Thanksgiving

This was the email I got from Taylor and the conversation that we had while he was on in Guam. We happened to be on at the same time for a few minutes, I, Jacob, will be in green:

Jacob,

So I was wondering how that blog is going, if people actually read it. Also, what kind of comments you have added or things you have removed.

The language is coming slowly I think. Most everyone speaks English, and some better than others. So missionaries have been teaching in English, up until now. No one really speaks Palaun, so this is a new move by the mission president. It's hard to learn the language when your only material is a language packet written by missionaries who weren't even fluent in the language. But yeah, I've just been teaching in English, and throwing in a few Palaun words where I can.

I'm in Mosiah. I have until Dec 8th, so one week. I probably won't make it. We'll see. I'm actually starting to think it was just a challenge from my zone leader, because my mission president said I get a transfer. Oh well.

The baptisms we had scheduled didn't come through. One was still chewing betel nut and the other one didn't come to church. But we have a few more commitments to extend.

It's sunny today, so today's pictures should be pretty spectacular. I sent some in the mail yesterday, so they should get there in about a week.

P-Day next week is on Monday, because of Zone Conference, just fyi.

Love,
Taylor

Oh, Thanksgiving was great. The Branch President and his family fed us, and then there was a branch activity the next night.

Palaun Thanksgiving is the same as American Thanksgiving. No one knows why they celebrate it, they just do. So I had delicious turkey, honey-baked ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, kool-aid (they love that stuff). But for some reason they always have to throw in their own flair. So there was also sashimi (raw fish), tapioca (not pudding. I guess it's a plant), fried fish (head, scales, and all), and 4 kinds of rice.

You still there? This internet is a crazy thing. It's 6:58 PM here, on Monday. You already write to mom and dad? I meant to say earlier, one of the more frustrating things for me was writing and not getting a real response until a week later, when I didn't need it anymore. I think there's a reason for that, you have to rely on the Lord.

Yeah I'm still here, but just about to leave.

It's especially frustrating because mail is so slow. I have to wait forever it feels like.

Anyway, could you send me a few cds with good music on it? I can listen to EFY, and any hymns sung by any LDS artists. Vocal Point has a rendition of Be Still My Soul that I really like if you can find it.  I'd rather have hymns by LDS artists if you can find a bunch, but if not, EFY works fine.

Thanks,

Taylor.

Mail from home

Telungalk,

So I really don't like dogs. I guess Tucker doesn't count, he's more of an ROUS. Let me explain why I have a new found dislike for these obnoxious creatures.

Here in Palau, there are about as many dogs as there are people (also chickens, I see about 100 per day, and that's probably a low estimate). Every single one of these dogs is some kind of mutt and and full of diseases I'm sure. Because there are so many dogs, it's nearly impossible to keep track of all of them while walking. Anyway, I do my best to judge each dogs reaction to us walking by. Some dogs lay there, most bark, and some really get angry. Everyday there are at least two or three sandlot beasts (erector set beasts, not end-of-the-movie beasts). These are the ones that would rip off my calf like a chicken leg if they could. Luckily most are on chains and can't come as far as we are.

Now, the reason I don't like dogs. They hide and/or play dead/sleeping. For example, we knocked on one particular door (dogs barking), talked to a lady, then proceeded to walk back to our car. As soon as we turned around a dog came out of behind a wall and really wanted to kill me. Luckily this beautiful creation of our Heavenly Father was on a chain. I haven't been so terrified in a long time. When I get back, I'm gonna work with the President of Palau and have all of these dogs euthanized and sent to Phonpeii to be eaten.

Oh! New experience of the week. This week, we went to visit two of the long-time members. They had just had a big party and had some food left over. In particular, sea turtle. In the pot was chunks of meat in some kind of broth and two, pretty large, turtle heads. It was actually pretty delicious. We didn't eat the heads because the custom is that those go to the Rubak, or the man with the highest social standing present. There are a few more things on my checklist. Crocodile, fruit-bat, and shark - just to name a few.

