We saw the news about Osama Bin Laden today at Mars Cafe. We were joining in on the singing that came through the TV. We were pretty excited about it too.
It is good to hear that Lokey is chasing bunnies in the back yard at home. Oh Lokey, I miss that dog so much! There's one member of the church here that owns a dog that's black and white just like Lokey is ("fiba cow" as we'd say here, which means "resembles" or "looks like" a cow), and it makes me miss my furry friend like crazy.
We're currently having this thinly veiled "fuel crisis" here in Bo. The gas stations are in a combined effort to withhold all of the fuel in town (it's not that hard, I think there are two or three stations in all of Bo) to artificially inflate the price of fuel. It's making life DIFFICULT. First of all, we use a generator every night, and we refill our 4 gallon container every week or two at a cost of 76,000 Le. Now, it's 100,000 Le. AH!! It's insane. Most of our districts don't have enough money to afford fuel to run the generator every night, like we have a right to as missionaries. It's tough.
Second, there is suddenly a scarcity of motor bikes, and the price to ride is doubled or tripled. Ugh, I hate it. Sure, it's a difference between 1,000 Le and 2,000 Le for a ride, but it adds up QUICK. So, on Saturday, we were forced to walk to Reservation Quarters, because there were no bikes around (and even if they were, I'm sure they wouldn't have wanted to take us.). We WALKED. It's FAR. We arrived at the quarters and Elder Lancaster chucked in the bushes. I suppose my companion is doing all right, but he's still struggling health-wise. I don't see him staying another transfer here. We're doing okay though, we just have to pull off another week and things will be better.
We had a program on Saturday where we watched The Testaments with our recent converts and some investigators. It was really awesome, actually. One line in the movie really stuck out to me, and perhaps it's the Spirit talking to me: It's where Helam is talking to Jacob after he returns with the caravan with all of those nice riches and things. Helam explains to him the reason why God blesses fathers with sons, saying that they are there "to take care of them when they grow old; to be a friend when no one else is there." I thought a lot about that...
I really want to come back to the business and work with you Dad. I just keep realizing how hard you've worked to provide that business for us children to provide for us, and that I ought to take advantage of that as well, and continue your legacy. To take your place. I don't know how you'd feel about that, but I keep feeling more and more that I am supposed to take an active part in the family business. I hope you'd be pleased to have me around for good.
I'm very VERY excited to hear the family on the phone when you call on Mother's Day. In terms of phone calls, I'm halfway done with my mission! Ha ha ha, oh I'm so depressingly far from returning home...
I'm trying my best to write in my journal. Sometimes there's just nothing to write about though, and that can make it hard. I write every week at the very least, but usually more often than that. Most days just feel like "another day," so it's hard to write a lot of days. Things will be changing soon, as transfer news is coming on Sunday. It'll be a good change.
So, experience time: Lately this area has been REALLY hard. We have VERY few lessons, even fewer investigators, and most of those that we have are, well... not so good. Remember Festus I've talked about? His sister was one such investigator, by the name of Florence. She didn't take us seriously at ALL, but we've been building a really good relationship with her and the rest of the family. Finally, she accepted the invitation to come to a recent convert/investigator fireside. We watched the Testaments at the activity, and it was wonderful. The next day, Sunday, she surprised us and showed up to church! A first, to be sure. We went after service to visit her, and we asked her how she saw things. She said that she felt amazing as she watched the Testaments, and we taught her from that feeling that what she was experiencing was the Spirit. We then read from 3 Nephi 11 about Christ's visit to the Americas, telling her to focus on how she feels. She said afterward that she again felt "amazing." We asked her if she wanted her to keep that feeling with her always, and of course she said yes. We talked briefly about the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and gave her an assignment to begin reading the Book of Mormon so that she can invite that feeling to be with her even when we aren't around. Not sure what will happen next, but she's suddenly interesting in what we are saying. It makes all of the trials we are facing here worth it.
On a different experience, Festus came over to our apartment for dinner. We took the table out onto the veranda so that we all could be together (visitors aren't allowed in our apartment), and we made some delicious Alfredo from the box you sent. I got some chicken from the market, and it was a super-delicious enhancement. We also enjoyed some mashed potatoes and gravy, and lemon poppy seed cake for dessert, compliments of the boxes you sent. Festus was excited to try some American food for the first time. It was a lot of fun (and a lot of work! Cooking is such a thankless and difficult job. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!).
Well, time to jet.
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Monday, May 2, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Persecution... I Thank You!
