August 25, 2014

     Can't believe it was one year ago yesterday when we had Carson's farewell!  It seems like forever ago.  Everyone tells me how fast this is going, but to me...it's just crawling by.  They also tell me that this last year will go faster so I'm really looking forward to that. '

     Well...here's his letter and our chat this week.  He got a new companion and it sounds like they were together in the MTC as well as the other companionship.  So I tried to look back at some of the MTC pictures to find them.

Wow that is powerful thanks mom. hahah that is awesome thanks so much for writing. so it seem like alot is going good,  i have a new comp he is Elder Anderson from Florida and as a surprise president has put all of us together from the same group in the MTC we are all turning a year in a week and it is powerfull. I don't Know lets hope i don't go to Kenya. bevans stayed while we went. Half by half i pay for half and the church pays the other. (I asked him who pays for a new phone.  Then I asked him if he ever had to speak in sacrament meeting.)  Oh no not a few times but alot of times it is awesome but very very stressfull.

Ya u know mom when your packages come all i do is read the letters so if you want to continue sending packages u can my companions here really appreciate but as for me i love to read those letters so what ever u feel.

And ya please i beg of you do not say anything more about this subject of books you ll make this year turn into a eternity. but thanks anyway. Ya so for us this week has been kindly interesting i ll tell u more in detail later but yikes the other day we where going to see a lady who is powerfully but had an accident a while ago and we walked up to her house and she was looking like she was dead on the floor. we went and grabed this bibi and we went in and helped her into her bed and then we gave her a blessing. and then we left. we came back the next day and see was better and very happy. and even on sunday she came to church so we thought she was making better progress but today thi smorning they phoned again and wanted us up there again, we went up and she was sick again and wanted another blessing we gave her and she went and sleeped and the husband was the and was just crying so ya this morning was kindly interesting. But now everything is good. Hope all is wel your side love you lots Carson 

Hey Carson.  What a great letter!  So does that mean that you and your new comp Elder Anderson are still in Mwanza?    And the rest of your group...are they in Mwanza too?  Do you all live in the same house or something?  Was Elder Anderson with you in the MTC?  Are you senior or junior companion or does that matter?

If you have to give a lot of talks...you're probably a professional by now!  Great to hear that!

Glad to hear that you like the letters!  I have fun finding the cartoons for you!  Sorry about taunting you about the books...but I couldn't resist.

That is an awesome story about that poor bibi...hope she is feeling better soon.  Did you ever find out what was the matter with her?  Why was she laying on the floor?  I'm so glad you were there and able to help her.  And I'm glad that she felt like she could call on you for help.  I hope all goes well for her and her family.

Any other big plans today?

Yes Yes Yes and i think we are sharing responsibility. hahah u sure. um the lady had an operation and she doesn't have any of the medication and she was sleeping on the floor and then couldn't get back up. Not really anything interesting

So what happens in a week when you hit the year anniversary?  Are you all having a big party or something?

YUP YUP YUP BIG PARTY CALL THE PEOPLE CALL THE PRESIDENT CALL THE PEOPLE WILLIAMS RAWSON NKHOMA AND ANDERSON ARE TURNING 1 YEAR ON MISSION YAHOOO PARTY ALL NIGHT ALONG.

  

Elder Anderson

Elder Nkhoma  

Elder Rawson

Whoa there big boy...let's not get too carried away.  Big party...but maybe not ALL night long!  Do you feel like this last year has gone by quickly or slow?  Everyone keeps telling me this last year will fly by.  Hope you are having fun but hope you are making the most of the time you have.  Dad always used to say it was like a dream in the night.

Slow at the begining but fast from there to the end yup i can see why he said that crazy how much that mzee knows

It is crazy how much he does know. Kind of almost eery sometimes.

When you have to talk in church...what kind of talks are you giving?  I mean, what do they usually ask you to talk about?

Do you have any more pictures you wanted to send us?  Maybe one of you and your new companion?  

Well u know they come and they say, "We would like you to talk today in church and u know u can speak on what ever you want Thanks u we really love missionary. maybe next week because i don't have my card right now

What?!?!?   They don't even give you a week to prepare?   Yikes!  That's a little too Johnny on the spot for me!  Have you gotten used to that?  Do you just keep a couple spare talks in your scriptures "just in case"?   That's an amazing talent to develop if you can just come up with a talk at the last second like that.  Good for you.

Well um i just kind of go off  on what ever and ya hope it works Thanks

Good for you.

I just thought of something...it's kind of weird to ask though.  I thought they kept the companionships...um...one kid white and the other native/black.  Elder Anderson sounds kinda white.  (Sorry)  What I'm asking is...I thought it was more safe with a mixed companionship.  How is that going to work with two white kids roaming the streets?

