Week 19 - Blessings, Rats and Cyclone's

Well this was an amazing week!!! We didn't really get a lot of "numbers" but we did have a lot of fun and had some cool experiences!!! On Monday, we found out what was happening on the island, there is a trade fair!!! It is basically 2 weeks of music, food stands, and performances. It's kinda like the fair back home but lasts a lot longer. We have eaten there a couple of times and it is way good. Most of the time we have BBQ chicken, pork, sausages and rice of course!! 

Wednesday morning we woke up at 5:30 am by knocking on our door. We answered it and it was Sister Eritepa, one of the members asking for a blessing. She had some stomach pains and other stuff and drove over to our flat for us to give her a blessing. We gave her a blessing and she sat there for a while then said that she felt a lot better. She thanked us and then drove back home. The rest of the day went and taught some lessons then went to our dinner appointment. We went to a local restaurant, 3T's and had a feast!!! Sister Teikawea, the lady who was feeding us, it was her husbands birthday that day so they reserved a room and brought out 10 or so plates full of food. We had chicken, pork, fish, squid, fresh jumbo shrimp (my favorite) and then a cake after. I was way full after!!! It was fun because they don't have thanksgiving but I still got a feast, haha. 

The next day we got up to go do service at the very top of the island. We walked all the way up there and the guy was gone!!! Then it started to rain. Then the wind picked up and soon we where drenched and getting pelted by wind sped rain drops going sideways!!! But it was a fun walk back to the flat where we studied and made some mashed potato's in honor of Thanksgiving. The rain stopped when we went back out to do some work. We went all the way down to the bottom of the island to meet some people but no one had time for a lesson. So we walked back up and taught some English classes to some kids to finish off our service. At dinner we were warned that a cyclone was coming our way that night and as we went to bed it hit us. Hard. It was raining and way windy and thunder cracked about every 5 minutes. The thunder was so loud that it sounded like a bomb was going off. Needless to say we didn't get much sleep that night. When the morning came, it calmed down and we were able to go out. 

Friday night we walked into the flat and started our nightly planning when Elder Paki looked up and ran to the kitchen with his shoe. I turned and saw him chasing a rat!!! We had seen this rat a couple of times but it always managed to escape. But we cornered it in the kitchen and for the next 10 minutes we tried to kill it, me with my sele and Elder Paki with his shoe. Elder Paki got it a few times but it was still alive. It tried to run out of the kitchen but it ran right into my blade :) We think this was the only rat that was in our flat so now we won't have any more problems. 

On Sunday, we had the primary program. It was really good!!! The chapel was packed!!! We did not have an extra chair to spare!! The kids sang songs and said scriptures just like in America but it was in Tuvaluan. In church, we were asked to talk to the youth class about setting and keeping goals. It went way good and it was easy to talk about because we set goals each night as missionary's!!! After church we went to the prison and taught Brother Vi and his kids. They have a lot of questions for us. Ben the oldest was given a video by a priest from another church and it talks about the bible and how we know where Jerusalem is but we don't know where Zarahemla is and all of the other city's in the BOM. We tried to explain stuff to them but they just kept pulling stuff from the video. I think we are going to get it and watch it for comp study one day to see what it is about. 

That was my week i think. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!! Love all of you guys!!! Good luck to all of the people playing sports and stuff!!! 

Alofa atu,

Elder Brown 

One of the English classes we teach!!!  

So I had a feast of my own!!! This was what one of the members fed us on our Wednesday night. This was at 3 T's restaurant one of the best on the island.

We had a full building this week for the primary program!! They all wore matching blue shirts to it was way cute!!! 

Just about the narrowest part of the island!!