Easter was, well, nothing special really. The town turned into a zoo as people traveled to and from Bo, but other than that, there was no real noticeable celebrating. We, the Elders in Bo Zone, were hosted at the Turray's compound in New London area for dinner. Brother Turray was a member of the district presidency previously, and is now a faithful and extremely prosperous member. He owns a large compound, complete with a stone wall surrounding it and a drug store out front. One section of the compound is rented out to the missionaries who serve in New London and Njagboima branches. It's such a nice apartment! Anyways, we went there for dinner, and they fed us some really nice fried rice and fried chicken. No small sacrifice, and we were extremely grateful for it. That's pretty much all we did to celebrate, but it was good enough for me.
Congrats to Josh on finishing his Eagle Scout requirements! Eagle is a good thing to get. Too bad he doesn't know the bliss of not having Mom bother you about it for so long... ;) I really liked being done with my Eagle.
It's so true that it's not the money that makes people rich. I wish these people here could know that... Some people just flat out don't like us white Elders because we're not there to give them things. ALL THE TIME we're asked for food/money/whatever we might be holding at that moment, and it makes me SO MAD. We're not here as a charitable organization, but as an organization all about charity, the pure love of Christ. We're here to teach the gospel message, not buy a new life for people. I think that all of the free handouts these people get is what's really spoiling this country. That and the corrupt government. Money just disappears like crazy. We (the "Western countries") have taught these people dependence on us. It's so sad, because this place has so much potential to develop and actually BE something, but people lay about all day long (that is, until we come to visit them, then they run away).
Regarding the Baptist ministers of which I previously spoke, they aren't too much of a nuisance. There are only two of them here (as far as we've seen) from America, and those are the mean ones. Our mission president talked to some of the Elders about the Baptist persecutors. He said "If I had the chance to meet them face-to-face, I would shake their hand and thank them, and say, he continued, switching to a mockingly high-pitched voice, "I thank you! I thank you! I thank you for persecuting my missionaries! Because of the un-Christlike contempt you've demonstrated towards my missionaries, they are going to return home with stronger testimonies and tell people that they were PERSECUTED. I thank you!" It was so funny. Whenever we thank someone now, we say "I thank you!" as a sort of inside joke, and it's way funny.
I've learned to fear Americans here. Very few of them are kind or have anything decent to say to you. Americans are just rude people in general, I've learned. I'm going to have such a hard time adjusting when I get home, because I'll want to greet everyone I see, much like how everyone does here. Everyone is pleasant and kind, but the Americans won't even look at you. It's... unbelievable! To think that I was once that way! I don't think we're intentionally rude at all, but man, we sure are. We don't look or talk to anyone we don't have anything to do with. It's totally the opposite here, and I've grown to like it.
This week was a difficult one. The stress is mounting, and making things very difficult for me. No worries, I don't need any encouragement or anything, I'm just sharing. It helps to dissipate some of the stress to get it out on paper (or screen, I guess). It's discouraging because I feel like I'm doing all I can, and yet, maybe it's not enough. I'm just at a crossroads for a lot of things that both effect me and Njaie Town in general right now. In two weeks time, it's likely that Elder Lancaster will be transferred to Freetown so that they can keep close tabs on his health, which means another six weeks here for me and a new companion. Ugh, 7.5 months in Njaie Town, at least. It's kind of a lot, especially for someone who's only been in one place. I look forward to greener pastures (or even browner ones, that I way I can at least know the difference and what I had). It's just an interesting time here for me. Just movin' onward. It's all I can do.
I'm so glad that as I was brought up, I was taught that doing your best was all that mattered. A lot of times, Satan wants me to think like all of the bad that is happening is somehow my fault, but I remember that I'm doing my best, and that that is all that matters.
Needless to say, this week was a tough one for me. I know, I know, keep courage/faith/going/etc. It doesn't stop hard weeks from happening, and this week happened to be one. It's pretty draining, I won't lie, but we push onward and upward.
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Congrats to Josh on finishing his Eagle Scout requirements! Eagle is a good thing to get. Too bad he doesn't know the bliss of not having Mom bother you about it for so long... ;) I really liked being done with my Eagle.
It's so true that it's not the money that makes people rich. I wish these people here could know that... Some people just flat out don't like us white Elders because we're not there to give them things. ALL THE TIME we're asked for food/money/whatever we might be holding at that moment, and it makes me SO MAD. We're not here as a charitable organization, but as an organization all about charity, the pure love of Christ. We're here to teach the gospel message, not buy a new life for people. I think that all of the free handouts these people get is what's really spoiling this country. That and the corrupt government. Money just disappears like crazy. We (the "Western countries") have taught these people dependence on us. It's so sad, because this place has so much potential to develop and actually BE something, but people lay about all day long (that is, until we come to visit them, then they run away).
