Wow, Hilary is in Honduras?? That's so cool! I bet she's just LOVING that! They have special missions for medical officers in the church. Like Doctor Maughan (I love his name!) and his wife here in West Africa. He's in charge of all of the medical affairs of all of the missionaries in West Africa, and so he did some similar things. He came to the MTC and immunized all of those who hadn't been able to in their own countries. I bet he just loves his work (and STRESSES over it!).
Wow Mom, our trip to New York City was a year ago, wasn't it?? I realized how long it's been this past week when I realized that I opened my call over a year ago. Jeez, the time flies. Especially where I've been in the same place for 9 months! This past transfer with Elder Esiaba has gone so fast! President Roggia says that he plans on having me stay one more transfer to finish training my companion. I don't mind, I love this branch.
I can't really speak of anything this week that was especially crazy or especially spiritual. We finally finished up the GPS work in our area, which required a LOT of walking. We also payed a visit to the CKC (Christ the King College) crocodile. He's a legendarily humongous croc that was born and captured in the same year that the school was organized some 70 years ago. They also had a python in captivity, but in recent years, it escaped. I bet someone just stole it and ate it. People do that kind of thing here.
We had an AMAZING youth activity on Wednesday. There was a lot of hype around it, so the turnout was spectacular. For us, that means new investigators! The young men and women prepared, practiced, and performed a hilarious skit, there was a Book of Mormon trivia challenge (in the which they FAILED. I was ashamed), and a POWERFUL song written by Rammy Tommy. It is his "Dear Joseph" song that he composed. It had a backup choir, keyboard, back beat shuffle and everything! I made sure to film as much as I could. It was pure awesomeness.
At the end, we had some refreshments of achekeh, which is a food I recently discovered a liking for. To make it, they take gari (dried and shredded casava root) and boil it into a mush. They add "gravy" (not exactly sure what's in it. I know there's palm oil at least...), cucumber, boiled egg, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, and usually dried fish. It's so good! And it's only like 2,000le for a nice big bowl of it. They sell it on the roadsides everywhere, so when I'm hungry, I can enjoy!
I've also discovered the deliciousness of gari as a breakfast food. You just take the dry gari (before it's boiled) and add plenty of sugar and cold milk, and eat it just like that! You'd get similar taste and texture if you took a bag of frosted mini wheats and crushed the daylights out of them before pouring milk on them. It's uber yummy, and a meager 300le a cup. Obviously, the sugar and milk is what is expensive.
As far as spiritual things go, we are having a hard time. School just let out, so EVERYONE is going on vacation to the villages or to Freetown for the next two months. It's a little frustrating, considering that our investigators are almost exclusively students. We did however, find a wonderful recently married couple that we are teaching, and they are EXCITED about the church. I love it when people follow the simple steps: Read, pray, and then know that it's true through a manifestation of the Spirit. The people who struggle are those who don't do these things. And how simple they are! The third is to attend church, and is key to lasting conversion. I've seen that it's usually one of those things that really converts someone more than the rest.
I wish we could have a cool summer (rainy season) around here. It's SO HOT. AND HUMID. They said by this time that it's supposed to rain continuously, but it's not. AT ALL. I rains like once a week, which is terrible. It just "washes the sun," as they say. So, it makes things WAY hot and WAY humid, as opposed to what it's like in the dry season, which is just hot.
Dad and Jesse, don't get lost at Ghost Lake again, and if I were you, I'd bring a pot and some matches to enjoy some crayfish! I bet you'll have a blast this week. As for me, it's just another ordinary week!
So Dad you think you would want to be a mission president someday? Oh Dad, that is NOT a small calling, ESPECIALLY where there are no stakes established. So, maybe my mission is unique like that, but still, if you ended up in a place like that... Oh man! I can only imagine the stress of President Roggia's labors, considering that he handles ALL business related to the church in two COUNTRIES. I think you'd be a great mission president though. Your "investigators" would be us, the missionaries. At least, that's what President Roggia says. I think it's a cool philosophy.
Well, I'm out of ideas of things to say. I love you so much! It's hard to imagine that the house is quiet with Jesse there... It was never that way when I was at home! ;) Have an amazing week!
Love,
Elder Vaughan
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