Elder Payne's detailed typhoon report

Finally received a 'snail-mail' from Elder Payne today. He gave more details than in his previous e-mail

Dear family, April 6, 2015

Well this last week has been quite eventful. It started with last Sunday March 29th when we were setting up for church. We were not expecting a big turn out because it was pouring rain and we had been hearing for the last three days that there will be a typhoon. So we setup for church and we get a call from the Zone Leaders. They tell us to have church but afterward we are just to stay in the house and wait because the typhoon is going to hit. So the first thing that goes through my mind was the'typhoon' that hit Guam and that I was in for a boring day. But boy, this one was different! The Hardy's had come down to do an Easter Sunday School and we had a whopping 2 people. One girl that lives next door and one of the two kids that will head out soon for a mission. So no real church, but we watched a good video about Christ. Then we tried to get the Hardy's out, haha. They had got down to the church okay, but in twenty minutes 3 trees had fallen. They were of large size and would take more than two machetes to clear. So we walked the Hardys down to Neno where the Zone Leaders picked them up.

We walked back to the church. At this time the wind had been getting stronger. So we walk on and we reach the top of the hill with the big Catholic church. Now, start that 'tornado movie' haha. It was crazy. The wind was blowing so freakin strong we watched trees bend to ridiculous angles and then break and fly away. Also watched tin roofs fly away. All this from the safety of this concrete church awning/porch. It was way cool.

After a few minutes we jump back into the Hardy's truck and drive it back to the church. We almost make it back when this massive mango tree falls in front of us about 20 feet ahead. So we park the truck on sombody's land and made a run for the church. We made it in time before the REALLY big wind and rain.

Around 4pm it began to die down and we ventured to step outside and look at the destruction. We didn't leave the church grounds but it was fun to look around. For the rest of Sunday and the rest of the week our schedule was; wake up, study for 1/2 hour and work + work + work until you cannot work anymore. Take a nap, wake up, work some more. It is extremely tiring to chop through a tree with just a machete. The Chuukese people are really good at it and make us outsiders look stupid, haha.

Well that made up my week. Pretty exciting. I wrote this letter by hand because I don't know when the Internet will be up.

Well, love you guys and hope you are all doing good too.

Love, Elder Jeff Payne

Here are a few pictures posted by President Zarbock