Regarding the Baptist ministers of which I previously spoke, they aren't too much of a nuisance. There are only two of them here (as far as we've seen) from America, and those are the mean ones. Our mission president talked to some of the Elders about the Baptist persecutors. He said "If I had the chance to meet them face-to-face, I would shake their hand and thank them, and say, he continued, switching to a mockingly high-pitched voice, "I thank you! I thank you! I thank you for persecuting my missionaries! Because of the un-Christlike contempt you've demonstrated towards my missionaries, they are going to return home with stronger testimonies and tell people that they were PERSECUTED. I thank you!" It was so funny. Whenever we thank someone now, we say "I thank you!" as a sort of inside joke, and it's way funny.
I've learned to fear Americans here. Very few of them are kind or have anything decent to say to you. Americans are just rude people in general, I've learned. I'm going to have such a hard time adjusting when I get home, because I'll want to greet everyone I see, much like how everyone does here. Everyone is pleasant and kind, but the Americans won't even look at you. It's... unbelievable! To think that I was once that way! I don't think we're intentionally rude at all, but man, we sure are. We don't look or talk to anyone we don't have anything to do with. It's totally the opposite here, and I've grown to like it.
This week was a difficult one. The stress is mounting, and making things very difficult for me. No worries, I don't need any encouragement or anything, I'm just sharing. It helps to dissipate some of the stress to get it out on paper (or screen, I guess). It's discouraging because I feel like I'm doing all I can, and yet, maybe it's not enough. I'm just at a crossroads for a lot of things that both effect me and Njaie Town in general right now. In two weeks time, it's likely that Elder Lancaster will be transferred to Freetown so that they can keep close tabs on his health, which means another six weeks here for me and a new companion. Ugh, 7.5 months in Njaie Town, at least. It's kind of a lot, especially for someone who's only been in one place. I look forward to greener pastures (or even browner ones, that I way I can at least know the difference and what I had). It's just an interesting time here for me. Just movin' onward. It's all I can do.
I'm so glad that as I was brought up, I was taught that doing your best was all that mattered. A lot of times, Satan wants me to think like all of the bad that is happening is somehow my fault, but I remember that I'm doing my best, and that that is all that matters.
Needless to say, this week was a tough one for me. I know, I know, keep courage/faith/going/etc. It doesn't stop hard weeks from happening, and this week happened to be one. It's pretty draining, I won't lie, but we push onward and upward.
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Monday, April 18, 2011
Weight Loss, Mourners and Witch Guns
So for the two pics: First is of the baptism we had Saturday. I baptized the young man on my right and his sister, and Elder Kenner baptized two of his candidates, and Elder Moyo did the rest. (a tri-branch baptism) The other is a picture of President Lappia's (2nd counselor of the district presidency) daughter. She was the "little bride" at the wedding breakfast that was Saturday morning. I told her to smile (in Krio you say "show your teeth!"), so that's what she did. It's adorable!
So, you were wondering if I have lost weight? Turns out, I HAVE lost 15 pounds, so... I sure don't feel like I've lost weight though. I can feel the grease flowing in my veins whenever I have a meal with the locals. They use SO MUCH palm oil in EVERYTHING they eat here.
Mom, I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your Aunt Jeanne. I'm also sorry to say that my memory isn't the best. I was only 12 after all when we went to the reunion. I mean, really, it's hard to remember 200 new relatives. I hope you're doing well with the loss. I know some people have difficulty, but I know you're very spiritually-minded about such things.
Here in Sierra Leone, death strikes daily. It's outrageously common. You can be walking down the street, and all of the sudden a swarm of wailing mourners appear in the path, just screaming their guts out. It's incredibly sanctimonious. I hate it when someone dies, just becuase of the mourners. They turn it into something horrific, rather than reverent.
It's interesting that you mention faith, becuase it's something that's built a lot here. We're persecuted a lot by those un-Christ like Baptist evangelists who ridicule and scorn our very existence. President Roggia told us that if he ever met those men, he’s thanking them for persecuting his missionaries, because in doing so, they've only made our faith greater. Paul rejoices when he's persecuted in the name of Jesus Christ, and it's the same with us. We rejoice in our (many many many) afflictions.
