Hello everybody and mother dearest! :)
hahaha I am glad Mr.Whitley is still using my RAPPS. I even used that
while I was at BYU haha. It is the rights to the 1st amendment,
standing for: Religion, assembly, press, petition, and speech. Oh, I
sure do miss that class with Mr. W...even if he did make me be part of
the Democrats in the mock election haha, oh good times :)
Wow, I haven't gotten to see the pictures of the ground breaking of
Sierra Leone's new mission home or the picture of the new stake center or
anything yet! maybe I'll get the chance tomorrow when I go to the
office after District meeting. I saw Sister Roggia showing some elders
yesterday in church but i was just so busy with the normal stuff to
get a chance :/ boo haha.
Got stood up going out with the missionaries? haha I'm sorry momma,
I only taught 1 lesson with the Elders when I was home and
I went out with them at least 5 times haha.
people and the gospel...they just like to stand us up ;)
hahaha
Hahahaha oh mother, you and your hiding skills with the packages you send
are amazing. and hiding the stuff in the last package
actually is very clever...I am sure someone will try and steal
it...and I'm sad I'll miss the gum, but thank you for sending that
mother!:) I pray it arrives here safely, thank you for everything
momma, and kusheh on your constant genius ;)
So, just wanted to thank Jen, Sis Peterson, Moma, Pops, Rebecca, Aunt
Deb, Drew, Katie, and ELDER MANN, for your letters this week :) thank
you so much for taking the time to write me! It was a very nice
surprise after proselyting all Friday, after a pretty bouncy day, so
thank you for giving me a smile when I returned home :)
Well...my week...pretty eventful I guess, with a possible 5
conversions this coming Saturday! so, I am super excited about that,
but more on that to come! where to begin?
On Tuesday we had zone meeting, and I was asked to conduct, which
wasn't a big deal, but I realized that I had never conducted anything
before haha, so it was a nice new experience and it went very well.
Learn something new everyday. Had a very nice meeting in which we
discussed about applying the 8 fundamentals that are taught in the 12
week teaching program...and I am the only one currently training in
the whole zone haha, so it really applied to me the most, so I have
really been trying hard to apply everything I learned and making sure
I train Elder Etuk just as the book instructs.
On our way up the mountain in a poda poda on Tuesday, the van weighed
too much as a result of us cramming close to like 30 people inside, so
as we made our way up the hill, the battery died, for like the 2nd
time already. we managed to crest to the top, and the 3 woman in the
front seat had to get out while the passenger mechanic went to fix the
problem again. a passing impatient truck tried to get by and SMASHED
the door and almost took the door completely off the van. oh wow,
there was some fierce krio words being thrown, and I don't know what
they mean, but i got the jist of it haha, oh fun sa lone :)
Had the opportunity to train one of our shy ward missionaries the
other day for a pastor battle. He informed me that his pastor had
stopped by the previous day and had tried to talk about the devil book
of mormon with his investigator mother, so he tried to shut the guy
up, but the man wanted bible proof and stuff. so i showed the young
boy some scriptures and he took notes and everything and I gave him a
pretty good basic defense. I still am waiting to hear how it went :)
proud of the boy!
On Monday last week we went and visited some boys who have been a lil
less serious as of late. After leaving, one of the boys wanted to walk
with me. he informed me that the old women in his compound were
getting up late at night and doing juju in the compound and he said he
felt evil in the place now. He felt bad and he
asked me to come with the elders and cast the devil out of hm....I
wasn't sure about all that so I encouraged him to just go read the
Book of Mormon tonight, attend church on Sunday, and continue to pray,
and see what happens first, and now he has no complaints...oh the
small things that bring the spirit :)
So, I have taken it on me this past week to do more and more service.
I had read a inspiring talk in the Liahona and I felt like i needed to
do more each day, so I took the advice from the talk and prayed each
morning for at least 1 opportunity to help someone during the day, in
more then just preaching the gospel. I found my prayer answered
everyday, and was able to help multiple people throughout the day in
acts of service before I didn't even recognize. I toted water some far
butt distances, helped mash pepay, hang clothes, simple things that
weren't hard at all, but the people were so appreciative :) it takes
so little to make such a great impact on someone's life. I encourage
everyone to just take the time to do something small for someone else,
and see how you feel when you're done...I promise you will love the
feeling and want it again and again!
Sierra Leone...dry season....SUCKS!!!!! so, if the previous
predicaments with water and light are not enough, let me add some more
to the list of my humble complaints :)
Well, the gift of the generator...we are out of district funds
(miraculously might I add, because we have never run out before on our
full month budget, and were only 2 weeks in..I don't know whats up
with that) so, no GAS. no gen...no light...no ironed shirts ;) haha
Water...well we have no money to pay young boys to fill our tank.
