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