The Mountain

So, another great week here in Sierra Leone, with lots of excitement, 
miracles, disappointments, and exhaustion! But, it sure is sweet! 
First, On Thursday I volunteered our services with our 1st counselor 
in the bishopric because he said he would be transferring his house, 
so we offered to help out. Well, we showed up after our weekly 
planning around 1 PM…and 

 well, I want you to fathom this, but I’m not sure I could put it in 
the right words for anyone to fully explain the brutal experience that 
we had. We arrived and helped to clear off some furniture and dust and 
what not, which created a surprisingly great dust cloud…then we got to 
work hauling up our chosen instrument of torture to the destination. I 
imagined it might be far, maybe across the river or up the hill or 
something…but, what would come next I never would imagine. We hiked 
STRAIGHT up the mountain, I want you to imagine a staircase, and then 
take away the stairs, and add rocks and dirt, then imagine me with a 
couch on top of my head, then imagine a 35 minute walk with it on my 
head, then imagine we drenched to the bone in sweat! My gosh, it was 
horrible, and when we arrived all we could do was stare down the path 
and the bush and rivers we crossed and just laugh and laugh…and then 
cry, we said we would  be going to go get the next load. Which was 
a giant couch, that Elder Roger's and I both put on our heads and 
fought our way up the mountain again and then down…all in all 2 trips, 
and 2 and half hours of work haha we were filthy! Everyone was like, 
ah why is the white man so dirty? Whatti happen white man? I really wanted to 
yell at them but, I'm much more humble and charitable than 
that of course :) They rewarded our efforts with a big bowl of cassava 
leaf which we were both too dehydrated and water depleted to even taste 
or enjoy, but it’s the thought that counts right? 
The baptism this Saturday was amazingly awesome and depressing. Of 
course, A. and his sweet wife were there on 
time for their baptism, my first family, and…well, their son had a 
test that morning and was supposed to meet them there, but he showed 
up about 2 hours later…but, no problem, even though it really bummed 
me out to baptize them without their son, they requested he just do it 
next week. Well, A. is not a small man, and when I went to 
baptize him he did some weird like fetal position thing and threw us 
both back into the water almost hitting our heads against the wall 
hahahaha well now its not entirely funny yet, but  probably
in a couple of weeks I will laugh my head off 
hahaha :) oh mission, why can’t you be simple? But, no problem, in the 
end, they both were baptized and both were confirmed on Sunday and 
both even got up and bore their testimonies during testimony meeting, 
so it was beautiful and awesome and we have a big ole family this 
weekend as well, momma and children and the small boy will join them 
as well. Exciting work going on here, we are trying our best :) 
I was a cooking champ this week and cooked for my whole apartment 
on various nights. Last Tuesday I made French toast for everyone, 
which was really good, although I used up the rest of my syrup so we 
just dipped it in sugar and it was yummy! Then, on Wednesday I made an 
ebba and tomatoe stew which was pretty delicious. Then on Friday night 
I made spaghetti for everyone, and then last night I made my pumpkin 
flavored pancakes, and making pancakes for 4 people takes a long 
time…so kushay to all the mothers out there who cook for their 
children, because I sure have felt like a mother this week cooking for 
these kids. Also, feel like a mother when they  pile the 
dishes in the kitchen and make a mess and just dump trash everywhere 
and then track their grimy lil feet around the apartment and then…for 
some reason I clean it all. Not sure why, or why I even feel so 
inclined, but whatever I do it because I love them or something like 
that. I sure do appreciate you though my sweet mother and I feel like 
a lil tish for making your life so hectic throughout my development, 
thank goodness it only took me 21 years to finally get some sense, 
just know I'll be a lot better when I get home :) 
Today was SUPER P DAY! So, we all got up and got transport over to 
Lumley beach to have our awesome zone p day, and our zone is massive! 
We have like 5 districts with 32 members so it is by far the biggest 
zone by like 2x in the mission haha, but we played football, took 
pictures, volleyball, rugby, had lunch, and just relaxed and had a 
good time. Its weird because my MTC is going home in 2 weeks, Sister 
Atigobe, wow, makes me feel old and gives me a certain sense of 
urgency, so its game time! Les do dis! But, it was fun, especially 
since I have 3 of my *children there, Elder Dancan, Elder Labrum, 
Elder Rogers, and my grandchild Elder Eshun and my other adopted 
grandchild Elder Koopmans :) so that was a lot of fun and the football 
was a good time, until my shoes tore…but, no problem, I'll get those 
fixed by some guy on the street or something. I can sew shirts and 
what not now, just need to learn to sew shoes…how hard could it be?? 
At our district meeting on Tuesday we set a district goal that each 
companionship would contact 50 people this week, and for other missions 
that might not be much, I don’t know, but for us it’s a lot haha, but 
we went out and did our best and  think we got like 30 which was 
sweet. We had one guy we contacted who we always greet on this one 
road, and he was like Wow, my time has come! I know that you have felt 
something that inspired you to talk to me today! Well, when we went to 
see him the next day, he confessed that he had desperately been 
searching for a church, but his wife told him to be patient, and that 
an opportunity would come soon, so we were what he was looking for :) 
and he wants him and his children and wife to be baptized, so he came 
this Sunday to scout it out and loved it, so we are super excited for 
him and our faith in finding has increased considerably. The Lord is 
truly preparing his children to receive this message everywhere, and 
often times its those people right in front of us who we never thought 
would ever be interested. Same thing with S., who Elder 
Labrum finished his teaching, contacted him one day after passing him 
for 3 months walking past, felt inspired to talk to him, hasn’t missed 
church since :) sweet things are going down for sure, and A. is 
going to be called as Assistant ward mission leader on Sunday, so 
things are looking up up up! 
Well, the other night we had interviews with President Ostler and 
didn't get out until 7:00 due to the line, and we had an appointment 
with the Simbo family at 6…and she was freaking out calling us saying 
ah, the food is here, don’t you bounce us, you better come…so with 
headlamps prepared, we strapped up and made our way UP the mountain in 
the pitch black, just hoping not to die, and arrived to a GIANT dish 
of groundnut soup, boku crabs, fish, chicken, beef and the lot, which 
was great…then, we sat down with the family and we all made ginger 
beer together so I could learn how to make it and It was sweet, she 
ended up giving us a gallon to take home, but geeze, the humility and 
charity and generosity of these people is so incredible, words can’t 
describe, as this family LOVES ginger beer, and everyone chips in to 
make it, and then they give us the entire gallon, and end up drinking 
like half a cup each…I was like here here take some more and they all 
say NO NO! its for you, enjoy enjoy…and ugh I feel so helpless…these 
people are just so incredibly sweet…I love them all. 
Well…yep, that’s the excitement for the week. 
My poem a day continues about football at least, those are pretty good 
psalms you know. I heard Manchester United beat Arsenal 
yesterday…well, actually from all the yelling it would have been hard 
NOT to hear that they won, but kushey kushey to them, keep it up boys 
in red! 

