Journal Entry on 23-Sept-1977

It’s been a very good week, yet I feel a lack of sanctification, which I need to do the work properly. Sunday was a very good day at church in Kolonia. We had almost as many investigators at Priesthood Meeting as members and all of those are set to be baptized within the next 15 days.

Monday we went up to the plateau of Sokehs Mountain and got our act together with all the old Japanese remains. They had a few BIG anti-ship guns, a spotlight, an old diesel generator, a few old buildings and graves and a fall out shelter. Asher Lucas, Dusty Elias, Elder Faumui and I were there. After a while there Dusty climbed a coconut tree and threw down plenty of coconuts. Following we got in on the big competition… Who was the best at cutting coconuts with a machete? Samoa, Pingelap or Arizona! Needless to say Arizona was far superior. It was one good day.

Directly following we taught the Makaya Family and the Joel Family the “J” (final, baptism preparation) discussion to prepare them for baptism tomorrow. Tuesday we taught the Nanmwarki (King) of Sokehs again and had a great meeting.

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night we’ve been helping get the branch choir together. It’s coming along very well!

Journal Entry on 29-Sept-1977

Life is good to me. Sometimes I wonder why. I’m certainly grateful and indebted for my many blessings. Last Saturday, 24-Sept-1977, Rinster Joel and his wife Bella were baptized. It makes me think about 17-March when he came over to our house for the first time. The whole story is great!

Herlino Makaya was also baptized on the 24th. He too has a great story. We first met him in March also. It’s been a long time working with these folks.

Journal Entry on 17-Mar-1977

I’m the closest thing to being humbled that I’ve been for a long time! We’ve been going along teaching up a storm, preparing to baptize many people. We’re really enjoying the fruits of our labors. Yet, at times it slips our minds of how the Lord is pushing this work along and how we are just instruments for Him.

Tonight I was reminded that this is His work and that we are reviving divine assistance in this great work. We just finished another good day with four discussions and preparations for upcoming baptisms and we came home about 9:15 p.m. After we got in the apartment and started relaxing, there came a knocking at our door. Rinster Joel was here and had been waiting for our return since 7:30 just to talk to us. Before this time, we had seen him only once, while we were stopped, waiting for the rain to slow, only 5 minutes together. As he entered our home, he said he had been waiting for us so he could set up an appointment. He said after the first time we talked for only 5 minutes, he knew that we had a true message and he wanted to know what he and his wife must do to hear our message and be baptized.

He is a very sharp young man that is excited after receiving an answer to his prayers. His wife was mad at him because he wouldn’t let her come and wait for us. But is was raining again and he didn’t want his two kids to get sick, waiting in the rain.

I know that it was nothing we said in those 5 minutes that got him so excited. I know that it was The Spirit touching his spirit. As I think of these people with their excitement to know and live the truth, it makes me feel very small that I’ve got so much going for me and I’ve had the truth for so long and I’m still hung up on the most basic and unimportant things. I need to overcome my weaknesses and move on to new things that I can improve upon.

Billiam and Presca Jacob are still planning on being baptized on the 25th. Presca’s parents are still saying they will take her away from Billiam if she is baptized. Yet she still wants to. Billiam has stopped drinking and has stopped smoking for 30 hours now. That’s sure hard for these men, yet they are all making it. I really admire them. What a great privilege to be laboring here. I’m sure grateful toe Lord’s work is being done here in such rapid strides. I cannot deny divine intercession with these great people.

Journal Entry on 21-Mar-1977

Things are really good lately. We had 2 more baptisms in Mand Saturday, Rinson Ohry and Seisaro Solomon’s wife Ruthy Solomon.

Kolonia is really starting to blossom like a rose. Last night we had 42 people at sacrament meeting. This was only our 5th sacrament meeting in Town. Very soon our apartment will not be near big enough, if this growth keeps coming. The blessings are really great here.

Elder Steven Roper is coming through Ponape on his way to Majuro from Guam. He’ll be joining Elder Steven Cooper and Elder William Wardell right before Elder Wardell returns home from his mission after several months extension. Elder Wardell is one good story of a missionary.

We played basketball at PICS (Ponape Island Central School – High School in Kolonia) today. It sure is fun playing with the Elders and local guys.

We taught Rinster Joel tonight, He’s a really great guy. He’s working at the airport putting in lights. Right now if a plane has to land at night there is an all out call on the radio for cars to come to the airport and shine their lights brightly on the runway so the pilot can see where the landing strip is.