You ask about family traditions? Uhh... That's a tough one... I guess weddings are the only thing that come to mind, but that's only if the people actually get married. Most of the time, the people cohabitate for 10-15 years and have four kids before even considering it. Sorry, that's not really a GOOD family tradition, but it's really common here. These people are very rooted in tradition, but most of them aren't good ones. Many include idolatry, sorcery ("ju ju man"), superstition. For instance, people think that if something very unfortunate happens to you (most commonly associated with an injury), they say you were shot with a "witch gun." It's exactly what it sounds like, a gun that a witch shoots you with that makes something bad happen to you. They think that such a gun exists!! Oh, these people... Sometimes it's incredibly difficult here to overcome these ridiculous traditions.
What have I learned about myself? Jeez, I don't really know. It's interesting to read my journal and see how I've changed in my attitude, my thinking, and even my handwriting. I'm more focused on things that matter most. I used to be so caught up in silly little nothings and the quirks of where I am, or even about things at home, but not anymore. My thoughts are plain and simple, about things of a good nature. It's really hard to tell how I've changed... Perhaps you can tell me when you call in a few weeks? ;)
Speaking of Mother's Day, I'm thinking you ought to call at either 7:30 am or 10:30 am your time. Elder Lancaster's parents are calling from Utah at 10:00 (so 9:00 your time) and he says that there should be a half hour leeway before and after the call hour, just in case something happens. It's not a bad idea. So, whenever you want, it works fine with me! I just can't remember how many hours difference it is here, so you should probably let me know what time my time you'll be calling.
Time to jet. Have a nice week!
Elder Vaughan
So, you were wondering if I have lost weight? Turns out, I HAVE lost 15 pounds, so... I sure don't feel like I've lost weight though. I can feel the grease flowing in my veins whenever I have a meal with the locals. They use SO MUCH palm oil in EVERYTHING they eat here.
Mom, I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your Aunt Jeanne. I'm also sorry to say that my memory isn't the best. I was only 12 after all when we went to the reunion. I mean, really, it's hard to remember 200 new relatives. I hope you're doing well with the loss. I know some people have difficulty, but I know you're very spiritually-minded about such things.
Here in Sierra Leone, death strikes daily. It's outrageously common. You can be walking down the street, and all of the sudden a swarm of wailing mourners appear in the path, just screaming their guts out. It's incredibly sanctimonious. I hate it when someone dies, just becuase of the mourners. They turn it into something horrific, rather than reverent.
It's interesting that you mention faith, becuase it's something that's built a lot here. We're persecuted a lot by those un-Christ like Baptist evangelists who ridicule and scorn our very existence. President Roggia told us that if he ever met those men, he’s thanking them for persecuting his missionaries, because in doing so, they've only made our faith greater. Paul rejoices when he's persecuted in the name of Jesus Christ, and it's the same with us. We rejoice in our (many many many) afflictions.
You ask about family traditions? Uhh... That's a tough one... I guess weddings are the only thing that come to mind, but that's only if the people actually get married. Most of the time, the people cohabitate for 10-15 years and have four kids before even considering it. Sorry, that's not really a GOOD family tradition, but it's really common here. These people are very rooted in tradition, but most of them aren't good ones. Many include idolatry, sorcery ("ju ju man"), superstition. For instance, people think that if something very unfortunate happens to you (most commonly associated with an injury), they say you were shot with a "witch gun." It's exactly what it sounds like, a gun that a witch shoots you with that makes something bad happen to you. They think that such a gun exists!! Oh, these people... Sometimes it's incredibly difficult here to overcome these ridiculous traditions.
What have I learned about myself? Jeez, I don't really know. It's interesting to read my journal and see how I've changed in my attitude, my thinking, and even my handwriting. I'm more focused on things that matter most. I used to be so caught up in silly little nothings and the quirks of where I am, or even about things at home, but not anymore. My thoughts are plain and simple, about things of a good nature. It's really hard to tell how I've changed... Perhaps you can tell me when you call in a few weeks? ;)
Speaking of Mother's Day, I'm thinking you ought to call at either 7:30 am or 10:30 am your time. Elder Lancaster's parents are calling from Utah at 10:00 (so 9:00 your time) and he says that there should be a half hour leeway before and after the call hour, just in case something happens. It's not a bad idea. So, whenever you want, it works fine with me! I just can't remember how many hours difference it is here, so you should probably let me know what time my time you'll be calling.
Time to jet. Have a nice week!
Elder Vaughan
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
New Ties, Scars, and a Campfire
Sorry for the delay in getting my email. All of the internet in town was out, so I had to send today. I'm still alive! No worries! ;)
Mom, it sounds like your trip to California with Josh was a lot of fun. Thanks so much for the pictures! It's been a LONG time since seeing anything from home. I appreciate it. I wonder what possessed Josh to eat kelp right out of the ocean... It's kinda strange. He looks so OLD!
