How Old Am I?

A week in Sierra Leone and gosh it has flown by. Already September, I'm
going to be 21!? what? and it's sad that while typing I actually had to
pause and think, is it 21? or 22? how long have I been here? sometimes
it feels like a month, sometimes it feels like a lifetime...but at
least its been a sweet lifetime! So, received transfer news this
weekend, AND...I'm staying Belliar Park to finish Elder Labrum's
training! Iam returning to my old apartment on Mends Street because it
is in our area, which makes sense, and I am the district leader in the
Mt. Aureol District now. So...of course I had a nice list of 
stuff to take care of, so I
went ahead and ran all over town and the office today to get
everything...almost all taken care of, just got to take care of myself
small small now...but, i am excited to be able to go on exchanges now
up to my old area! I am stoked!:)

This week was pleasant and busy. Saturday was a complete dud as we
showed up for the baptism to find the assistants calling us, informing
us that the font was unusable..we went to go check, and yes, someone
drove a hole in the middle of it...no waters going in that bad
boy...baptism cancelled until next week :/ I was not too happy at all!
Food was running low earlier this week while waiting for subsistence
day...so, Elder Labrum had the genius idea of making pasta...and
adding peanut butter and sugar...it was AMAZING, but he said after the
first 5 bites it was just too much for him hahhaha...but its all he had
so he downed the whole thing!:)

Had a wonderful experience with one young man this week that has
really made me one of the happiest I have been my entire mission. The
young man is  a long time member, but has often caused
trouble just due to his loud candid character and he offended the
bishop and youth, who essentially drove him away from the ward and
literally told him he wasn't welcome anymore...I was pretty mad at the
boy too, he was cursing in the compound, causing problems, we saw him
in our area with literally 50+ people gathered around as he and one
woman yelled and screamed at each other for well over 30 minutes...I
had about enough of him...So, Saturday, I felt promted to go and visit
him and found him inside his room in the dark, by himself. He looked
completely depressed, almost as if he had been crying, and this was
not the energetic boy I was used to. I felt complete compassion and
pity at once for him and all negative feelings subsided as we sat down
and talked and he told us all abut how he felt and we
continued to talk to him and his mother and reassure them that
everyone can makes mistakes and they are still welcome and it seemed
like nothing was really accomplished by the time we left...I felt
disappointed I couldn't help him more. We had brought a strong recent
convert who assured him the youth would accept him back, but he didn't
seem convinced...I invited him to the youth family home evening, and
he acted as if he would dodge it.....So, family home
evening came, and I didn't even recognize he was there until the youth
leader noticed him. He was sitting amongst us on the benches outside
the chapel, but was wearing a hat and sunglasss (almost like out of a
movie or something haha) and the youth leader reconciled him to the
group and we sustained his return...but, after the closing prayer, I
saw the boy  quickly heading for the gate, but managed to catch
him, and my prayer was answered as 4 or 5 other youth grabbed him and
gave him a big bowl of rice and he enjoyed with everyone else...and
when I left, he was smiling :) it made me so happy to see him
fellowshipping again with the youth. Sunday came, and there he was,
for the first time in months, and he got up and bore his testimony,
and there was just such a different humble spirit about him and he
went and sat back with his friends and ah, it felt as if we had
contributed in converting someone to the church...it was an amazing
spirit that filled my soul even until now, reassuring me that I am
making a difference small small in this world :) I love the Lord and
the Spirit for prompting me to go visit a boy who  I now love, 
and now realize how much the Lord loves him :) What a blessing!

But, not much else is going down really. we have PLENTY of people to
teach, but fortunately our new apartment will give us more time to
teach people, instead of spending hours of waiting and getting
transport, so we are going to enjoy much much success here I pray. It
is raining a tish load still...which is disappointing but by the end
of September it should be finished for the most part :) Or I can pray
haha, but I will miss rainy season for reals. its my last one :/ oh,
sa lone I love you!

Shoutout to Nicholas Sumrak, I love you little bro, be strong. Take
care my good friends and family, cousins and uncles and aunts, my
missionary friends and cousins. grandparents, neice, brother, and
sister. love you all so much! bye bye!

Love,
Elder Sumrak