3 Miracles

Hello Hello! Sorry for my delay and writing this on Tuesday, we had independence day weekend here, and if holidays fall on a weekend here, they immediately extend to that Monday...not sure if the rest of the world does that, maybe, but its pretty interesting. So, yesterday, instead, we went to a district meeting by my boy Elder Rogers and he did incredible. His instruction was the exact instruction we have been giving around the mission so it was fun to see me and my pikin were receiving the same revelation to share with the missionares. After that, we made our way home the back way through Grafton again and boy did things get crazy in Hill Station. At first, just a couple of drunks dressed up in the road in halloween outfits, like zombies and spiderman, which was kinda entertaining...then as the taxi progressed the entire road was blocked off by hundreds of drunk/high crazy people just going nuts and so many devils were out going crazy and it honestly changed from that's kinda funny, wow this is annoying, to this is sick and gross, to I believe this city needs to be purged! we were pretty freaked out and depressed by what we witnessed and were sick in our hearts for the rest of the day at the iniquity we saw in even drunk 12 year olds and just it hurts my heart to even think about it...things got worse as our caravan of taxis slowly made its way down the hill, as we approached our drop off point and realized that there were 3 devils in the vicinity and a drunk man with a hunting rifle and a beer in the other hand leading what looked to be a mob...so, we payed extra and went to the next junction to grab another longer but different taxi route. arrived at our last location and the street was just crazy with more drunks and partiers, so we made our way down to some back streets and some football fields and got to the mission office and was able to get a notice out to all missionaries to return home...so that is the fun and excitement of Sierra Leone independence day, way too much alcohol....oh wicked and perverse nation that we love so very much, defininitely increases my zeal and "oh that I were an angel" as I go out declaring repentance to my beautiful people of Sa Lone...Settled in yesterday and took care of lots of office work, then even had time to play monopoly with the district again...I must brag in that I completely annihalated everyone with Boardwalk and must brag further by saying I am on a 4 year unbeaten streak continuing all the way back to when I destroyed Thomas / Laura/ and Nate back when I was visiting BYU for the first time...btw, I am dumb and remember THESE sorta things, forgive me of my pride, I love you all :)

Today we had our pday and spent hours in the bank waiting for money and then got some hamburgers, bought a sweet africana shirt, then made our way on home..now...email. yay!

As for the rest of the week, last Tuesday we went and visited Kissy for a zone meeting and it was great to see my old buddies, Nwosu...Penia, Mongalo, Rogers and honestly too many others to name them all. The meeting went well.   We came on home and took care of some work and even got out to see our wonderful family man A. before taking transport to arrive at Lumley by 9:00....oh, it was hard finding the apartment off in the wasteland in the dark, but we found it and settled in nicely with the great missionaries there. Elder Bogh and Richardson and Hartling and the 2 tongans. They all prepared a WONDERFUL meal for us all and we sat down to dinner with smoothies and pasta and just a delicious dinner, sweet time with those guys, then spent a wonderufl day on exchange in the Goderich area with the man Elder Bogh. Honestly, one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and just a great missionary who proseltyes and does his finding with a temple magazine, which he uses so artfully and magnificently. Great exchange, then got home late that night.

Thursday, up early and out the door to go to Jui and then Hastings to go and meet the elders there to aid them in their weekly planning. They are very young  but we were able to help them out considerably, but it went for so long, but we eventually made our way home and then had to take care of lots of office work and our own weekly planning and made it out to go see a person real quick.

Friday, we had our last sisters training meeting over in Congo Cross and it went really well, though it was super hot and everyone was dying. We had a great meeting with them and then were able to come home and spend a bit of time out proselyting, which was really nice.

Saturday, we had a FULL day out proselyting and were so excited that we just rushed out the door and got to work. We found a super sweet guy during our contacting in a new area we had never been and we were just on fire having a great time and just really feeling the spirit. Taught, M., a young father of 3, and then got bounced around considerably by our family appointments and pretty much only the wives and children were home for all the appointments...except for our beloved man A., who we had a great lesson with on the Book of Mormon, and then we had our 1st FM (free meal) as a companionship for an enjoyable and hot Fry stew on rice from sister Loyce.

Sunday...we felt inspired to fast on Sunday for some wonderful families who promised to come to church, and we just wanted it so bad and we just wanted some miracles to happen in these people's lives..and boy did it happen. The Lord poured out so many wonderful blessings to us on Sunday that we were just drowning in smiles and laughter and just an amazing day that we know the Lord gave us in his infinite mercy! First, we went down the street and down in to the valley to where a crippled man lives who we were teaching a while ago. His foot is broken and he has no medical help, so its pretty much permanently broken...but, he has never come to church before...but felt a prompting that he should and prayed that the Lord would help him...so, we showed up in the morning and pretty much said, we are here to help you go to church, so he hollered at his boys, grabbed his walking stick and we got him up the cliff, up the stairs, and into the church...it wasn't until we visited his family that evening that he confessed to us that THAT was the first time he had crossed the road in over a year an a half...what a miracle! He could hardly even walk, but had the faith to go to church and testified to everyone in the compound that the church was true and he was going to be baptized (the muslims weren't much happy about that)  Good times! That was miracle 1! Miracle 2, we were pretty disappointed when HE was the only investigator in sacrament though after our hard work that whole week, but half way through sacrament our family came...brother S, with his wife, and 2 young girls in his arms. WHAT! The whole room watched and stared at them and our ward mission leader rushed over across the room to us and was like IS THAT your family? and we were like yes! Brother S. is a big man in the community and well respected by everyone, his children (ages 3 and 5) speak better English then our bishopric can! It was so awesome for him to finally come after we have been teaching him for such a long while now, and immediately the members all understood and helped in miracle 3. they all just swarmed this family with love. the intermediate hymn starts and immediately 3 members are surrounding them with books helping them sing. as soon as sacrament ends the entire bishopric and even President Charles from the stake went and introduced themselves and then President Charles went to elders quorum with S. and Sister Charles stayed with the wife and the kids the whole day, it was amazing...oh yeah, not to mention that area authorities were there...2nd quorum of the 70 Elder Vinson was there and even got to talk to Elder Koranteng of the area authorities as well. so sweet! Elder Vinson gave an amazing talk that really hit S., so we were super excited!

Went and got to visit A. and his family and his wife is warming up to us, or now is! because she cooked us cassave leaf and we had prayed and fasted and told the Lord that we would fast until evening or unless a miracle happened and one of our families cooked for us, and she did! so that was another miracle that opened her heart to us :)

Then, on to S. T.and his family and we got to sit down with him and boy he just loved church and his wife wants to come back next Sunday and it was just awesome but he had a whole sheet of concerns that we were able to address all through the spirit and scriptures and it was honestly one of my favorite most powerful lessons of my whole mission. Answering concerns from offerings, collection, praise and worship, dancing, fasting, prayers, miracles, speaking in tongues, unpaid clergy, boy it was a bunch of questions, but we answered EVERYTHING through the Book of Mormon and he is really growing in his testimony of it :) finished the day nicely and came on home to prepare for the next day of fun and ceaseless miracles, the Lord truly blessed us and we are trying to be grateful for every blessing big and small!

by the way, Christiana Samba just emailed me, this is her email address
​christiana.samba​@myldsmail.net
I encourage anyone and everyone to write her, even if something is small. She is a convert to the church and has NO family or anyone supporting her while she is gone so I am sure she would love and appreciate even the slightest bit of attention or time you could offer...thank you!:)

Well...yeah, that is the work right now, we are enjoying and working hard and loving mission. life is great! we love mission! love you all!:)

Love,
Jesse
Elder Sumrak