Twenty Foot Waves in the Lagoon!

10-7-09
Dear Mom and Dad,
I can hardly believe it is October already. September was a good month. There were a few letdowns but mostly it was good. October is going to be a really good month. We are expecting about 5 baptisms this month. The baptism with Kantus was pushed back again. It hopefully will happen this week. He made a pretty direct commitment for this week. He went fishing again this last week rather than being baptized because he doesn't want to lose his house and then be forced to divorce his wife. It was disappointing. He had an experience while fishing that taught him that God should come first. This last weekend was a crazy one with extremely stormy weather. I am even a first hand witness that the waves in the lagoon were the largest I have ever seen in the lagoon. We estimated them about 20 feet. We had a miserable boat ride during it all on the way back to our islands. Kantus' brother- in-law felt it appropriate to go fishing regardless though. While out there, the waves were too much for their small fishing boat to handle and it ended up sinking a long way away from any island. Kantus got thrown from the boat just before it sank and had a hard time staying afloat. Luckily he was able to grab a gas container that he emptied and clung on to. He says that for 4 hours he floated helplessly praying for help. In a very unusual circumstance, help finally arrived from someone who didn't want to go out but felt the need to. Kantus is grateful for his life and says he made the wrong decision to go fishing rather than be baptized. We talked about his experience for awhile and then I shared Revelations 3:20 with him and told him to open the door and get baptized this week. The spirit worked hard on him during the lesson and he has said he will. I will tell you all about the baptism this next week.
Everything else here is going great now. Our other investigators are doing well and still preparing for baptism. We finally got one named Tison to come to church and he liked it. He was slow to come because of persecution from friends and neighbors. We talked to him about it not mattering what others think, but what God thinks. I gave him Mosiah 4:9 to read and told him that God knows everything and that we don't. That is why we need to put our trust in God and do what he wants us to do. I thought to myself how horrible it would be to stand before God to be judged and have to say that I was afraid of what others would think so I made the wrong choices. I'm glad that Tison won't have to experience that.
Nothing else very exciting has happened this week. The weather has been bad, but it hasn't been too bad. A lot of the people have been circulating rumors about a typhoon coming from Guam and they are really scared. We did hear news of a typhoon by Somoa, but don't know which way it is moving. I'm not worried though. A few years back Chuuk was hitting hit by a typhoon every year. A general authority came and blessed Chuuk to not get hit by typhoons anymore. I believe it has been 7 years since that happened and zero typhoons have struck since then. The power of the priesthood is real and that is one of the millions of things that can testify of it.
Oh, I got the boxes you sent me! Thank you so much! All the food is awesome! I can't wait to open the presents! I am tempted to open them now, but I'll wait! :)
I can't believe my birthday is already here! It was just yesterday that I said good-bye to you at the MTC. Time has flown. I'm about to hit the "snowball effect" soon when they say things seem to start going faster and faster. I can't imagine it being faster than now though. Next transfer I get to talk to you for Christmas. I am really looking forward to that.
I will send you a camera chip soon. I have been trying to be mroe active with taking pictures. I can't wait for you to see Romonnum. It must be weird not being able to find out much about it on the internet. The pictures will blow you away.
I am looking forward to hearing from you. I hope you are both still doing well. Thank you for everything you do!
PS I got dad's letter about the Dallas stadium and the Cougar VICTORY! I was sad to hear about the Florida game though.