Awesome Amazing Youth

Yeah, the internet last week was disappointingly wack, not
happy at all with that, but its all good now its working fine. I am
doing marvelous this Monday, even though the rain is pounding outside
and I didn't get to play football today, our area is doing well and
changes are constantly on the way. The Zone Leader, Elder Aseidu told
me he was informed he will be training TWO elders next transfer and
will no longer be zone leader...and we have 4 Elders going home, 2
zone leaders, 1 assistant, and a district leader...changes are
abundant here and he told me that according to president I shouldn't
plan on finishing this training...which makes me sad, but then again,
nothing is definite until I hear it from President myself :)

Training is going great and I love Elder Labrum. He is a great
missionary and is learning very quickly and yes, to answer your question
Mom,  he is nervous but he is confident and doing well.  Of course I was 
SOOOOO Nervous when I first came out.  Whenever I am training I
always try to do everything to help him as much as I can. He
has made me a better person as I have done some self evaluation and
trying constantly to better myself and my example so I will have a
good lasting positive influence on him. But, we get along great. 4
mornings this week we woke up early and made our way out into the dark
to go on nice jogs. We went pretty off course Tuesday morning haha and
wanted to reach the beach but never really got there, or close. but
the other runs were nice haha :) also have increased in pushups and
what not now and putting on some more weight through my delicious
cooking as well. Decided to try cooking some new stuff last week,
CHICKEN GIZZARD!!! and I made a nice stew. It was a bunch of chicken
gizzard in a tomatoe stew of Bell Peppers, baked beans, onions and
some chicken seasoning as well to make one nice tasty stew. THAT is
GOOD protein :)

Wow, that yellow front door looks good TOO! I like it a lot, good job father
:) and Nick drove?! can it be? well im glad to hear that he is a good
driver haha , I was TOO slow when I first started driving...now
mission has given me a great desire to buy a bullet bike and go fast
fast fast! but, thats how they all drive here :) can't blame me!
You can remember the first time I took the interstate by myself? and
tried to drive over to like that stake center in Newport News or
something? gosh momma if you knew that experience I had you would
never have let me go again! haha

Ah, the ROSHYBURGERS! I love those guys! I hope they are all doing
well and I would love to join back up with those original boys in some
7v7 football when I get home...even Grant Cummins :)

But, the mission really is going great! The other day when waiting for
transport a USA military man came and started talking to us and he is
a United states military...who lives in Italy? Who is a Mormon, and he
was awesome. His name was Paulding, and he wanted to take us out for
lunch, but unfortunately was running late :/ so boo! but always great
to see members!

I finished Church history in fullness of times this week, that
whopping 600+ page monster, which was an awesome read, and then began
my night time studies of the Old Testament, using the Pearl of Great
Price, DC, and Old Testament manual, and our beloved prophet Joseph
Smith and his many aided translations. It is going amazing and I am
really enjoying all the doctrine and lessons I am learning and
learning more about how Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament
and how he is also our saviour and how is most certainly the same
yesterday, today, and forever. It is an awesome study and I am really
enjoying it. Its so sweet how powerful the spirit is and as I record
the things in my journal how new and inspiring thoughts come to my
mind and its like continuous revelation and its really really sweet! I
love it and its more than I have ever experienced before!

On Saturday we had a frustratingly great baptism. Of course, my error,
the baptism was to start at 10:30 and stupid me, I told them to come
by 10:00...what was I thinking....because if I was smart I would have
said 9:00 or 8:30 and maybe they would have come on time. Our 2
candidates came late but were able to change quickly and join in the
baptism. Two awesome girls, Binty and Elizabeth who I
had the privilege of baptizing and it was really sweet. they were so
happy when they came out of the water and ah, it was a very spiritual
baptism and they bore beautiful testimonies afterwards :) They showed
up yesterday and were confirmed and 2 more souls are now converted to
Jesus Christ's true church and his true plan of salvation. Not all is
done of course, and they must endure to the end, but they have entered
in the gate, now just must press forward :)

Our Ward's youth is amazing and are actively going around constantly
doing missionary work and reactivating friends and what not. TONS of
referrals this week and 12 investigators in sacrament yesterday. The
Youth have family home evenings every Saturday night and always
invite us to come, so this time we came and we had a great time. They
invited me to give the spiritual thought and it was cool because about
30 people were jammed into a room fit for maybe 10, and we talked
about tithing and fasting and fast offerings and it was tons of fun :)
We then told jokes and I stumped everyone with a riddle that Elder
Flament taught me.

