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
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