I'm so glad you got my memory card! It's the only way I can send videos, and videos are a lot easier than pictures. I'm so bad at taking pictures anyways. I often simply forget that I have a camera at all. You can't understand things I'm saying in the video? Ha ha ha, yeah, I figured that would happen. Krio really is a different language. The best way to describe Krio is that it's like a radio station. In America, you tune into the American English. When you're here, you need to take some time to tune into the Krio. Most missionaries take up to 6 months to do so. I'm blessed to have done it in 6 weeks. :) I'll be sure to keep taking videos.
As for the motorcycle crash, my leg is still healing. I just have scar flesh on my arms now, and everywhere else is fine. I can walk without pain, but my leg is still really bruised. Sister Roggia had a chance to check it out on Saturday when she and President were in town, and she says there's no permanent damage. My bone is indented a little, but it's not bad. I think it's pretty cool. ;)
I have found something wonderful to spend the money on: Jatalas. They're this SICK Nigerian brand of ties that you can occasionally find here. I already spent the $40 you sent me on six of them. They're SO COOL!! I'll try to send pics of them sometime. I also used some of that $40 to buy a Ghanean kente weave scripture bag. It's pretty dang awesome. I bought it from a return missionary in our branch who served in the Cape Coast mission in Ghana. It's sweet!
Also, the money comes in handy at Sab's cafe. Most of the time I get by without it, but Elder Lancaster's health hasn't been very good lately. He's losing weight like crazy, so Dr. Maughan in Ghana admonished him to eat as much food as he can muster to help fight the weight loss while they try to diagnose the problem. The local food here is pretty harsh on him, so we've been going to Sab's a lot to help him eat more. It takes a heavy toll on my subsistence, but it's to help him get better.
Speaking of food, I got a package from you and from Aunt Becky this week! I think my favorites are quickly becoming those instant pastas and mac n cheese. It's very difficult to cook at home for cheap, so those things make it a LOT easier, particularly where Elder Lancaster is really needing the food. This Sunday is Elder Kenner's birthday (our district leader), so I'm making that tuna pasta with mashed potatoes and that lemon poppy seed cake. I'm inviting all the Americans in our zone over to enjoy. Needless to say, I'm pretty popular around here right about now.
Alrighty, before I go, a little tidbit about what's been going on. Have you ever wondered within yourself if the prophet Mohammed was a true prophet? The people here have the "all roads lead to Rome" attitude, so Christians believe that Mohammed is a prophet, and Muslims believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. OH. MY. GOSH. We had a lesson this week in the which we had to convice a less active member of our church that Mohammed wasn't really a prophet. He won't come to church anymore because we offended him by telling him that Mohammed was a false prophet. AND HE PROFESSES TO BE CHRISTIAN!!!
On the other hand, we had a cool argument break out. I don't usually carry my mp3 player with me, but I accidentally left it in my pocket when we went out proselyting on Saturday. I remembered it when we were with Festus and Abraham (our golden recent converts), and I let them listen to the Prophet. They started fighting over who got to carry the mp3 player. It was funny. Then we passed by a man who likes to have doctrinal confrontations with us, and he heard the recording. Now he wants to get the recordings for himself! It was way funny.
I fit so well here with these people, with these Elders, with the Spirit. I loved being home, but now I equally love being here. :)
Regarding the pictures: The next picture is of a baptism we had. I was privileged to baptize three of the four candidates. It was a really wonderful experience. The next two pictures are of the youth activity we had. The boys v. girls soccer game was the funniest. The last picture is of our Salone style stove. The gas ran out yesterday, and the replacement tank had the wrong nozzle size, so we had no gas, and we were hungry. So, I cooked some eggs over a fire. Not bad, eh? That's how EVERYONE cooks here. Wish you could be here camping... er, I mean, serving with me! Ha ha ha... This is the longest high adventure trip EVER... ;)
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Mom, it sounds like your trip to California with Josh was a lot of fun. Thanks so much for the pictures! It's been a LONG time since seeing anything from home. I appreciate it. I wonder what possessed Josh to eat kelp right out of the ocean... It's kinda strange. He looks so OLD!
I'm so glad you got my memory card! It's the only way I can send videos, and videos are a lot easier than pictures. I'm so bad at taking pictures anyways. I often simply forget that I have a camera at all. You can't understand things I'm saying in the video? Ha ha ha, yeah, I figured that would happen. Krio really is a different language. The best way to describe Krio is that it's like a radio station. In America, you tune into the American English. When you're here, you need to take some time to tune into the Krio. Most missionaries take up to 6 months to do so. I'm blessed to have done it in 6 weeks. :) I'll be sure to keep taking videos.
