About 6 Hours of Power a Day

This picture was taken at a branch Christmas party in Chuuk in 2009.

December 13, 2010
Dear Mom and Dad,
I received several Christmas packages from you today. Thank you so much for all that stuff. I saw the note and so I got to open the present with the dictionaries! They are exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! I was not expecting as many presents! I don't know what they are, but will get as much use out of them as I can in the next three months and then leave what I don't need any more here. By the time you get this letter I may have already opened them and talked to you for the last time of my mission. Mom mentioned in a letter that you know I'll get home on March 18. I just got my flight itinerary last week and it told me that too. My flight will go to Japan and then Seattle and then Reno. I should get home in the afternoon/evening. I don't want to dwell on that long right now though.
So I am sad that BYU lost to Utah this year. I am at least glad that BYU put up a really good fight. Next year we should beat them good at home. I have a few questions about stuff with football. Is Jake Heaps going on a mission? What is the schedule like for next year? I am also happy that BYU basketball is doing so well. I should get in a few games at the end of the season I think, but I am not entirely sure.
So things in Sapuk are picking up a bit. We have some really good investigators we are working with and the branch is doing alright. I guess I haven't told you a ton about the branch yet so here goes. There are about 111 members on record right now. We usually get around mid 30s for Sacrament meeting. We have 4 active Melchizelek Priesthood holders and that makes 6 if you count the missionaries. Most people who attend church are older. The primary is pretty small. We have our own branch building with a small basketball court next to it. Our house is right next to the church. As for our house, no we do not have to take bucket showers but it would probably be better if we did! Our shower barely trickles any water so it seems pretty ineffective. We do have a fridge and a working oven. We have not used the oven yet. We have a propane stove which we have been doing our cooking on. There is no microwave. I like the house and everything is great. If I had any complaints it would be that the power is terrible. We have about six hours of power a day. At night we use the flashlights and my camping light to do anything. It isn't too bad.
So in other exciting news this week, I gave Papa Ande the Melchizdek Priesthood. He is doing a really good job in the branch and his family.
My responsibilities as branch president are going pretty good. I am doing tithing settlements right now and have been doing what I can to help the members do what they need to do. Being on the branch president side of things has given me different perspective of the branch. I have worked really hard to be extremely patient and loving in everything I do. Things have been hard out there sometimes and I try to say a prayer, be nice, and be as happy as possible. I understand much more now that the church is perfect, but members aren't, including me. Well, especially me. Christmas is coming up and we are going to have a party for it. I also want to have one for New Years. It will be a blast.
The zone here is doing really well. They are all really young except for Elder Krause and me. They are all studs though with how hard they work to learn the language and help people. I love the zone already.
You asked if I miss Pohnpei at all and I do a bit. I love both Pohnpei and Chuuk. They are so different and both are great. I am still waiting to hear if the people we were working with in Palikir got baptized. There were 5 who were really good and 4 who were super set. One just had a couple things to overcome first. I may get the chance to go back in January to go back for a four day leadership training. It just isn't set yet. I would love to go back and see the members there but at the same time I don't want the work to stop here in Sapuk for that whole time. It always takes a while to pick back up after things like that.
Well that is all the news this week. Thank you so much for everything you sent out. Thank you for being awesome parents. I am looking forward to talking to you soon for Christmas.
Love Always,
Elder Kevin South