This week we had two Baptisms that were both held on Tuesday! Elena who is 10 yrs old and her 8 yr old brother, Helamana. There dad was baptized just about 8 months ago. It was really neat to see them get baptized, they both were super excited we were really glad to see them make the choice to get baptized. Elena had to take all the lessons because she was past the age of 8 but, her little brother didn't. Anyway it was really a neat experience to see them get baptized. They are a really good family!
This week was a really slow week. I'm not sure if I wrote about this last week, but the Elders before us didn't leave us with anything... no maps, no lists, nothing. So we have had no idea where our area begins and where it ends, where anyone lives, who is a member, who isn't and all that fun stuff. So this week we were just trying to get a grasp on this ward and where everyone is. We weren't very successful though. My companion just finished his training so he isn't very confident in his choices and didn't really know what to do or where to start in a situation like this and I don't blame him. We were finally able to meet with our Bishop on Sunday (He has been in the hospital ever since we got here due to a mosquito bite that made his leg super swollen) but, he told us that on Saturday we were going to have a meeting discussing the families and who is inactive/non-member/not baptized and he would give us a run down of where everyone lives and we are going to discuss ideas to get the members more involved, so that should be a really big help and we are looking forward to it.
Earlier in the week Elder Tiatia apologized to me for not being super focused on the work and not waking up on time. He said that he was feeling really inadequate with President's choice to put him as a trainer he had let it get to his head and he just told me that he was going to do better from now on and just work as hard as we can to get this ward where it needs to be! I was glad he brought it up and we were able to resolve that issue and just move forward with the Lord's work.
Everyday in Samoa except for Monday ward members feed the missionaries for dinner or Fafaga. It's really humbling because some families here don't have much money or anything but, they always provide the best they can for the missionaries. Anyway, on Wed. and Thurs. Bro. Leilua was our Fafaga. He is an older man and he is divorced and he lives alone in a one room yellow house. As he brought us our meal which consisted of canned spaghetti with hot dog, Fish, and Fa'i (Banana's) he started telling us about his life and other things. at the end of dinner there is always a fa'afetai speech where the host just thanks the missionaries and says all these blessings and after the host is done one of the missionaries responds with a fa'afetai speech thanking the host and saying blessings. Anyway, when Bro.Leilua was giving his fa'fetai speech I had no idea what he was saying (As usual) and out of no where he started getting choked up and crying a little bit. After dinner I asked Elder Tiatia what he was saying and he told me that he was just talking about how we are the Lord's warriors and how it is super hard to leave our families behind and come to a foreign land learning a foreign language and how out here the ward is our family and he told us that if we need anything don't hesitate to ask. I don't know why but, for some reason it just made me feel really grateful and humbled in a lot of ways. I don't know it was just super different seeing someone get emotional over our service and understanding some of the trials we face. Knowing that we actually have people here that really do care. It gave me a lot of motivation.
*Funny Story*
We were Tracking this week and we were told to go to a less active members house and see how they were doing and so when we went to go check up on the family to see how they were doing. Well when we got there the Dad was sitting right inside the front door smoking and drinking and he just has this really long white frizzy hair and beard and he was seriously just so wasted haha! We were trying to get to know him and he was just talking about the most random things haha! We asked him his name and he started talking about things in the 1950's and he was just so random haha "well if my calkilations have transpired in the earlier" and he had a really mumbled voice! OH man I wish you guys were there! I miss you guys haha! It is so hard to describe these stories through the computer with a limited amount of time haha.
Anyway that is about it for this week. We are looking forward to this week and are hoping we can get things moving here! I love you guys and pray for you constantly throughout the day! I hope everything is going well at home! Alofa Aku!
Elder Barton!
*Chapter of the Week*
2Nephi Chapter 4
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