Another Baptism

Neolawas Allim!

Another week gone, man it's flying now! ha Thanks for getting a hold of Elder Sorenson's mom he is so pumped about it!

We had a baptism last week! Erevin Benjamin. Another Chuukese!!! He's 15 years old, although he looks 18, and he's the son of a mom and dad that we just recently helped come back to church! He's a stud! He wants to come teaching with us everyday and he already came with us last night! He's great! One of my favorite things to do is is visit a recent convert the Monday after the convert has been baptized and received the Holy Ghost. I love seeing them that Monday back at their house and see the visible difference in their appearance! It is clear that the Holy Ghost has taken up residence in them and it ,literally, lights them up. They are different people and that might be my favorite part of all! I love it!! And my whole desire when they reach that point is to help them keep it going!

There was another Chuukese woman that was baptized with him! I translated her baptismal interview and she had the sweetest most sincere spirit about her. I know I may be bias, but Chuukese carry a sweet spirit with them, it's discernable sitting down and teaching a lesson with them how much they revere God. God and religion is woven so thickly into their culture that it shows in most everything they do. I think that's amazing! Even those not of our faith are "different" from the majority here in Guam because they honestly want to do God's will, and having that desire changes them and makes their whole life style different. I love it!! I think that for that fact alone is the reason so many Chuukese are baptized.

Last year there were 78 baptisms in Chuuk (the most in 8 years), about half of the baptisms in Guam last year were Chuukese, a portion of Pohnpei's baptisms were Chuukese, and in Yap all outer island Yapese have the same customs and culture as Chuukese (Yap just wanted to claim them) and the majority of Yap's baptisms were those people! I know there was at least a couple Chuukese baptized in Kosrae and Saipan last year. I've told you all before but Chuukese are the greatest! Just the other day Elder Sandvik and I had an experience that proved that point again.

We had a bunch of free time to go "finding" (tracting). 3 hours to be exact and I wasn't particularly looking forward to it. ha We had been in it for about 2 hours, just loving life, when we knocked on a door that opened to me hearing a bunch of Chuukese music! I got pumped!! I started talking in Chuukese and we were in the door in about 10 seconds. We sat down and they were offering us ice cold drinks. We had a wonderful lesson with lot's of good questions and they agreed to pray and have us come back. As soon as we were done they brought out plates and called to eat "Sa monga!" We sat down with huge plates of rice and turkey tail and we were talking and joking like we'd been friends for years! We talked all about Chuuk and their families (who I knew) all about anything Chuukese. After we were done eating they brought out packages of cookies, bottled water, bottled juice and anything else they could find to give us before we left. We left with smiles from ear to ear and me looking at Elder Sandvik and saying: "Chuukese are the best... or what?" He agreed (which is a big deal because he served in Pohnpei and pohnpeians don't like Chuukese). Yeah I love Chuukese so much it's almost ridiculous! ha

I love you all that much too, don't worry! Sorry after typing that story all I can think of is Chuuk thoughts so I'll end if off. Love you all take care!

Tong Ennet fiti Jaiwak!

Elder Wells "ITO"