August 19, 2013

So here we go again!  Another Monday is upon us and it feels like the last one was just here.

I again forgot to bring my journal, but I guess y'all are used to that now.

This week was pretty great, to say the least.  We did a LOT of traveling.  Monday-Fri were the same old same so I won't go into depth.  Saturday and Sunday though, they were spectacular.

Saturday we traveled to Buruburu (Boo-roo-boo-roo: a suburb of Nai-town) to do a Mormon Helping Hands thing for the Africa Day of Service.  The matatu (taxi) to Buruburu was so uncomfortable.  The van itself wasn't bad, but the roads were terrible...  So we got to Buruburu and met about 400 members and missionaries there.  It was incredible!  We were all wearing the yellow vests and we walked through this really impoverished block.  It was the poorest place I have been to yet.  The paths were all dirt of course but then there were rivers of water and laundry runoff and house waste that went right through the block.  It was so disgusting, but hanging out with all the members and Elders was a ton of fun.  All of the missionaries from the Nairobi area came, so there were quite a few white elders which caused a huge commotion among the people living there.  We handed out mosquito nets, and that took all of 20 minutes.  

So now the real adventure starts.  George Kasue, a 2-year RM who is getting married in December (to a girl he met on his mission), was the guy from our ward who was in charge of us.  We broke off into 2 groups and the people following George were the 4 missionaries from our ward.  We were going back to the Buruburu chapel and we missed a turn.  We were on foot.  So we ended up walking an extra 2 hours.  It was painfully hot and we were all very tired.  We joked about how the Lord had to have something in mind for us, but actually, He did.  Right before we realized where we needed to go we found a guy whose car had died in the middle of the road.  All 5 of us helped push his car off to the side and he thanked us.  Then we realized what was wrong and we turned around and got back.

Sunday was Missionary Sunday.  The missionaries ran the show.  I blessed the sacrament with Elder Ledwaba and then gave a talk.  The talk was powerful!  I spoke to the ward on how they should support the missionaries and we should all work together, but then I showed an increase of love to the ward (following the counsel in D&C 121:40-46).  

After church we walked SO MUCH.  I had a small breakfast because I ran out of food and then skipped lunch to proselyte, and I have never felt closer to death.  I was getting cooked outside!  The Africa sun is definitely much hotter than the sun that hits NC.  Thank goodness we stopped by the flat.  My loving parents had sent me the most wonderful gift for my birthday: drink mixes!  So I took one and I felt like a completely new person.  I bet I can finish my mission only drinking those drink mixes.  But I won't try.

Anyways, other great things happened, but great things always seem to happen when you are looking at the bright side.  I have realized that this mission is not much of a lesson-teaching mission, but more of a friend-making mission. :)

That's all for now, I'll talk to you next week!

Love,

Jacob

Jacob.dick@myldsmail.net