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