So, to answer some of your questions momma, my health is great...ish 
:) and I did have a uh hard week but sweet of course! and the shell on that crab 
was sofi kinda but definitely still had a crunch to it haha :) I 
kinda want to go home and just go catch crabs and boil them up quick 
and eat em :) I guess I got to cut out some stuff or something? I 
don't know haha seemed simple enough, but I'm so naive. 

Oh...and the children! 
Yes, they attack, they attack with their dirty little hands haha but 
they are just precious and we love them and usually are just doing 
spin moves on the street dodging em and running away from them ahhaha, 
my favorite is go in for the high five, dodge it and give em a slap on 
the back of the head :) gets them laughing at least haha. and avoids 
me catching cholera ;) 
They have the attack pose is where they just start sprinting at you 
and drive head first right into the place you shouldn't haha, It's not 
a coincidence anymore! but, we work the same way, if we ever approach 
or start to run at them they SCREAM and RUN and their parents will 
yell and pull them towards us while they scream bloody murder. "COM na 
ere, de white man go carry you go! He go carry you go!" 

and sometimes the primary does a program, but it depends on the ward. 
haven't seen anything here :/ but i did in Mt Aureol and Messima and 
it was about as organized and crazy and cute as back home :) still 
didn't know the songs, got the stubborn kids up there because their
parents tell em to, then you got the beautiful children like Quinn 
just singing their heart out :) 

I love you all so much:) Have a blessed 
week!!!!!!!!!!!! 
love, 
Jesse 
Elder Sumrak