Now lets focus on what I'm actually doing here. (I wrote Jacob about my Thanksgiving, so I'm sure he'll forward that to you)

We have a less-active, recent convert who we are really struggling with. She calls us almost every day, usually several times a day, and asks us for money and or food. Now, as a missionary, one of our rules is to not borrow or loan money or goods from or to anyone. We told her this, but she refuses to accept it. These conversations usually end in her yelling and hanging up on us. This is all fine, except it means she doesn't come to church because she thinks it'll "show us". We talked to the Branch President and I think it's getting taken care of.

We have six or seven really great investigators, so I'm excited to see how things progress with them. One of them is a little 9 year-old Palaun girl. Her step-dad is a member from Nepal. We ran into him while knocking doors and found out he was baptized in Palau like seven years ago. Anyway she sat in on a lesson and asked where our church was. "Ok, I'm going to try and come." She hasn't yet, but we see her a couple days a week and she reads the Book of Mormon everyday and looks up the words she doesn't know.

I also noticed that the Lord knows more than me. Sometimes we set return appointments with people I think are a complete waste of time, and they usually are. But more often than not when we go back, there is someone else there who is very interested. To my credit, the original person is usually not there, or is very uninterested.

Ok so myldsmail had an error and didn't send my email. But I had this much saved. I think everything is here besides the answers to a few of your questions. I sent a letter home with my pictures yesterday that answers the questions that Dad asked last week, so they should also answer most of these. Anyway, there we go.

Thanks for everything.

Love,
Elder Barlow

Makes my blood boil

Ungil Suelb!

So one night my companion and I were doing our nightly planning session and our phone rang.

"Hello, this is Elder Barlow"

"gsajfhvbaksjdvg" (She said something in English, but I can't understand the Palaun accent)

*gave the phone to my companion*

"You have some? Yeah! Tomorrow? Sure."

*click*

Me: "What did she say?"

Him: "She (one of our member friends) was wondering if we wanted her leftover fitata"

Me: "Her what?"

Him: "Fitata, it's like the inside of the pig cooked in the blood"

I laughed a little and then asked again what she wanted. He said kind of the same thing. Turns out he was serious. Fitata is the innards of a pig (intestines, kidney, you name it) boiled in the pig's blood, then fried in it also. So the next evening on our way home, we picked it up. And then we ate. It actually isnt bad - that is, if no one told you what you were eating.

This week has been a great week. I tried several new things (Palaun apples, coconut fresh off the tree, fitata, etc), and our missionary work was very successful. One of the assistants actually gave us a call congratulating us on the success we had.

We taught a group of Chuukese college students last night. Like 7 or 8. Since my companion is Chuukese, he taught them in Chuukese. So I mostly sat there and listened (kind of). At one point - in English - I heard him say, "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ..." and I immediately perked up. This was a lesson that we hadn't planned to teach. Sure enough he extended the commitment, and a few said yes, but no one said no. We have a baptism on Saturday, and they agreed to come watch. It was a pretty funny experience.
I told Jacob this, but the President Dowdle (my mission president) gave me 3 weeks to finish the Book of Mormon, and highlight any references to Christ (including pronouns), gospel principles (faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end), anytime Christ speaks, and His attributes. He told me I had 3 weeks after a week had gone by (yesterday). So now I have 2 and I'm not very far. I'm kinda stressing out.

Someone told me that the rainy season just ended before I got here. Which is hard to believe because it rains almost every day. I can only think of one day that it didn't rain. Even on that day, everything was still wet. I don't understand.

Anyway, I'm reallly starting to bond with these people. Even though their mouths are always red and they're missing most of their teeth. I haven't met one angry/mean Palaun. Disinterested, sure, but always jovial, or "ungil a rengul."

All the kids love the missionaries. Some days I'll hear my name, and It will be a kid up in a tree, and he'll toss me a few things to eat on my way. Makes life pretty interesting.

Well, my time is up, but I'm really having a good time. Seems like the mail takes forever, so if I'm not responding to your letters, its because I haven't received them yet.

Ma uriul,

Elder Barlow

Good afternoon. It's straight business.

So I don't know why this didn't send last week, maybe because I'm trying to email on stone tablets. Anyway this was last week's email:

Dear family and esteemed colleagues,

So I'm no longer at the MTC. I have a new P-Day here in the field (you'll find out where I am in a minute), which is Tuesday. I'm not sure of the time difference, I think it's like 17 hours or something. Maybe 18 to California, who knows. Anyway it's Tuesday afternoon here. By the time I send this email, it will be about 11:45 I think, so you can do the math.

