Droughts!

February 6, 2012

The Missionary Handbook on page 31 states:  "If you live in an apartment with more than one room, always sleep in the same room as your companion, but not in the same bed."  But what about showering at the same time as your companion?  Is that against missionary rules?  (explained further on in letter)
   
Alright, so here's the low down.  Up until yesterday and Saturday, it hadn't rained for about two and a half to three weeks in Chuuk.  We ran out of water.  Well actually all the missionaries did except for Tonoas because they've been in Mwan with the zone leaders because Elder Jones had an ingrown toenail that got infected. (Sorry going on a tangent here)  It seems like you can't get a mosquito bite in Tonoas without it getting infected.  No seriously, I had four bites that developed into these ugly sores that took over two weeks to go away.  But the reason I went on this tangent was to tell you guys that we now know why its a cesspool.  I used to the it was just because the house is built over a giant cesspool.  When it rains, a pool of water bigger that the house forms that never goes away.  It starts growing nasty stuff and I'm sure its the perfect breeding ground for mosquito's.  The house had screens but nosy children and drunks took care of those.  Plus, there's more.  We've discovered that there is quite a big hole in the septic tank and when it rains it leaks into that pool of water.

So back to the no rain and Am Futo Fengen (I have no idea)  One companionship pulls water from a stream and boils the stuff they drank.  Well, actually, I'm assuming they did.  They could have just had the zone leaders buy a couple of those 5 gallon jugs since they are on Weno.  When we started getting low we determined we couldn't take showers in the house, and the toilet wouldn't be flushed until after multiple uses, (within reason of course).  For our showers, we went to a members house.  What they have are long small pvc pipes that run from somewhere on the mountains.  The water generally runs into a plastic basin in which they dunk buckets in and pour over themselves.  Throw on some basketball shorts and your good to go.  The first time we used their Nenien Tutu, we went at night after exercising. They moon was super bright and somebody was playing a ukelele.  It was way cool to look up and see all the coconut trees and hear the ocean,  They only down side is that we stand about a foot over most chuukese  people so therefore we towered over the tin roof fence that was built right under their head level.

We were probably one day from running completely out of drinking water when one night, that ocean and the sky decided to switch places, but gravity stepped in and pulled the ocean back down again......for the next two days.  Pretty much killed proselyting efforts and church attendance, but I was happy because we got water.  Rain water is so cold.  We weren't the only ones hurting for water.  Lots were happy!

I got your guys' box Kinisou!!  We were really low on food when we got it.  A mistake of thinking we had bought some ramen and accidentally leaving our pancake mis in Weno, left us at only being able to eat one meal a day if we were to last.  Good thing that food is such a big part of the culture here.  Definitely  got by that week by eating with the locals.  The senior couple came out with the mission nurse to check our house and they brought your box and the pancake mix.

This week went a little bit better.  Our investigators are still pulling the "were busy" card, but we got two new investigators this past week that have baptismal dates, and really want to really want to reach those dates.  Another wants to get baptized and is thinking of his date.  Our other baptismal date, the soon to be wife of the Branch Presidents son, is still terrified of us.  We worry that she is only saying she wants to get baptized because by custom she does her husbands wishes.  Plus he is the Mwanichi and the Branch President is still the head of the house.  He says if she doesn't get baptized they will have to divorce.  The Mwanichi is the firstborn son.  It has even greater meaning is he's the oldest child.  By birthright he gets his fathers house when he passes and can stay once he is married.  Other siblings, move out when they marry.  Mwanichi's get more respect, both within and outside the family.  They have the final and ruling word over their siblings and others aside from their parents can't chastise or discipline(beat) them.  They have to ask permission from the head of the house first.  (Hence why that one drunk guy on Tonoas was mad at me.  One of the kids that I told to go away was a Mwanichi, but I now have permission from the kids father to throw him off the porch or whatever.)  The interesting part of it all, is once people ask me about my family and find out that I am technically the Mwanichi of my family and that my dad was of his their demeanor towards me changes.  No one will ignore my words like they do to some of Elder Blausers.  They won't always accept them, but they won't show me any disrespect.  We also get the respect of the "chon Sounang"  or in other words they recognize  us as ministers of the Gospel.  Those strong in culture would treat us like they would a protestant pastor or catholic priest.  For many though, culture doesn't seem to apply when it comes to our church.

Well, thats just a bit of an update.  I hope that you guys are all doing well.  I love you guys.  Take it easy!!

Elder Lapeyrouse