26 Sept 2011

Family,

This week we finally had Sacrament Meeting in Ngaraard. We had a total of 7 people in attendance. We had it in a "Kwateleu" which means "open place". It's basically just a place with a roof and some benches. They have them in parks at home but I can't remember the name for it. Anyway, Toby was assigned as the group leader and he did a great job. As we were walking down to our car, to go and visit people to make sure they came, Toby rolled up with his motorcycle. His arm is still broken, even though he'll tell you it's already healed - it just needs exercise. But he was in a nice shirt and tie and looked awesome. Anyway we set up a small table in the sand, my companion gave the opening prayer, he and I blessed the Sacrament, I spoke, I chose the hymns, and Toby gave the closing prayer. Afterward, we talked to a couple of people in our village and one of them who saw us said, "why didn't you invite me?" We told him that everyone is invited and we'd love to see him next week.

There's this other girl that lives in the other elders' area who is mentally challenged. She's about 15 but functions at an 8 or 9 year old level. She's been coming to church for months and attends all the activities for the youth, and wanted to be baptized. After talking it over with the branch and the mission president, they determined that she'd have to be taught and interviewed, just as any other convert, but let's let her be baptized. So I drove down on Friday and did the interview. It was pretty interesting, but it was apparent that she did in fact have a testimony and so I passed her. She was baptized Saturday, and a lot of the branch members were able to attend.

I guess there was a typhoon somewhere between Palau and the Philippines, I don't know how true that is since we don't get any news and all I hear is word of mouth, but I believe it. We had trees get blown over and we just got dumped on over the last few days. It's always so unpredictable too. It can be hot and sunny one minute and then clouds come and it rains literally within 2 minutes (no longer sunny, but still hot). Sometimes I'll be in the house and I can look out one window, and it will be sunny and I'll walk over and look out the front door or another window, and it will be raining. It makes it hard to prepare - so usually I don't.

We spent most of this week teaching our investigators about the Sabbath day and the Sacrament to prepare them to come to our Sacrament Meeting. I'm hoping to see a steady growth in the attendance. If that happens, my responsibility to "establish the church" will be covered.

Kim made me worry about classes, so I'm going to go call the mission president and see if I can look at my options.

Love,

Elder Barlow