So I left the MTC on Monday night last week (Mom and Dad, I called you, remember?), and after about 30+ hours of travel, I arrived iin Guam at about 1:00 am. Unfortunately, we had to wait until about 3:30 for 2 missionaries arriving from New Zealand. President and Sister Dowdle let us sleep in until 9:30 the next morning.

Sister Dowdle made us some amazing French Toast before we had orientation, which took all day. At the end of orientation we got our area assignments. Elder Matthews was sent to Kosrae to learn and speak Kosrean, and I'm here, learning this language (again, patience). So after he told us where we were going and gave us our language packets, President Dowdle said, "Elder Barlow, your flight leaves in an hour and a half so I need you to pack up all your things and the office elders will take you to the airport."

So we left. Turns out we don't really use boats in our mission. Only airplanes. After another flight, and another time change, I arrived in..........Palau! at about 10:30. President Dowdle said Palaun is the hardest language in the mission. Just to give you an idea, it's like a mix of Spanish and Japanese. Great.

Palau is also the most tropical island in the mission. It rains everyday. There are 4 missionaries here...in the whole zone(each island, or island group, is one zone. There are 7 zones. Guam, Saipan, Palau, Yap, Kosrae, Chuuk, and Pohnpeii.). There are 2 zone leaders, 1 district leader (who happens to be my companion), and me. It just so happens that our district has the same area boundaries as our zone. It's really a weird system.

Anyway, my companion is Elder Stanley. Don't let his name fool you, he's a native Chuukese. He speaks broken English, so we can communicate fine most of the time. Quick story. So yesterday I gave him an Altoid, and to describe the taste he said, "it tastes...cold. But then not cold. You know?" Mint. He had never had mint before. Pretty funny.

I was talking to a Palaun member named Joel (Joe-el) and he was asking about California and I said it doesn't rain like it does here, and he replied, "then how do you catch water?" All I knew was that I turn on the faucet and water comes out, so I just pretended like he didn't say anything.

Sorry there isn't really a flow to this letter, I'm just writing things as I think of them.

When I arrived in Palau, the zone leaders gave me a key. Apparently I'm the driver. Not only did I not expect to be in a car, I definitely didn't think I'd be driving. I guess it makes sense, our area covers about 3 different islands (Again, no boats. They are all connected by bridges that we can drive on.), and the "houses" are very spread out. When I say houses, I really mean shack, or "lean-to". Everyone sits on the floor, and you take your shoes off everytime you enter a home.

There are dogs, cats, chickens, roosters, and frogs EVERYWHERE. The cats and dogs are filthy. Cockfighting is huge here, hence the roosters. They're either caged, on a leash, or just roaming the amlet (village).

Popular foods: Fruit bat soup*, crocodile, turkey tail, fish (all kinds), monkey, dog, turtle, etc.

*fruit bat soup is basically a whole fruit bat cooked in boiling water. I'm not sure of the details. But natives eat everything - wings and all (not bones).

Fortunately I've been able to avoid all the aforementioned items. Except the fish. Sister Dowdle said we are not to eat dog, turtle, or turkey tail (phew).

One of the recent converts that we were teaching gave us each a slice of seafood pizza. Sick. It had different kinds of fish, octopus, clams, and like 2 other things I forgot. That was hard to stomach, let me tell you.

Last thing, EVERYONE here chews this thing called beetlenut. Its like a big green acorn, that they mix with lime, a cigarette, and this leaf that makes their spit red. Even the kids chew it. It is so bad for their mouths and teeth, so its against the word of wisdom. Pretty different.

I'm sure there's a lot more I could tell you, but I'm out of time. I'm getting used to the schedule and the weather.

Prayer works. Heavenly Father really is looking out for us. Lucky for me.

I love you all,

Elder Barlow

Mission Blog (for the whole mission, courtesy of Sis. Dowdle):
guamadventures.blogspot.com

New address in Palau:
Elder Barlow
P.O. Box 551
Koror, PW
96940

(I'm going to blame my lack of mail on the assumption that mail takes a few days to get forwarded from Guam.)

