Week 12 - Online Dating

Nicole and I were able to message back and forth for a little while last night while she was emailing and we had a little Q and A. I've copied some of our conversation at the end of this email. 

Sister Felt and Sister Behling

What a week. I was in sick on Tuesday again because I'm a white person with a weak stomach. But our water pump is still broken and our tank ran dry as well. So we really had no water for a while. And our land lady has gone Awol due to a scandal that happened. We don't know. Everyone knows her and knows where we live, but she was gone for a while and then randomly showed up and walked into our house (!!?!) and told us to keep the pump off and only plug it in when we need water. But it has a crack in it so I worry it's on the road to the dumpster. And our land lady is still 'missing'/in exile. I have no idea. Anywho, Wednesday was insane. It was walking Wednesday, so we really got to know our area well. We were trying to find this girl Selly (12 y/o who we met randomly but she said she's been baptized. no record. but it's probably true.), and in our area, there's of course the main road that goes around the whole island (it's like half the size of a real road in Wellsville) and in Pehleng there are little side stores and people usually live deep in the jungle, a little hike off the main road, but hang out by the side stores and pool tables. So we were asking people where Selly lives. The first one sent us south, so we went south and ran into a big group of kids playing marbles. Talked and played with them for a minute and then sent us North east to find Selly. So we went north east. We saw someone and they sent us West to go find Selly. so we went West. They said Selly was north. So we turned to each other and laughed and started to walk north and ran into the kids again. We stopped and almost looked around in circles, laughing, when this woman walks up, and speaks to us in perfect english! (!!?!) What?!?! In the middle of Pehleng, Pohnpei, there's an American woman???? We talked to her, and she had a New York accent (grew up there) was from Ohio, is Puerto Rican/Itialian, and is in Pohnpei because she met a man online over Facebook and she came to marry him in June. What. THAT was crazy, not just her story, but the fact we were talking to another American??? That was SO weird, I don't even know. And THEN! While we're talking to her, this white girl walks up!! Totally American!! Sister Behling and I just like blink and look at her and back and forth and what!?! She was from Peace Corps and was all fancy shmancy formalities hello with us. It was weird. I don't even know. So we said hello to those two (they didn't know each other) then goodbye, and went to go find Selly. On our way to go find her, people were blasting Classical music, which was weird and crazy out of the ordinary.

In front of our house

Oh! Also!! Everyone here really loves classic country music!! :D So I hear Alan Jackson, George Straight, all those goodies a lot. The one song "And we danced.. .out there on that empty hardwood floor" that one is SUPER popular and is played a lot. Also, everyone still chews betel nut here too. But Sakau of Pohnpei is this mud they drink. They get the roots of the Sakau plant and grind them up. Then they soak them in water. Then they squeeze out all the rest and drink it. It's basically root mud and tastes disgusting apparently (the american woman from ohio told us that. also told us never to try it. She was so cute and funny and nice) :) but it dulls all your senses and makes you not like noise, and basically it's a weird form of being drunk. we can't teach people when they're 'pounding sakau' (hitting the roots with rocks on the sakau rock to grind them up) or when they're making it or drinking it.

The next day, we hiked up to the top of the mountain in the middle of the jungle away from any civilization whatsoever to find this woman we met in town ("town" is really just side stores. It's almost like an old west version of towns just instead of dry desert everywhere, it's jungle.). She is perfectly prepared to receive the gospel. Honestly, our work is just weeding out those who are prepared and those who are not, because there's so many prepared people! And EVERYONE is willing to believe what we say. It's just getting them to understand that they need to be baptized again and there is only ONE true church. They nod their heads and agree, but sometimes they don't really take it all in. Also Language is a huge barrier. Haha I'm learning patience for sure :) Sometimes you just wish you could shove all the info into someones head like a computer, but sadly, people don't work that way. I have to learn the language, then take the time to educate, and find those willing to be educated. It's a very lengthy process, this salvation thing.

Washing dishes in the rain

We did the dishes in the rain again, due to our lack of water. But we've been eating coconuts as often as we can! And there are SO many different types of Bananas. Did you know there are rectangle bananas? And coconuts are the best thing ever. We have coconut doughnuts and oh my wow. I love coconut! I love it so much here, it's like a constant battle of emotions between: I never want to leave I could stay here forever! and, I cant wait to go home and ride horses and see my family and not sweat all the time ;) It's fun, I enjoy it.

Well, that's most of it. People are ready, people feel the spirit when we teach and when they read, people are smart, and We're going to get some baptisms! We actually had a miracle of two investigators at our tiny church yesterday :) even though it's a 40 minute drive, and most people don't have cars, and there's three churches a 5 minute walk from their house, they came!

That's all :) Love ya!
-Sister Nicole Felt

How are your shoes working out?
I LOVE and cherish my Keens. In THIS area, my crocs are sometimes a joke. But they're still good. I'll just probably need another pair of Keens in several months.

Where do you do laundry?
We do laundry at the Kolonia sisters house. the church bought them a a washer and dryer. So we take a few hours swithcing the laundry when needed

What are you doing without water in your house? Can you shower?
hahah thats a good question! We take bucket showers and sometimes risk it and turn on the pump and take a low pressure real shower. But we shower in Kolonia when we come into town and fill up on filtered water.

Where do you fill up on water and shower in Kolonia?
At the sisters house. kolonia is pretty modern. doritos and such and clean water. It's the city of the island. Our house has a toilet and shower but its outside..? We have a porch, and we go out the side door and into the bathroom in another room on the other side of the porch.

So you DO have drinking water? That's good!
of course. and magic water bottles the MTC gave us to filter everything. So we're fine

How often do you and your companion teach lessons to investigators?
We teach about 3-6 lessons every day. and contact at least 5 new poeople every day. The trick is catching them and making sure they know when your return appointment is. But they're very beleiving and know we're people of god.

Have you been to any baptisms on Pohnpei yet?
Ya! Saturday actually. It was Sais

Sais??
like size except the z is more like an s. It means "whatever. Fine. Idk. idc. its chill". It's a great word.

How long does it take you to drive from your area to Kolonia?
about 38 minutes obediently

Well, I gotta go! I really loved getting to talk to you though. I just need to get so much work done... But I love you! Have a wonderful week!! Also I keep meaning to say. Yap was like Moana, Pohnpei is like Tarzan. :) Love you!