March 3, 2014

Happy Birthday to Carson (yesterday)!!!

     He is 19 years old now and officially old enough to be on a mission!!!  Because I was missing him, I had to break out some of his old picture books and take a stroll down memory lane.

     This was Carson's first birthday!  He got his very own cake that year.  This is the before shot!

And this is what he looked like after.....

Once we got him all cleaned up, we let him ride on his new bike.  It was awesome and lasted a loooong time!  The best part was the handle on the back so that I could push him along.  We loved this bike!

And then, in a flash, he grew up into this amazing, wonderful, awesome young man!  And he's pretty cute too.  Still can't believe how he loves this truck!

     So for his nineteenth birthday, I sent him a picture of his two favorite vehicles so he could keep up to date on their status.  As you can see...they are COLD right now.  The temperatures here lately have been anywhere from minus 22 to minus 32!  (Not as bad as Saskatchewan where they have been minus 65 degrees Celsius!!!   Ouch!)

We also sent Carson a video of us singing him Happy Birthday!  I've been trying to upload the video here cause we were awesome, (ha...right)  but for some reason, it just won't load.  But I'll keep trying and maybe when the girls get home from school, they can fix it for me.  Prepare to be amazed!!!  Just imagine Ken lighting the candle on the cake and then can't get the match to extinguish and almost lights Taylor's hair on fire, Ashlee belting out the song and playing 3D with the cake to the camera.  I'm smiling away trying not to cry, and then Kaylee....well...she had just woken up from her all day Sunday afternoon nap and was not very enthusiastic...at all.  But it's the thought that counts, right?  So here's some pictures of our video until we can get the actual video to work!

INSERT VIDEO HERE!!!!

Of course, after the singing, we get to eat the cake!!!

     So that was basically our letter to Carson this week and all the pictures we sent him.  Here is his reply to us....

HAHAHAHA i laughed so hard when i saw dad. all i could say was "AH the Mzee is Good." but hey sounds like you guys are going good and having fun.

But i don't know if telling me about people getting mugged and held up at gun point is really comforting... But oh well. The other thing was PUT the Chevy back in the garage she looks cold please put her back. I want to see that truck atleast once more before it dies. Please put it back home.

But ya so this last week for us has been crazy. We had a party for the departing elders and then we went to transfer dinner on Jumamosi (Saturday) and the couples celebrated with cake and pie for me and it was awesome. 19 technical i'm not the baby anymore BUT i'm still am.

and then sunday, Fast sunday. Really need to change the day of birth. Fast sunday on the b-day isn't the funnest. but after church we saw a bunch of people and then went home and chilled for the night. And then we got transfer news. and pres called. and apparently as of now both me and elder ojjogolo are staying together and we have a new calling. We are the new Zone leaders in the Dar es salaam zone.  I now right not just Elder o but also i share the responsibility too. I now what you are think please stop laughing...

But ya i'm excited and alittle worried for all of this responsibility but it is all good and i'm happy thanks for the birth day wishes. and hope to read from you soon.

Thanks again

Hi Carson,

     Yes, we laughed a lot at Ken too.  He is definitely good.  Knife point...not gun...don't think I could handle that.  Please be safe.  Do they have safety lessons for you over there?

The chev is tough...it can take it!!!   Dad brought her out a couple weeks ago when we thought the weather had broken and we expected it to warm up.   Guess we thought wrong.  She's cold but I'm sure she'll be ok!

So you're zone leaders now.  Wow.  Definitely not laughing.  Pretty impressed actually.  How many missionaries in your zone that you are over?  How do you feel about still being in Dar?  I was thinking you might go somewhere else for a while but sounds like you are still needed right there. Good for you.  How's Elder O with all this?  I'll have to go wake up Ken and tell him the good news.

Yes we all know it is tough but i want it to remain tough until i get home.

8 including me and elder O. Me i'am ok less money church has to pay on travel for me any way. Elder O well he has been here his whole mission so... He is Dead. being a Zl he is excited but... 71/2 months later he is dead.

What do you mean he is dead?  What does that mean?

He was looking forward to leaving but nope. The branch is calling us like this. Elder Williams and Bro Ojjogolo because he has been here sooo long.

Oh...that doesn't sound so good for him.  That's too bad.  I hope you two will be okay being there for a little while longer. 

So you didn't tell me if you still use that money belt thing?  Does it actually work?  Do you have to carry your passport with you wherever you go?

Did you get our video we sent you?  

