Transferred! Neoa in Weno

Well, transfer calls were last night and i got moved again! Big surprise right? Seems like this is every transfer. Not sure why it's always me getting moved around when some have been in one area there whole mission and been out about a year. hah. I'm just mainly sad I am leaving Tonoas. I miss it like crazy already and i just boated in hah. I didn't want to leave at all. I'm crushed to leave that group in Enin and Elder Harmon and all those investigators we had ready to be baptized soon. 

I've now been moved to a new place called Neoa in Weno. (Inner isalnd again so, Mom, you can cheer for joy now that I get to email you every week again! Hah That seems like the only thing thats going for me right now. I wish I was still back in Tonoas ahh. This transfer is a 5 week transfer and then Pres Z leaves and then the new mission president comes in. I am super curious and excited to see what happens! and see how things change, or if they even do. 

I don't have much time. i have got to drive back to my new house in a few minutes, but just got on the computer to let y'all now that I've been transferred now

How's everything at home? Dad thanks for your email! I took a picture of it  and will read it tonight. I skimmed over it tho and btw my camera is a Nikon Coolpix AW130. That'd be WAY cool to get videos! Do you have my last sd card still? The first one I sent home? I would love to get that back, too, so I can see all of them again bc I don't have it copied! 

Mom,  sorry one last request. So I ripped my last pair of pants. All the black pairs have ripped so now I only have a grey pair (where i sweat like crazy.) Elder Burkart is letting me wear one of his pairs until i can get more. I've sewed them all up lots but they keep ripping!!! Anyway you could send some more pairs? I was trying to make it a year but it seems like that's not happening. Maybe more of the same pants like before? The nike golf super breathable kind, but if not i understand. Just 32x30 :) 

Thanks for everything and all you do for me! Hopefully, I can get into a new groove in my new area quickly. Oh, my comp is named Elder Z. He's been out just one transfer less than me.  

Love you and miss you all!!!

Mom! Happy Mother's Day! 5/14/17

Momma!
Happy Mother's Day!!

I just wanted to wish the best mom in this universe a Happy Mother's Day.  It's the least that I could do for someone who has done literally everything for me....someone who has given up everything in her life for me, to raise me, to make me happy, to help me be where I am today.  Someone who has been there for me every step of the way, even when I haven't always been the most obedient child.  All the hard trials I have faced in my life and things I have had to go through, you have always been there for me every single second I have needed help.  Seriously, Mom, I don't know if I know anyone else that can say that they have a mom like that.  I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky to have you as my momma! You have always been that perfect example and role model for me.  I am sorry for all the times I have talked back or fought with you when I was younger because I realize now that everything you ever did or said was only you trying your best to help me even if I maybe disagreed at that time.  You have always been so giving to me and all my siblings, always making sacrifices for us so that we can be happy and do what is right.

One of our main goals and our purpose of life on this earth is to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. That's something I hope and really work at  and that I hope my mission will help me become.  As I study the different attributes from PMG I try and think in what ways I could change to develop these attributes.  Mom, so many times you quickly have come to my mind of things you have done and who you have become to set that example for me to help me become like HIm.  Your love and charity and hope and everything has taught me so much about how to be like Him.  Having a mom so Christ-like has really been such a blessing and has helped me so much become who I am even though I am still so far from becoming like our Savior.  Thank you, Mom, for everything you have given me out here.  It has meant more to me than you could ever understand.  I miss you like cray and can't wait to be with you again, but I love my mission and this time of my life to serve Him and the people of Chuuk!  I love you!

Love,
Elder Saylin

Best Mother's Day gift in the world! May 14, 2017

We talked to Scott in the morning so we videoed a message from Scott to Keith.  This is Keith's message back to Scott.

April 30 Finally an email! HELLLOOOOOO!!

HEELLLOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Holy smokes, it really does seem likes its been 10 years since I've got to talk to y'all! Ahhh !! Serving in Chuuk is something else. Getting one hour to email once a month and trying to reply to everything and read things is so hard so don't be to mad if I skipped over questions. I take pictures of most of the emails so I can read them all still and get the others in the mail,  but its killing me! I wish soo badly I could have an ipad like Scott and just get all day to email y'all and read them everyday. It's a whole different world for me thats for sure. 

