Preparing for Thanksgiving

We are actually preparing for thanksgiving
We went to the market today and just bought a ton of stuff!
potatoes, chicken, ground nut, pepay, cucumbers, carrots, papaya or
however its called which I have never tried but wanted too haha
plantanes, onions, and geeze we are going to make sure it is a
delicious thanksgiving for us as well :)

The water situation? that is going a whole lot better! this week we
fixed the pump and everything and water flowed and we had a full tank
:) we got to take shower all week and clean the dishes and wash our
clothes and everything. but today we were outta water,
but it should have flowed so we can hope
for the best :) even went and bought some nice axe shampoo today to
spoil myself small. also, been wearing my chocolate axe spray. no
difference in bugs. they only come out at night.
About the chapel...uh yeah, they said it was too expensive or
something....they have no idea what its like down there...We just need
to bypass everyone and talk to President

Well, when we come home we just kinda chill...or go to bed. usually too
tired to gym these days. my body is slowly dying so I don't gym at
night anymore. Like, last night I just opened up the old testament and
started from the beginning with the manual so...yeah, just get my
flashlight out and lay in bed and enjoy some good personal studies.
sometimes I write letters. usually cook or something, maybe wash
clothes...always something to do since everything takes so much time
haha, and never can have enough chikcen mother ;)
Electricity works about...1/4 of the time. none today, but last night
it was on all night which was really nice to have the fan on hahaha

and mommma...we will have thanksgiving again soon. I promise :)

but, a thank you thank you to to the 3 dear elders I received this
week from Rebecca (wrote you cuz) and Uncle Dave (wow, I loved your
analysis of Jaws...that was pretty awesome, not going to lie) and Jen.
Thank you for taking the time to write me everyone. it always makes me
smile smile smile :)

Well...I do have one request momma. Nothing I can do to that USB will
make it work on my player :/  It works on Elder Ekpo's player, and it
also works on all the computers, but it won't work on my lil player,
but maybe dad will know better, but yeah it just won't work. We even
tried putting the songs on one of my lil cards and putting it in and
it wouldn't work...So I don't know if maybe you could send a micro Sd
card with the music on there? or maybe just a different format? I
don't know. I thought they were all mp3 and my player plays mp3 so I
have no idea. Its very frustrating...stupid Sa Lone tish. just makes
life difficult hahaha.
Another request...my card reader broke :(
Also, do we have the Apocrypha back home? I don't want it here, but
was just curious.

Also, random question...um idk if we have ever talked about it but I
feel like I visited the Sacred Grove when I was younger with the
family? is this true? My memory is failing me...I couldn't have
appreciated it at that age, but just wanted to know.

So, , Elder Burton and I bought the Testaments this
week to show to a group of investigators. So, there were 12 of us in
the room and we watched it and it was just great. It was spiritual,
entertaining, kept their attention, and they even understood, and at
the end, all 12 committed to be baptized, one 18 year old boy wants to
go on mission, and ah, it was just really sweet, the spirit was so
strong, especially during Christ's visit to the Americas. Man, that
ending gets me everytime, whew, I love it so much :)

Well, I was trying to amp up my workouts, so upon crossing the street
the other day, i noticed some guys welding a metal desk outside a
shop, so I ran over and we got them to weld us a 1 1/2 yard thick
metal pipe, that I can use to do pull ups. we are going to get a rope
today and hang it from the balcony of the apartment so we can start
doing pullups :) we are so legit. I bought it with my personal though,
so I can take it with me wherver I go next...and hang it from a tree
if I have to.

Speaking of spending money, I bought a football(soccer) last week for like 15
dollars and have been using it almost every morning to go and juggle
and have a good ol time. It is super nice to have and the ball
actually isn't that bad, but considering it IS Sa Lone, I anticipate
it will survive less then 3 months...as opposed to the soccer ball I
have had since 9th grade that is still good back home....I miss you
ball.

I have a craving for oranges currently, and have just started buying
them off the street. they pre peel em so I just grab em, rip the top
off, and suck all the juice out before peeling the rest and eating it.
straight Sa Lone style and I can sometimes get 4 for 1,000 (25cents)
So I enjoy that. Also, tried grilled Cassava root this week, which
just looks like a big ol ugly potatoe on a grill haha...but, super
yummy. they cut it open and put butter inside...but you know me, i no
can like butter too much (FAT) so I tell em no.

