It's so good to hear that everyone is safe and doing well!!! I love yous all!!!!
So this is just a couple journal entries and then I explain Samoa a little bit...
Sept 15th,
Lenei
aso, manaia le aso! We met some sekia tagata, over close to the
Amanave area and in Amanave! These people are so humble and loving and today
I'm finally starting to understand how much I need to change to grow and
also have that Christlike love! My samoan, thanks to blessings from the
Lord, has gotten a little better! I'm beginning to understand bits and
pieces and I feel like I can now contribute a little more so I'm not
using my comp as a crutch. These humble and loving people definitely
deserve to live in such a heavenly place!
Sept 16th
Wow.
So we started off going to Leone 3rd area cause that's where our fafaga
was (fafaga is where we eat at a members house for dinner), so we
headed that way to some tagata sailiili houses, turns out, no one was
home. So we needed to hit this one fale with this older lady, Meaalofa.
Her fale is way back in the boonies so we decided to prosilyte on some
houses along the way. Turns out, no one was home. Then it started to
pour rain, hardcore. We tried to wait it out under someone's overhanging
roof, but it just kept going. So we decided, 2 yrs isn't a very long
time and we needed to declare the Restoration of the Gospel so we
started walking in the pouring rain. No one else was home, but we found
some sketchy dogs!! We got to Meaalofa's sweaty and tired, and guess
what, she decided it was a good time for a nap, so we didn't get to meet
with her. We walked back prettyticked, but we passed on the way up (and
before this, a couple days ago, we passed it and the borther that we
were with, Vaitafi, said it was haunted and no one lived there) but I
felt impressed to go and check it out the house and low and behold, a
lady in her 40s was out working near the back and we got her number to
set up a return appt to teach and begin lessons!!! Definitely the work
of the Lord!! So we headed over to some other new investigators and none
of them were home so we stopped for a quick lunch. Then we went early
to our fafaga at 3, ate there and while we were there, the senior couple
of our area called and said the island was on a tsunami watch! we were
literally on the edge of our area east ward, and we hiked all the way
back to the tsunami safe zone and hiked all the way up a mountain
waiting to see a group of people gathered, yet we never met one. Then we
hit the top, and then got a call 2 minutes later that the tsunami
warning was canceled and we're goin to just get some big shock waves in
the evening, nightime. Well, we were not very happy cause we left the
area we wanted to get some new investigators in, we hiked up a freaking
mountain, all for nothing. But then, we thought on the brighter side of
things. maybe there was something dangerous we could have run into had
we stayed in that boundary of our area. So we hinked down and decided to
see if one of our other investigators, Isaac, was home. he wasn't and
we were honestly so lost, we did not know where to go, every appt fell
through. And I remembered my patriarchal blessing says along the lines
of, pray for guidance and you will know with a surety where to go with
your decisions in life. So we said a prayer and began walking down a
road we didn't usually go on to make our way back and a family called us
into their home as we passed. if we had gone the way we usually come
from, they wouldn't have seen us walk by. We found out they were members
and they had heaps of referals for us! Just when your day is full of
trials and hardships, did you think to pray? The Lord was there the
whole time, we just needed to reach out to Him for help and guidance.
This is His work and His church! We as misisonaries are His instruments
in inviting others to come unto Christ! You may think that some things
are a waste of time and that it totally ruined your day. But you didn't
realize the Lord needed you in another area to find His children who
were willing to be taught and there was no other way to get you over
than to send a tsunami warning one way. The Lord knows what He's doing,
and EVERYTHING happens for a reason so what at first may seem like a
total waste of time, may be just the way Heavenly Father will guide you
to His children! Ou te alofa lenei le Talalelei!! This is His work,so do
it His way cause He does it BEST!!!!
And I know I need to explain heaps of things so I'll try my best!!!!
Yes
my comp, Elder Lamoreaux is from Idaho but he's from Shelley. His
grandparents were just here working at the temple on a mission! He's
only been out 5 months, but his samoan is way good!
We are living with
members right now, but we have another place to stay in Amanave cause
our area is way huge!! We've got cold showers and its phenomenal!!!! And
don't worry about me getting fat!! Right now we get $50 a month because
in other areas, people with give elders money for food, so they keep
our monthly rate low, but in our area, no one does that, so we sat down to budget yesterday
and realized next month, we'll be living off a fafaga and a $1 for lunch
and breakfast!!! So we're gonna pray like crazy for miracles!!!
We
don't have to wash our clothes by hand, if we catch a bus into town,
then there's a laundry mat, so that's a huge blessing!! Oh and Mom!!
That purple potato thing we had! The taro!?!? I love it now!! if you
cover it in pe'epe'e, which is the coconut meat all squished down to a
creme, its way good!!!! And it's huge in protien so that's been my
protein shakes for the day!!
So that's
me! I sent two pics this week hopefully they got to yous, last week they
never sent cause we ran out of time and the internet over here is
slower than dirt. But it's internet so whos complaining?!
Mom
and Dad, it's so good to hear everyone is doing well and safe!! Keep
telling Kyle that his eagle scout will reward him in ways he'd never
imagined!! I'm glad work is going well and I pray for you all on the
daily!! Oh and for the plane ride, the ride was in the morning and I
didn't have time to put a patch or pills cause it takes 4 hrs to kick in
so I had to go without. Send Talon some love, I pray for him!! Thank
you for all the support and everything!! I can feel your prayers and
it's nice to whip out all the notes you sent in my luggage at night
sometimes cause it makes you feel like your there with me!! I want to
send you all stuff, but the budget right now is way tight as you read,
and all the stuff here is way expensive, so when I get to Upolu, I'll
try and send some ie's for yous all!! And some way cool shells that my
comp and I found on the beach last pday!! Love ya!!
Kyle,
keep up the hard work man! Get into the Book of Mormon every day cause
it's such a blessing and you'll read heaps of things to help with
school, sports, and life!! Tell that to Cade and Keaton too!! Good job
on this weeks game!! keep lifting and you'll be a samoan by the time you
leave for your mission! Love ya homes!
Cade!!
Hey homes, I heard you had bye week this week but you'll get more
chances to pic off those QBs! I know jr high is way wordly, but stay in
the Book of Mormon every morning or every night and it will keep you on
the straight and narrow! Also, if a bad thought or anything pops into
your head, have a church song ready to sing!! Right now, mine is Praise
to the Man and it works wonders and really helps!!! Love you man!!
Keaton!!
Hey bud, keep trucking through school man!! Pretend your a super hero
conquering villains everytime you finish a book, or complete a homework
assignment!! Mom and Dad and trying way hard to get you into sports, so
keep practicing and you'll shine my man!!! Love ya!
I
love yous all and am glad your all safe and doing well!! Keep up the
good work!! Oh and an awesome scripture!! D&C 6:36!! REmember it!!
And look up Brown Hymn Book!! It's basically hymns that this polynesian
group made and they're way good!!
Alofa ia te outou!!!
Elder Larson
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| Posing on the beach |
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| One of the clearer days as it rains pretty often |
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