So i don't even know where to start. I just opened all of y'alls emails and read some stuff here and there, but like I said I don't have all the time in the world. I feel like the worst because my emails are always so lame and short and not as detailed as i know that y'all want them to be. Just know I don't really want it to be like it this way either. But its okay because God knows that not just I can handle this life, but you guys can, too! 

So happy late Easter! I got one box from you! It was the one with my garments.  Thank you so much --that was much needed!! Mom, you said you sent more boxes?! YAYAYA Thank you so much:) I'm excited!  Y'all are the best. Thanks also for all the letters and music and pictures you sent.  I love it. Momma i'm sorry that the letters haven't been gettin gto you fast!  I promise they are all coming. I write every week! Dad, you asked about Chuuk. We have 13 areas in Chuuk. I think I am going to stay in Tonoas for a very long time. One district only. We had district conference this last weekend and it was AMAZING!! Seriously, soo good. Last year at this time they had 478 people attend. Want to know how many we had on Sunday attend??? 1024!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So freaking sick! Chuuk is growing like crazy and we are seeing so many blessings here. I love it. It was so good to see all the people I have taught and grown to love. They are all family to me. I saw all my family from TOL again! and Udot and Sapuk. Honestly, amazing to see them and I got emotional seeing them there knowing they are all so strong and growing in the gospel. You won't believe what happened. Don, my recent convert from Tol, SPOKE IN CONFERENCE!  In front of everyone!! It was so awesome. He did such a good job. Crazy to think that a few months ago he was an alcoholic and smoked weed everyday, and caused problems to a whole bunch of people.  He once was a violent  man and he stood there and bore a powerful testimony how this has changed his life.  He said that the Book of Mormon is what converted him and how he and his wife have found true happiness. Best thing ever! I wanted to cry. The church is so true!!!!!!

So the group hasn't been approved yet but we just got permission to do sacrament in Enin for the first time this week! So we're pretty excited about that so people will come to church. 

Things have been pretty good here. Super hot. Tons of rain. I'm getting skinny as can be,  haha but I'm loving it, and lovign the work.

I cannot wait for Mother's Day! So excited to be able to tlak to y'all!!!! What's the plan for that? I will be calling soon about that to set up time. When's Scott calling?

Miss you guys like crazy! Thanks for all the support and love and everything you do for me! Couldn't ask for a better family:)

I love you!

Elder Saylin

-- 

Elder Saylin

APRIL 24, 2017 SNAIL MAIL NEPWONG ABY MEINISIN!

This last week has been nuts.  Lots of ups and downs, but it ended up pretty good.  Si i will start with the downs.  I don't know what it is with Chuukese people, but every time it rains everybody drinks a ton and nobody does work or anything.  All the women just stay inside and eat and then all fo the teenage boys and men get drunk, walking around causing all sorts of problems to everyone.  Well, this while week it has just poured pretty much non stop except for one day.  Sot his while week consisted with walking everywhere all day soaking wet in the rain dealing with a bunch of drink people and having no lessons basically!  How awesome is that?

When we don't have work, the tim seems to go soooo slowly!  Another thing that was hard is that our main investigator named Erephin (who is so awesome) has been gone all week on an outer, outer island called Uut for his cousin's funeral.  A lot of other people we teach from that village went also because they are all family.  Erephin would have been drunk if he were here.  He is such a good man.  He is about 28ish and such a good husband.  You rarely find that here in Chuuk.  I am trying to convince Enephin to let me adopt his 3 year old little girl.  haha  She is the cutest thing ever!  So don't be upset if I come home with a kid.  Haha  Her name is Eri-Jane.  I'll have to send a picture.  So the day that it didn't rain this week, there was a big wedding.  weddings mean food so everyone on the island goes.  We went too!  Weddings here are crazy.  They just blast Chuukese music or Honun Namanam and everyone dances like crazy.  It's hilarious.  haha  No body really knows how to dance so people just throw their bodies in every direction as fast as they can.  It's better than I could ever do. Super funny to watch.  There was so much food that they gave us.  It is SO not good.  This food is killing me!  Man, I miss McDonalds!  As always, the food made us sick and now we are making countless trips to the bathroom  :)!  The wedding was still way fun!  Some people came from Hawaii for the wedding so they knew English.  It was sooo weird to speak English.  I am forgetting how!  I am messing up all of my words!  All of the missionaries are awful at English now.  It's not just me.  Chuukese is just so different.  It messes everything up.  LOL

