Monday, October 24, 2011

10/24/11

Items of business:

Samoan Uso-- Sister Agavale is great. I love her and we've been doing good work together. We were even able to add a maybe semi-decent investigator this week. I've been enjoying getting to know her. We are both
  • Nail biters
  • Light sleepers
  • Dessert protesters
Man vs. Machine-- Two days ago I figured out how to turn the brights off in the car I've been driving for over three months now. People have been flashing their brights at me every night and I felt so bad but I just didn't know how to turn them off. But it turns out that it's the same as in every single other car! Who would have thought?? I was so pleased that I did a victory lap around the car.
Frozen Vermin Part II-- You were wrong if you thought I was going to ignore the counsel I was given by the investigator who lovingly gave me a dead squirrel: "Don't waste the squirrel meat. Don't waste the squirrel meat." I am NOT AFRAID of dead animals. I washed it, cut it up, fried it in butter and made my roommates eat it. I didn't think it was bad. Kind of like tough, slightly gamey chicken. I've included pictures for your viewing pleasure.
 



 

Monday, October 17, 2011

8/29-10/17 (Whoops)

8/29
Sorry, things are so slow right now that I really don't have anything to say for a blog! I guess we'll skip it this week. I am alive and well and so is my companion and we don't really have any investigators, but we're looking looking looking. Love all of you and hope you're well.

9/6
Here's some stuff.
--To all the return missionaries on BYU campus who I judged for their receding hairlines: I'm sorry. I understand now. No, I am not balding but I have found 4 legitimate grey hairs on my head. How long is the grey grow-out? About 7 months worth, AKA the amount of time I've been on my mission. The mission is making me old before my time.
--Transfers were yesterday and although Sister Langirik and I are still together, there are some changes. We have so many new missionaries coming in this transfer that they have to increase the number of areas in order to accommodate them all. So one of our wards has been given to some elders (we used to have 2 wards). Our work has been cut in half, and there really wasn't that much to start with. But I know that we'll find a way to get some missionary work done.
--Also, we are being kicked out of our cozy little member's home. The elders are movin' in, and we're going to go live in an apartment with the ASL sisters, Sisters Larson and Williams. I am actually really excited about this. 
--But it will also be weird because I'm moving back into the exact same bedroom that I was BORN IN, aka where I started my mission. Remember my Tongan days in Tala'ofa Ward? I sure do. Malolelei! and all that.
--That's pretty much it. Oh except that also, we lost the part of our area that has the chicken park. Sad sad day.
 
9/12
Greetings! Nothing too new here in Fair Oaks. We still don't really have any investigators, and our area is the tiniest of tinies now. But we're still getting out there everyday trying to find someone new to teach. Hopefully soon. We've been doing a lot of work with less actives and recent converts, and we're hoping to increase the retention in our ward. Right now active membership in Fair Oaks 5th is about 45%, which is no good. Anyway, that's life right now. I'll let you know if we find someone great to teach. Bar lo yuk! (That means see you later in Marshallese. I think.)

9/19

Hello all. Time is short so I will tell you about this week in bullet form.
  • Frozen Vermin--Awhile ago we went to say goodbye to one of our investigators in the ward that was TAKEN from us by the elders. His name is Myron. He was so touched by some things that we talked about that he presented me with a dead frozen squirrel so that I can make squirrel stew. His last words to me were, "Don't waste the squirrel. Don't waste the squirrel."
  • Disgusting Conversations--We went to visit an older lady who is a less active member of the ward for health reasons. We were rewarded with a 2 hour long conversation about her disturbing health issues, including a full blown description of the color, amount, and texture of her poop.
  • Catholic Basher--We found a lady who we felt was destined to be baptized. She approached US on the street, which was a first for me, and she was so nice. She invited us to come to dinner the next night and tell her about our church. We eagerly came to the appointment, visions of a baptism in the not-too-distant future in our heads. We were a little wary when we came in and Catholic literature was all over the table. The evening ended after her complete refusal to listen to anything we had to say and a forceful effort on her part to convert us to Catholicism. We declined.
9/26
Hello all! I hope that my female readers were able to catch Relief Society General Broadcast this weekend and hear the SPLENDID talk by President Uchtdorf that reduced my roommate Sister Larson to a puddle of TEARS. A lovely broadcast for sure. I took many notes and drew many pictures of forget-me-nots in honor of President Uchtdorf.

Not much is going on this week and I have some people I need to email so I will take my leave, but I hope that everyone is doing well and that all of my recently married friends are loving married life and that all of my not married friends are loving not married life. Love you all, happy fall! That rhymed!!
 
10/3
No blog post

10/10
Greetings! I have very little time so this will probably be a little lame. But I wanted to say that a) nothing has happened as far as new investigators go, but we're still doing our best and b) General Conference was so wonderful and I loved it and I can't wait to read Elder Holland's priesthood talk because I heard it was pretty bold. I hope everyone's doing well and enjoying October and being good! Talk to you next week! Hopefully I'll have something new to report. 

10/17
 Two important events in my life:

1. Transfers--I am staying in Fair Oaks. I have mixed feelings about this. Sister Langirik is going to the Marshallese branch in south Sacramento, which is going to be awesome for her. My new companion will be Sis. Agavale, my second companion from Samoa. Talofa!
2. Cockroaches--Sorry Mom, but it's true. My apartment is infested with the creatures who must not be named. Terminix came and sprayed but besides the fact that coming home to that was DISGUSTING (think massive bug graveyard in our kitchen) it doesn't seem to have put much of a dent in their numbers. No wonder cockroaches have survived through the millenia.