Well, had Peanut Butter and Jelly about 3 times this week, which was
super yummy and satisfying, so thanks again mother for the Peanut
butter, Elder Burton also tells you thank you very much and he loves
you for all the food. we just finished the last of the protein bars
today, we were rationing them to Sundays haha but we couldn't resisit
:)

Um...Elder and Sister Lauritzen are pretty much amazing. They are the
coolest senior couples missionary in the world. For some reason I can
imagine myself going and visiting them when I get home as much if not
more then the other missionaries. They are so sweet and nice and spoil
us so much haha. They also came the exact same time as me, so we will
leave at the same time, which I feel priviliged to do with them.Sister
Lauritzen even gave us like 40 bananas the other day...they are such
great people. I feel like they are as much my friend if not more then
any other Missionaries hahaha :) you should talk to them mama, they
probably would love to hear from you.

Sad event happened this Tuesday morning, as one of the Elders in our
apartment got a little bit too trunky, missing home, but
apparently the assistants took him proselyting with them this week,
and now he is back in the apartment with us :) so, we are really happy
that he changed his mind and manned up to finish what he started. its
not easy for any of us. but, we don't expect it to be. We enjoy the
mission, no doubt, but in those moments your not enjoying, its about
enduring. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not say Faith in Jesus
Christ, Repentance, baptism, holy ghost, enjoy...it says (endure to
the end) we will enjoy the blessings that Christ has made available to
us...maybe not in this life, but in the life to come. that is where
faith comes in. that is where hope comes in. that is even where
charity comes in. we can do it....we all can do it.

SATURDAY!!!!! Election day! so, absolute chaos. Friday night, we
packed our bags and made the trip over to the assistants apartment
inside the church compound, all of our apartment did, so that we
wouldn't  be cooped up in our small apartment with no power/water for
the whole day. Well, we came friday night, I got my letters, which was
pleasantly wonderful and rather unpleasant at the same time, but
fortunately Elder Appleby and Elder Burton were there to cheer me up
and Elder Barth was sort of there hahaha :) just started calling
everybody fat hahahaha so, got to sleep there on the multiple bunk
beds, with the ceiling fan seriously less than 2 feet away from my
head...hahaha and got to use a sofa cushion for a pillow...but it was
awesome!

Woke up Saturday morning to the absolute chaos of African politics.
They had a polling station right across the street from us on the
basketball courts and it was absolute madness. The line looked like a
line at Busch Gardens duuring Hallow Scream! it honestly was a 3 hour
wait line! Well, ignoring the distractions, I joyfully went on a run,
which I haven't had the pleasure to do at our new apartment in a
couple weeks...a lil while later, the crazy started, and the people
started going crazy, the lines started pushing and looking like a
wave! and then the soldiers and police men showed up and yeah...we
went inside for a little while to do our studies hahaha....
After studies, we went out to the parking lot area and played a fun
game of football (soccer) with the Elders and some of the guys who wash mission
cars haha, which was a lot of fun. well, like usual, I got tripped and
yes. BLOOD. so, gashed my knee open, and my other elbow, and have a
hole in the middle of my right hand (yes, the one I shake hands with)
so got myself all bandaged up right now and keeping the wound clean
clean clean :) but, no big deal. I was really scared when I got the
football that I would be SOOSOSOS rusty! and I am rusty...small. But,
I can still do all my jukes, i lost some speed and precision small,
but I can still juggle to at least 500 and do all my flair, so that
made me very very happy!

After that, we all just sat around and talked and were lazy and sent
little children outside the gates to go and buy us food haha because
we forgot to pack enough. sat around, wrote letters, talked , and then
went and watched a general conference session, and then a New
Restoration video, which I did not like as much as the old ones. This
one had some new scenes and had taken out some other scenes and was
narrated by the voice and character of Joseph Smith's mother. I do not
know if you have seen it or not, but it was okay...not as good as the
classic Temple Visitor center one...but it was okay :) slept at the
assistants a final night, then woke early sunday to return home.

Sunday...complete and utter embarrassment and dissappointment.
Everybody was afraid of violence, or tired from voting, or tired from
working the elections the whole day(all branch missionaries and branch
presidency) so we had 23 people in Sacrament meeting...and of course
it was the week President and Sister Roggia decided to attend ....so
that stunk :/ but we had 5 investigators which was super nice and sort
of uh like what the heck members, even these people came, grow up
forreals!

Ran out of gas earlier this week...so couldn't cook anything, so had a
surprisingly almost tasty experiment breakfast. apparently all the
Elders in other places endure it, so i tried it. Its dried Gehrie
(which is like dry powder like idk, rice) and oats, mixed with water
and sugar...hahaha it was endurable and kinda yummy at the same time
:) hahahahaha

Well, the mission is going sweet. Africa is sweet. I love life. I love
the mission. I am tired and pday is not ever relaxing hahaha too much
tish to get done but, its okay. I got some more material today and we
are gong to stop and get some more hoodies made this week, which
should be very nice!
I love you family and I love this gospel, thank you for everything and
thank you for your prayers....Farewell everyone:)

-Love,
Elder Jesse Sumrak