Sister Beutler did not have time to write this week, but sent a note to her mother that she is fine.

Parakapw Mwahu

What a week filled with blessings. Since the new year everyone has settled down a bit with the parties and all and they are starting to get a lot more serious about living a better life this year than last. What better way to do that than to be baptized! There are two teenage boys (Kavika and Denero) from separate families that have been coming to church all on their own due to wonderful friends who invited them. Both of them wanted to be baptized but didn't have permission from their parents. We were able to meet with all the parents this week and they gave their approval. Yay! They will both be such strong additions to the branch and they have both shared their desires to serve missions. Denero's older sister (Lisa) is also preparing for baptism. She just needs to get married. Her husband is being a bit of a pill about that but he is a member from a good member family so I believe it will happen soon.

I received my two Christmas packages last Monday! They were so wonderful. Thank you all for thinking of me. The other sisters would all like to give their thanks as they made sure to partake of all the goodies. Jared, Sister Fatongia was thrilled to receive her honey. The best part of all was when Sister Komra opened her presents. She loves her scriptures so much she kisses them every time she picks them up. I sent a picture of her big smile while she read Deborah's letter. I was able to go on an exchange with her last week and it is amazing how much she has grown in just two transfers. One of the funnest parts of missionary work is seeing how much your fellow missionaries grow and progress. 

Love you all very much,

Sister Beutler   

Happy New Year

Hello Hello,

I had such a nice Christmas this past week. Your second Christmas on the mission is so much more fun than your first. I was already over the weirdness of not being with family, the heat outside and such from last year so I was just able to enjoy my unique Christmas on Pohnpei this year. 

Monday we had proselyting all day and then Tuesday (Christmas Eve) we had our P-day/Missionary Christmas Dinner/Pohn Rakied Christmas Party. At the Pohn-Rakied party, all the Kirinese members had made handicrafts for all the missionaries and we drew a number to see which one we would receive. I received a lovely hand-carved shark and a turtle made of shells. What kind and giving people I am blessed to serve among.

That evening all the Sisters slept together in Kolonia and we had a nice Christmas breakfast, devotional, and gift exchange together Christmas morning. We went back to our areas for the afternoon and spent all Christmas day going to family get-togethers we had been invited to, and eating until our stomachs almost burst.  

The best part of all was the day after Christmas when I got to skype all of you. it was so good to see all of your happy healthy faces and to hear that all is well back home. 

As for the missionary work, our Christmas baptism and wedding did not go through due to sakau in both instances. January is looking to be a good month though.

Oh how I love you all.

Sister Beutler

Merry Merry Christmas

Our three-some out in Sapwalap continued on all this past week, but we received the good news that Sis Ma'a's hip is healing well and she just flew back in yesterday so now Sis. Fatongia has a companion again and things can settle down a bit.

Things are going well in our area. Everyone wants to procrastinate until after the new year to repent so it's a little hard progressing them right now. It is looking like January will be a good baptizing month though. 

The Rohde family we found last week is so golden. When we went back to them on Tuesday they said they prayed about our teachings and they know it is all true. The grandmother kept piping up with her negative comments all through the lesson but they didn't seem to care and they even helped us explain some things to her. What a prepared family.  

I'm so excited to skype all of you in a couple days. We will talk later... :)

Love you all, 

Sister Beutler

What a crazy week. SIster Ma'a has been in Guam all week because of a pulled ligament so we have been in a three-some taking care of two areas. God has blessed us though because we were able to get lots of things done in both areas thanks to all the wonderful members who were willing to help out. 

We have been finding so many people lately that want to be baptized and have been to church plenty of times. They all just have lots of little things stopping them. We are looking to get at least a couple baptized before the end of the year though. Yesterday, a couple we were teaching told us they really want to get married so we set up a wedding then and there for Christmas Day. We look to be getting a couple baptisms out of that family if all goes well. 

Sister Havea and I went to the Uh branch for church yesterday. They haven't had a primary for a few months now so after sacrament we called all the kids together and held a primary/YM YW class. It was a lot of fun and the kids thought so too. We plan to go out there for primary every week now. That branch kind of fell apart for a bit but now they have a consistent adult Sunday School teacher and they are starting to have relief society again (we always get the "opportunity" to teach at least part of relief society whenever we go out there). The priesthood also meets every week in the branch president's office so that is a plus

Things are good for me. I'm happy and I'm enjoying the Christmas season out here in the bush. It's amazing how magical a string of Christmas lights looks when strung on a jungle hut.

Love you all and see you soon on skype,

Sister Beutler

Miracle Week

This past Saturday I got to see one of the most beautiful baptisms of my mission. Romeo and his wife Cindy got baptized. Augustine and his son, Jammy, also joined with a niece Atileen. Augustine's wife will be getting baptized this next Saturday. They were all so excited. It is so wonderful to see families get baptized together because you can know that they are a lot less-likely to fall away. Cindy and Romeo especially have such strong testimonies. We send a ride to pick up the family but Romeo always walks to church just because he wants to. As we were driving to the baptism we saw him walking down the road all by himself with a big smile on his face.

We got our transfer calls this past Wednesday. Sister Orrock and Havea switched places. Sis. Orrock was sent to Sokehs and Sis Havea is with me now. She is from Tonga. She started her mission in Saipan for 3 months and spent 4 months out in Sokehs. I was surprised and sad to say goodbye to Sister Orrock but like Sister Havea and think we will have a fun companionship. 

Yesterday some boys decided they would start the New Year off early and set off a bunch of pipe bombs during one of our lessons. The old lady we were teaching was cussing about them under her breath. She's such a funny lady. The other day I was talking to her about her pregnant cat and she was telling me how naughty it was. Every time it has kittens, she puts them in a bag and throws them in the ocean. Then, for some reason that darn cat gets pregnant again! :)

During another lesson yesterday the family's dog kept catching their kitten. Then She would pick it up by the neck just like a pup, take it to the edge of the hill. and throw it off. The kitten would attempt to run back up to the house and the dog would just repeat it over and over again.

Well, I hope you are all enjoying the chilly, Christmassy weather at home. 

Love, 

Sister Beutler

P.S. Mom I don't have a specific release date yet but I do know that the transfer will end on February 23rd so I should be finished sometime around that day.

Happy December

Pohnpeins are so funny about Christmas. The Christmas parties began yesterday and will continue on every day until the end of the year. Yesterday a man gave a very interesting prayer to begin our lesson. He thanked God for the season and then wished Him a very merry Christmas.

 

Thursday we proselyted until 4:00 and then went to Kolonia for our Thanksgiving Feast. We had a meeting and then ate lots of delicious food cooked up by our wonderful senior couples. Afterwards we got to spend the rest of the evening mingling and watching a slide-show of missionary pictures.

 

Everything is going well. There will be seven people getting baptized from the Welter Family this Saturday. I'm looking forward to that. One of them (Nedleen) has wanted to be baptized for years but has had problems getting married. Just this week she told us that she and her husband are going to Kolonia together and getting married in the courtroom. So she will get to join the baptism too!

 

That's all for now. Keep being my wonderful family!!!

Hugs and Kisses from me.

Love,

Sister Beutler