Blog Archive

Monday, October 24, 2016

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

TWO HANDWRITTEN LETTERS TO MOM, BUT IT'S TOO GOOD TO NOT POST!!

 Yesterday I went out to the mailbox.  I was sad we didn't hear from him by email this week.  Sometimes that happens if the other missionaries come from outer islands.  They only can email once a month so they get priority.  However, I received TWO handwritten letters yesterday via snail mail and so because this is my journal for his mission I am going to write them out.  Makes everything worth it!  :)  ~ Proud mom of Elder Saylin


OCTOBER 1, 2016

Mom!!  I MISS YOU! How has my mom been?.  It's hard only getting to talk to you once a week for a little bit.  I miss coming up the stairs every night to tell you that I am home.  I guess that the only thing better than that that I can tell you right now is that I am happy!  It's super hard out here at times, not going to lie.  I struggle lots with the language, it's superrrrr hot, days go by when nobody wants to listen to us.  But then I get these moments: I see the gospel making someone else's life happy.  I give them hope.  I bring them joy.  I help open their eyes.  I see them want to change their life.  I walk up to someone's hut to find them reading the Book of Mormon without us, or studying a pamphlet.  I understand some of their testimony.  With my broken Chuukese, I open up my heart to them.  Then I see them change!  When somebody sincerely says to me, "Thank you Elder Saylin," it changes my perspective on everything.  I no longer care about how many lessons we taught or didn't teach; I don't care if I'm awful at Chuukese right now.  I don't care how many people yelled at me that day, or how hot it may be.  Mom, when somebody says that to me the only thing that is going through my mind is a prayer to my Savior, thanking him SO MUCH for giving me this opportunity to serve a mission, and thanking Him for putting me in Chuuk to help these people. It makes everything worth it.  It cures my homesickness.

Niames, the last girl I baptized, is my favorite person ever.  She is seriously like a sister to me out here!  Having watched her change, and still come to church every Sunday is the best.  Last night, she studied the Book of Mormon for 3 hours!!  3!!!  Seeing her happiness and devotion to the Lord changes me.  It strengthens my testimony so much and makes me forever grateful for this chance I have to serve here.

I guess I wanted to write you to thank you, mom.  Withoutyou, I probably wouldn't be out here.  Thank you for your testimony and example you have been to me.  Thanks for always being forgiving and patient with me.  There is no other Mom in this world that is like you.  I'm SO LUCKY to be able to call you my mom.

How has everything been at home??  It's weird to be away from everyone this long.  If you ever want to print up pictures of everyone (Seth @ football, you and dad, girls' dance, the family hanging out, etc.) please don't hesitate to send some in the mail!  haha  I hope and pray everyday that the family is doing well!  Say hi to everyone for me!

Love,
Elder Saylin

OCTOBER 6, 2016    (SNAIL MAIL!!!)

Mom!
I got a letter from you today, and a package!  Thank you so much; you're the best!  The good you send keeps me alive (but no need to send ramen noodles.  haha We have plenty of that!  Maybe beef jerky?  The mac n' cheese is super good though. )  Your letter means so much to me.  I'm glad everyone is doing super good at home.

To answer all your questions:

6-7:30am :wake up, workout, breakfast, BUCKET shower

8:30-9:30am  Companionship study

9:30-10:30am 12 week training

10:30-11:30 Lunch

11:30am -6pm TEACHING

6-6:30 Planning

6:30-7:30pm Language study (usually goes two hours though)

8:30-10pm eat dinner and chill until bed  haha

So, yeah, we have electricity to see.  Our power goes out a ton though so we just use my flashlight.  It's kind of fun haha. People feed us sometimes.  Actually, only my branch president feeds us.  Other than that, not really.  Yes, we "grocery shop."  We go into town on the other side of the island and there's a few super ghetto stores where we buy food.  They're kind of like a small warehouse.   I'll take pics for you next Monday.  My district leader is Elder Floyd.  I love him.  We are the same person--hah, it's weird.  Our training meetings are for like 4 hours, but they are way good.  I'm with the other missionaries Monday for P-day, Thursday/Friday becasue that's district meeting and then exchanges.

Our church building is tiny.  Just and empty room.  We are lucky to have a building though because the outer island has church under a tent.  (Sounds fun to me, though!!!!)  We usually have anywhere from 12-30 people show up to church.  Never really know.  Branch President hasn't had their baby yet, but seriously could at any second.  They're still naming it Saylin, though!!!  Super excited!

