Wonei! I checked my e-mail and there were so many! I was blown out of the water! It was insane! Thanks a million and a half it was great to here from you all again. I think the last time I heard from everybody was way back when I started this whole thing! ha
McKenzie that article about you was way cool!! You look very pretty in your picture as well. I really like the part about me in there... ha You're amazing, those times sound fantastic! Speaking of times, I had my best times posted above my bed for my whole mission as goals to achieve when I returned but when I left Chuuk I forgot the paper. Could you get a list or something of my best times so that I can make a new goal sheet here? That would be awesome.
Kelsey!!!!!!!! You're alive! Thanks for your letter, and you're going to buy a car... that's nuts! You can just continue to tell everybody that I serve in Chuuk because that's definitely where my heart is, so just tell people that. There are actually lot's of Chuukese on Guam and my love for Chuukese people has exponentially grown over these two weeks!! I love their faces off!! Every time I see them it makes my day and I go into Chuukese mode and just sit and talk with them for a good amount of time, while my companion sits and looks bored. ha... So now he's learning Chuukese! I'm teaching him Chuukese and we only speak Chuukese when we're in the car, so pretty much I'm just talking my head off to him so that I can remember Chuukese and he just sits in a half smile stupor. ha ha It's great, and we actually teach quite a few Chuukese people and so I teach them in Chuukese which is so much more comfortable. Actually when we're sitting in English lessons it has happened multiple times where I'll be teaching and I'll be getting all excited while I'm speaking and than Elder S will tap me on the knee and say: "English, Elder Wells, english" Than I realize that I've been speaking Chuukese to the people for 15-20 sec. depending on when Elder S decides to stop me. One time he didn't stop me and I guess I kept going for minutes... ha It's hard to think in English again, and if I can put some cohesive English together it's usually a Chuukese sentence that I translated into English which sounds funny! ha ha It's good though and I'm still doing wonderful missionary work.
Changing from Chuuk to Guam was shocking for my body. I'm freezing every night. (my bed is a mattress that feels so cold and I'd rather not sleep on it so I tried the ground but that's just tile and even colder than the mattress so I just end up freezing either way) I keep getting bloody noses because... I don't know why. I think it's the aircon but Guam is definitely not as humid as Chuuk. It's not nearly as hot either, even when I'm outside I don't sweat, but man in Chuuk, you step out the door for a minute and you're sweating away. I don't see the ocean every day, and that's very disconcerting. I've seen the ocean everyday of mission until I came to Guam, it's weird and I don't really like that. I like the water! But there is this 50m racing pool that's close to our apartment and I stare at it the whole time we drive past it. It's so beautiful I never thought a pool could look so beautiful, but it does!
So my new job I get to plan sweet trainings for the Zone Leaders and other missionaries and have meetings with President Dowdle where we discuss transfers and a bunch of other confidential information, we go on exchanges with missionaries and once a transfer we go on tour to half of the mission and the next transfer we go to the other half. So yes, I will see all the islands in Micronesia and yes I will return to Chuuk twice which I'm pumped out of my mind about!! I'm surprised that mom knows all about that! How do you find all that out?!
We have a Chuukese boy who will be getting baptized the beginning of March and he's a stud! I've been asking everyone and their dog for breadfruit "Mai" here in Guam but I haven't had any yet. I'm going through withdrawals going without breadfruit, taro, tapioca, and fresh reef fish. Going insane is a better word for it, I don't know what to eat here! ha I have so many options and all I want is simply delicious "kon" pounded breadfruit with a "sashimi" style reef fish. Wonei!!! That's good!
I love missionary work and I do like Guam, but Chuuk is the bomb I'm not going to lie. Oh yeah, there was a family that Elder Kuss and I found and taught in Chuuk that was baptized last Saturday!! I would've been there but I was uprooted from Chuuk and placed here. ha But they got baptized, that's what really matters and they're straight up studs!
Well I love you all so much! Thanks for your letters and support! The mailing address is correct mom so you can send boxes here. I miss getting letters!! Letters are much more exciting!! But boxes are always exciting no matter where I am... at least I'm pretty sure(you should probably send one and try)ha
Tong Ennet fiti Jaiwak!
Elder Wells "Ito"
Monday, February 8, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A Fish Out of Water
I will definitely be doing e-mail here seeing as that I get free e-mail here in the office because I'm in here part of the time. Wonei!
