March 24/2014

     I was so excited for this last week.  It was the first day of spring a few days ago and I was looking forward to some sort of sign that winter was finally over.  Ya right.  This is the sign we got.....

This is a picture of the view from Ken's office window on the first day of spring.  I sent it to Carson to remind him of all the blessings he has for being on a mission in Africa...like warm weather!!!  Look how cold that poor chevy looks!!   Brrrrrrr!!!!

And this is his reply:

HEHEHE i don't know where i would rather be... in plus 40-50 or -25 hmmmm....

But ohhh that truck looks cold please take good care of my baby and DON'T sell her to Adam!!!

Hey pole sona. hope your ok and surviving. Because over here it is raining and raining. and then when it finishes raining it gets HOT!!!

Hey that is cool. Church sounds like it hasn't changed at all.

But you wouldn't believe what happened to use. We have been working with these sisters and this one (long story) is now going on mission. But now her exBoyfriend came up to us and said that i want to talk to you and your comp. We get in there and the first thing he said was i want to give you a "warning". he eventually said to distant our self from this girl and to keep working with her. He is a RM so he was making all these references to the white hand book. and he was just making my comp happy. and hey it was hilarious because all i wanted to say to him was so your warnings us. What are you going to do if we don't listen to you????

Ya but he made us HAPPY !!!

But overall after that we had a good week, we had alot of investigators in church and just all round good work.

Kesho President is coming and is going to interview us and on wednesday is going to be Zone Conference but as of right now. I don't know if i'm getting a package. kind of sucks. But you know This allotment is gone. and this money as my comp is like water it is very slippery but can i use my visa again so i can get through this last week?

Is this the time to start saying i love you lots and your the best mom.

Please again thank you lots hope you are going to write again to me today.

Carson

LOVE YOU LOTS 

Hi Carson,

So good to hear from you.  One question about this girl with the ex boyfriend...so he warned you to keep distant from this girl...is she the one going on the mission?

And then did he say to keep working with her or to NOT keep working

with her?  Why is that making your comp happy?  If he's an RM wouldn't

he want you to keep working with her on going...or is he wanting her

to stay home so he can get back together...or something like that?

Glad you had a good week.  Love hearing about all that you're doing

and who you are teaching.

Do you have to do much for a zone conference now that you and your

comp are zone leaders?  I have my fingers and toes crossed for you

that you will get a package or two.  I like sending them but I LOVE to

know that you get them and what you think of them.

Go ahead and use your visa as you think is needed.  We trust you and

know that you will use it wisely.  Besides that...it's your

money...you get to make those decisions!

Anytime is a good time to hear you say you love me...It makes my heart

and eyes melt and I love it!!!  And I love you too.

Here's a question for your mission prez...Mother's day is only 7 weeks

away.  Can I call you instead this time so that you don't have to use

your money to pay for it?  i would rather me pay than you.  But I

don't want to break any rules.  So ask him for me...thanks.

LOVE YOU LOTS TOO!!!

She is the one going on mission, he wants us to keep working with her to prepare her for her mission. because he doesn't like people to make him seem as a bad person when he is trying to be the good guy. At first this girl was wanting to get married but Pres, convinced her to dump the guy and go on mission. Well this Zone conference I have to give a training on the importance of member present lessons. and we have to prepare for everything. Food, living arrangments for people coming in and other great stuff. Ya na mimi pia. Napenda sona getting packages from Nyumbani

ok Thanks alot.

Um... The ap give us the money to communicate home so i don't know if that would be aloud.

So is this guy trying to get back with her now or will he wait for her

when she's done her mission?

 Oh heck...I almost forgot to tell you.  I heard some news this week.

Carson Dudley got his mission call to...........NOVA SCOTIA!!  That's

where my gma and gpa went on their mission.  So that's kind of fun.

Back to your letter...getting ready for zone conf sounds kind of

crazy.  Good luck with all that.

The google translate doesnt work here...What does ya na mimi pia. and

Napenda sona mean?  And Nyumbani.

and me too. i love you lots and Nyumbani=HOME

So I have to ask about the money thing...what do you find is the

biggest expense for you over there?

Transport and Chakula Food. But transport EXPECIALLY

how much does your transport cost?  Like are you talking taxi's or

busses?  

500 but we are just going every where and some times paying for other people to. ok hope i'll be here

So anything else exciting going on there?

Do you need anything from us?  Did you ever go get yourself some pants

or shirt?

Maybe if the pres is coming down, you should have him bring you your

extra pants that you left in Nairobi.

ya i haven't exactly had the time to do that but i'm working on it. One day i think i'll be going up to the office my self but i don't know if those pants are the extra big onces. So i think i just need to buy a new pair.

Good idea. When do you think you'll be going up to the office?  Do you

have to return every so often for visas or anything?  Did you ever

hear if you'll be getting any new missionaries?

how many missionaries are there in your mission?   In Tanzania?

Any requests for packages from home?

I don;t know but every now and then they have Zone leader Trainings. Ya no new missionaries.

but we have about 60 some missionaries and about 16 in tanzania Sucks alot.

Right now i don't know but if i think of anything besides nut rolls and home made pizza buns I keep you posted.

Well...there should be some nut rolls coming to you shortly I hope.

As for the pizza buns, we just havent made any recently.  And then

when we do Ashlee gives them all to Mark Mehew.