As for the motorcycle crash, my leg is still healing. I just have scar flesh on my arms now, and everywhere else is fine. I can walk without pain, but my leg is still really bruised. Sister Roggia had a chance to check it out on Saturday when she and President were in town, and she says there's no permanent damage. My bone is indented a little, but it's not bad. I think it's pretty cool. ;)
I have found something wonderful to spend the money on: Jatalas. They're this SICK Nigerian brand of ties that you can occasionally find here. I already spent the $40 you sent me on six of them. They're SO COOL!! I'll try to send pics of them sometime. I also used some of that $40 to buy a Ghanean kente weave scripture bag. It's pretty dang awesome. I bought it from a return missionary in our branch who served in the Cape Coast mission in Ghana. It's sweet!
Also, the money comes in handy at Sab's cafe. Most of the time I get by without it, but Elder Lancaster's health hasn't been very good lately. He's losing weight like crazy, so Dr. Maughan in Ghana admonished him to eat as much food as he can muster to help fight the weight loss while they try to diagnose the problem. The local food here is pretty harsh on him, so we've been going to Sab's a lot to help him eat more. It takes a heavy toll on my subsistence, but it's to help him get better.
Speaking of food, I got a package from you and from Aunt Becky this week! I think my favorites are quickly becoming those instant pastas and mac n cheese. It's very difficult to cook at home for cheap, so those things make it a LOT easier, particularly where Elder Lancaster is really needing the food. This Sunday is Elder Kenner's birthday (our district leader), so I'm making that tuna pasta with mashed potatoes and that lemon poppy seed cake. I'm inviting all the Americans in our zone over to enjoy. Needless to say, I'm pretty popular around here right about now.
Alrighty, before I go, a little tidbit about what's been going on. Have you ever wondered within yourself if the prophet Mohammed was a true prophet? The people here have the "all roads lead to Rome" attitude, so Christians believe that Mohammed is a prophet, and Muslims believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. OH. MY. GOSH. We had a lesson this week in the which we had to convice a less active member of our church that Mohammed wasn't really a prophet. He won't come to church anymore because we offended him by telling him that Mohammed was a false prophet. AND HE PROFESSES TO BE CHRISTIAN!!!
On the other hand, we had a cool argument break out. I don't usually carry my mp3 player with me, but I accidentally left it in my pocket when we went out proselyting on Saturday. I remembered it when we were with Festus and Abraham (our golden recent converts), and I let them listen to the Prophet. They started fighting over who got to carry the mp3 player. It was funny. Then we passed by a man who likes to have doctrinal confrontations with us, and he heard the recording. Now he wants to get the recordings for himself! It was way funny.
I fit so well here with these people, with these Elders, with the Spirit. I loved being home, but now I equally love being here. :)
Regarding the pictures: The next picture is of a baptism we had. I was privileged to baptize three of the four candidates. It was a really wonderful experience. The next two pictures are of the youth activity we had. The boys v. girls soccer game was the funniest. The last picture is of our Salone style stove. The gas ran out yesterday, and the replacement tank had the wrong nozzle size, so we had no gas, and we were hungry. So, I cooked some eggs over a fire. Not bad, eh? That's how EVERYONE cooks here. Wish you could be here camping... er, I mean, serving with me! Ha ha ha... This is the longest high adventure trip EVER... ;)
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Monday, April 4, 2011
Men of Salone, Rude Americans & a Baptism
Here's a video of a motorcycle taxi ride I took on the streets of Bo:
http://youtu.be/IHkfDiuzW0g
You asked me what the men of Salone are like. Yikes, don't get me talking about the men of Salone. Some are quite nice and honorable, hard-working men. Others, not so much. Most provide for their families by strict manual labor. The construction industry is big here, as is farming, and anything related to government, police or military. If you're a really exciting pastor, you can make bank here, but you're not usually married. You just have concubines. Oh the irony. And of course, you can be one of the infamous Ocada men, or in other words, motorcycle taxis. That pretty much sums up most of the work that men do here, if they do any at all. Work is hard to come by. The women work quite a lot, mostly in producing and selling something, like mangoes, plantain, ground nut, sugar, etc. As far as the diamond industry goes, there's a pretty big influence here. China has tons of mineral rights here, so they're sucking money out of this country like crazy. There are lots of mining villages too, but the taskmasters have pretty rigid control on the diamonds that come out of the ground. Some miners will eat diamonds that they find, and dig through their excrement later to find it. The good ol' "toilet diamond" as they call it here.
