Week 29 - Listen, obey and be blessed!

     Well let me just say. I love being a missionary.

Stories for this week will all just be combined together. So the first part of the week, I was kind of down because I felt like a total lamo, staying in the house because I don't feel good. Then come Friday night, after teaching for a little bit, we got home and I read a talk by Elder Rasband about Staying True to our Promises. It really helped me get my focus and energy back into the work.    (Main body of email cont' at bottom..... )  
     I love the work, it is for these people. My friends out here on this island. My body will go to the GI doctor February 3rd (just gotta hold out till then) and then I can do the work with more energy than I've got e chiney! (right now)    Elder George

The Dungca family. They are an amazing member family and love missionaries. 

                   

                 Elder Tacbobo, got a flat tire and Elder Acuna, flipped over the front handlebars
                                             Both happened to them in the same day.
                                    Below we are soaked on our early morning hike.

   

Hike to Mount LamLam! We started the hike at 4am. It was rainy, windy and foggy but by the sheer luck of having missionaries want to see the sunrise, it all cleared as Elder Nascimento screamed in
the wind. It was actually really funny and definitely worth the effort.

                            

Incredible!

Our Group after the amazing hike!

My Companion Elder Queroga's birthday, Fortune cookie says in my future I'll be content. Hopefully  true! Roaches infested our car and got in my comp's cream soda. Yuck.
Ramen! Elder Queroga loves Japanese culture so when he cooks he puts that on his head. 

Sister Kiona's baptism

Continuation of email....

      You all know that scene in good ol Disney Hercules where Herc has the black eye, fighting the Colossus Titan and he says to Phil, "Dreams are for rookies" and then Phil tells him, "no kid, givin up is for rookies, I'm willin to go the distance" and then Herc suddenly runs forward and defeats the Titan. Well I kind of had this own rallying cry hit me Saturday morning. Kiona was baptized and she is in another Elder's area. She was one of the most willing and changed people I had seen. She truly wanted to be baptized and it reminded me of a man named Jayson, who stayed with my grandparents and found the gospel. She bore powerful testimony about the joy of the gospel saying, "Listen, obey, and be blessed." In that moment I thought, This is why. The joy she found, that is what we are sharing. And right now in Dededo West I'm 1 of 2 missionaries, that work in a team to help people there. If we don't work, they have no one sharing the fullness of the gospel. So all Saturday and Sunday we worked. Found 5 new people, and taught one more lesson I want to briefly touch on.

      Sister Karinda - was on date to be baptized in our area, but she had questions and concerns. Her family was telling her things like we believe Joseph Smith is Jesus Christ...Well anyways, she has a sister in law that only knows Chuukese and her husband only speaks Chuukese, but she speaks English. So when my companion and I would teach, the sister in law who is Protestant would interrupt in Chuukese and start bashing us with stuff from the bible, without it necessarily being from the bible. This Sunday she left the room, and I said, "Let's start from the beginning". I shared more of Joseph Smith's history than I usually do, and she felt the spirit really strongly and she connected all the dots herself. The need for a prophet, who Joseph Smith really is, and her desire to be baptized February 15 were real this time. And she is willing and has that real desire.

I love the work, it is for these people. My friends out here on this island. My body will go to the GI doctor February 3rd (just gotta hold out till then) and then I can do the work with more energy than I've got e chiney! (right now) 

Elder George

Week 28 - dededo

My new companion Elder Queroga is a legend. He is from the Philippines, so he can teach all of the Filipinos in our area and the rest are Chuukese. So I'm going to have to step it up with covering that part of the language.
     I wasn't initially afraid of dogs out here. Even if they were aggressive I didn't worry about them...Till now. When you are on a bike they love to chase you, in groups of  5 or more. Elder Queroga got bit day 1 but he's tough. He just laughed. Me though? I might laugh later but not right away. Also, I have new found respect for all the missionaries who bike. Everyday. I would rather walk 10 miles than bike for a day. My legs are slowly getting used to it but I feel vulnerable to dogs. Locking the bikes so they don't get stolen can be a real pain. So, I really appreciate the missionaries doing the work without cars and only bikes!
     This week was a bit tough mentally because I'm still not better yet and my body just feels so weak after I eat food. So we didn't go out teaching everyday but found 8 new people to teach and praying that I get better so I can teach them!
     I am back on the tech team, and will be giving a training February 4th, I am really excited for that. Having been out in the field I have learned some things about use and misuse of the phones so I am now more prepared to train. I love training honestly, and it's going to be fun.
     With all the time inside I got to read a lot of the Book of Mormon and I love it. Teancum, Lehi, and Captain Moroni were such great men. I also love thinking of how the Lord promised Enos that the record would be preserved no matter what happened, and thinking of how that same record was kept and maintained for that long is crazy. The Lamanites probably tried so hard just to destroy that record, and they never succeeded. I always feel sad transitioning from 3 Nephi to 4 Nephi, then into Mormon and just knowing that the people couldn't stop from turning to iniquity and forgetting the Lord. The book was written for us, I know it. And I love it, I hope you all find time to read it this week,
Elder George

Little baby really likes elder George,
but only understands Chuukese.

