Ifousume nei kewe josi?
This has easily been one of the best weeks of my mission. No, I didn't get to go on another boat for days out to some tiny paradise island, but God helped me out so much today and answered so many of my prayers. I have been praying lots for confidence to talk to everyone and not care about all the mean things people say or when they ignore me and don't want to help me learn Chuukese. My vocabulary has expanded sooo much this week; it's been crazy. I can say lots more both in lessons or just street talk. I am finally understanding lots more when people talk and can have decent conversations. Everything is starting to make sense and I actually feel like I exist again rather than just being the guy that can never really say too much. God is just pouring out the blessings and is with me every step of the way. Even though my Thanksgiving was just chicken and rice (*like every other day of my life here) it still ended up good. We had a little feast with just my district. As we ate we went in a circle and talked about the things we are grateful for. As I talked and talked and talked, I realized how blessed I am. God has given me so much in my life, and I couldn't be grateful enough to Him. From this gospel, to my mission, to my extremely supportive family and friends that I love so much, I realize how lucky I am to have the life I do. Seeing how these people live here having nothing but the wood hut with a tin roof and a bucket of rice to survive in with no blanket or pillow and fishing for food everyday to eat, makes me realize how blessed we all are. Most people only have one or two sets of clothes here. Some kids just have one pair of shorts with no shirt, which is why all the kids are pretty much naked here 24/7. What a great Thanksgiving it ended up being. I have so much to be thankful for!
So our miracle this week: We have been teaching a little boy named Micah. His dad is super big in the Catholic church and his mom is Protestant. We have been praying lots that when we go and get permission from them for Micah to be baptized that they will say yes. Not only did they say yes, but they want to come to his baptism, too! We would have had his baptism this week, but there's a meeting we have all day, so we are doing it next Saturday! Super pumped!!
On Tuesday, I was hiking down from Winiston's house. It's been raining here every single day nonstop for the last month. It's been nuts. Everything is sooo muddy. Yup. I slipped. Again! This time, so much worse. Literally covered head to toe in mud hahahah. I was so bummed. We had to go home and change and it was just our first lesson of the day. I didn't want to get in the truck all muddy so I had to sit in the back all the way home. haha and Everyone was outside and was just laughing at me; it was awesome.
Miss you all lots. Happy late Thanksgiving. Super grateful for you all!
--
Elder Saylin
NOVEMBER 21, 2016
So it snowed?? I forgot what that looks like! It's still hot as could be here. hah I don't think it ever gets below 80.
This week has been a pretty good one. Our branch had a returned missionary come back from South Africa. His name is JT and he is legit. I love him. He's already strengthening the branch so much and is helping me with my Chuukese which is a blessing because not a lot of people are out to help me learn so much. My Chuukese is getting a lot better in lessons. I can teach a lot more. But on the street its super hard to understand so my conversations rarely go anywhere. They roll their tongue with everrryyytthhiinnngggg-- it sounds like one huge word that makes no sense. I can speak a lot more than I can understand, but it's coming more and more and the gift of tongues is the realest thing ever. God helps me out so much and answers my prayers.
So remember Mypo? I baptized him back in August. Right after he was baptized he moved away to the other side of the island and went less active. He came back to Sapuk this week and we saw him! We invited him to go teaching with us and he came almost everyday this week! So awesome. He even came to church and is preparing to get the priesthood next week. Way pumped for him. We even started to teach his family with him, too. His sister and her husband are now on a baptismal date. Winiston is still strong and going to get the priesthood as well this sunday.
We went to a pwupwungu (wedding) this week. It was super crazy. Lots different than America. The weddings are huggeee here. All of Sapuk went. There was so much singing and dancing and culture stuff; it was awesome. Then they came and brought me food. They handed me a plate that was like 3 feet long and a foot and a half wide. No lie. I was first to get it so I thought that it was for the whole table we were at. It was so heavy. So much food. All their nasty chuukese food. Octopus. fish. pig. turkey tail. turtle. turtle eggs. legit everything you could think of. Then, they bring out another and another and another. EVERYONE GOT THEIR OWN. No wonder everyone is so fat here. I took it all home because I only ate a small dent out of it and thought I was gonna die. Fed the rest to the dogs. lol super gross.
We met this guy that just got deported from Hawaii and doesn't know much chuukese so we were going to teach him in English. He asked me to pray. I prayed in English for the first time on months. It's legit has been forever. I couldn't remember what to say hahaha i legit sounded like i have never prayed before. "Umm God please help us to feel the spirit." I couldn't remember respectful terms like "will thou, thine, and stuff like that" I started laughing and everyone was laughing. I didn't' know if Is should switch over to Chuukese or not bc I legit couldn't remember anything to say in prayers. So I translated from Chuukese in my head to English. I was so happy. It was the coolest thing ever. I didn't even care if I looked like an idiot --the fact that i just had to translate from Chuukese to English made me so happy.
Hope everything is good at home! Love you and miss you. As hard as my mission is for me at times, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Chuuk is where it's at!
--
Elder Saylin
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