Our other high this week is Sunday morning we went to the other side of the island to our area to try and invite people to walk with us to church.  No one was home, but we decided to hurry and go see if there was any chance Erephin came back from the other island.  We ran over to his house last second and he was home!  He had got home late the night before.  He was all showered up and ready to go!  So Erephin came to church and he really enjoyed it.  He payed attention the while time.  So that mad me so happy for him and it was the highlight of my week.  Hopefully this group in Enin starts up soon so more people will actually come to church.

Well, Mother's Day is coming soon so Mom expect a call from me so we can set up a time you want me to call you.  What's y'alls plan for Mother's Day?

Uwa men tongeikemi!  Ngang mi pwan ekieki usemi iteitan ran.  Sipway fos fengen.

Love you!
Elder Saylin

PS  Mom, any way you can send me a razor?  My electric one doesn't work in this humidity and I bought some cheap ones here but I'm all out now and they cut my face up.  Elder B said his mom got his from Costco and it comes with a bunch of blades  you can change so it will last.  Thank YOU!

APRIL 17, 2017 SNAIL MAIL LETTER "HAPPY LATE EASTER" LOVE, LOVE this letter......

HAPPY LATE EASTER!  How was y'alls Easter ?  What did the family do this year for Easter?  Did Grandma and Grandpa come up, too?  I can't wait to see the pictures!  Sam, you better have been the fastest and got the most candy so you can save me some.


So you asked a little bit about Tol.  My last update is that they mostly are still doing really well and having church!  My recent convert Don just also received the priesthood and just was called to be the Branch President!  It's wonderful that though the missionaries were emergency transferred from the island, the church is continuing to grow.  (He is the first man to receive the priesthood there!)   I am so excited for him and happy for those people.  So many of my prayers have been answered as God has continued to take care of those people and help them continue in their faith and happiness.

We didn't get to watch General Conference.  There is no way to and to get a recording or bring everyone in to the mainland to watch is pretty much impossible.  They will eventually send us the Ensign with the talks.  :)

It's so awesome that Scott is out doing this same work as me right now!  I still feel like I am just telling myselft that and that it's not actually true.  haha.  I think its becasue I wasn't there when he left.
I just got your March 19 letter.  I wish so badly I was there when he was set apart.   Especially for that testimony meeting.  Thank you, Dad, for speaking for me and trying to say things I would have said, Dad.  I was so happy when I read that.  I seriously would have killed to hear everyone's testimony, especially Scott and Seth's and seen how much they have grown.  What an amazing day it will be when we are all returned missionaries and finally all reunited together and get to hear everyone's testimonies.  I could never express my gratitude enough to God for this family He has given me and parents.  I could not ask for a better family.  From all of our highs and lows to everything else in between, I am so grateful for what our family has become and how strong all our love for each other is.  There really aren't a lot of families as blessed and lucky as we are.  Thanks Mom and Dad, for all of your hard work for this family  and all you do and helping all us kids get to where we are today.


So as y'all now, my island of Tonoas has been slit this last transfer.  Elder Harman and my area is on the whole other side of the island from the house and the church.  It takes us about 45 minutes to walk there.  I don't mind walking that at all everyday.  Te only thing that is bad about it is that pretty much no one wants to walk that far to church when they could go to the one in their  village right next to their homes.  One big problem we face here in Chuuk is that all the Chukkese people believe that every single church is true and it doesn't matter which one you go to because they all lead you back to God.  So this last Easter Sunday we went to go walk with all of our investigators to church.  Everyone shut us down because they all "had to go with their families to the Catholic church."  It's wonderful that they want to go as families.  Now we want these families to know how they can be together forever!  There is this massive Catholic church right in the middle of our area so everyone went to that.  They feed everyone during their meeting and afterwards, too.  They throw a big party and everyone wants to go because of the free food!  LOL  So that was a bummer.  Do you want food or eternal salvation?  haha  I guess food can be of the devil, too, so be careful!  haha J/K

This next Sunday will be good because people don't have to go with their whole family to another church so I am excited for this next week.  We are still trying to get a group started up in Enin.  We are still waiting for it to be approved by the Area Seventy.   It should open in a few weeks and we will have lots of investigators that will come to church because the church won't be so far away from them.