P.S. - Holly, thanks for the package! It had all my favorite things.

P.S.S - Send all mail to that new address.

P.S.S.S - I saw a chicken cross the road yesterday.

In Transit

If anyone was wondering, Guam is 16 hours ahead of California. So far, we haven’t heard from Taylor since he arrived in Guam.

However, we received a call from a lady who saw Taylor and his companion in the airport in Salt Lake. She found out they were going to Guam and was quite excited because her next-door neighbor is the mission president there. She wrote a note to give it to them to take to the mission president and by the time that she got back to them, they were asleep. But she and her husband waited for them to get off the plane in Atlanta and since they had a lengthy layover, she and her husband took them both to breakfast. We talked to her for a little while and she was very complimentary of both Taylor and his companion. She said it seemed like Taylor had some travel experience. However, she indicated that his companion (who was from Rexburg) had only been on one flight before, and that was to Portland, so she said he was a little more wide-eyed than Taylor. She said their daughter just got home from serving in Geneva, and their son is currently serving in Fiji. It was very good to talk to her.

Dennis Barlow

Departure

Taylor called about 9:00 p.m. our time. His flight leaves about 12:50 a.m. (Utah time), so they are 3 hours early. It is just him and his companion flying to Guam (through Atlanta and Tokyo). He said that he had to get a haircut before he left, so his hair is pretty short. He said that he learned a lot at the MTC but that it was starting to get kind of boring - same stuff over and over. He also said that one of his toes was all healed and the other one was getting there. He has gotten packages and letters and was appreciative that so many people sent him things. He had to pay $50 to check his luggage, and he is told that the mission would reimburse him. He was very excited to start his mission and it was good to hear that excitement in his voice. He said it was hard initially to not been looking for phone calls and text messages, but now he is ok to be off-line. They couldn't shake hands in the MTC, and they had hand sanitizer all over the place and had to wash their hands many, many times all day. As a result, the MTC is one of the safest places in Utah. It was good to talk to him.

Dennis Barlow

11/4/09

Dear family and interested friends,

I got my travel itinerary on Friday, its pretty exciting. It looks something like this:

SLC-ATL (3 hours)
-Layover in ATL (5 hours)-
ATL-Tokyo, Japan (Forever long)
-Layover in Tokyo (5 hours)-
Tokyo-Guam (like 4 hours)

Anyway, total travel time is 27 hours or so. I'm the travel leader, but being first alphabetically isn't very hard to do - especially when there are only two of us. I still can't figure out why we're taking the most roundabout way to Guam, but hey, whatever's cheapest right?

Not much to report in regards to exciting things that happened this week. It has pretty much been the same as last week, just a little faster. I've made friends with a few elders from other districts in our zone, so that's been pretty fun. One is from England (he said the city but I didn't recognize it. He said it's where Stonehenge is.) and he's super funny.

Hannah, I need you to write me and tell me how to work this clock. I can't even set the time. I need to know how to set the time and the alarm, and anything else you can tell me. If you want, there is a website called DearElder.com where you can just write me a letter, email style, and submit it. They'll print it out and put it in my mailbox the same day. Thanks.

Mom and Dad, I think I already asked you about my line of authority, but if I didn't, I still need it, if you can send it to me.

Kim, someone in my district was looking through my photo album and wants to write you. So I'll probably give him your address - don't be creeped, he's cool. He's from Southern Alberta, Canada. You're welcome.

Everyone, like I told Hannah, there's a website called DearElder.com where you can write me letters and send them same day for free. You can also send packages ;) (I don't know if those are free. I doubt it.) They aren't really good for anything once I leave the MTC, because they can't do it same day. I'll be here until Monday night though, so write away. But I would just like to remind Holly that she promised me a DearElder letter and I haven't got one yet. I'm just saying...

The weather started to warm up a little which is lucky. I was starting to get nervous.

I'm low on time, so I have to get going. Word on the street is I get to call from the airport to let you know my plane hasn't been hijacked or anything. We'll see if that's true.

"Fear not, though the enemy deride. Courage - for the Lord is on our side."

Love you all,

Elder Barlow