I don't know what in the world I'm doing here in Guam, I feel like I'm a fish out of water and it blows my mind! I could tell you all so much but it would take pages and pages because everything I do is a new experience! Like knocking on doors! I knocked on my first door of my mission the other day, and that was nuts, I also gave my first door approach and that was a memorable one! I'm still getting grief about it. You'll have to remember to ask me about it when I return.
Right now I'm with Elder Sandvik and Elder Brown, I will be replacing Elder Brown and let me tell you all, they are experienced Guam missionaries. I'm an experienced Chuuk missionary but that accounts for jack squat here on Guam and I feel as if I'm centuries behind them. I'm just on a steep learning curve.
I live in an apartment with the office elders. The Ap's and the office elders stay together because they work together a lot. The apartment is huge by the way! I think if you took every house that I stayed in in Chuuk and put them together that this apartment would be quite bigger! It blows my mind!. There's so much room everywhere! It's fun though to have four elders all the time. there is a real weight bench in the apartment and that's gangster so I can still lift so I'm pumped about that!
I'm now cruising around in this sweet minivan and I'm freezing all the time because the aircon's are insanely powerful!! I keep expecting power to go off at any minute but it never does and I sometimes catch myself wondering why the power company does such a good job here. Guam definitely isn't as hot as Chuuk, it's definitely not as green as Chuuk either, but their are quite a few Chuukese here in Guam and it makes my day whenever I meet one because then i can just speak all the Chuukese I want and I feel like I know a little bit of where I am. Then when I'm done talking to the Chuukese person my head is in a whirlwind again and I don't know what I'm doing. They do missionary work at night which is weird and I need to get used to. They wake up later because they don't need light to do missionary work here like in Chuuk. My shirts never seem to get dirty. They don't have sweat stains or anything like that at the end of the day and so I feel that I can wear my shirts for 3 or 4 days... so I do! Oh man and pants never get dirty here I could go for weeks with the same pants. I was actually thinking that I could go 3-4 weeks without doing laundry here, but I guess I'll follow the crowd and do it every week. I'm convinced that my clothes would get dirtier in week in Chuuk than 5 weeks in Guam and I'd be fully willing to go that long without doing laundry. Don't think I'm weird or uncivil but that's really my honest belief after having served in Chuuk.
Thank you so much for those pictures of the Josephs they absolutely loved them!!! It was so fun to see them look at those pictures!! It blew them away they were so pumped!! Thank you so so so so so much for doing that! They will remember you all forever. They said to give an extra thanks to you from them, they wanted to do something for you all but I said that if they just remembered that they had family that lived in Orem Utah that would be enough. They agreed! Which means that you all have a family in Chuuk!! That's something special let me tell you. That poster was so cool!!
Ok, i could go on forever and ever but I gotta stop because I need to go play some sweet volleyball!!
Tong Jaiwak!!,
Elder Wells "Ito"
oh man no one is going to call me that anymore.
I don't know what in the world I'm doing here in Guam, I feel like I'm a fish out of water and it blows my mind! I could tell you all so much but it would take pages and pages because everything I do is a new experience! Like knocking on doors! I knocked on my first door of my mission the other day, and that was nuts, I also gave my first door approach and that was a memorable one! I'm still getting grief about it. You'll have to remember to ask me about it when I return.
Right now I'm with Elder Sandvik and Elder Brown, I will be replacing Elder Brown and let me tell you all, they are experienced Guam missionaries. I'm an experienced Chuuk missionary but that accounts for jack squat here on Guam and I feel as if I'm centuries behind them. I'm just on a steep learning curve.
I live in an apartment with the office elders. The Ap's and the office elders stay together because they work together a lot. The apartment is huge by the way! I think if you took every house that I stayed in in Chuuk and put them together that this apartment would be quite bigger! It blows my mind!. There's so much room everywhere! It's fun though to have four elders all the time. there is a real weight bench in the apartment and that's gangster so I can still lift so I'm pumped about that!
I'm now cruising around in this sweet minivan and I'm freezing all the time because the aircon's are insanely powerful!! I keep expecting power to go off at any minute but it never does and I sometimes catch myself wondering why the power company does such a good job here. Guam definitely isn't as hot as Chuuk, it's definitely not as green as Chuuk either, but their are quite a few Chuukese here in Guam and it makes my day whenever I meet one because then i can just speak all the Chuukese I want and I feel like I know a little bit of where I am. Then when I'm done talking to the Chuukese person my head is in a whirlwind again and I don't know what I'm doing. They do missionary work at night which is weird and I need to get used to. They wake up later because they don't need light to do missionary work here like in Chuuk. My shirts never seem to get dirty. They don't have sweat stains or anything like that at the end of the day and so I feel that I can wear my shirts for 3 or 4 days... so I do! Oh man and pants never get dirty here I could go for weeks with the same pants. I was actually thinking that I could go 3-4 weeks without doing laundry here, but I guess I'll follow the crowd and do it every week. I'm convinced that my clothes would get dirtier in week in Chuuk than 5 weeks in Guam and I'd be fully willing to go that long without doing laundry. Don't think I'm weird or uncivil but that's really my honest belief after having served in Chuuk.