Elder B is training!  Now we have 4 Elders in our tiny house.  It's a party.  There is zero room to put all of our stuff so it's all over the place.  haha  It's awesome.  Elder B, Elder H and I all put hooks in the walls and hung our hammocks to sleep in every nights.  It's actually way nice and you get a better breeze from the window so it's not as hot.  Elder C sleeps on his matt.  He is from the Philippines.  He is the nicest kid ever.  He's super shy but low key.  He is the funniest kid ever and says the funniest stuff.  I love him!  he knows 4 languages....about to be 5!  He is 23 and the only member of his family in the church.  He has little support.  I look up to him lots for his faith and strength to push through hard trials.  I don't know how he does it because i couldn't do this without the support of all of you.  It really has meant so much to me.

Can't wait for Mother's Day!!!  Talk to y'all soon.

Love,
Elder Saylin JUNIOR!!!

PS  MOM, CAN YOU PLEASE SEND ME SOME SUNBLOCK??  Thank you

WE GOT A SURPRISE BONUS EMAIL!!

Hey everyone! Surprise surprise. I got to boat in and email today! 

So last night was transfers. I'm a little bummed because Elder Burkart and I are no longer companions. Already moved away after just two weeks! So not  fair! We really were twins haha. I will forever love him. It was a super good two weeks with him! So the other news is that also I am not being moved off my island of Tonoas! Tonaos has now been split from just 2 elders to 4! Elder Burkart is now training! He flew to Guam last night to pick up his Trainee so we're not sure who it is. We'll find out Friday when they fly back together. 

My companion is now Elder Harmon! I'm way excited to be comps with him. He's a super funny guy. The sarcasm just never ends with him hahah so  I guess you could say we get along because of that, but I know when it's time to work, we are ready to work hard together. We are opening up a new area in Tonoas called Enin. We still live in the same house with the other two elders with Elder Burkart and his trainee, but we just walk somewhat far to the other side of the island everyday to teach. We are opening up a group out there and there is so much potential in those people and a lot of work to be done. Our group leader is a man named Attin and he walks super far to church every week to Kuchua where we live. He is the only one from Enin that ever comes to church. But now we will be having a group at his house under a tent so hopefully lots of people will come now that its closer to them. The group probably won't start up for about a month or two just because it's still not approved, but we're working on that and hopefully it starts up soon! 

So yeah Tonoas should be good. The house is super small and ghetto so we're gonna be hecka smashed, but it'll be a party. There's these HUGE centipedes with legit armor bodies that are everywhere so we all just sleep in our hammocks in the house hoping they don't pinch! They have huge pinchers and they're poisonous! haha If it gets you then you just have  a dead leg for 5 days- or your arm or back maybe. It's painful, but then it goes away. hahaha   Lucky me because the Tonoas centipedes haven't got me yet! I'm sure my time will come. I'll have to send some pictures of them. They're like 10 inches long and so fast and impossible to kill. Only way to kill them is to pour boiling hot water on them and then hit it with your machete a bunch. Then you have to try to stomp the heck out of it. They're nuts. Mom, you'd die out here. hahaha I know how much you hate them. I'll have to send some pictures home of them. 

We shower in this little thing called a "nenien tutu" which is a place everyone showers in the whole village. It has this pipe that comes from the river that's freezing cold and barely comes out into a bucket. Then you just take bucket showers with it. It has tin walls around it that just go up to about your waist!   hahah We just shower in skirts here.  It's actually super nice with super cold water which feels amazing after a hot day and no air conditioning or running water. lol. Sometimes I regret putting on my mission papers that i like camping hahaha, but i love it tho. Although, the food is getting a little old after just eating spaghetti and spam and canned food every single day, every single meal. Not the healthiest diet hahah. The things I would do for a salad or fresh apples:) 

So I've only taught in Enin a few times so I don't know a lot of people. We are just going to be doing a lot of friending. That'll be fun! Hopefully we will find some new people to teach. I don't have much to report on our investigators and cant say much about them. Next time I get to email I will have some updates, I promise! 