You also asked about seeing other Americans. Well, as far as other Americans go, I like it better when they're not around. The American elders are just fine, but we run into a heckuvalotta Baptist preachers whose job in Salone is to harangue us and stifle our "lies". In fact, just today one was tearing into a group of eight of us Elders today. It was interesting, because it makes one wonder how someone with such a strong spirit of contention could even dream of living with God. His closing words were "enjoy life while you can, because it's not getting any better for you from here." We laughed. Not much you can say to someone like that. Other than that, whites are few and far between, and they're not all that pleasant to talk to. I'd rather talk to the Zimbabwean Elders here, or just anyone else at all. Americans are so stinkin' rude.
You also mentioned the violence in the Ivory Coast as of late. That sort of thing is worlds away for us people. If it's in another country from us, it's very far away. Most of these people can only ever dream of leaving this country, and if something bad does in fact happen here, we the Elders are very well loved by everyone here.
This Saturday we had a baptism. it was really nice, but kind of a downer for Elder Lancaster and I. the baptism itself was great, but we found out from Festus that Sylvia, the mother of that family, had told him that she had no intentions of being baptized. Ouch. She was soooo strong before. What happened?? That baptism was for her and two of her kids. The kids came, but she didn't. She lied to us and said her man had come and forbade her from going. Festus told us that it was a lie, because the man hadn't shown up there at all. We're pretty heart-broken, and don't really know what to do. Elder Lancaster and I are just praying to know what to do next. It was just a big blow to us, considering how excited we were for her, and how long we worked to prepare her. It was quite a shock.
Unfortunately for us, the satellite at our district center was only just installed, so it wasn't ready for use this past weekend for General Conference. I really wish to hear about the talks soon. The Liahona magazine shouldn't take too horribly long to get here. There sure was much emphasis on marriage in those conference talks. I keep thinking Hil will be married long before I get home. She's more than welcome to, I just need to see pictures from the wedding. ;-)
Other than that, not much to report. It was a pretty tough week. Lots of bounces, and lots of trying to find new people. Most of our old investigators are not progressing, so we're white washing things a little. On the plus side, we're getting a couple chickens today that we'll eat on Wednesday. one of them will be made into ground nut stew, and the other I'll make into fried chicken. I'm pretty excited for that.
Alrighty, time to jet.
Love,
Elder Vaughan
http://youtu.be/IHkfDiuzW0g
You asked me what the men of Salone are like. Yikes, don't get me talking about the men of Salone. Some are quite nice and honorable, hard-working men. Others, not so much. Most provide for their families by strict manual labor. The construction industry is big here, as is farming, and anything related to government, police or military. If you're a really exciting pastor, you can make bank here, but you're not usually married. You just have concubines. Oh the irony. And of course, you can be one of the infamous Ocada men, or in other words, motorcycle taxis. That pretty much sums up most of the work that men do here, if they do any at all. Work is hard to come by. The women work quite a lot, mostly in producing and selling something, like mangoes, plantain, ground nut, sugar, etc. As far as the diamond industry goes, there's a pretty big influence here. China has tons of mineral rights here, so they're sucking money out of this country like crazy. There are lots of mining villages too, but the taskmasters have pretty rigid control on the diamonds that come out of the ground. Some miners will eat diamonds that they find, and dig through their excrement later to find it. The good ol' "toilet diamond" as they call it here.
You also asked about seeing other Americans. Well, as far as other Americans go, I like it better when they're not around. The American elders are just fine, but we run into a heckuvalotta Baptist preachers whose job in Salone is to harangue us and stifle our "lies". In fact, just today one was tearing into a group of eight of us Elders today. It was interesting, because it makes one wonder how someone with such a strong spirit of contention could even dream of living with God. His closing words were "enjoy life while you can, because it's not getting any better for you from here." We laughed. Not much you can say to someone like that. Other than that, whites are few and far between, and they're not all that pleasant to talk to. I'd rather talk to the Zimbabwean Elders here, or just anyone else at all. Americans are so stinkin' rude.
You also mentioned the violence in the Ivory Coast as of late. That sort of thing is worlds away for us people. If it's in another country from us, it's very far away. Most of these people can only ever dream of leaving this country, and if something bad does in fact happen here, we the Elders are very well loved by everyone here.
This Saturday we had a baptism. it was really nice, but kind of a downer for Elder Lancaster and I. the baptism itself was great, but we found out from Festus that Sylvia, the mother of that family, had told him that she had no intentions of being baptized. Ouch. She was soooo strong before. What happened?? That baptism was for her and two of her kids. The kids came, but she didn't. She lied to us and said her man had come and forbade her from going. Festus told us that it was a lie, because the man hadn't shown up there at all. We're pretty heart-broken, and don't really know what to do. Elder Lancaster and I are just praying to know what to do next. It was just a big blow to us, considering how excited we were for her, and how long we worked to prepare her. It was quite a shock.
