Week 20 - Legends are Lessons and Creeping things for Lunch 11-25-2019

    Hello everyone! "Legends are Lessons" My quote is from the movie Brave if you didn't know.
This week I wanted to explain more about the culture. So a few legends that describe some things here on the island. They tell a story of how an eel was once cut in half and they buried the tail and the head. The tail sprung up a beetle-nut tree, and the head sprung up a coconut tree. Which explains why all coconuts have 2 eyes and a mouth. So we learn fun stories like this.
    The beetle-nut tree, beetle-nut is extremely common to chew on Yap. It is just everywhere, but when you chew it the little fruit is very addictive, it stains your teeth red and destroys the enamel. They put it with burned coral, which is like a lime powder to give it more flavor but it has the same effect as chewing tobacco. It is hard when we teach people the Word of Wisdom because beetle-nut is harmful to the body and they know that, but it is so readily available and cultural.
     My favorite legend though I heard from my friend Wakeen. He is really smart and he has told us one legend of the White Sails. Story time: "There is an island not from Yap that is but a few feet under the water. It was once an island and has since sunk. The people who lived there one day were met by these wise people. The wise people prophesied that one day soon ships with white sails would appear on the horizon, and they would have to make a decision. Do we stay or do we go? So the chiefs decided they would soon hold a council to make a decision. The day arrived that they were to meet to council and the wise people said, "look it is too late. See the sails?" And those people were left to their island and the wise people left. Not much later the island sunk beneath the waves and the people were lost."
     I like to think of it like the second coming. The prophets have warned us that we need to be ready, because it will hit us one day just like that. Will we be ready? or Not? I hope you all like the little legend, I may not have heard the full legend but this is what I learned from it. love you all, Elder George

Teaching with President Hicks, he used that little
dinosaur saying it looked like Elder George.

A clam and a lobster, and an Elder Christensen. 

Lunch made up of octopus, lobster and tarro. 
Sister Stella gave them to us.

What big teeth you have... all the better to eat you with says I.

Looking intently at the Copra (coconut shell when it is older) at Sister Stella's house.

While out friending, we came across a very confused tree.

As we continued friending we came to a dead end.  We found a really,
really Big Tree. Reminds me of the story of the man and the giving tree...

Human table, Elders being Elders on P-day

District meeting - and the Study continues.

Fridge overload, we glory in our abundance
for the Lord hath provided us with this fridge
of promise. In other words were not going hungry!

Spider friend made his web in the backseat of our
truck. He must have wanted to go friending too.

Sometimes we just don't understand everything and
it's okay. Like, "why is he driving with that door open"

What can I say, I just like petting the dogs while
sitting down, even though they might have fleas.

Teaching at night with a convenient lantern.
A little spooky.