28 June 2010

Family,

We had a pretty good week. The APs came this week for their usual tour. There are two things that I look forward to every time they happen. The first is Zone Conference, and the second is when the APs come. Being on a island with only 4 missionaries and a senior couple, you get pretty secluded, but when President and Sister Dowdle or the Assistants come, I finally get some contact with the outside. The Assistants come every other transfer, so they are always different (at least one of them), and I finally get to meet a new missionary. Plus, it's fun to tell stories to people who haven't already heard them all. One of them is Elder Worton, who spent most of his time in Yap, and the other is Elder Colemere, who was on Pohnpei. They both go home in October, I think (maybe November).

Anyway, we have a woman scheduled to be baptized on Saturday, and we're just trying to get through the last couple of things we have to teach her. She has some really great people fellowshipping her, so she should be great. She and her "husband" were married culturally, but had since separated apparently. After discussing the idea of getting legally married with him, she told us that they have different beliefs now (he belongs to the same church that she used to) and until he accepts that, they can't be together. We made it very clear that we didn't want to break up her family or anything, but she seemed pretty set on it. He's kind of an alcoholic, so I think the separation will be good for her. We're really trying to get her family to come to the baptism so they can support her too.

I have another story. So there's this white guy named John, who is the pastor for some other church here in Palau. I'm not sure of the denomination, but it's some Christian church. Everytime we teach someone in a certain village, he shows up the next day and tells the people to never meet with us again, or he'll ask when our next appointment is, and then come at that time. He's pretty ridiculous. I guess it's understandable since most of those people in that village are of his congregation, but it's still pretty interesting. We've had a few run-ins with him, and he's a huge nuisance. He drives a big blue pick up with eight, fourteen year-old girls in the back at any given time. What a character.

Picture time. So the first picture is of the youth, their parents, and leaders (and the missionaries), with President Del Valle of the mission presidency. He was in Palau for Branch Conference, and this was their youth fireside. The second picture is of me at the Ngardmau Waterfall. Speaking of pictures, my camera has somehow developed a black spot on the lens. I'm not sure exactly where it is, but it's not on the outside, and it's not on the display. It ruins the pictures though. Any suggestions?

Until next week.

Love,
Elder Barlow