna die. I drank at least 15 coconuts, though, hah, so that was good. 

Then we went back on the boat and spent another amazing wonderful night for 14 hours to another island called Vananu. It was beautiful, too. We did the same thing as in Ruo. They greeted us with flower lays and everything. The culture was a little different. They weren't as welcoming and loving as Ruo, but they still were such amazing people. Nobody on these islands works or has school and anything to do. They just all hangout and love each other and everyone is such good friends and knows each other. I'm pretty sure they don't have any money that exist on these islands. There's no electricity at all. Nothing. It's crazy. If I get to open up these islands and serve here it would be the best thing ever. Sharing the gospel to people for the first time EVER in the history of the Hall Islands was the coolest experience ever. I will never forget it. I taught this group of 25 at once and they were all above 15 yrs old. I invited them all to be baptized at the end of the lesson and they had never heard the word "baptisim" in their lives before and had no idea what is was! Whaaa!  Can you imagine?? So we taught about that and they all wanted to be baptized after. Then after that day at Vananu, we boated 12 hours home again back to my island in Chuuk. I was sooo sick at this point. Everyone was. We got in at 4 am and went to bed. All the missionaries said they were super sick, too. We slept all day Saturday. Legit-- all day and all night. We were so sick we couldn't move unless to the bathroom. But I am doing a lot better now haha; it was worth it, though. I just don't know if I could ever step foot on a boat again haha.

I love my mission. I'm so lucky and blessed to be in the Micronesia Guam Mission and wouldn't trade these experiences for the world. The church is true!

-- 

Elder Saylin

"It's gonna be the best day of my liifffeee....oh oh ohhh!"

Sam Houston! I miss you. You are such a stud. Because of you, I wake up every morning and just sing, "It's gonna be the best day of my liiffeee. ooh oohh" and think of you and it makes my day so much better. I then have such a good attitude about everything! hahaha. 

We had a baptism this Saturday! It was awesome. Her name is Niames and she is my favorite. She's 12 and her parents finally said that she could be baptized and she was SOOO happy! Seeing people change so much and get on the right path is the best thing in the world. Our other investigator Terson that was supposed to get baptized said he heard rumors about the church and can't get baptized anymore.  ughhh It broke my heart.  So we have work to do with him, but I know God has a plan for him and it will all be okay!

I'M GOING ON VACATION THIS WEEK! So hyped! So the church for the first time ever is going to open some islands called Ruo. There are four islands and the church has never been there before. President Zarbock is coming down on Wednesday and a few of us elders get to go with him and our branch president to go teach some people out there and see how it goes! It's a 12 hour boat ride  so hopefully I don't throw up everywhere. We get back Sunday. I got lucky and get to go because my companion is an Islander and President only is letting elders from Chuuk go that have an islander in the companionship. Super cool. I cant wait!

I added a few sentences to my testimony (in Chuukese) this week! I added 4 sentences. Three went really good, and the other everyone laughed because it made no sence. hahaha I don't even know what I said. I led a lesson, though, so I was pretty happy with that:) I'm trying super hard and God is helping me. 

We had 36 at church yesterday; it was the best thing ever.!!!! After church they taught us this Sapuk dance and it's the sickest thing ever. Only know the beginning right now. I didn't know I could dance hahah  but I am picking up some sweet moves out here!

Found out I'm allergic to crab this week. Tongue and throat swelled up and I thought I was gonna die haha but I ran and got medicine super fast and I'm alive:) We still have no power. Probably won't be fixed for a while. We had no food because it all went bad so we left to a different area to sleep at night and eat so that's nice. 

Love you all.

Elder Saylin

MIss you guys so much!  I love you!

-- 

Elder Saylin

WHEN IN CHUUK, DO AS THE CHUUKESE

HEY! Sorry I didn't get to write last week! Once a month the outer islands come into our island and write so we don't get to because there are too many of us. These last two weeks have been crazy, and long, but I'm still alive out here and working hard. Crazy I've been in Chuuk a whole transfer already. It feels like 2 years, though, haha but it'll pick up from what everyone says here. I've gotten kinda sick which is the worst here, but its not too bad I guess. It's just from all the weird food and stuff I eat and the awful diet I have out here, haha, but my body will get used to it! 

Sooo we have 2 baptisms this week! Terson and Naimes. SO PUMPED because Niames asked me if I would be the one to baptize her. She's 13 and even though she hardly knows me  I guess she likes my awful Chuukese and just laughing at everything because I never know what's actually going on. Terson asked one of our members to baptize him so that'll be cool, too. Super excited. We only had 12 people at church yesterday ugh; that was no good. We are trying our best to get people to church but everyone is sooo lazy here on the islands, but we will get it.

Mom, you literally saved Elder Gibson and my life this week. So last Monday there was just a miscommunication and we didn't end up having time to buy food for the week. We had no food. I'm sorry for all the times I complained at home that we "have nothing to eat" because now I really know what that means. We had 1 chicken thigh, 2 cups of rice, and 2 rolls left. FOR THE WEEK. The zone leaders said we weren't allowed to get food until next week so we just gotta pray and hope we find food or that people feed us. Prayed so much Monday night. All night. I was scared I was gonna die haha. Not gonna lie. Then Tuesday I got 3 packages in the mail!! 1 for breakfast. 1 for lunch. 1 for dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHH it was legit a miracle. That's all we ate this week; it was the best. Thank you so much! We loved the food. You really did keep us alive out here because nobody fed us really. 

So the last few days have been such a pain because our electricity box is now completely broken. No lights (it's dark at 6 pm), no running water, no filter pump, no toilet, no fridge, no food, nothing to cook or cook with really. It's SO HOT so we have heat exhaustion pretty much. We sleep outside now because our box (house) has no windows so there is no airflow and it's the worst. The first night it started pouring on us so we had to run inside. I couldn't sleep it was so hot and I was just super sweaty. We legit live like the Chuukese people do her. Hopefully it will be fixed soon though, but we don't know. God's definitely testing my faith and patience out here that's for sure, but with prayer and fasting and trying my very best out here He is taking care of us.

So we have this investigator named Etwin. He's super funny, but he smokes. Every time he always starts to smoke we chase him and try and take his cigarette away. haha It's our joke with him. Well last week we saw him out in front of his house smoking and he didn't see us, so we went around to do a sneak attack on him. I went one way and Elder Gibson went the other. I got there first and tried to tackle him from behind. He was trying to fight me off and I was screaming at the top of my longs for Elder Gibson to come help. I'm fighting him and all of the sudden this freaking huge black dog comes out of no where AND BIT ME ON THE BUTT SO HARD!!!!!! I screamed and threw him and the dog ran off. Hurt so bad. A bunch of people were watching and were just laughing hahahah.  I have some gnarly teeth marks on my butt now, but I am good now. hah. 

Anyway,s it's good to hear from everyone. I miss you all so much, but I am working hard and loving my mission more and more everyday. I'm sad I missed your birthday, Dad!!! HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY! I love you guys. The church is true!

-- 

Elder Saylin

PS Hey thanks for all the emails!! I hate how rushed we are here. Maybe you can print them and send them to me???? I would love to really read all of them. Sounds like the family is doing well. Miss you guys and alwasy thinking about you! DAD, happy birthday. I have a letter coming for you in the mail don't worry! What did you guys do? Was it a blast?? Miss you!!! I love you! Thanks for the packages and notes and everything from everyone-- you guys are the BEST!!!!!!! Love you lots.