Hello All! Elder Jesse Sumrak, reporting in on a rather busy but wonderful week. Tuesday was the big day, and we were up and at the gym to get pumped for the sweet/long day ahead of us. We went with President and Sister Ostler and crossed on the sea coach boat, which was a dying boat this time, and I'm surprised we even managed to cross the bay. We arrived at the airport and only had to wait a short time before our 17 missionaries arrived (the 18th to arrive later in the week, Friday). They were an excited bunch of African missionaries, 9 sisters, 8 elders, and only 1 American. We managed to get them all on the buses and then we didn't all quite fit on the boat, so my companion and I took the last boat with 2 of the other missionaries, after taking the opportunity to already help them adapt to Sierra Leone and buying them both some ground nut cake :) . We all managed to fit in the cars/trucks/buses, waiting to pick us up this time, so we got to the compound very early, and Elder Nwosu and I ran around trying to feed and direct all the missionaries and their luggage and prepare the sisters living quarters and everything, and we were successful, and actually got to bed by like 11:00 this time, instead of 2:00 haha! So, Success for the Tuesday!
Wednesday, we were up early to start getting people ready, and I even managed to squeeze in 30 minutes of crunches after preparing breakfast for them all. We had already arranged food for the sisters, but just had to make some Peanut Butter jelly sandwiches, prepare the apples and boiled eggs for the elders, and bam don don. NO wahala. The orientation and everything went well, and my companion and I got to instruct the group briefly on the 12 week training cycle before we had lunch. We also got to instruct the young lads and ladies about subsistence and we were very direct and specific. We then went up to the office and had to work on getting everyone off to their right areas with phones, area books, maps, and all the like; exhaustion, and then satisfaction as we finally got to rest in the evening; and we hoped Thursday was going to be a nice and normal day, but boy were we wrong.
In the morning, a Z. showed up because he was departing for a Nigerian mission, so we got all his bags weighed and did a brief orientation with him before sending him on off. Went back upstairs to find Elder Clawson and Wootton had arrived (going home) as Nwankoko and Otubu had also the previous day. Wootton was absolutely dead, haven gotten some illness over the weekend that he had not recovered from, and the poor guy looked like a zombie; and would lay on that couch in our room pretty much consistently until his departure Friday afternoon; poor guy :/ rough way to go home. We did a quick weekly planning and then took Elder Clawson to the wood market so he could get his goodies and souvenirs to take home. Well, that place is always busy and crazy as mess, but we were able to get him all those things and then race back to the office. We then had a hard time deciding whether we would tote Wootton's life-less body up the mission home for the departure dinner, or to just leave him and let him rest, which became the verdict.
So, Elder Clawson, Otubu, Nwakonko, and my companion and I ran up to the mission home to have the departure dinner. President Ostler handed out books from his library to the departing missionaries, and even gave me part of some workout book haha, they all know me so well. We had a great time enjoying our last evening with 3 of our 4 departing missionaries and really enjoyed some fun conversation with the Jests, Kanzlers, and Ostlers as well.
Back down to the office we came and we were pretty tired, but not Elder Clawson and I, what started off as a pushup challenge turned into a full blown 40 minute workout haha to remove guilt and to get him flexed for tomorrow ;) Well, for the first time in my life, I reached 100 straight pushups; well, I lie small, I got 98, but I was in tears but just couldn't manage 2 more :( but its all good, maybe next time haha, so we had a great time working ourselves into a nice peaceful sleep, until I noticed Nwanokoko had no pillow; must have left it at his last apartment, so I ditched mine to him and slept with a sheet haha, bad mistake for my back, but blessings are better I believe :)
Got up in the morning and we had a testimony meeting for the departing missionaries and Elder Wootton was able to stay half conscious for the meeting and it was a great spiritual meeting. I admire all of these Elders and I'm really going to miss them. Elder Clawson and me had become very close on mission and he was kind of like my mission father figure haha (he is an older guy) and I really love and respect him. Very humble guy and I know he is going to do great things! We then rushed over to a zone leader training meeting in which they instructed the district leaders and sister trainer leaders and rushed back for the departing missionaries.
We took Elder Nwaonkoko and Otubu to the boat dock to see them off, to find out the last boat got cancelled, so somebody had to also rush to bring Clawson and Wootton there on time. We got to say our goodbyes as they boarded their boats to go across the ocean to their awaiting planes; Farewell to those great missionaries, we love and miss them very much! Well, we slipped into exhaustion and returned home to almost a quiet apartment;and then tried to go teach a lesson and got bounced, and then retired to go do follow up calls, and take care of Elder Jest and his new companion who showed up. Will our apartment ever be normal again? Haha
Well, Saturday we had another busy morning, but eventually got out the door and got to go and teach a couple lessons! Which was really sweet and we enjoyed being able to go and share the gospel with some wonderful individuals, despite our unrecuperated strength. We returned in the late afternoon for the ward scripture program in which we discussed 2 Nephi, and Elder Nwosu and I had to ditch early to start follow up calls; not easy now that we have 6 sister trainer leaders to follow up and 5 zones; That takes a lot of time haha, didn't even finish them until 10:15 Sunday night!
Sunday was great and we actually had 4 investigators in church, which is pretty sweet considering we had 5 lessons hahaha :) We will get this work going the right way :) I have faith. It's the Lord's work! It will be done in the right way! I was listening to something, maybe Go Forward with Faith, not sure, but it talked about it's the Lord's work, not our work; Yeah! Gordon B. Hinckley when he was called to be Stake President and asked many members to donate more to the cause of the Saints and ah, it was just sweet and I listened to it last night, and it really gave me hope for the future of Sierra Leone. It's the Lord church, it's his work, its going to end up perfect, we just have to do our best to help it get there, but we need not be frustrated or demoralized, because it's a PROMISE and it's going to get there!
Well, we got to find a family last night, which was so sweet to sit down with Mama, Papa, and the children (all over the age of 16) and wow, I love teaching families hahaha. Today was sweet, got to play some football in the hot sun until exhaustion beat me down this time. This morning I did pop out a solid 18 on the bench father, so I am ever improving haha, more and more every week! Taking over haha, were really excited for this upcoming week for the multiple sweet projects and assignments we have been given, so here we go, hope for the best, hope the internet comes on so I can finally send this; love you all!
Love,
Elder Jesse Sumrak
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