So good! AND so hard!

​This week has been so good! AND so hard! I'm trying to learn the language but its a slow processes.......We are teaching so many people but appointments don't really exist here because its Island life, so that is both good and bad. Even though I look stupid every time I open my mouth to speak to people, everyone is so nice:) There is a lot of inactive people and a ton of people that have been taught before so we are really working with all people, members included, to build up the church. Honestly word of wisdom, modesty, and law of chastity don't really exist around here which is hard. There's quite a few returned missionaries actually, but we need to work at reactivating a lot of them.

 Yesterday on Sunday there was about 30 people in our little run down church building. The Uh Branch mainly consists on women and children because all the men drink a ton. Our branch president is a 21 year old returned missionary and he's one of 4 men in our branch that holds the priesthood. We are the only ones with a car, and yesterday it was pouring rain so a lot of people couldn't make the walk.

We get fed a lot by both members and investigators, we had like 3 meals in one night on Friday or Saturday and I thought I was going to throw up it was so much food. But its all good stuff: rice every meal, the best fish I've ever had, lots of chicken, fresh pineapple, fresh papaya, fresh breadfruit, bananas and breadfruit soaked in coconut milk. One thing that the Micronesians love is crushed up ramen with a bit of fruit punch or cherry koolaid sprinkled on top. They ALL eat it and its actually pretty good, ya'll should try it. My favorite is this homemade coconut Popsicle thingy they sell right near our house for 25 cents, GODSENT. I really want to try dog but us missionaries aren't allowed to eat it. We were at a families house and they had this cooked dog right in front of them that they were all picking at, its tail and legs and paws were sticking all over the place. It was awesome haha but they made us fish that was also really good. 

I got my Pohnpei license on Thursday and then got pulled over right after because we didn't have the registration sticker on the back. We couldn't find the registration paper in the car for like 5 very scary minutes haha. 

The main town is Kolonia which is where all the missionaries come to shop and email and eat and do laundry at the one laundry mat on P days. There's one main road that goes all the way around the island so its beautiful driving and seeing the ocean. People either live off the road, right next to the ocean, or on the other side of the road up rocky hills in the jungle. I've never driven on such bumpy roads in my whole  life. It was scary at first but good now. 

At first our house felt like I was camping every night when we came home. The water goes in and out and its always cold and we have a massive cockroach problem and it hot and really dirty. But after spending the days in the little huts these people live in, now coming home to our old, mini house feels luxurious. Our beds suck, but at least we don't sleep on the concrete like the people. Only half of our stove works, but at least we have a stove. The windows and doors let a lot of bugs in, but at least we have windows and doors and an actual house. It's all very eye opening and humbling. 

It's hard every single day but every single day the lord provides help and it's incredible. 

Love you all,

Sister Milne