January 19, 2014

     These are some pictures we sent to Carson from Ashlee's basketball tournament this weekend.  They came in second place and had a really good time!

     Of course....Ashlee always has to be the troublemaker!

     Here's Carson's letter to us this week.  It got a little choppy because he was sending me pictures from his trip to the animal orphanage while we were email chatting at the same time.  So hopefully it's readable!

Hey mom well

All is going well. sounds like you and the girls and the mzee are having fun and really enjoying wish i could be there to watch i think i would just be laughing the whole time. Wow ashlee look how far that girl flew after you pushed here. haha

as for me it has been an interesting week.

Tuesday- Upperhill for a ZTM

Wed- Upperhill Comp is sick and then he needs to do visa stuff so he can go to Cape town

Thru- we worked, saw some people.

Fri_ Comp still sick so we kindly took an easy day.

Sat same thing as the day before

Sun Church was powerfull had fun and really enjoy the members the bishop tried to hint to me that i might give a talk but i was like no my comp is right here. but in the end niether of us had to go up so it was pretty good.

Today Just chilling maybe go buy some food later but after that nothing.

But ya here all is going well mission is getting harder my comp has leadership for the first time and i m trying to help him but i didn't like being a dl alot more stressful than a ZL. But other than that all is great, teaching some powerful people and ya just having a great time here in Riruta. I hope i can stay here for a bit that would be great and powerful really enjoying.

Love you lots and hope your all doing great. as for me just doing great

Hope to talk to you some more love you some more

Hi Carson, 

     Hey I'm awake!  Can you believe it?

     Sorry to hear that your comp has been sick.  What kind of sickness?  When you say that you are teaching some powerful people...what does that mean?  What makes them powerful?  Can you tell me more about that?  That's nice that you're helping your comp with the leadership thing.  I know sometimes that being the leader can be a pain...but sometimes we can learn some great lessons when we are in those positions.  

Are you all done writing everyone else?  How much time do you have to write today?

hahah hey ya well it just these people are like roho mtakatifu or they have the spirit and where for sure prepared to recieve it but ya. My comp is sick with ?????????? who knows it is weird but he is getting better apparently but ya all is done. Ya i just finished just chating with another missionary and sending some photos to u

roho mtakatifu  (google translate = Holy Spirit)

CARSON!!!!   Sometimes it would be nice to hear some details kid!  What's their names?  How were they prepared?  What kind of things are you teaching them?   Go ahead....blah blah blah.  Brag about it a little!!!!  Would LOVE to hear about all those things.  

I did love the picture of the lion!  Did you have fun at the animal orphanage?  Glad you got to see some of the sights. 

if i told of all of that i would need the area book and 1 million ksh. argh. 

ok so there is Jeffrey Dominic, Victor, Emmanel, susan kitasi, ya thats them they mostly are refferals from members which makes them powerful because the members teach them and help them to understand that this church is not the devils church and we do not pray naked, all of them are different but they some how are all the same. don't really have to many questions and it will be great to eventually see all of them be baptized.

YA it was alot of fun and lots of people where jealous of my camera. It CAN ZOOM and takes nice pictures, there is like a bidding war going on everybody wants to buy it and try it out. It is like wow how much can it go for hmmm ya but its awesome though.

My comp taunting a lion

Got the second picture of your comp and the lion.  Those are some great pants he's wearing.  Very colourful.  Hope there's a picture of you in there somewhere.  Maybe you have colourful pants on too!  

haha

Sorry, don't mean to be pushy.  Just like to hear about what you're doing.  Are all those people part of a family or all separate?  Why do they think our church is the devils church?  Are there other churches over there that do all that weird stuff?

Sorry to be a bother.  Just sometimes it feels like you gloss over that stuff...and it's very interesting to hear about what you are doing.  

