HOLY COW! You are serious? The Del Carbon shredded beef taco is back? YES! There is hope for America! (I'm not even being sarcastic right now. You have no idea how happy I am!) Now all we need is big mac mondays to come back at McDonalds.
So this week was kinda cool. We were hoping to have tons of people at church but nope. I have dubbed Sunday the disappointment day. Just kidding. We committed 2 families to come and even had members offer to go and walk them to church but they refused and said that they would come. We even visited them Saturday night and they were ready to go and were planning on it. THEN, something stupid and small always gets in the way. One family was cooking, big deal around here (don't mess with them during cooking time!), and another one lost their ID card so they couldn't get money to take a tro tro to church. (60 cents!)
We are forbidden to give anybody any money, we can't even buy them bibles for 1 cedi, because President said we can't do it. They have been having problems with members not being self reliant and we can't let them think they we are here to help them in any financial way. President and the Area authorities said that until Africa is self reliant with the gospel, the gospel won't spread to some other places that don't have missionaries yet. Africa is the focus right now, then will come those other countries. So anywho, I woulda just paid for their tro tro ride and had them pay me back but we aren't allowed to. Anywho, they are all geared up to come next Sunday. We will see how that goes.
Anywho, I was all bummed out because none of the investigators were at church. Then at the very end of fast and testimony meeting, Edwina and Gertrudes mom stood up and bore her testimony. She has been a member for 25 years and has never borne her testimony because she said she never had felt the Holy Ghost before. She bore a great and simple testimony and that she has decided to prepare to go to the temple. It was great. I was extremely happy. We kept teaching the little girls and they are doing very very well. The Holy Ghost is always there when we teach the girls.
When teaching Edwina and Gertrude, I made up a game so they would have fun. We were teaching lesson 2, the plan of salvation, so we played "the plan of salvation race" game. So I found 2 pieces of paper and grabbed 2 pens and had them sit on the floor. Then I had Elder Yahaya be the official timer with a stopwatch. Then the girls found a gold trophy looking paper weight, which of course would be given to the winner. They also had a little toy furby small thingie, which would be for the loser (nobody likes those things). So we started the race, whoever drew the whole plan of salvation first wins. I commentated the whole time like a football game. We then had a trophy ceremony afterwards and I sang the olympic anthem (made the trumpet sounds with my voice).
They had a blast and they learned a lot. At first they were having a hard time memorizing the plan so I drew 3 circles then the sun, moon and stars. They memorized first the circles and planets (pre earth, earth, spirit world, Celestial, Terrestrial, Telestial). Then I drew 2 straight lines in between each circle and then a double line between the last world and the kingdoms (creation/fall, death, resurrection and judgment) They memorized this easily and then we played the game. SUZUKI STYLE!
It as fun to see how the Lord used my guitar-teaching experience in teaching them. I didn't really recognize what I was doing, I just do it. It must be from all that little kid guitar teaching. I think this is what made the mother recognize the church is true. We didn't really even teach her anything, but the children stay in the house and the Spirit was there. I think she recognized that something was different in her home and it had changed for the better ('changed for the better'...song from wicked..I think.. darn you britt and your musicals). We will baptize Edwina on Saturday so PARTY!!!
So Sunday I was like hmm the dude from Psycho (some type of -ic. Schizophrenic or some other -ic. I don't know them all, but was definitely an -ic of some sort) I was sad because nobody came, but then happy because the mom's testimony is building and the family is getting stronger. The work is sweet, but gives you a headache haha.
Anywho transfers are coming, which means anyone could be going anywhere. I betcha I'll stay put for now. We got a new AP, Elder Beeston. He red-shirted for BYU football. I don't know him too much but he seems cool. Also Elder Boyd is in the office now. He has hmm been feeling a little intestinal sickness for 6 months. So sister Smith gave him a scale and is having him track his weight and he has to drink tons of water and stuff. I just say drink more coke. Give your body something familiar. Anywho, he will be close so Sis Smith can watch him.
President Smith had to send home 2 missionaries last transfer because they broke some major rules. He then gave us a big talk on obedience and keeping the mission rules. We don't know what happened.
Thanks mom for doing that cd. I think sister Smith will like it. You rule! you are the only person I know who can do that type of stuff. High five (with our hands doing the Spock 'live long and prosper' sign)
Well thanks dad and mom for your letters. I got your conference mp3's and magazines. I'm super cool, I have them before everbody else. MAN Elder Holland is the dude! This conference ensign rocks. I really like the mp3's too. It is fun to listen to and i dunno, it is just really nice to have. Thanks for sending them.
Well I gotta run. Keep up the good work family!
p.s. Yeah there is nowhere to exchange money so you gotta treasure up your small bills once you find someone who can break them for you. It is a tricky deal.
Talk to you soon!
Here's some pictures:
Michael Jackson biscuits!!!
Oh of course, I had to! Who's bad?
Kids like to comb my hair.
A random boy fell asleep on me in a taxi haha.
It is the rainy season! Elder Fisher and I had to go on splits and I took the umbrella. I think this is the first time in my life I have used an umbrella. Oh wait! I remember you gave me one when I was in elementary school. The embarrassing one with frog eyes that popped out on the top haha.
Here is some dudes gate in our area. There are all sorts of weirdo churches around that have their members do weird stuff such as paint your door with red paint, kinda like Moses did... Apostasy all over the place.
Here is the random white guy who is here studying goats or school systems or something.
He isn't baptized yet but he will be baptized by his father when he gets home. This guy is overly smart and educated.
He really is a sweet dude. He comes to all the activities and is a big strength to the ward, even though he isn't a member. He and I had a deep discussion about Greek and Norse mythology and how they are related to Christianity but are far off because nothing was written down. Also how the Egyptians were closer to the truth because they wrote stuff down. We then related it to the book of Omni and how the people fell into wickedness because one of the dudes didn't write anything down. I then told the guy to get in the water and let us baptize him, he then told us his father is going to baptize him when he goes home in September to Boston.
Here is Elder Fisher and I (on splits) at the Avocado place. Man, Avocado has a buncha different names. Some people call it a pear and others call it a paya. This gets highly confusing saying I would like a pear, and they look at you freaking confused then you say "oh my mistake, I would like a paya." Then you go to another place and say "I would like a paya" and they start cutting up a papaya for you. AHH!!! Anywho I eat plenty of these because hmm they rock extremely.
Here is Elder Yahaya and Oprah (yes her name is after Oprah on tv...) Elder Yahaya is a big wwf and wcw fan. He actually can name all the moves and people and stuff. We have great wcw vs wwf talks. Elder Waters and I were joking around and he wanted to wrestle me (he was a wrastler in high school). I then said we could wrestle but he would have to state all the names of the moves as he did them. He then couldn't and I told Elder Yahaya that I would "start off with a stone cold stunner and then give him a diamond cutter followed up by the angle lock and finish him with the walls of jericho. After the match is over I would give him the peoples elbow." Elder Yahaya knew exactly what I was talking about and was laughing hysterically. He is a great companion.
Oprah and I. I thought britt would like her little hair ball elastic thingies. This girl is spoiled!!!
Man, I wish we did this at home on our cigarette boxes. Or do we? Notice how Satan still states this as a hard bubble test question.
The statement makes smoking sound good unless you read it twice and notice the 'stopping' part at the front. GEEZ!
Man everyone steals our pictures for their weirdo church stuff.
Gertrude showing us her baby pictures. Love those fat baby wrist thingies.
All the white missionaries at mama Lees house eating rice on fast sunday.
That was the 9th time I have been there to eat. She knows me well.
