Saluting President Roggia

Dear Family and Friends,
Well, not going to lie, I'’m pretty bummed right now, maybe when this
internet opens up finally I will be happy to see news that I am an
uncle, but right now I am just burned. This day and week has been long
and wet. It rained about everyday this week hahaha and just walking
around all day, I am exhausted.
Well, the rain pounded the other day, and we didn'’t have our rain
jackets or umbrellas. so...put everything in zip lock bags and plastic
trash bags and walked out into the rain. Didn't take more then 2
minutes till we were completely soaked...then, up on the mountain we
encountered a bigger problem...our road was blocked by  dangerous
rapid water...like, rocks and what not and just craziness. we stood in
contemplation for 5 minutes while bathing children and others came to
watch to see what the Kenyan and American would do. They all started
yelling out suggestions, until one young man came out to show us the
most solid stones that we could safely cross on, so we followed his
guidance and I took a running start and made the leap over the water,
much to the jeers and satisfaction of all watching, and my compy
followed suit. Adventure Time yay! Finn would have been proud...My
little Jake is always following closely behind...love my companion
Elder Dancan so much. he gets pretty moody over how
clueless these stubborn people can be, but I can usually cheer him up
and keep him going. its not easy, but you just got to keep going :)

Yay email is finally open!
Jersey collection is going nicely. me and my picking went and got blue
sa lone jerseys last week so we got papa/pickin matching now haha. No
box yet. I will be getting an interview with the new mission
president, President Ostler, tomorrow, so I will be able to tell you
lots more after that and our zone conference on Wednesday, lots of
interesting things will be happening this week I am sure. But, the
roots of apostasy are already quickly setting in. missionaries
drinking from satchet water and what not...ugh, trying to help them
recognize the principle of obedience but I guess a good way to learn
is through a nice experience with typhoid. hope its not bad to pray
for the punishment of the disobedient ;) i still love them. they will
learn.

Oh, the beauty of Utah is just breath taking and I am super jealous
haha...beauty in Freetown?! beauty in Freetown! well, on the bright
side, everything looks beautiful when your farther away, just as a
sunset is beautiful in the most polluted skies, am I right? Not much
beauty, ironically wrote in my journal last night something along the
lines " I am sitting on the front porch relaxing as I look out over
our ugly compound, past the dirty walls and the sewage filled streets
and past the ugly houses littering the horizon to the ugly Freetown
sky" there is beauty in the hearts of the honest and faithful, but
that is all the beauty Freetown has to offer. Bo...Bo is beautiful.
Freetown, Freetown is not.

I miss adventure time haha! and Taylor Swift and Trevor Hall and
football...random :) but, finn...oh finn, how you inspire me. The way
he always deals with his problems is truly great. He is always
smiling and always thinks of a solution instead of despairing. he is
human, he fails and gets frustrated sometimes, but in the end he
always learns a lesson and comes out better then he was at the
beginning. he has fun and is joyful along the way, always full of
jokes and laughter even during the hard times. His pal Jake is great,
they are a good team. Guess its a lot like mission work. You always
got your buddy and you just got to make each other laugh and be stupid
to get through the hard times. If you are too serious, you'll fail. You
got to be serious, but don't take yourself too serious. remember you're
human. remember to have fun. remember to enjoy. My goal, as inspired
by the great Elder Hales, that I make every single week on mission
"have fun, feel the spirit, enjoy mission." if you feel the spirit you
are on the right track, then have some fun and you'll enjoy mission.
simple :)

Got to go on an exchange with Elder Otubu for my first time in the
Freetown area this week. Do not like that area the most in all of Sierra
Leone to be honest. just city city city and nasty streets and
smelliness and oh :) oh sa lone, i love you i really do. deep down.
But, had a new experience. Had one woman come out with rice, she
normally feeds the missionaries, and became very apologetic when she
saw me, a white man, and said ah, sorry, forgive me for the
African food. WHAT?! I must say, at first I was kind of offended, but
all is well, all is well...the reason being...

I am the only white man, and oftentimes I don't try to think about
that. I am with my brothers and sisters all day everyday and I feel
like I'm one of them. we talk, we laugh, we live, but why can nobody
else here see past color? I CAN, why can't they?! We are all human, we
are all gods children, and if they could just realize that their lives
would change. I'm honestly just tired of this racism here, its
terrible. get in a taxi, "5,000" "FOR WHAT!? its 1,000, you craze?"
"yeah, but you got money" "pull over, I'll find another taxi" "What,
why" " shut up and pull over" yeah...my patience is dwindling. Just
imagine that conversation in about 50 different contexts occurring
between 10-20 a day...it gets old, real old, real quick.

But, our great Bishop, bishop Abu Sesay, went out proselyting with us
twice this week which was a great blessing. he truly is a powerful man
and he has great love for these people, which is great to see in that
he is actually trying, which no one else really does in this country.
This man works and tries and kushey to him for that,
may god bless him and his family for his sacrifice.

Yesterday we showed up to church to find our new mission president,
President Ostler and old dying President Roggia in our sacrament
meeting, which was a great blessing. I had the opportunity to meet the
new president and introduce myself and the Lord further blessed us in
that the chapel didn't burn down in my 5 minute absence from doing
absolutely everything for these members hahaha oh my :) upon seeing
President Roggia get in the van and depart the compound for the last
time, I alone went out into the street and pouring rain to salute him
for the last time. he always had a tradition of saluting the
missionaries as they left for home...I thought he deserved the
same...it was the beginning to a very wet day, as we had no jackets
and umbrella again, but many appointments. we had a team of recent
converts and our bishop, young women, and prospective missionaries who
wanted to go proselyting with us...but not everyone is ready to go to
work just yet haha, so up the mountain I took my courageous young men
in the pouring rain, all soaked and cold, shoes spoiling, ties ruined,
hiking up the mountain. the women along with bishop joined us with
umbrellas after the rain had ceased, but we proved to the Lord that we
are diligent, and will not waste his time :) the work must go on, and
if the field is white and ready to harvest, its got to be done now!

Went and played football today with the whole zone. we played on a
tennis court and we had a great time all slipping and falling and
bleeding and yeah, sa lone style. it was fun though and I enjoyed
being on my element once again. oh football, you truly are a blessing
from God to me. FAITH, FAMILY, FOOTBALL. the 3 F's to my life :)
usually they go in that order ;) hahaha. but, life is good. life is
good. mission is great mission is great. Shout out to my wonderful
cousins Sister Cutler doing an amazing work in Hong Kong, and my
awesome cousin Elder Hooper, changing Spain forever. you are both
amazing. and shout out to Sister Future Cutler, going to Brazil,
kushey cousin :) I am so proud of you! farewell my family and friends
and hopefully my little niece will be born any minute now :) another
miracle in my life and my families life. the Lord is amazing.
farewell!:)

Love,
Elder Jesse Sumrak