11 Oct. 2010

Family,

This week was so good for us. I told you a little bit about the family that we've been teaching, and they all came to church yesterday (excluding the oldest son, who had pink eye)! They just loved it. They stayed for all three hours, and apparently their kids couldn't stop talking about it. They can't wait until next week. I'm so happy for them. We also met another family (who we're teaching again tonight), the father is less-active, but his wife and daughter are not members of the church. After teaching about the Restoration, the daughter proceeded to tell us all about Moroni appearing to Joseph Smith and how the Book of Mormon came to be. She said she had read the Book of Mormon, and that's how she knows. Turns out that it wasn't actually the Book of Mormon, but something else that some missionaries gave her. Nevertheless, it was awesome, and both she and her mother agreed to be baptized in the beginning of November, along with the mother of another less-active man. So exciting, I'm just sad I wont be in the area to teach them.

You asked where we get our hair cut, and this is actually an interesting situation. There are tons of little beauty shops where you can go an get your hair cut, but there's a slight problem. 95% of these institutions are run by Filipino men dressed as, and pretending to be, women. We found one place that is run by a legitimate woman, and she actually does a really good job. It costs $5 no matter where you go.

One of the privileges of being a missionary in Palau is that you get you tour the Rock Islands. Unfortunately each missionary only gets to go once. Our trip was today, since Elder Lyman flies home on Wednesday, and this was his last opportunity. We know a less-active woman who is a tour-guide, so she was about to let us go for half of the local price. Our tour included Jellyfish lake (a completely enclosed lake with thousands and thousands of non-stinging jellyfish - usually we would go swimming with them, but we can't go swimming, so it was pretty boring at this particular stop), Milky Way (a place where run-off from the limestone rock islands have made the water milky and the mud on the bottom is like white paint almost), and a bunch of other beautiful places. We saw tons of fish, sharks, a turtle, and got to sit on the front of the boat as we cruised through the hundreds of islands. It was so cool. Lunch was even provided, and we didn't have to go with 30 other Japanese tourists like the rest of the groups did. I'm trying to send some pictures if it will let me.

Supposedly I'm transferring this week, unless they make my current area the zone leader's area - which I doubt. I'll let you guys know how this all plays out. I find out who my companion will be Wednesday night. I'm pretty sad that all this good is happening in my area, and now I'm leaving. Luckily, I'll still be close - and now I'm in charge of exchanges.

Love,

Elder Barlow