So, first things first. I GOT THE CAMERA and the mp3
player and they both work great! only problem is, no cables to charge
them or plug them in :/ but, I have been using Elder Coffies universal
charger so it hasn't been too big of a problem yet :) gosh thank you so
much! I have been taking so many pictures and videos and what not to
make your present not go to waste and.you will love it when I finally get
the opportunity to send you some. Today is a little hectic because
Kenema district is with us and occupying one internet cafe, but more
on that later!
And the camelbak...yes if you could order it it would be sweet! Elder
Barth said I could have his,but he doesn't even leave until rainy
season, so he recommended I just ask you to send one now,because we are
all dying. I come back dehydrated everyday haha, my bottle just doesn't
hold enough to keep me charged all day, but apparently the camelbaks
hold 3 liters so that would be so sweet mama dear :)
Ah, i am so relieved and excited to hear about Nick. what a great guy.
he really deserves it and I know he has been working hard.
congratulations my amazing brother. the family will all be united at
the Y! and we will dominate. Can't wait to possibly have all 3 of us
brothers out there one day.gosh, will be sweet Sunday dinners, I will
tell you that!:)
and oh moma...you poor thing. but, just know that you have raised an
amazing family and the Lord isn't finished with you. you still have
much work to do, so don't think the Lord will start going easy on you
now that your kids are gone ;) your work as a mother is so far from
over, you have no idea. g-kids on the way ;)
hahaha oh mom, that story is so cute. we got a little boy to pose for
a sweet picture for us to day, with a ball by his feet, staring off
into the distant soccer field with his back to the camera...i'ts going to
say "dream big" or that is at least how Elder Stewart envisions it
haha!
haha and ya...Mcdonalds. oh my I am craving anything from America
right about now haha
But, on to my week. On Tuesday we had our zone conference, so we all
drove over to the Jaboyma chapel, which is a legit standard chapel, or
at least from the outside, the inside is still trying, and getting
close ;) we had an amazing zone conference and it was so good to see
all of my good buddies. the instruction was amazing and we talked
about our premortal life and enduring to the end and how we need to be
viewing our investigators and recent converts with an eternal
perspective and gosh the spirit was so strong and revealed to me so
many ways I can be better, and the spirit has been so much stronger in
all our lessons since. ah it was great! had some giant hamburgers as
you saw in the picture. so good! also, got my mail and box! so much
mail, i didn't even get done reading it until last night haha! So,
first, thank you momma for the amazing box. I loved everything inside,
especially everything I can use to make oatmeal, because you know I
love my oatmeal haha. Also, Jeff Leavitt, or soon to be Elder Leavitt.
I am so proud of you buddy and congratulations on your mission call.
Thank you for the box! it contains my now favorite tie! Also a thank
you to...Jeff, Mom, Jenalyn, Sis Peterson, Jen Kearl, Dad, Rebecca,
Aunt Deb, Katie, Drew, Aunt Lanae, Grandad and grandma, Saidu Conteh,
Dallin Waters, and Kristen. I am working super hard on trying to get a
letter to everyone,but its not so easy haha, not much free time on
mission ;) but, I'll try to get a letter to everyone by the end of the
month, pray I succeed and thank you so much!
Also, our area will be splitting, and that means change, that is
crazy. our area is so small and its so overwhelming to think about
that I really don't want to talk about it right now because I'm in a
good mood. but, might be training again...who knows. just want to stay
with elder Jones in our area, but I'll go and do what the Lord asks of
me.
Well, I was working out one day this week and I got 500 consecutive on
the jump rope, just thought I would randomly mention that :)
Remember those sandals you bought mother that I told you I would never
wear...well, Elder Weller has the same pair, and Elder Jones has a
similar pair, and they finally convinced me to wear mine, so I did,
and it wan't so bad haha. Sandals are so not me, but then again, is a
white man in Africa? na tru bing.
On Thursday we got our subsistence, so we all went to the bank and got
our money, then all went to a restaurant in town called Sabs. which is
a really nice legit restaurant with very expensive food that is almost
american ;) (nice = a McDonalds equivalent in cleanliness) I wasn't
very hungry and just got fries.but some other elders got the Whopper.
which is a giant bread + hamburger + bread+ hamburger + bread and so
many other things in between. so gigantic haha, o expensive! so, we all
enjoyed and had a great time with that!:)
Found an awesome less active the other day when we were working on
figuring out our boundaries so we can tell president where to split
the area and everything. he has the Melchizedek priesthood and
he just got offended and fell less active, so we are working
on getting him back to church...and while we
are still working on him haha, he gave us a couple referrals...oh sa
lone.