Mom, I ate a whole octopus today.  The whole thing.  They didn't even cut it up or anything.  Just boiled it in some water and fed it to us.  So nasty, but I don't care about taste out here hahaa.  I really am Chuukese now.  If it's edible, I am eating it.

I've been struggling lots with the language.  It's hard.  ( No MTC training by the way!!~Jen)  Some days I want to give up, but I never will.  I have Heavenly Father on my side and I know He will help me.  I love my mission.  I seriously have the best mission in the world.!!  I love the people and everything I am learning.  I am SO blessed!  This church is true.  Not a doubt in my mind.

I love you, mom!

Elder Saylin






OCTOBER 10, 2016 LETTER ZONE CONFERENCE, OCTOPUS AND MUD SLIDES

I'm alive! Hitting my 3 month mark this week. Feels like 3 years haha, but it's good because Im loving it and have the best mission in the world. This week has been adventurous!

So we had zone conference and zone meeting this week. President Zarbock and his wife are the best. We had pizza for lunch, too, which was amazing because it's one of the few things I have eaten here that isn't disgusting Chuukese food! President is such a good teacher and gives me so much motivation and ambition to baptize everyone in Chuuk that I see. He teaches with with Spirit so strong and is a good example to me! 

A few days ago  some people we taught wanted to give us food after we taught them. They had nothing to give us... expect for octopus. Yes, octopus. The whole thing. They just boiled it in some water and then put it in a bowl and didn't do anything to it -- just fed it to us right there. It was purple and orange. No knifes or anything to cut it; just picked it up and took a big bite out of it hahah. It was super thick and rubbery. At first it wasn't that awful, but the after taste wanted to make me throw up and i couldn't get the taste out of my mouth all day hahaha. I was hungry though so I didn't care. I'm turning into a Chuukese person out here. Legit-- anything that is edible, I'm gonna eat it. It's awesome! 

We have been trying really hard to find new investigators this week and we found two! Our other 2 investigators are doing really well. Winistion walked super far 2 weeks now in a row to come to church. He's getting baptized next Saturday! He's soo dope. Micah is 9 and wants to get baptized next Saturday as well. I can't wait! They are such good people and examples to me.

So the begining of the week it rained super hard. We hiked way up the steep mountain to Winistons house. He always gives us food. He gave me this big Tonga (its like this weird dry- watermelon- chalky- moist vegetable). It's hard to explain haha. But I was coming down the hill of thick jungle carrying this thing in one hand and my BOM in the other. It was soo muddy and it was a trap for me just to die. I few steps in, sure enough.... I slipped and fell. haha I had no hands to catch me. I didn't wanna loose my tonga and didn't want my book ruined so I like broke my back and fell into these bushes hahahaha and got soaked in mud and water BUT MY FOOD AND BOOK WAS OKAY. It was awesome! I laughed so hard.

Anyway, I have more pictures but it's being weird right now so I will upload more next week. I promise

Miss you all tons.

Elder Saylin

-- 

Elder Saylin

Monday, October 3, 2016

SHORTEST EMAIL EVER, BUT AT LEAST WE GOT ONE! :)


A short letter to Mom:
Hey!!  I only have a little time because the outer islands came in to to email and shop, but I managed to sneak in here for a few minutes! Nooo there's no way for us to have watched conference. I'm so happy for Scott. I sent you a letter in the mail! The post office closed no reason for 2 weeks so everything is way backed up.  I haven't got a letter or anything in the mail for a few weeks. Did my letter that I sent home a while ago to everyone (where I wrote everyone a letter) get to you guys? I never got a letter back from anyone so i just didn't know. I hope it didn't get lost. This week has been slow. Not much happened except Winston came to church which is a blessing! Other than that just trying to learn this language haha. Gotta run Mom. I love you!

A short letter to Dad:
WOWWW!!!!!!!!
I am so happy for him!!!!!!!! ( Scott/ temple)  That's so awesome! I can't wait to go with him. Sad I missed it.
How are you? I haven't gotten those emails in the snail mail yet but i'm looking forward to it.
My dinner last night was crazy. Legit--I ate fish right out of the ocean. No dad, not prepared. Right out of the flipping ocean! They caught it, cut it open, pulled out a few guts, and handed it to me with a bowl of rice. SO nasty, but it was to break my fast and I was starving haha so I ate it all. It was nuts!!!

It's been a slow week. Not much happened hah . I just got yelled at a lot, It was wiered but it's all good. 
Miss you all lots!!! 
Love 
Elder Saylin