Do you have any recent photos of you?

Oh and maybe you would be interested in this.  So last week was the

zones playoff and Raymond Sr girls lost to Chinook in the finals.

Boooo.  But this weekend was the provincial playoffs and Raymond met

Chinook again in the finals but this time...Raymond won!!!

YAAAAAYYYY!  I of course was working so didn't get to watch it and

Kaylee went to Gpa's house but they were able to watch the game

online.  So that's some news for you.

HEy sweet that is awesome. and pole i forgot the camera thing again sorry maybe next week

That's alright.  Just so long as you ARE taking pictures.  Those will

be precious to you years from now.  How often will you be able to go back to

Africa?  So take lots of pictures.  Do you have any memory cards left?

 Make sure you keep them in a very safe place.  I still think you

should just go get them printed off and then send them home so that we

can keep them for you...but keep those memory cards safe!!!

yes i am taking pic. and yes i still have room on my card so don't worry. i don't know.

We will have to see. Thanks again love you carson

Perfect.

So did you have lots of people to write back to today?

Do you have to fill out lots of reports to the mission pres each week?

mission is still young plenty of time for people to figure out my email so ya,

But yes lots of stressful numbers and to make sure everybody is home safe. All very stressful stuff,

The problem with your mission still being young is that by the time

your finished and home...all your friends will only be about halfway

done their mission.

Sorry about the stress.  What is it about the numbers that makes it stressful?

 Ya no crape. These  guys are all emailing me. "Hey i'm on mission and it's my first pd." Ya your 7 months behind me. ha and they want me to wait for them HAHAH. and even idiots and even my friend B doesn't think he'll go on mission. IDIOTS.

Just to make sure everything makes sense and don't mess up.

What do you mean he's not going on a mission?  That's too bad.

What's the best thing you like so far about being on a mission?  What

would you tell him that would make him think it's worth going?

Well he keeps asking me if i have an regrets and i keeps saying i don't know.

I don't know but for me i have told him all about what you have told me mission sets you up for later life.  so i don't know what to say.

Do you have any regrets about being on a mission?

What do YOU think?  What's your favorite thing so far about being on a mission?

I know WE have said that a mission sets you up for life...but you will

have to depend on your own opinion.  The rest of your life hasn't

happened yet...so what do you like?

No of course not mission is awesome. All of my comps have been great. the area is great but it could have been alittle bit cooler. And just overall it is great. Well i can see it has taught me to be independent and to be more reliable on my self and i've just learned so much from being on mission.

Well, that's pretty good.  Have you noticed what a difference the

gospel makes in people's lives?  What do you think your life would be

like if you never knew anything about the church?  Where would you be

now?

I'm so grateful to the church.  It has blessed my life so much.  I

never went on a mission but the experiences that your dad had on his

has blessed me and you kids in a thousand diffeerent ways.

I sure love you Carson.  I am so grateful to be your mom.  You are

such a good example to me and to our family.  Thank you for being so

awesome.  I hope you cherish all your memories of your mission.  You

are building friendships that will last for a lifetime and then

beyond.  I love hearing about all your missionary experiences and it

makes me excited for the day when I will finally be able to be a

missionary and go somewhere with your dad to do that.  Then I can

really see big Kenny in all his missionary glory!!!

oh fetch i don't even want to think of that because technically would i have been born, would my parents have married, etc...

Ya thank you soo much love you too hope to write back soon Carson.

Etc...etc...etc... is right!

I hope you have a great week and I hope your zone conference turns out

ok for you.  Just remember...don't get on the bus that breaks down!

Remember what happened last time you were late...ha ha.  But

really...I bet you'll be awesome.  Good luck with your  lesson on

member present discussions.  You'll be great.

Just remember how much we all love you and care about you and are

praying for you.  (I bought and watched that Saratov Approach movie

this week about the two missionaries who were kidnapped in Russia...so

I am praying for you extra hard this week!!!   Don't be getting

yourself kidnapped ok!!!  Thanks)

What are your plans for the rest of your pday today?

Probably to go hunt some food. African style oh ya,

we already cleaned the flatt so we probably will find food and get ready for week.

Love you lots and hope everything goes well for you.

Carson

And that was it for his letter writing to me!  But then later on, this is the letter we found for Ken... 

Hey that is why i like you writing to me. Always not matter what mood i'm in or anytime of the week. I'll remember what you said in your letter, and i'll just laugh. Sorry about the cold and not training. But eventually you'll get out there. You always do.

Ya um sent me a letter a while back but i don't know if i'll write back but than after what you said maybe i will.  But you know eventually maybe i'll figure something out. That is if you are willing to help me like the old days. The other night i remember when you bet me $ that i couldn't talk to that girl for more than 5 min. but than i waltzed up after an five hour conversation and said where is my money. Hey i laughed. Hope everything is going good. Hope the girls are little more active then they seem. But again thanks for writing.

As for me this week has been good. Been doing alot of work and preparing for Zone Conference apparently i have to train on the importance of member presents. But ya it's been good.

Thanks again for Writing and for just being the best. Hope spring comes soon.

Love you

Carson

And that's it.  Just looked up the weather report...more snow this week and then even more snow for the weekend.  I wonder how far away Africa really is...

*9067 miles equals 14591.9 kilometers...that sounds sooooo far away!!!