Thank you so much for those pictures of the Josephs they absolutely loved them!!! It was so fun to see them look at those pictures!! It blew them away they were so pumped!! Thank you so so so so so much for doing that! They will remember you all forever. They said to give an extra thanks to you from them, they wanted to do something for you all but I said that if they just remembered that they had family that lived in Orem Utah that would be enough. They agreed! Which means that you all have a family in Chuuk!! That's something special let me tell you. That poster was so cool!!
Ok, i could go on forever and ever but I gotta stop because I need to go play some sweet volleyball!!
Tong Jaiwak!!,
Elder Wells "Ito"
oh man no one is going to call me that anymore.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Practically Rips My Heart Out
19 January 2010
Ran Allim ai famini!
Sorry about missing a week, Elder Kuss went to Guam to get checked up on for his sickness and I spent the next week and a half out of my area in Sapuk and that threw just about everything off, then when Elder Kuss got back we had to cram for Zone Conference that same week, but all is well and I’m alive and loving life!
Zone Conference went really well, I think after 9 months I really got the hang of it! ha It was spiritual and many good things were discussed and in my interview with President Dowdle he said in his own words: “I just LOVED Zone Conference today!” So that was great.
Speaking of my interview with President Dowdle I guess it’s a good time to inform you all that this will be my last letter from Chuuk. . . . . .
The time has come, my number has been called, the future is set, I’m going to Guam. That was the outcome of my interview with President Dowdle. Funny thing is I knew it was coming. Since the start of this transfer I had a feeling my time was short. As the end of the transfer got closer I became more worried about this feeling. ha I started praying for long periods of time trying to appeal to the Lord that I should stay in Chuuk longer; I even fasted for it but the feelings and promptings I received from the Spirit confirmed my nervousness, it was solidified when I heard it come from President’s mouth, but I already knew. It’s everything I never wanted but . . . . . . I am supposed to be in Guam. And that confirmation received from the Spirit is the only consolation I have . . . . I am supposed to be there.
I’m crying as I write this because the thought of leaving Chuuk practically rips my heart out. It’s already the hardest thing I’ve done and I still have a week left. No offense, when I left home I knew I’d see you all again in two years but leaving these Chuukese I don’t know when I’ll see them again and it hurts to think about that. I love them so darn much!
Anyways, I’m done writing about that, that took too long and I cried too much. I have a week left and I ‘m going to make the most of it! :)
Yep so that crazy interview with President threw me for one! It threw me even a little further as we talked about what I’ll be doing in Guam. I guess it turns out that I’ll be an assistant to the President, so that will definitely bring some new experiences.
Today is Elder Lange’s birthday, whom I dearly love, and Elder Tuaitanu’s birthday was on Sunday so today we are getting together and having a Chuukese feast!! Pounded breadfruit, fire roasted chicken/meat, fish cooked in coconut milk, rice and coconuts!! Woneii!! It’s going to be good and I’m going to get so fat and I don’t even care!! ha :)
Ok, love your guts take care and don’t die. Ai tong esap much ngenikemi!
Tong Ennet fiti Jaiwak,
Elder Wells “Ito”
Ran Allim ai famini!
Sorry about missing a week, Elder Kuss went to Guam to get checked up on for his sickness and I spent the next week and a half out of my area in Sapuk and that threw just about everything off, then when Elder Kuss got back we had to cram for Zone Conference that same week, but all is well and I’m alive and loving life!
Zone Conference went really well, I think after 9 months I really got the hang of it! ha It was spiritual and many good things were discussed and in my interview with President Dowdle he said in his own words: “I just LOVED Zone Conference today!” So that was great.
Speaking of my interview with President Dowdle I guess it’s a good time to inform you all that this will be my last letter from Chuuk. . . . . .