Cant believe I am hitting my 9 month mark this week! Seems like Chuuk has been my whole life, but at the same time it is  crazy it's gone this fast already. Crazy that next month is Mother's Day and we already get to facetime again! Seems like we just did for Christmas! Can't wait to talk to all of y'all again! 

So i just copied my Sd card and am sending one home to y'all today so you will get about 1300 pictures and videos!  Hopefully that updates y'all a little on my life. Sorry it's taken so long! If the wifi actually loaded stuff here I'd send them every week!

Hope everyone is well at home. Still so happy for Scott and glad he's doing well!!! He a stud and I look up to him like crazy. I know he's so happy because he's serving God and that the best way we can be happy! Even with all our trials, we can still find happiness through Him. The church is true! Only way to truly be happy and feel his love.

Siapwap pwan chufengen chienei kewe!

 I really am loving it out here and will forever be grateful to you for helping me be who I am today and to be out here serving the Lord. I really do love my mission and everything I am learning. You and Dad have so much to do with that! So thank you for your example. Did you get my last letter yet?

Running out of time and gotta go. Talk to yall in 3 weeks! Love you!

PS. Any way you could send more boxes of food like snacks and other food too again? It's much loved. The canned food life is killing me hahah. Sorry to ask-- you just wanted me to let ya know, but maybe a box every 2 or 3 weeks again would be AMAZING!

Love you!

-- 

Elder Saylin

-- 

Elder Saylin

March 6, 2017 email " It's just been a long, hard, sad week. "

Mommaaa Dadddaaaa. What's up? Thanks for you emails y'all sent me! 

So I pretty much have the worst news of my whole mission.. also this week has been one of the hardest weeks yet by far. Seriously. I don't even know how to type this or write or tell you but I'll just try my best.

So this last week we had lots of problems that happened in Tol. In Tol we have 2 villages we teach in. Nechocho and Fare (where we live). The chief of Nechocho has a super high calling in the Protestant faith and since he saw our success it made him angry and said we are no longer allowed in his village. That was a few weeks ago. It wasn't a huge deal just because we have only taught in pretty much Fare anyways, and that is where the church is, as well as all our members and recent converts. Well now, the chief of Nechocho got mad at the chief of Fare and was trying to tell him to kick us out and not let us in his village either. Well the thing is we actually have been teaching the chief's daughters (which is a big deal) and the chief actually really likes us (even tho he doesn't want to hear from us, or be part of the church, he knows we are good people and just here to make this island a better place.) So he told the other chief there is no way these people are good and they can't stay. 

Some guys from Nechocho, men actually, got angry because Fare is pretty much disrespecting the chief of Nechocho which is stupid because it's his village and he can do whatever he wants with it! This group of men started to say that if we don't leave the island then they are going to hurt all of us-- and the members and anyone we talk to. Who knows what they mean by hurt. So of course we called President Zarbock about it because we don't want trouble or to get hurt. We definitely don't want these people, whom I have grown to love more than anything, to get hurt.

 President then was obviously concerned and has now pulled us of the island. Elder Floyd and I are no longer in Tol and missionaries are not to return for who knows how long. We have now been living with zone leaders all week because this all happened last Tuesday. When Pres. told us we had to leave, we just cried. I was so upset. The boat was coming to pick us up in 2 hours so we had to go say goodbye to everyone and it was the hardest thing. All are members and people I love and have worked with and all these people who are wanting to get baptized.... we just to leave them in the dust. Saddest thing ever. 

We went house to house and had to tell them. All the mommas and people were crying and we cried, and we just bore our testimonies to them telling them to never give up. It was so sad. We took pictures with everyone, packed the house, and just like that it was all over and we were gone. All week long we have just been walking around the ZL's area trying to teach with nothing to do. It's just been a long, hard, sad week. 

Hopefully within the next few days president will be assigning us to a new area. No idea where. There's a very good chance Elder Floyd and I will be split up and be in a trio somewhere, which obviously doesn't make any of this better for how good of friends we are. We have been also trying to get some of the members out of Fare and moving to Romolum, an nearby island where the church is strong, so they can continue to stay strong. Some already have! Just please, please, please continue to keep the people of Fare in your prays that God will provide a way for them to stay happy with the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the biggest concerns for people when we were saying good bye to them was, "How can we still take the sacrament???"This week some men were supposed to get the priesthood, but nobody has gotten it yet. How amazing is that? It is just so heartbreaking. I love those people so much-- more than anything. Hopefully, I will like my new area I will be emergency transferred to, but honestly what can beat Tol? I know God has a plan for those people and also me tho, too, and will take care of us and it will all be okay.