No i don't use it. All i do is i have 20,000 in my mission hand book along with everything else. But i leave all my cards home. I got it but it didn't work but im going to trying again.

oh.  Did you need any extra money this month?  Have you had any trouble with the VISA?  I noticed they never did charge you a service fee last time...so I was wondering if you've ever used it again.

We tried to sing for you in the video we sent you!

Taylor's awake and says hi!

YA i just got it but i only got out 100,000 so i might have to get some more out soon if that is ok.

But i just watched it and holy crape. i have never laughed so hard in my life. Kaylee wasn't to enthralled about the holy think and ashlee was alittle over the top. and i'm pretty sure it looked like dad was lip sinking but still i have never laughed so hard.

Hi Taylor Mambo vipi. 

Yes that's ok.  

Kaylee had just woke up from her all day after church nap and wasn't too thrilled with me and my big ideas.  (When is she ever thrilled with me!)  And Ashlee...well you know Ashlee.  (She's awake now too!  All excited for scripture study this morning!)  Dad wasn't lip syncing...he was totally joined in...even I could hear him sing!  Glad you liked it! 

What's mambo vipi?

it is like what is up. Response is Poa (Cool) or Fresh

HEHE very funny thanks i enjoyed it.

Dad is awake now and we're lining up for scriptures.  Does your companion only have 7 1/2 months left of his mission?

Great...Ashlee is now making up a song for "Mambo vipi"!!!!   We're going to be hearing that all day!

No that is how long he has been on mission. oh great karibu sona. (very welcome)

Shikamoo- Marahaba

by the way Habari za ashubuhi?

News of the morning?

Not too much news today.  We are reading in Alma chapter 42.  The girls have school today, basketball practice for Kaylee, Taylor's going filing, and Ashlee's going to dance and then basketball practice.  Dad's got his usual day planned of horses, treadmill and work.  Me...I have the day off so I'll be doing housework. So that's our news of the morning?

How about you?  Any exciting plans today?

The girls want to know what kind of cake/pie did you have yesterday for your birthday?

No not really just kind of like you clean the house email, eat chips, drink soda, and last but not least SLEEP. now i definetly know why you guys like sleep. my comp tried to wake me up by playing loud music but he said i was DEAD kabisa. (alot/ completely)

Knechts made a cherry briscuit thing for me and then everybody else got a normal cake and ice cream. It was very good but not like yours.

I thought you were done drinking soda.  Yes, sleep is a lovely thing.  The cherry biscuit sounds good.  I was going to make a cherry pie in your honor yesterday...but...well...I couldn't handle knowing that you wouldn't be here to enjoy it so Ashlee made the brownies instead.

So overall, how are you feeling about being zone leader?  Is it going to be a lot of extra work?  Have you got any more missionaries scheduled to arrive?  How is the visa issue coming along?  Do you have to go get your visa renewed?  Do you have a Kenya visa or is that why you're in Tanzania?

Sorry to bombard you with lots of questions...just curious! Love ya!

ya i was done from 2 a day to just one a day. but ya being a zl is alot more stressful. you got to make sure everybody is home safe and that everybody is obedient and doing what they are suppose to be doing. No nobody is coming in from anywhere. The visa are at a stand still. Nothing is happening. but they don't like us leaving from kenya to another country. One of the elders was sent home because the Kenyains didn't want him in their country or in Africa, so they had to send him home. Me i don't know i don't thinks so but i don't know. because this is where i started. but it will be easier for me to get a visa since i have lived in Tanzania for as long as i have.

Don't worry it is ok. But i am out of time pole sona.

Hope next week i'll have all of the photos from the knechts so that i can send them to you.

Asante sona. Napenda sona wewe pia.

Carson

Thank you alot. I love/like you alot alot

 too.

Hope you have a good week.

So that was it for me.  But then this is the letter he wrote to Ken:

Hey it is so good to hear from you and that everything is going good.

Ashlee will be ashlee. But atleast the girls are doing good. And hope you'll be racing in a few days. Old Red needs something to do and you make everybody laugh training your horses with that old truck, it is very entertaining.

That's good people are asking about me. I was starting to feel like nobody remembers me back home. but that is all good though.

So this week has been good and hope its been good for you too. But Yesterday was transfer news and pres. phoned and again neither of use are leaving the area... But... both of use has a new calling. We are the New ZLs. went president told me that i really almost past out. My comp was like dead. he's been in the area all of his mission and he really want out. But now we are both ZL. I guess it is ok. but i definitely wasn't expecting that.

Any advice on how to be a good zl and other helpful tips would be wonderful.

Asante sona.

Napenda sona.

Mzee Williams

Carson

So that was our week!  Carson has been on his mission 6 months today.   We are so excited for him!  What a great kid he is!