The time has come, my number has been called, the future is set, I’m going to Guam. That was the outcome of my interview with President Dowdle. Funny thing is I knew it was coming. Since the start of this transfer I had a feeling my time was short. As the end of the transfer got closer I became more worried about this feeling. ha I started praying for long periods of time trying to appeal to the Lord that I should stay in Chuuk longer; I even fasted for it but the feelings and promptings I received from the Spirit confirmed my nervousness, it was solidified when I heard it come from President’s mouth, but I already knew. It’s everything I never wanted but . . . . . . I am supposed to be in Guam. And that confirmation received from the Spirit is the only consolation I have . . . . I am supposed to be there.
I’m crying as I write this because the thought of leaving Chuuk practically rips my heart out. It’s already the hardest thing I’ve done and I still have a week left. No offense, when I left home I knew I’d see you all again in two years but leaving these Chuukese I don’t know when I’ll see them again and it hurts to think about that. I love them so darn much!
Anyways, I’m done writing about that, that took too long and I cried too much. I have a week left and I ‘m going to make the most of it! :)
Yep so that crazy interview with President threw me for one! It threw me even a little further as we talked about what I’ll be doing in Guam. I guess it turns out that I’ll be an assistant to the President, so that will definitely bring some new experiences.
Today is Elder Lange’s birthday, whom I dearly love, and Elder Tuaitanu’s birthday was on Sunday so today we are getting together and having a Chuukese feast!! Pounded breadfruit, fire roasted chicken/meat, fish cooked in coconut milk, rice and coconuts!! Woneii!! It’s going to be good and I’m going to get so fat and I don’t even care!! ha :)
Ok, love your guts take care and don’t die. Ai tong esap much ngenikemi!
Tong Ennet fiti Jaiwak,
Elder Wells “Ito”
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Craziness Continues
29 Dec 2009
Ran Allim sefon ngeni kemi!
It was great to talk to you all I hope you all had a super duper Christmas and are ready for school again! ha
On Saturday after I talked to you guys I saw my kids off to their islands, I cleaned up our nuclear bombed house, got a transfer plan of sorts finished, and then had two lessons and another Christmas party to go to! I’ve eaten so much food in the past little while I don’t know what to do with myself. The amount of food I have eaten is amazing, but Chuukese food just makes me keep eating and eating until I have to lay down and rest. ha
This week is already pretty crazy, on Monday during our District Meeting Elder Mitton caught a boat into Weno and called us from the dock. He had been throwing up for the past five hours and was wreathing in pain. We had to leave the District mtg early and get him and go to “death” hospital. He was in so much pain and there seemed to be not much we could do for him. The hospital gave him pain shots and stuck an IV in him but nothing helped. I was busy calling Guam and relaying all the information on to President Dowdle. They admitted Elder Mitton into the ward, which means more work for us. This hospital doesn’t provide anything but medical needs for the patients which means we have to provide meals for the two missionaries, we have to provide sheets, pillows, sleeping mattresses, shower things, toothpaste, toothbrush, water, just everything that someone would need. It’s literally like taking care of two babies! because we have to do everything for them because they can’t, well they can go to the bathroom but the Chuuk hospital bathroom is without a doubt the worst most unclean, dirty, horrid bathroom on this planet. :) I could not have dreamed, in a nightmare, a more disgustingly scary bathroom than the ones in Chuuk hospital! ha Anyway, they deal with that. It looks like he may be ok and won’t have to go to Guam. Unfortunately for Elder Kuss he will be going to Guam.
Last week on the 23rd Sirimino came to our house at 12:30 in the morning and asked us if Elder Kuss could donate blood to his wife who was in need of blood. We called President who had to get authority from the Area Presidency so that Kuss could donate blood. Once we had permission we rushed up to the hospital so Kuss could donate and that’s when the madness began!
They drew his blood and tested it to make sure that he was the right blood type and ran some quick tests to make sure he had no sicknesses, but when the results came back they weren’t good. The tests showed that his blood was carrying something not good that would be transferred to the patient if donated.
We called President to pass on the word and President wanted to have an answer immediately which Chuuk hospital cannot do, so President booked Elder Kuss a flight out of Chuuk to Guam so that he can get a full physical so that they can create a plan to help Kuss and to try and do what little is possible.
Elder Kuss is worried and didn’t sleep at all the night we found out. He forgot about it in all the spirit of Christmas and when he learned that he was going to Guam this week it brought back more waves of worry and fear. I just try and make him laugh and keep him happy so that he won’t think of it too much, but every night I can tell he doesn’t sleep well because he’s always very late to wake up. Please keep him in your prayers, even though you’ll get this after he’s already in Guam.