So that's been my week, but I also did get a few boxes so thank you so much!!! That food you have sent has been super good:) and also the pre-workout!! 

Y'all are the best. Love you all and miss y'all tons! 

-- 

Elder Saylin

....AND A GREAT NUMBER BELIEVED.

                    "THEN PETER SAID UNTO THEM, REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST."  ACTS 2:38

 " AND THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS WITH THEM; AND A GREAT NUMBER BELIEVED, AND TURNED UNTO THE LORD."     ACTS 11:21

February 20, 2017 (Snail mail Letter #2) KISSED BY A CRAZY LADY!

IFOUSUMI!

Pretty good week here in Tol!  It's been a long, exhausting week, but this last Saturday made up for it all!  We had Josanna, Joseia, Omae, Rinenta, and Juty get baptized!  It was super cool.  Way happy for them!  Josanna, Joseia, and Ogame are brothers and sisters.  Er already baptized their 2 older sisters and their older brother!  It was sad though, because their Mom, Momma Fineina, was supposed to be baptized last Saturday, too.  She didn't pass the baptismal interview because she said she had smoked again.  She said that's her last time now and will be baptized next week!  Our bodies are gifts from God and am grateful He asks us to take care of them.  I think she was pretty sad about not being baptized with her kids who were ready, so it will motivate her to keep the word of wisdom. Juty and Rinenta are just the cutest 2 little girls.  We have also baptized their 2 older sisters, too.  Ther mom, Aiwi and their dad, Taieto, will also be getting baptized soon, too.  They need to get married first and Taieto needs to come to church more.  Elder L, a missionary here from Samoa just went home.   Before he left, he gave me his white lava-lava to perform baptisms in!  So I wore it this last time!  It was legit! We had to boat over to Romolum again, too, because there is not a good baptismal spot on Tol.

This upcoming week we could have anywhere from 3-14 baptisms.  Three are for sure.  The other ten people have all been to church a million times and are ready.  We need to get permission from some of their families first.  We are praying and fasting that their huge families will support them!  I know they will and it'll be good!

So on Monday- Wednesday this last week, I went on an exchange back to Udot again.  I forgot how gorgeous that island is!  Somebody kissed me for the first time in seven months!  HAHAHAHA  So we walked into this tiny sand village right on the water that's perfectly clear called Kuum.  This guy had a speaker and was blasting music.  All these kids and teenagers were hanging out dancing and playing in the water as well as playing volleyball.  Well, we were walking through so to fit in, I started to dance  haha, so then the people started laughing and dancing more, too.  Then, out of no where, this 45 year old skinny lade (who is legit crazy) starts going nuts and is dancing like crazy!  So, I stopped and was just thinking, "Please don't come over here.  Please don't.  Please don't!"  She then makes her way right over to me as I was trying to avoid her hahahah .  Then she grabs my arm and tries to lift it up to get me to dance.  Everyone is now watching.  I don't do anything ...LOL. Then she grabs my hand, bows, and kisses my hand 1, 010, 010 times.  I think my jaw hit the ground!  haha  I just stood there in shock!  All the kids and guys and girls just went nuts.  They were laughing so hard.  hahahah .  I just yelled, "What the!?!?!"  haha  So, yeah, that all happened.  I was laughing so hard after that, too, though.

SO PUMPED FOR THIS WEEK!  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland is coming to our mission!  Because we are all on islands and we are spread out as wide as America, we can't all get together.  He's going to Guam and then we will go into the main island Chuuk.  We are going to facetime into him and he's going to talk to all of us.  Going to be so awesome!

Miss y'all tons.  Love you!
Elder Saylin

February 20, 2017 (Snail mail letter #1)

Mom! Dad!
You guys are the best!  I got a box from you for Valentin's Day this last week!  Thank you so much for all the food, and the card is "money!" Elder F and I really appreciate it.  It helps us stay alive out here.  Mom, thanks also for sending all of my friends' emails.  They are way fun to read and see all those pictures, too.  It's crazy to see how different all of our lives and missions are from each other now.  Befroe , all of our lives were pretty much exactly the same.