My companion Elder Queroga, he is good at
biking and taught me how to ride with no handlebars.

Kennesy kaysie - they are a Chuukese family in dededo
that are really fun to teach. Elder Queroga and Kaysie. 

When you're sick you're either studying or sleeping...

Elder Queroga can sleep anywhere!

Bunnies Tom and Jerry, the kids in the family love to chase
 them and throw them... is a lil' wild. This is Elder Tacbobo
on exchange! He speaks Chuukese, very helpful in dededo.

Maui hook, from Ponpeii that we found while helping a member move.

"Your Welcome!"

Week 27 - Back on Guam

Hey everyone!

Well update, I may have had a lil’ friend living inside me. But uh, if I did, he would have died after I took the medication (worm pills)... symptoms and side effects may include but are not limited to: cramping, persistent hunger, laying on the floor, headache, diarrhea etc.

And now! Transfers and I am back on Guam in a new area Dededo with Elder Queroga. He’s awesome and we will be biking and most of the people there speak Tagalog. So I will have to retire from speaking Yapese and move on to another language.

We had zone conference in Yap before I left and here’s one thing I learned and loved. If we think like this "supposed to happen" we limit the possibilities of what COULD happen. To think I was supposed to stay on Yap or not get this sickness could be denying all the experiences I have had because they happened. I got to teach with Elder Nascimenyo this past week who is one of my favorite and see Elder Goth before he is transferred to Palau. I got to teach Tonu and Tina and Keith who are all people I taught in my first transfer. These are blessings that I wouldn’t have had if I had stayed healthy on Yap. So roll with whatever happens and don’t get sad or upset if things don’t go the way you thought they would. Love you all!
Elder George

Elder Nascimento came with me to pick up my prescriptions.
The side-effects of the worm pills are as bad as the sickness. 

Four hungry Elders. Three get pizza ...guess who's
special diet does not include acidic tomato sauce.

Breakfast at the mission home. Everyone got to eat!

Senior couple missionaries and President Hicks.

Elder Goff from Canada is headed to Palau.
Glad I got to see him before he heads out.

Elder Nascimento -P-day at the beach

Week 26 - Paul and Mimi and Zone Conference January 2020

     Hello everyone, just wanted to share some news and some other news. Cause according to Uguay from Kung fu Pana "There is no good or bad news. There is just news"

     Well Paul and Mimi were baptized and confirmed this weekend! They are one of the sweetest families and we will continue to work with them to be sealed in the temple. A little boy named Tristan was also baptized so exciting things are happening out here on Yap!
     We started doing a service with the Medical task Force on Yap to spread Dengue Awareness. . Well I came up with the script and during it an Earthquake hit us. It lasted for about 20 seconds but it was crazy and awesome. Felt like the building was gonna fall. But everything's good! We have zone conference tomorrow so more exciting things are coming!
     My other news, I had a great haircut that I really like, my Dad had his birthday, and my little cousin Emily got baptized (also her birthday this weekend). And lastly, I'm going to Guam...
     For the past month I have had weird food/stomach issues and I will be flying into Guam Wednesday with President and Sister Hicks to get checked out. While I'm gone great things are going to continue to happen on Yap I know it! Well, I'll let you know what we find out on Guam! Till then, love you all. - Elder George

Baptism with Paul and Mimi!

Tristan, the Sisters in Weloy teach him. He was also baptized today.

Tristan's sister, we asked why the dog looks like
that. His brother says "It's because we feed him
a lot, but we aren't so sure that makes sense.

Dropped some Christmas cash to buy ice-cream,
chocolate cake and pork butt.

Elder Jones won monopoly twice now, making shifty trades
and deals to take all our money. I taught the Elders how to
play Rook for New Years, so it was a good time

Quick jungle story... we were in Gagil, out in the bush we call it, looking for 
a man named Andres. Well, after half an hour'ish we walk across this mini 
bridge and find a man named Thomas though his back yard. We gave him a 
Book of Mormon and taught him a short late night lesson.

Yap zone conference with President and Sister Hicks

Eating again for Zone conference. I usually love this part
however, stomach troubles have not gone away yet.

It is polite to take off your shoes before
entering the church. Part of the reason we
wear slip on crocks!

Study time.

President Hicks joining with our members.

No shoes for Sister Messick!

Sister Hicks said, "Sister Jimmy decided I should have a fresh coconut today....
so she grabbed her machete and whacked one open for me! I love this girl!!!"

2:30 am airport pick-up.

God's Army on Yap