1 Nov. 2010

Family,

So we had our baptism this weekend. In all, there are five in this family, but one is 7 so she couldn't be baptized, and the oldest (who is 12) was sick for two weeks, so he has to wait a few weeks. It was so cool though. The son, Mariur, was so excited once he put his baptismal clothes on. The morning before the baptism we went over to their house to do some service. We built a small table, cleared some dead branches, and moved his boat. The first time we went over there (before we taught them) Ian was working on some things and asked us to help him take down an old awning that had rotted. Whenever he works outside, he has music playing, and the first time we went it was pretty vulgar and just terrible. This time we went, he was listening to music about Christ. It was pretty cheesy music, but a complete change nonetheless.

The next day they asked each of us to confirm them (the branch president baptized them), and I was pretty nervous - I'd never done that before. After church the father, Ian, was interviewed for the Aaronic Priesthood, given a home teacher, and a new set of scriptures. He came out with all these books, and said, "President Kesolei said I'm going to have a lot of assignments, so I'm going to start studying this, and this, and this. I have a lot of catching up to do." It was so cool.

Wednesday night the youth had a barbecue and played volleyball, and we were invited. I was amazed at how many youth came. There were about 40 people there, and a bunch of less-active, and especially non-member, youth came. The chicken they grilled tasted like lighter fluid, but volleyball was fun anyway. We even got a new investigator out of it.

Since it was Halloween yesterday, we didn't get very much accomplished. The United States Civic Action Team put on a free haunted house at the convention center, so all the youth were there Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and their parents were driving them, or drunk, or handing out candy. It was pretty crazy last night. Elder Adams and I decided that Halloween just isn't the same without decorations. People here would dress up kind of, but nothing else was decorated. Oh well.

I go to Guam again this next weekend, so my next letter will probably be pretty short if I get time to write at all. Just a warning.

I love you guys, and I hope everything is still going well.

Love,

Elder Barlow