4 weeks in Samoa

 

Preachin' in Paradise

Talofa Lava outou!

 
 This week was really good. One funny thing that happened was we went over to visit a family in one of the new areas we were assigned to cover. The previous Elders in that area said the whole family wanted to join the church. So we went over and we see this old guy sleeping and right then I had a pretty good feeling either we were at the wrong house or this family with the baptismal date doesn't exist. We started talking to him and it became pretty clear that there is no way this guy is getting baptized. It was funny but frustrating at the same time.

You get no breaks with the weather here. It's either sunny and really hot and humid or it's cloudy and like a sauna it's so humid. When it rains, it pours. Sometimes we can't even hear what people are saying during visits it's so loud. When it rains, the roads get really steamy. The worst is when it clears up and everything is wet. That's when the humidity is through the roof. Walking on the black gravel roads is miserable. I start sweating the second I walk out of the house.

 One thing I love about the people here is that they don't judge people. There will be kids passing the sacrament with no shoes on with a white shirt that probably hasn't been washed in six months and you don't see anyone giving dirty looks. It's just something that I think is awesome about Samoa and the loving people here.

 Another thing I think is interesting here is the cars. They remind me of cars you would customize in like a 2004 Need For Speed video game. They have these massive spoilers, crazy lights all over the place including under the car, and the rims are exotic, plus all the random badging and stuff they put all over the car. I just keep thinking I'm in a Tokyo drift movie or something.

 Most nights there is either volleyball or basketball being played at the church building. For relief society they come and play basketball together. It gets intense. I just picture the relief society in my ward and I just start laughing. They play all night too.

 
I'm starting to adjust to the food a little bit. Most nights we just get fried chicken and karo. Karo is basically like a potato but it's way better for you. When you see all those massive Polynesians walking around that are just ripped out of their minds, it's because they eat karo. Sometimes they bring out fish that they just fry and you can still see the eyes and stuff. Ramen is another thing that everyone eats. I usually have ramen for lunch every day. Luckily, they have tons of flavors.

 I'm just so grateful to be here as an instrument in the Lord's hands doing HIS work. I know that if I just teach by the spirit it doesn't matter how good or bad my Samoan is. All they need is to feel the spirit and then they'll have that desire to learn more.  I know this is the Lord's work. I can't believe I've already been here for a month. It's gone so fast.

 Alofa ia te outou

 Elder Tana (what we tell people now just to make it easy)

Me and my companion in front of the Chapel