So...we go and get it every other morning and night. good 20-30 minute
workout/project just to have enough water to take a bath and have a
bottle of water to drink. fun :)
And now...DUST! with no rain since November, it never occured to me
that dust might become an issue. but...now it's settling in. Every
morning there is a nice coating on EVERYTHING. my bed. my books. my
contact case, my shirts, just every tishing thing. my food, our
plates, ugh. it is nasty. i go around with a rag and try to dust
everything off but its pointless...it's just dusty again in 2-3 days.
done polishing shoes, they are brown 3 steps out the door...sheesh it
is pretty frustrating, but :) nowahala, i love chewing dirt from my
fan in my sleep.. :) oh I love Sierra Leone
As a result, woke up Wednesday morning and went about my normal
business until one of the elders commented my eye was looking WO WO!
so, I went and checked it out and gosh my right eye was so
bloodshot...geeze it was gross. I figured it was contributed to by all
the dust and everything, but fortunately i was able to use those eye
drops you sent me momma (thank you:) ) and was able to clear it up
over the last couple days, but I was forced to proselyte in glasses
for the first time. always having to use my tie to wipe off the dust
from my glasses. ugh...never doing that again haha! very frustrating
:) and my investigators were all so confused and couldn't comprehend
how before I always wore a piece of plastic in my eye...they just
couldn't understand that, until I showed them later during the week.
They flipped! they were like ah, that is so bad, take it out take it
out. don't put those on your eye haha oh they are so funny!
Finally found the reason for my exhaustion...Alma 17:5 "much labor in
the spirit" more exhausting then climbing a mountain in the middle of
dry season in africa...but, also more rewarding then any prize you
could ever receive :) we missionaries are funny here. we are toting
water and aching and everything is just sucking and we are just not
smiling at all, yet we all get back to the apartment, think about our
investigators, and all laugh and joke about how blessed we are to serve
in Sierra Leone Freetown mission...I wouldn't want to be anywhere else
in the world!:)
Also, amazing scripture Alma 17:26...can anyone e-mail me or write me
what about this verse I love?! if you can then you know me so well :)
and I love you!
Also, this boy we have been teaching, with the sickle cell
disease, he is being baptized this Saturday :) but, I had the greatest
experiences with him this week. One: service, but in the opposite. He
saw how dusty I was and wanted to help, but instead of me denying his
help, I let him, and he went and got a wet rag and came and cleaned my
shoes for me.
As I watched the happiness on that boy's face as he helped me and I
showed my gratitude, I felt the spirit very strongly. just as I would
never want someone to deny my service, I am glad I allowed this boy
to give me service, because it made him happy, like service does for
me!
Also, had an Ammon like moment of listening that changed his mood and
attitude since it happened. We had just studied in the morning and I
had taught my companion the example of Ammon when he listened in
silence to King Lamoni for 1 hour, and I told him we need to do the
same. wait, be patient. listen. We had a good 5 minute silence with
this boy...and I saw the miracle from it. He was upset, did not like the
law of chastity we had explained, but told me he didn't want to come
to church and that this law was hard...I forget what question I asked
him...but I remember he didn't answer...he looked down. but we didn't
say a word for the next 7-10 minutes and finally he looked up and
tried to talk...then put his head back down. eventually he looked up,
smiled, his eyes glistening and asked "Can I wear a white shirt and
black trousers like you guys on Sunday?" hahaha it was so simple but
ever since he has been so happy and told us how much he loves the law
of chastity and wow and how he wants to keep it. he came to church and
had a great time and made friends and just wants to be baptized now
haha so great!:) love the teaching of preach my gospel. they truly
work and bless lives!
So, no baptisms this past Saturday, but like I said, we are hoping for
at least 5 on saturday. ...so we will see what happens :)
Best day of the week: Sunday! suprisingly yes, it was still the most
stressful day of the week, but also the most rewarding. after having
the 9 people converted, i was pretty pessimistic about the immediate
future due to a lack of progressing investigators...but boy did the
ward come together on Sunday...oh man! we had 102 present in Sacrament
meeting, the most that we have ever had in Mt. Aureol, and all 9 of the
recent converts were there...along with 13 investigators! 9 I have
been teaching, and 4 others who were brought with members! oh my, do
we have a busy week this week haha, trying to see all this people!
trying to prepare 5 for the 19 and trying to prepare like 2-4 for the
26th and now all these amazing people! ah, the ward wants to kill me
but, it was so sweet! everyone was in their classes, all the leaders
were doing their duties, we actually were behaving like a legit ward,
and it was a super sweet experience to watch.
I have thoroughly enjoyed being here for 7 months now,
being able to witness the fruits of my labors and all the sweet
conversions and even the conversions of the members. Sierra Leone is
growing QUICKLY!:)
And, I'm so happy and proud of my recent converts. Sister Jane gave a
talk on repentance in Sacrament, and Emmanuel's friend Edward is being
baptized, and he even went out proselyting with us all
Saturday...these people are becoming so strong. future relief society
president and ward mission leaders right here!
But, my time is comin to an end today and I just wanted to tell
everyone I love you and I know this gospel and church is true, and the
simple things are what bring us closer to God. One step at a time. one
decision at a time. I just finished all the conference talks yesterday
and I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet, and if we follow the
advice of the apostles and prophets we will all be blessed and have a
greater life! Missionary service is amazing. it is hard as tish. but I
can promise there is nothing in life that will bring you greater
joy...sorry for my spelling today, but you would marvel at how crappy
this keyboard is...farewell everyone and take care! God be with you
till we meet again next Monday!
-Love,
Elder Jesse Sumrak
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