They are all friends. Just rumours from others churches, no but that is what they say we do with other thinks to. ya cool beans no problems

Well, it's good they have the members to reassure them that we are not totally crazy.

puff ya you just asked have you seen us doing that, Well no. Well how do you now. Well my pastor told me. Why don't u come and see for your self. COME AND SEE AND WITNESS FOR YOUR SELVES

That's a great comeback line that you use when people are asking you about what our church does.  Sounds like Elder Bednar's last talk....come and see!  That's how Christ taught too!  Good for you!  Hope that works for you.  

Oh Carson...that's such a cute picture of you and the giraffe!  I love it!  It really was trying to give you a little kiss!  Awwwwww!   And you are looking pretty good too!

pretty fun. But we also found out something crazy the other day. I weigh around 70 kg which equalls around 154 pounds. Is that right,

Yup...70 x 2.2 = 154 pounds.  Is that a big gain for you?  Too much of those rice and beans?  Thought those would   keep you lean.  You look pretty good in the picture you sent.

Well... of course i always look good but i was just trying to remember how much i was back home. wasn't i around 120 or something

Yes, you are right...you always look good to me!  Glad to see your ego is still intact!  I can't remember what you weighed when you left.  But it's probably all muscle that you've gained what with all the walking you do.

Any other big plans today...or this week?  Got any big lessons lined up?

really anything big just hanging around preparing for the week and all of that but after that not much. big plans in the week not really we will have to see what happens.

Is any of the people you are teaching close to baptism?  How many times a week do you visit them?  Do you ever go out and knock on doors to find people?  

Did you ever get any of those other packages we sent?  There should have been one from Taylor and one from Kaylee?  

YA we have two for the first of Feb. they met us at the churc around twice or thrice a week. Not to much here but we ll start trying now adays.

no i did not or at least not yet but i m looking forward to them hopefully. thanks eh.

"Twice or thrice"...sounds very old school!!!   Very cute!  Do you feel that the work is pretty hard over there?  Seems like most times it's very "chill".  At least how you describe it.  Life must move a little slower there. ? Or does it?    Is it a slower pace than here at home?  Or are you feeling overworked at times?  I know you're not big on the whole leadership thing, and we would never push that...obviously the most important thing is teaching people.  Do you think you'll ever get to be a trainer?  I guess it might depend how long you are with the companion you have now....how is his visa troubles looking?  Any luck with that yet?  Or soon?  Where is he from?  Does he have lots of family?

well it has it s challenges but overall it is pretty middle like. just depends on the day. Just depends on the day some days go faster than others,

As trainer i do not know Pres. said i was ready to train but we have never got new misisonaries lately so it is like uh maybe maybe not. It seems like they ll go through and he ll be off to Cape town soon. He is from Eldorent Kenya. and he has a big family 8 kids and he is the baby of the family. 

Does he ever say why there are no new missionaries in the area?  Wow!  Eight kids!  Is that pretty much the norm over there?  How many kids to people usually have over there?  Here...any thing larger than 2 or 3 kids... is kind of looked upon as strange.  (Of course unless you're lds then people kind of understand that.)  Has any of his older siblings gone on missions?  Where to?  He seems pretty fun though.  How far is Eldorent from where you are now?

The problem is Kenya. We are too young in there minds to be here, and also the church before just paid brides to get visas but no more so they are kindly getting miffed about that. Surprise there, usually it is around 2-3. out of his family it is him and his elder bro who are members and both are on mission. Him here and the other zimbabwe. about 5 hours by bus so he is pretty much home.

So how many missionaries are there total in the Kenya Nairobi Mission?  What does that mean the church paid brides to get visas?  Only the two of them are members?  Wow...that's kind of amazing.  Wonder how they heard about the church...what does the rest of his family think about him being on a mission?

right now there is maybe 70-80 but they would pay extra money so as a brid the government to let them in. Not too much i don't know never talked to him about that

What?  The church is paying bribes?  That doesn't sound right....does it?  I'm kind of shocked if that is happening.  At first I thought you were saying briDes.  Wonder why that is happening.

Ya mom got to go love you lots and hope you are doing good. and have a good week.

Talk to ya more next week

And that was it for the week.  These are some of the motivational quotes we have been sending him.