Trust in the Lord

So, my pessimism is over, for the most part, and the Lord truly
blessed me with a great week. I know that He knows me and loves me and
knows exactly what I need, and sometimes I just need to be patient and
wait for the Lord instead of wondering why the Lord doesn't answer
immediately. he knows and loves me...of this I am sure. The conference
this week was great and short but I really enjoyed it. I especially
enjoyed that we were running a little late because i wanted to buy an
umbrella and upon dodging a car my toe hit the curb and I spilled hard
right in front of the compound, but fortunately only mission president
and the assistants saw hahaha, not too much blood, only small small :)
The conference was sweet and the food was delicious. the new mission
president and his wife are amazing. they are super strong and
confident and I love them very much. Its funny, Elder Liufau and I
were talking about it today, but President Ostler is like the New
Testament God, the one that loves you and wants you to keep the
commandments because YOU love him...while President Roggia was the
God of the Old Testament, who made us fear him and be obedient out of
respect and fear haha, but both are amazing men and I love them so
much! President Ostler is going to continue this mighty work
here...assistants called last night...expecting 50 missionaries in the
next 3 transfers...thats more than half the amount we currently have
here in sierra leone...nobody has any idea how we are going to put
them all somewhere...

Mom, you asked about tomatoes:
We do have tomatoes here but they don't look or taste like our
tomatoes really, but I was never a big tomato fan so no bad. I do use
tomato paste though, to cook my stews haha. no french toast yet :/
but I eat a lot of boiled eggs during the day, they sell them on every
street corner so I usually eat 2 or so a day. What I made this week
was super yummy, made a tomato stew by adding tomato paste and water
and then adding a can of baked beans, an onion, pepay, and some taco
seasoning to make a super sweet stew that I ate with pasta for like 3
nights. so cheap as well, so I made it again last night. enjoyment :)
made kanya and had the President and Lauriztens try it and they liked
it haha, kanya is just when you brown gehrie in a pan, beat it
together in a mortar with ground nut paste and sugar, and my own
specialty, on accident, is left over pepay juice in the mortar because
people don't know how to wash things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but,
it turned out quite nicely actually :)

So, many miracles this week that I want tos hare with you all to
strengthen your testimony, because they have strengthed mine as well.

We were proselyting on Thursday and we were high up on the mountain
and I had a broken umbrella (that I had purchased that
morning...tankey tankey african CRAP!) and of course it started to
rain! this was not a calm rain, this was a torrential rain with tish
flying around and everything and I was already upset because zone
conference had taken up 3/4 of our day. So we taught our lesson and I
glummly waited for the rain to cease, which hadn't for the past
hour...We could go out in the rain...no problem. get soaked. we do it
all the time. but, I am worried for my pickin because he has only one
pair of shoes, and these ones are getting torn apart quickly by this
rain...but I put my faith to the test and closed my eyes and
prayed...and as I earnestly prayed for the rain to stop, the rain
started to pound harder and harder but I didn't giveup, I continued to
pray with real desire and intent, pleading to let the rain stop so we
could continue our busy work. the people present realizing what I was
doing started to laugh, talking how the rain was only getting
worse...but still I prayed. after a good 5 minutes of prayer, I ended
and the rain continued, no it didn't cease just like that, don't be
too silly...but I stood up, grabbed my stuff, put them in my bag,
apologized to my picking, and told him we must go. By the time we were
packed and started into the rain, it was a drizzle, by the time we
walked 30 seconds, the rain had completely stopped...its not a
coincidence, its not nature, its God and I know he loves me and
answers my prayers. Just have to be patient, and then put your faith
into practice :)

Second, yesterday I fasted and prayed for one boy,  that his
uncle would agree to let him become a christian and follow his
heart and desire. so we went and found the uncle far in the other
missionaries area, and he was bold and confident and very intelligent
and the conversation was going quite ...um...okay I guess. we weren't
gaining much ground, but we weren't losing any, when one quite,
STRONG, man, working in the tailor shop interrupted the man and
without ever looking at him, talked the most sensible things to him.
he asked him beautiful and gentle questions and I could tell that this
man was the answer to the fast, that  because I had centered my fast
on this, this man appeared to help. The conversation ended well, and I
believe everything will be okay now, but I left the shop almost
feeling like that man was one of the 3 nephites or something, because
it was so elegant and beautiful the way he took over the conversation,
and the way he put his words almost made me think he was an angel in
disguise...miracles are sweet. :)

Saturday was sweet, for Jestina Kamara was FINALLY baptized! she has
been taught by missionaries who ended their missions before I even
began. since 2011!!! but, she had finally committed to the gospel and
kept all her committments and was finally baptized :) I can't wait to
let all the missionaries who taught her know, ah it was so sweet. I
got to confirm her yesterday and The spirit was so strong in
manifesting that his daughter of God is going to be strong!

The work is going sweet, new missionaries on the way, the Lord is
hastening his work. my studies are going sweet and I am half way
through Mosiah using the Book of Mormon manual as well. I am almost
finished with preach my gospel again, and have reached about pg. 175
of Church history in the fullness of times. that book is so sweet!:)
so, studies are sweet, life is sweet, tons of work to do, too many
people to see. exercise is going great. up at 6 every morning. 30 -40
minutes of jogging. 20 minutes of gyming. kayeagoma!

We had an EPIC football game today, since it was raining like a
hurricane when we started, with a good inch or two of standing water
on the tennis court we used. We were soaked before it even started,
but we had such a good time playing :) we were all falling down and
sliding and bleeding and dying and people falling on their backs and
slamming their heads on the concrete and gosh, what a great time :)
but seriously it was a lot of fun, and we played for almost 2 hours,
before my legs couldn't go anymore :/ not like my good ole days at BYU
when I would get up Saturday morning and go play from 10am - 2 pm. and
couldn't walk home and would have to call Thomas or Laura to come pick
me up hahaha, I'll get back to that point though :)

Today...it's still raining. I'm still wet, and thats how it will be
mostly for the next 2 months. 4th of July...I
love our country and I love it more now then ever. USA!:) lets go
world cup baby, keep it up, take care my lovely friends and family and
know the Lord loves you and will answer your prayers. just be obedient
and have faith and all else is sweeto!

love,
Elder Jesse Sumrak