Dad, I got your email you sent me in the mail from 1/29.  I'm glad you guys are getting my letters.  I've been sending one every week.  Have you been getting them all?  I'm dying to hear about Scott!  Only thing I've heard is that he's going to England.  Which mission??  Same??  When does he leave?  I'm wondering if the next time I get to email if I could get one from him from the MTC.  That'd be insane.  I'm so pumped for him.  So awesome.  I'm super excited to get journal entries from you still!  ha.  Don't worry if they are "immature" or "ignorant" because I'm probably the same, if not worse.  I am younger than you were when you were out at this time!  I'll understand.

So things with Elder F have been awesome.  We are for reals best friends.  It has been a blast being companions with him.  It's been a little bit stressful opening up this area and this island to be honest.Trying to build a new brand has been a blast, but it's also so hard.  Lots of people have complaints/arguments sometimes about how church should be and what others should do.  We just have to explain how Heavenly Father wants it.  It's exhausting, but I love it.  I love this area.  I've been very blessed to served God here.  I feel like it is teaching me lots.  I will be forever grateful for everything I learn out here.

Miss you both tons!  Thanks for being the best parents and more that I could ever ask for!

Love you!
Elder Saylin

A video

A few more pictures!

 This was a huge Christmas celebration on the main island of Chuuk with all the members.

 Christmas with my district.  Thank you!

A letter from January 29, 2017

Dear Mom and Dad,

How are my mom and dad doing??  I know it's a no-brainer and unnecessary to say because you already know, but I miss you so much!!  It's been over six months and I'm still not used to having you around.  I probably never will be.  Can you believe it's been that long?  Does it feel like it's been that long?  Has it been fast or slow for you?  Sometimes I'm like, holy cow, it's already been 6 months and then other times I feel like I've lived here my whole life and was born and raised on Chuuk.  It's hard to explain, but you served missions, too, so you understand.  I'm sorry for no big letter to everyone this week.  I haven't had time because I was trying to write the whole family letters.

Last week we had six baptisms!!  It was super awesome.  Fenter, Fency, Don, Akwil, Eswi, and Aisi all got baptized.  I love them sooo much.  Akwi is like my mom here.  She's my favorite and super funny.  She even washes all of my clothes for free!  She is so awesome and so strong in the gospel.  She even follows us around sometimes and comes teaching with us.  She is 37.  Her husband Don is the same way.  They're my favorite!  We still didn't get permission to have baptisms on our island or any small island off of it, so we had to boat everyone over to Romolum, an island in my district.  It is the smallest island in the whole world that have missionaries!!  The island is gorgeous.  Eswi is 18 and she's soooo cool.  She wants to go on a mission now super badly and last month she had never even heard of the church before.  She knows all the lessons super well and wants me to teach her more stuff so she can teach, too.  She's legit.

The area has been doing pretty well here.  I'm absolutely in love with my village.  These people are the best.  I couldn't have a better area in the whole world.  I'm so blessed to serve these people.  It's been a little hard leading the area, being senior companion, bit I've loved it.  My Chuukese has improved like crazy.  I've been very blessed.  I know lots of that has to do with your prayers, so thank you!  It's helped tons.

I have to say that being on these islands with crystal clear waters just KILLS me not being able to swim!  Maybe we can come back here together someday.

I really liked your spiritual thought, Dad, from your January 1 letter.  I like where you said to try and know Christ, and that as His servant I should be able to see the one person who is pleading in his/her heart to be reached and loved and saved and healed.  As I have been trying to do that more this last month, Heavenly Father has seriously led me to so many investigators.  I love being able to help them and bring happiness to them.  The truth of the gospel teaches us the plan of happiness from God!  As the people change their lives and become so happy, it is what makes me fall in love with my mission, as hard as it may be at times.

I love your advice.  Anything about anything would be awesome to hear from you.  I always can take your word and input about anything and I know it will end up good.  I look up to you so much.  Thank you again for everything you do for me and the examples you are to me.

I love and miss you,
Elder Saylin

Older pictures from the main island of Chuuk.