What is more righteous then God,
More Wicked then the devil,
The Poor have it,
and the Rich need it?

Boo yah!

Fun family home evening and they even gave us kool aid and popcorn at
the end before we had to go stand in the rain for 45 minutes while
waiting for poda poda...fun :) trying to get a video of poda poda
journeys for everyones sake back home haha...we fit 25 people in there
the other day...quite a feat I must say :)

Eugene and his parents both came to church yesterday and it was
awesome. they even came in the rain! and they were both so happy and
it was a sweet service! Elder Labrum and I ditched priesthood because
Saidu invited me to hear his testimony in his final sacrament. 
 Saidu then got up to bare his testimony and it
was powerful and he had good composure...until the end, and then he
returned to his seat and put his head down and I went over and it was
just a really special moment I had with him. We both just balled our
eyes out like little babies and went out into the hall and cried some
more and he is really scared to leave but I got him all cheered up in
time to go back in to find Idrissa also choking up as he left the
pulpit and returned to his seat and then went and cried with him
hahaha, then their best friend Patrick was just balling his eyes out
because he is leaving next month on mission and ah it was sad but it
was a good sad :) I am really happy for those boys and I am so proud
of them. Just to top it all off they sang I'll Go Where You Want Me to
Go to close and I was reminded of my sweet beautiful cousins and my
sister Laura singing at my departure and ah it was too emotional for
me. Too emotional for Africa haha, here they don't cry! But, it was a
really awesome moment seeing my boys all leaving on mission when one
year ago I was sitting there telling them  they had to go and they
were making excuses and I was filling their papers with them and
trying to convince their parents and ah, its so amazing to see them
all now going to represent the Lord Jesus Christ and go and do this
great and powerful everlasting work...I am so proud of them and I
encourage everyone to pray for these boys continually, they are
sacrificing more then we can imagine, and having to exercise greater
faith than any of us to put our papers in...I love them all very much.

Taught one awesome lesson yesterday in which our investigator arrived
at HIS house with about 15 of our youth with him haha, we were waiting
to teach him after service and he had been out with the youth
reactivting, so ALL the youth taught him the word of wisdom and law of
chastity and Elder Labrum and I just kinda dictated the discussion and
kept it focused and oriented and asked questions and let the youth
teach him and it was awesome. I am so proud of all of them and even
him. He is a very intelligent boy of about 18 who probably knows the
bible better then most 18 year olds, and he wa just so convinced, not
by the doctrine or teaching, but by the example his friends set and
the missionaries as well. he wants to go on a mission already :) I
told him one step at a time haha :)

Sierra Leone is amazing...I have seen so many miracles here, the
greatest one being the growth and foundation of the church establishing
here...last year I was meeting on a dry Sunday in the same chapel with
20-40 people...now I am meeting on a rainy Sunday with a bunch of
soaked members in the same chapel with 100-125 members :) the Lord's
work is hastening my dear friends and family. From my studies of the
Old Testament, look to the sky on these rainy days, and that old
familiar rainbow will tell you that you have time :) but, when that
rainbow doesn't appear any longer, know that the Messiah is coming
soon. The rainy days are coming, let us plant our foundation deeper in
deeper on the rock of our reedemer so that the devil and his assured
attacks will have no power to lift us away from the sure knowledge and
testimony we have built. I love you all! peace out!

Love,
Jesse
Elder Sumrak