Owning the Road

Wow, so good to hear from you guys! sounds like you had a
pretty awesome week in Utah, and I totally miss you guys lots. Well,
to start down the list :)
Mom here:  I told Elder Sumrak that we missed his sarcasm and this
was his reply: I have lots of sarcasm and since this week has been really stressful
on me, Elder Burton has got to hear all of it. Also, he fears that I
am slightly suicidal by the way I OWN the road. Man, I totally conquer
the road now, just walk out there like nothing :) imagine me on the
belt way in Washington DC just weaving in and out of the
highway...yeah thats me everyday now, im pretty much a boss. WOW i am
so glad that you got the letter to Brandon momma :) I love that guy so
much, thank you for taking the time to go and do that. He is a great
guy and I hope that he contacts me back hahaha.
That is so sweet that Nick got to go to a bunch of college classes.
That is so sweet and I am rather jealous indeed. and more running
shoes?! Wow, dad is going to have a bigger collection then me when I
get home! don't be a hypocrite father ;) i am just kidding hahah enjoy
pops, you really deserve it for how much you run. And Laura is taking
Nick's pictures? wow I know those will turn out amazing. She is so
talented and Nick and his blue steel will make for some amazing
pictures ;)
And yeah...Thomas good memories at that park (Vivian Park) huh...I hate running...
Conference sounds pretty much awesome and NO we weren't able to watch
it or even listen to it!
So, Sister Roggia texted Elder Burton and me when we were out
proselyting and we were just totally stunned! We took like 20 mins to
just sit down and like ponder about what all this means and it is so
amazing. Nick was on my mind. Rachel was on my mind. Wow...I know they
got some thinking and praying to do but that is so crazy...revelation
is amazing. I went home and prayed about it hahah...18 year olds
serving missions? they are so small!!!! I AM SO SMALL!!! I am battling
muslims in the streets and what not and its just crazy to think 18
year olds doing the same thing haha but the Lord qualifies those that
he calls, so I know if Nick decided to leave right after high school
he would be an amazing missionary, nonetheless :)
You are so sweet to send me another box mother, I love you so much. I
still haven't gotten the birthday package :/ but, its okay. I did get
the stamps though momma so thank you very much! It will take me a
while to drain all those stamps ;) but, give me time and I promise I
will hahaha.  The assistants and president went
to Bo this week, so Elder Burton and I are the big men in charge ;)
or at least we are the ones who have to wake up at 5:30 am to go turn
the generator on for the seminary class to start in the chapel
hahaha...oh joy :)
We have not found a new place but, who knows what will happen...yeah...
But. on to the amazing people who wrote me this week! Thank you so
much Rebecca, Uncle Dave, Aunt Lanae, Kadee Christofferson, Cassy,
Miranda, Rachel, Momma bear, Sis Peterson, Dad, and all the amazing
facebook friends who wished me happy birthday :) and Thomas and Laura
for the amazing postcards hahaha horses.....you are all amazing. Thank
you for taking time out of your schedule to write me :) I love it so
much and I try my best to write everyone back...but its not easy with
such a jam packed monday hahaha :/ i am sorry but I try my best!
WOW, what an eventful week in Sierra Leone. SO much crazy stuff I have
to talk about and just not enough time, so here comes some scrambled
chaos like usual, hope it all makes sense :)
Well, one day on the way out proselyting, the whole entire junction
outside our apt was cleared out and everyone was standing around
staring at the side of the hill we usually climb. The police wouldn't
let us cross so we waited for a minute, and then they blew the rock up
haha! it was a giant explosion!!! Like I was shaken, rock was flying
everywhere haha, but nobody was hurt :) they are trying to make space
for a road they are making, but geeze it was crazy...so in the chaos
of everyone cheering and going crazy, we ran acros sthe street to do
the Lord's work regardless haha
Well, school has started back up in Sa Leone...SO transport is
IMPOSSIBLE to get. All the kids are using them by the hundreds, so
Elder Burton and I cannot get transport up the mountain...here is like
a comparison. In 12 weeks with Elder Ngerem, I think we hiked 5 times
up the whole mountain? maybe? Elder Burton and I hiked every single day
this week, and will have to continue to for the remainder of our time
here haha. It is a good 30-40 minute hike, going like straight up the
whole time. For those who have climbed the Y (BYU mountain)...its like that,
but sketch, and you got people yelling at you, begging at you, and just
flat out getting in your way the whole way up.. :) but, we enjoy and
love it. Specially since RAINY SEASON IS OVER! now, the stereotypical
african sun is beating down on our backs, yeah...Now this is the
africa I imagined back home. HOT HOT HOT!!! Already got a tan like
crazy in 1 week.
But, one day I was not feeling well at all...not at all...and we were
almost at the top of the mountain and I stopped and told Elder
Burton...dude I think I feel runny tummy coming on...he was like man,
what are you going to do? then, it hit me and I was like oh my gosh I
have to go right now! So, I sprinted over to a lil zinc home, knocked
on the door and asked the mamma if I could use their bathroom. She
handed me a kettle (with water...yes...for what you may think...) and
went and unlocked the shack for the bathroom. It was NICE, well as far
as Elder Burton said for Sa Leone standards. A piece of wood covering a
hole...he said usually there is no wood. But, it was
terrible...terrible...but, thank goodness for my mother, mother I love
you so much, because I had packed baby wipes...so did not have to use
the kettle of water for uh..yeah you know. But, that was my great
experience of the week...wow sure you all wanted to hear about that
one, but I thought it was necessary.