Life here in Chuuk is as crazy as ever but I’m loving every minute of it and wouldn’t ask for anything else! Bring on the crazy!! :) I’m a speeding bullet in my new shoes by the way, I feel like I’m 8-years old again thinking I can run faster because I got new shoes, if only they lighted up . . . . . I really think I run faster and jump higher with them though, and the Chuukese covet them and want to steal them right off my feet! To bad I’m too fast for them. ha
There should be two memory cards coming close to this letter, one of mine and one of the Joseph’s temple trip! So make sure to keep an eye out for those.
Ok, this is definitely the longest letter I have ever written so I’ll just picture my beautiful young mom giving me a big hug because I wrote such a good letter. :)
Love your guys’ guts keep up the good work of staying alive.
Tori sa mak fengen sefan, ounennom!
Tong Ennet fiti Jaiwak,
Elder Wells “Ito”
Ran Allim sefon ngeni kemi!
It was great to talk to you all I hope you all had a super duper Christmas and are ready for school again! ha
On Saturday after I talked to you guys I saw my kids off to their islands, I cleaned up our nuclear bombed house, got a transfer plan of sorts finished, and then had two lessons and another Christmas party to go to! I’ve eaten so much food in the past little while I don’t know what to do with myself. The amount of food I have eaten is amazing, but Chuukese food just makes me keep eating and eating until I have to lay down and rest. ha
This week is already pretty crazy, on Monday during our District Meeting Elder Mitton caught a boat into Weno and called us from the dock. He had been throwing up for the past five hours and was wreathing in pain. We had to leave the District mtg early and get him and go to “death” hospital. He was in so much pain and there seemed to be not much we could do for him. The hospital gave him pain shots and stuck an IV in him but nothing helped. I was busy calling Guam and relaying all the information on to President Dowdle. They admitted Elder Mitton into the ward, which means more work for us. This hospital doesn’t provide anything but medical needs for the patients which means we have to provide meals for the two missionaries, we have to provide sheets, pillows, sleeping mattresses, shower things, toothpaste, toothbrush, water, just everything that someone would need. It’s literally like taking care of two babies! because we have to do everything for them because they can’t, well they can go to the bathroom but the Chuuk hospital bathroom is without a doubt the worst most unclean, dirty, horrid bathroom on this planet. :) I could not have dreamed, in a nightmare, a more disgustingly scary bathroom than the ones in Chuuk hospital! ha Anyway, they deal with that. It looks like he may be ok and won’t have to go to Guam. Unfortunately for Elder Kuss he will be going to Guam.
Last week on the 23rd Sirimino came to our house at 12:30 in the morning and asked us if Elder Kuss could donate blood to his wife who was in need of blood. We called President who had to get authority from the Area Presidency so that Kuss could donate blood. Once we had permission we rushed up to the hospital so Kuss could donate and that’s when the madness began!
They drew his blood and tested it to make sure that he was the right blood type and ran some quick tests to make sure he had no sicknesses, but when the results came back they weren’t good. The tests showed that his blood was carrying something not good that would be transferred to the patient if donated.
We called President to pass on the word and President wanted to have an answer immediately which Chuuk hospital cannot do, so President booked Elder Kuss a flight out of Chuuk to Guam so that he can get a full physical so that they can create a plan to help Kuss and to try and do what little is possible.
Elder Kuss is worried and didn’t sleep at all the night we found out. He forgot about it in all the spirit of Christmas and when he learned that he was going to Guam this week it brought back more waves of worry and fear. I just try and make him laugh and keep him happy so that he won’t think of it too much, but every night I can tell he doesn’t sleep well because he’s always very late to wake up. Please keep him in your prayers, even though you’ll get this after he’s already in Guam.
Life here in Chuuk is as crazy as ever but I’m loving every minute of it and wouldn’t ask for anything else! Bring on the crazy!! :) I’m a speeding bullet in my new shoes by the way, I feel like I’m 8-years old again thinking I can run faster because I got new shoes, if only they lighted up . . . . . I really think I run faster and jump higher with them though, and the Chuukese covet them and want to steal them right off my feet! To bad I’m too fast for them. ha
There should be two memory cards coming close to this letter, one of mine and one of the Joseph’s temple trip! So make sure to keep an eye out for those.
Ok, this is definitely the longest letter I have ever written so I’ll just picture my beautiful young mom giving me a big hug because I wrote such a good letter. :)
Love your guys’ guts keep up the good work of staying alive.
Tori sa mak fengen sefan, ounennom!
Tong Ennet fiti Jaiwak,
Elder Wells “Ito”
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