So, we had exchange on Friday and I got to go with Elder Coffie to his
area, upon getting off the bike in his area, my bike man leaned the
opposite direction when I was getting off, causing me to terribly rip
my pants! yeah, that was embarrassing...so we hopped back on the bike
and rode back home so I could change haha...gosh dang it bike man ;)
SISTER KATIE CUTLER! thought it was so hilarious what you said about
the white guys, because we had a similar experience the other day
after playing football. we were coming home and we saw 2 white girls
on the back of a bike and I was jut like, whatever, don't make a big
deal out of it, first white girls you have seen in months, just pass
them and don't even act like its weird. but, we pass and they all
shout pumwee pumwee at me, which is white man. haha. so of course, I
responded the same, but gosh I don't know how to talk to white people.
the only thing that even came to my head was uh ow de bodi? usay yu
dey? haha so katie my cousin, I sympathize with you, let us suffer
together when I get back haha! Love you cousin :) Also, about what you
said about the Chinese thinking I was smart, that is so ironic because
we had just been talking that morning before about how stupid we all
felt. we don't know English anymore, or math, or anything and we all
just feel stupid. I don't know how I will go back to BYU and be
successful...only by the Lords help to be honest, which is good because
I have faith,because we are all dumb as rocks now hahaha :)
And Drew, I love that quote by Preident Monson. It was my theme for
this last transfer and I had it written on my planner. Wow, talk about
cousin unity. I love you my dear cousin. did you ever get my letter?!
So...food for the week. After the baptisms on Saturday, I got to try a
new soup,called G-block soup, which was super duper delicious! we had
it with gehrie instead of rice too, which was a nice change. Also,
when I was on exchange with Elder Coffie, I had some antelope on my
rice, which was pretty delicious actually, but a little chewy.
Mother...the life cereal...brought tears to my eyes...thank you sweet momma :)
New punishment I witnessed that I will be using with my kids I believe
as a parent. the best alternative to not beating. If your child
misbehaves, you put them in a corner and make them raise their arms
above their head for like 20 minutes haha, or if they have been really
bad, you put them in the middle of the yard and have them kneel down,
and then raise their hands above their head. LOVE IT! When i saw a
family do it I was so happy :) if only the happiness was for the fact
that they weren't brutally beating their children! I was so pleased!
On to my favorite day of the week...Saturday! we had an amazing
baptismal service. we had the service at our branch president's house on
some benches under a big ole tree. He lives out in the bush on a little
farm. so we had the service, then all made our way through the farm
land and into the woods. We went for like 5 minutes until we arrived
at the river, where there were kids playing and women brooking
clothes, but we asked them if we could use it shortly. they
agreed...so I was the first brave soul to enter the dirty river and
there were fallen trees everywhere and I was just praying there was no
snakes...parasites, diseases, worms...yeah, I'm sure there was something
like that. but, I went and found a deep enough spot, and had the most
amazing experience of baptizing Thomas, James, and Abdul. It was so
spiritual and special and I wasn't too scared, maybe because of the
spiritual upliftment, because surely the warnings of my doctor telling
me NEVER to even put my feet in a river were ringing in my ears, but
the only solution to salvation compelled me to lay aside my fear, and
become a man :) haha, it was so awesome! Even after I finished baptizing
one boy, he slipped and pulled me under haha, so it was kinda like
Alma and Helam haha! so legit!
Today was awesome! got up and brooked with Elder Weller, then went
over to the zone leaders apartment to gather for SUPERPDAY! so the
Kenema elders came to meet us and we all decorated eggs and put a
scripture on them. then, went to the field to have a Bo versus Kenema
football match which was so much fun! we, the Bo district won by a
large margin, and it was such a good time, and always a joy to see
Elder Barth and Elder Hales and Elder Edwards and even my papi Elder
Ngerem :)
Afterwards, we went back to the apartment and did an egg hunt and
shared the scriptures. then, watched Elder Penia climb popo trees and
also he tore a coconut off a tree, cracked it on a rock, then peeled
it with his teeth, and drank it in 35 seconds, it was so crazy! that
guy is an animal. he is from Samao haha, he climbs trees just like the
guy in the other side of heaven haha!
Then, we had some awesome jollaf rice until we were stuffed, then
back to the apartment, cleaned up and headed to town. now, here I am!
Well, I have to run, but I love all of you so much and I know that
this gospel is true. I have felt the spirit so strong this week and
the power of the Atonement becomes more real to me everyday as I feel
and see the Savior's love. I know he loves me. I know he loves all the
children of the earth...This gospel is true. Try it, taste it, see for
yourself...Please take care everyone, i love you all! farewell. love
you momma :) you are the greatest mother!
Love,
Elder Jesse Sumrak
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