Well, Christmas and New years have passed and we are already burning through 2017! Hopefully you all had an enjoyable holiday season! I know I did and one of the highlights was being able to talk with you guys and the other highlight was being able to spend the Holiday season as a representative of our Savior Jesus Christ! What a wonderful blessing! I am happy you are all doing good though! Now, let's get into what has happened this last week!
So Monday Afternoon our phone started to ring and we saw that it was the District Leader. We both knew that it was transfer calls. We figured out the Elder Tiatia would be going just five minutes up the road to serve in Mapusaga and that I would be leaving the little Island of American Samoa and I would be heading to LufiLufi, Upolu and my new companion is Elder Shum from Savai'i! To be honest I was super excited to receive the news but, also super nervous! I guess it was just the fact that I was going to the actual Samoa haha! Where no one knows English and the fact that my companion might not know any English either. But, besides that I was super excited to head off to Western Samoa!
All the people being transferred to Upolu left Wednesday morning to the airport! It was super hard to say goodbye to Elder Tiatia! I love that guy and I miss him like crazy but, I know we will see each other again! Anyway, the plane ride was crazy! I will send a picture of the plane but, it was better than the boat ride we took to American Samoa! Oh, I almost forgot. The night before we left both of the Christmas packages arrived! We got super lucky haha! Thank you for the letters and the gifts! They were all much appreciated! The camera is tight!
Anyway, my Zone Leaders picked me up at the airport and we went straight to our Zone and did two baptisms and they told me that I would be doing the spiritual thought! Man my voice has never cracked so much and I have never shaken so much before in my life. I don't know why I was so nervous haha! But, besides that it went alright haha! Then we finally got taken to our house. But, I don't even think you can call it a house. We live on the church property and our bathroom is inside of the church, our shower is outside, and our room is no joke probably 20-25 Square Feet. I am currently living out of my suitcase because there is no room to hang up clothes or anything like that haha. Apparently this is the smallest "house" in the mission! I don't know why I am always getting small houses haha! I am used to it though! There is nothing I can do about so might as well learn to love it!
A little bit about my companion Elder Shum: He is a native from Savai'i and doesn't know very much English so it is super hard to communicate with each other. He is 23 years old and has almost been out for a year. He is super relaxed and nice! Which is good but, also kind of not. Because, some of the rules he just doesn't care about! But, that will for sure be changing! He honestly seems likes a super great missionary! A lot of people say I got lucky with him because a lot of natives take the mission as a vacation. But, I can tell Elder Shum wants to work! So that is a big relief! Oh yeah, he is also the District Leader!
A little bit about my Area: Our are is gigantic! We cover Lufilufi, Sauniatu (Dad, Research this village, I think you will like it) and this other village that I can't remember the name of! We are about a 10 minute walk away from the ocean and some beautiful beaches! This area is the area where most missionaries have got sent home because of what they have done with girls. Literally, no one knows English and it has made me realize that my Samoan is really not that good at all! Pigs are running all over the place! Weird bugs that I have never seen before! Different money from American money called Tala! It is for sure hotter here than it is in American Samoa!
Overall, I am way excited to start serving here! I know these next six weeks are going to be filled with trials and hardships and a lot of prayers! But, I am excited to see the growth in myself and strengthen my relationship with my Savior! Plus, I get to see some real Samoan Culture! Can't wait to see what this transfer holds in store for me and my companion! Hope you are all enjoying this New year! Love you all and miss you! You guys are always in my prayers! Fa Soifua!
Elder Barton
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