"Just ask him how he made it, he'll tell you faith and sweat.....go to work, do you best. Don't outsmart your common sense. Never let your prayin knees get lazy, and love like crazy" (Love Like Crazy)-Lee Brice
I think I'm going to start each e-mail out now with a song quote. Should make things more interesting.
So this week, was extremely SLOOOW. We only managed about 8 lessons for the week. There was a funeral for a Marine that had died here and our whole area seemed to go. It was also voting time for the new govenor here. Nobody was at home or they were too busy, but I do want to tell you all about a FHE we had the other night.
We had our usual FHE with the Charley family. (4 brothers and sisters living together in the same house hold with their 20 kids, aunts, grandparents, and I dunno, I'm lucky to have figured out that family tree as much as I have.) The oldest kid is about 13. For this FHE we had a sort of potluck thing. Elder Rufus and I made a cake to take over there. They made some rice, another made some fried chicken, and something with clams and onions. So we get there and help them finish preparing, Kosraean reggae playing on a small radio and the kids playing cards. Their place is right on the beach so the nightly breeze was blowing in and the moon was out, cooking over a fire, sitting in a hut with a single electric bulb for light. We start and all the kids sing a song in Kosraean as Sepe played a small electic keyboard. That part was really cool. Then Analyn gave the lesson out of Matthew (or at least I that was where she was) but it was about the second coming of Christ. Then we sang I am a child of god, they sang some more Kosraean stuff and then it broke off. They handed us plates of food and everyone sat down on the ground and ate, even the neighbors joined, and here is the best part. After that, they all moved in a circle and Elder Rufus told me that we were going to play a game. I recieved the number 15 and wasn't sure what was going on. Then they started saying "here we go again, here we go again" and the kid who was number one went "1 to 3" then three said " 3 to 7". I started laughing because I knew what they were playing. Way back during the fifty mile trek, we had this game we played to keep our mind off the trail and to keep morale up as we were backpacking. The game we played was called "Big Booty" And at this point everyone who was on that trip is probably smiling as they read this. We assigned everyone a number and called "BIIIIIGGGGGGG Booty Big booty big booty, uhh huhh big booty" then number one would say his number and then another one "1 to 5". then the number he called would have to call his own and then pass it on so in this case "5 to 3". If you took too long to respond or act you were out. If you messed up as you said it, you were out. If you passed to a number who was already out, you were out. The last two left win, and each time some one gets out you start over with the "big booty " chant. (you can thank the high point guys at the time). The kids then played this same game but not with the same chant. I thought that was really cool.
Kosraean is a real challenge at this point but I'm picking up it quickly. Already my testimony in Kosraean has grown and I can start to adapt it to the lesson. ( ever so slightly) but nonetheless. Perhaps my favorite thing so far to say is " Nga etuh kuht enenuh la Wosasue luhn Jisus Kraist. Nga etuh la pa pwacye ac kuh ahkinsewowoyac moulasr." (I know we need the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is true and can bless our lives.) Sap (maybe) because I had barely heard most of those words only a few times and hardly understood what they meant. But when it came time to bear testimony every word I had studied had found its way in and found its place. Its like D&C 84:85 says, he will give it unto us in the hour of need. I know that the Gift of tongues is strong in the Micronesia Guam Mission. But it will only come after diligence and much effort on our part, through prayer and by doing all we can first. I've witnessed Elder Madsen be able to give a whole lesson on the plan of salvation when he thought he barely knew it after he prayerfully thought about it. (his senior companion is currently on Guam for ZL training and were a trio right now covering the whole island.) I know the same applies to all gifts of the spirit and in and in all stages of life. Read the gifts on the spirit section out of the gospel principles manual. Its really great.
So as far as this place goes. Kosrae never changes. Still 90 degrees here everyday. Waters so blue, jungles thick, and I am ever so barely able to communicate a few lines with the people. But I know it will get better though fatih and sweat, and I look forward to the time it does. The island is already at 31 baptisms for the year. Last year they got 18 total. The goal this year is 38. The Pastors are ticked at us and some have threatened to kill a certain missionary who has been here awhile and is finally able to speak so well he owns them. Every missionary we have here has a fire within them that burned within the 2000 stripling warriors.. that burned within moroni. We've been told by our mission president "When hell's bells are ringing, something good's about to happen" to " be fearless" for the Lord WILL deliver you if you are faithful. Elder Foote, (senior couple Elder) bore testimony to the people yesterday that if they help talk to their friends and neighbors and that if we keep doing all we can, we WILL see "100 baptisms a year on Kosrae" and the Spirit bore testimony so strongly when he said that I thought the room was shaking. The people here have admitted that for many the protestant church just isn't cutting it anymore. They have questions. And the protestant church doesn't have the answers. The winds are changing, the tension is high (the island was 95 percent protestant), and I know that the four of us have a great work to do, and that I must learn this language and DO WORK! In John we learn the difference between shepards and sheephearders. Theses people are starting to see through the Churchs humanitarian efforts and us walking and teaching in the pouring rain how much the Church of Jesus Christ cares for them and how Christ is their Shepard, And how these Protestant pastors are merely sheephearders.
Thats What this week has been to me. Its been really enpowering. I love you all and you all have this same calling to do this work. How great is your calling. KAmpare!
_Elder Lapeyrouse
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