WAZUNGU WAZUNGU how are u it is a riot so we will see but he knows swahili kabisa so we will have to see what happens

What is wazungu?  

I was telling the bishop about how you finally have grasped the swahili thing and he said he had the same kind of experience when he was in Portugal.  He said it was a cool thing when you didn't have to translate what was said but instead started just hearing the language and being able to just speak it back.  So that was kind of neat.

White people White people

That is neat though

Which reminds me...I forgot to tell you that we went to Benson W's wedding reception on Saturday night.  He married Katie T from Magrath.  They've been dating since high school.  She is Dr. T's daughter.  I used to work with him when I was working at Magrath Hospital.  They were a cute couple.

That is awesome that is powerful that is great

Ha ha....you are so funny.  What's with the POWERFUL word lately?  It's great but it's fun to hear you use it for everything.  

Do you ever get to go back up to Nairobi to visit the mission home?  

What else are you planning on doing today?  What's on the menu for supper tonight?

Powerful is a good word. NOPE NOT YET

?????????????? I Don't know?????????????????????????

Hey...how hard is it for you to buy eggs or milk?  Is it really expensive?  What about butter or margarine?  What do those cost?

YES VERY EXPENSIVE YUP blue band VERY EXPERIENCE ALOT ALOT A LOT

What's blue band?    

That's too bad.  I wanted to send you a cookie mix but it needs eggs and butter.

Can you ever buy powdered milk?

ya no problem but that might be a interesting way to mix it.

Hmmm nope

Blue band is the brand of Butter

Hmmmm....I'll have to rethink some of my plan then.  Maybe I could send you some powdered milk.  I think they even make powdered eggs...but I'm just not sure what to do about the butter.

um u don't have to but if you want to we don't even have a stove so unless u want us fry them u can send it

Oh...ok...well that changes everything doesn't it.  Maybe you just want to eat cookie dough?  Sorry.  So what do you cook your food on?  Do you have a hot plate?  or a stove top?  Just no oven?  Do the Bevans make you supper every once in a while?  Do they have an oven that could bake cookies?

um fire wood... and those bevans hahaha nope nope nope yes but no

Seriously...you cook over firewood?  No...really?

yup i ll send u some pic.

That would be great.  I had no idea you cooked over firewood.  I knew about laundry in a bucket...but I at least figured you would have a stovetop or hot plate to cook on.  Wow...this is new.

yup yup yup lots of fun but we cook on stove top

oh...well Carson...that's what I asked.  So where does the firewood come in?

It was just spur of the moment fun time good moment kind of the thing

You are crazy!   

Well, I better let you go so you can finish off writing to whoever else you need to.  Anything I can do for you this week? Do you need any talk helps or special requests for the pringles cans?  

nope all is well thanks u for all that u do but realistically more letters from home would be nice. Thanks though

Okay...if more letters from home is what you want and need...we'll get on it tonight!  

I sure love you Carson.  I'm glad everything is going so well for you over there.  It makes my heart happy to hear from you each week.  I'm so proud of everything you are doing and for how well you are doing it!  You are a great example to me and our family.  Thanks so much for being such a great son!  I love you bunches and bunches!!  You really are an amazing guy!

Yup thanks mom you are the best and amazing and just everything thanks so much for everything that u do very gracious for everything

Awww Carson...You're the best ever!  Thank you for that.  I love ya lots!  Hope you have a great week this week.  Good luck in everything you're doing.  Send our love to the poor bibi you've been helping.  Hope she feels better soon.  And tell your new companion hi from us.  Uncle Michael served his mission in Floriday so you'll have to ask your companion just where in Florida he's from. That would be kind of interesting to know if he served close to your companions home town.  

Best of luck this week.  Stay safe and keep away from the ebola thing.  Hope all is well. 

Love ya lots!

Ya for sure thanks mom love you too

And here's Ken's letter:

Hey wow mzee that is powerful.

Ya that is great but it was really stupid how id that but here hey u for sure have to be careful u ll even see people looking at u and your pockets. And even on the bus they will feel your pocket to see if you have anything they can steal. That is why u put your money in your sock or white hand book. i gave a lady a wet bill once and she looked at me like i was crazy. but it was pretty funny. Ya zone conference was great got to see abunch of old friends and talk with my old companion. He is doing good but he is ready to leave that area he has been there for over half of his mission so he is ready to go. and now i have my new comp elder Anderson. We are in the same group for the mtc and hey was in this area before so he is really excited to work and even me he is powerful. so we will have to see what happens but we are all partying for all of us to turn one year on mission. Oh ya all of us in this zone are in the same group so we are going to party hard, But sounds like all is going good that side. Even us we are ok lots of are investigators are doing good a few are sick but overall all is well.

Hope all is good love you lots

Carson