Had the cutest experience the other day when we were super busy
crossing through the streets and the smallest lil black boy tugged on
my arm when I walked by and I kinda brushed him off at first because
we were busy and he would have been only about the 200th  kid that day
asking for food, but he whispered "help me white man". So I asked him
what he needed and he asked me to help him cross the street. So, I
grabbed his hand, stopped the traffic, and got him across. He was such
a cute lil guy, and I am so glad that I stopped to help him out :)
Well, Elder Burton and I have been ENJOYING!!! we went to Saint Marys
last week, which was like uh a legit grocery store, and  I bought like
20 dollars worth of mixed vegetables and elder burton got hamburger
and man! we enjoyed this week. It was so good. Also, started eating
this street food called a kingdriver, which is just like a giant sugar
cookie haha, yummy melted flour and sugar or something but they are so
yummy. elder Burton and I hike so much that we have to eat boku
everyday just to have enough energy to get up and down that crazy
mountain. ah...but, we are managing :)
We had interviws with President Roggia this week, which were pretty
awesome. I love that man so much.  I got to sit down and tell him
everything about my area, everything that was bothering me, even my
latest problems, and he helped me feel so much better. He is such a
great and inspired man, and I am so grateful to have him as my mission
President :)
We had one baptism this week, and I got to baptize Adama Simbeh Conteh
:) it was pretty awesome. She is a 24 year old woman, mother of 2, and
is just so sweet. I also got to confirm her in church yesterday which
was a great experience...
but, church yesterday was a total disappointment, in which Elder
Burton and I were discouraged to the lowest point I think I have been
in a long time...only 3 investigators came to church, when we were
preparing for 15 baptisms on October 20, and we were fasting for each
of these amazing people...and only 3 showed up to church. We felt so
worthless and so discouraged...but, when  we finally ate that night,
and prayed to God, we both felt great, and felt like the Lord was just
giving us a humbling expereince, and to not be discouraged but get
back up and try our hardest this week, and that is exactly what we are
going to do :) we are not going to let it get us down but, we are
going to go and do our best. in my frustration I told Elder Burton...
"wow wow wow, everyone comes to us "baptize me baptize me", and
then you tell them to come to church and they say by gods grace i will
be there, then they don't come, then they vex at us because they
aren't baptized yet, but, I know patience and love and
humility is the key, so i will pray for all
of these attributes and pray that those we teach understand the
importance of church and the sacrament....ah :) mission...
So, Saidu the branch mission leader is so sweet...I love that guy.
He is just such a nice guy. Always wants to help me
out and he is just such a charitable kid...I love the tish out of him.
Also, the quote of the week goes to Saidu Conteh. So, every 3 months
we switch service locations and now our branch meets in our apartments
parlor...yeah, it is so small and hot and man it is no good at all. So
saidu in regards to the news "Crappy things are not good in the sight
of God...Like with Cain and Abel, when Cain gave crappy things to
God." hahaha I was weak, oh Saidu. you are such a silly man.
The other day when we were teaching an investigator,
she took out a needle, like a legit like syringe needle and kept
joking around like she was going to stab us...so this joking around
went on for about 30 seconds until I flipped a script! (keeping in
mind this is in krio translated to my english) Get that thing away
from me before you kill me! you stab me with that,
I will beat you!" to which I then took the needle out of her hand
when she was not looking and taught about 10 children about health and
safety hahaa. I was like children, we will talk about the gospel soon,
but you see this needle, you see em? it can kill people! don't play
with em, yeah? You hear me? Never play with em! hahaha Elder Burton
and I were so freaked out by it! we were not playing around. HIV is
not a game at all yeah....sheesh, gets me freaked out just thinking
about it...hahaha
Also, sweet event of the week. Had a muslim guy in the
area approach us one night on the street and we started
to ask him about Islam, so we could understand it better so that we
could teach it better hahaha...and he was like walk with me. so we
walked and talked and then stood off the road and talked a bit, in
which he revealed to us muslim doctrine, how he thinks it is wrong,
and how he has been trying for a long time to change to Christianity
without being disowned by his family ( which is half strange in this
country since muslims marry christians and it really doesn't matter
much here, but to his family it does). He told us that he had had
multiple dreams in which Jesus Christ was trying to tell him that he
needed to go to chrisitanity to be baptized...we are trying to get a
hold of the guy again...he was such a sweet guy....ah....hope we will
find him again.
But, this mission is so sweet. So hard but so amazing. I love it so
much. I love this revelation that the prophet has received. It is
crazy to think about, but so sweet to know that God is continually
talking to a prophet here on the earth for the benefit of the world
and the saints. I know this gospel is true. Nothing will stop me from
teaching it for the rest of my life. I love it and I have seen it
bless my life, and the lives of so many people here who are faithful
enough to experiment with it. Its like a seed yeah :) plant it and
watch it grow. If its good, nourish it. If its bad, burn it. Anyone
that plants it has seen that it is good, now its just getting them the
faith to plant em :) I love you all so much famiily dearest. Momma I
love you. You are all so amazing and thank you friends! I miss the
tish out of you, but almost 4 months on mission. I am old man, as they
call me here hahaha. Can't imagine 18 year olds coming here
soon...what if Nick or clayton came here?!?!? WHAT!!!:) well enough of
my crazy imagination. I love you all and take care!
Love, Elder Jesse Sumrak