Unfortunately for us, the satellite at our district center was only just installed, so it wasn't ready for use this past weekend for General Conference. I really wish to hear about the talks soon. The Liahona magazine shouldn't take too horribly long to get here. There sure was much emphasis on marriage in those conference talks. I keep thinking Hil will be married long before I get home. She's more than welcome to, I just need to see pictures from the wedding. ;-)
Other than that, not much to report. It was a pretty tough week. Lots of bounces, and lots of trying to find new people. Most of our old investigators are not progressing, so we're white washing things a little. On the plus side, we're getting a couple chickens today that we'll eat on Wednesday. one of them will be made into ground nut stew, and the other I'll make into fried chicken. I'm pretty excited for that.
Alrighty, time to jet.
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Monday, March 28, 2011
Survived a Motorcycle Crash
Well, I wasn't going to tell you this, but I got in a motorcycle crash last night on the way home from transfer news at the Sewa Road apartment. One bike coming in the opposite direction tried to pass in the middle at the same time as my bike tried to pass, and we got in a head-on side-swipe. My bike slid sideways, and I slid about ten feet on the dirt/gravel road. I pulled myself out from under the bike and limped to the side of the road where I sat down on the ground again. My companion was there in a flash, making sure I was okay.
I couldn't tell if I was hurt, because my left leg from the calf down was completely numb. After some gentle probing, and coming around to my senses, I found that nothing was broken. The driver of the car that was behind us gave us a lift home, and the people who were there at the scene were so generous and concerned for my welfare. I was so impressed with them. The driver offered to come today and take my anywhere I needed if any complications arose from the crash. Luckily, or perhaps if not definitely, "blessedly" for me, I'm okay. My arm is scraped up real bad, and my left leg is pretty swollen and painful, but there's no lasting damage (see attached pictures). It's just a really bad bruise from hitting a stone in the road. Pictures attached. Please don't worry now, okay? ;) I really do feel fine, and I'm using all of those wonderful things that I mocked you for packing in my suitcase, like the Ace cold packs and bandage wraps. THANKS MOM! :)
So, with the mangoes you asked about, we have about 5 or 6 different varieties of mango. The most common one is a more oblong mango that is best eaten when about half-green. The variety that taste like the Costco ones are the infamous "Guinea Mangoes," which are humongous. "Big as your head", as Mom might say. Though really, they get about 5-6 inches in diameter, and are really nice. Jack Fruit does grow here, though I've never had it. I've seen them before though, and they get HUGE. They have to be cooked before they are eaten, or they aren't very good, so I'm told. I'm looking for the opportunity to try it someday soon. "Soursop" and "Breadfruit" are two other fruits that look similar to Jack Fruit, and are also monstrously huge. I've had Soursop flavored juice before, and it's really hard to describe the flavor.
Oh I miss Chinese food. It's funny you mention your recent visit to China Town and the duck with it's head and all, because that's how EVERYTHING comes here. Duck, chicken, fish, etc. It all comes with the head, and not just for show. It's food here. I've even gotten to the point where I can eat the chicken bones. You don't really "eat" them per se, you just chew the marrow out of the ends of them. I was really proud of myself. :)
Have I been able to use the Spirit while teaching? That's a funny question to me. They tell us that if we don't have the Spirit, DON'T TEACH. We're using the Fundamentals of "Preach My Gospel", as this new teaching program is called, and it's entirely focused on providing the opportunity for investigators to receive revelation. If the Spirit isn't there, you absolutely cannot teach. It just doesn't work. And since the Spirit is all I teach by, "my teaching ability" is really good at this point, though I'd never call it my own ability.
I went on exchanges with Elder Hilton (a Zone Leader) last transfer, and he said he was really impressed with my teaching, and couldn't find any ways to help me improve. I guess I'm just that good? Ha ha ha. My Krio is also better than his (not that I'm competing, but it feels good to stack up well against missionaries who have been here for 1.5+ years). From the sounds of it, I'm doing well, though that's hard for me to say. I guess you'll have to tell me when I call in a few weeks. ;)
Oh, speaking of transfer news, I'm staying with Elder Lancaster again. I'm happy about that, since being transferred would have meant missing Sister Sylvia's baptism with her two kids. I would have been sad about that. Elder Svongwa is staying in our district, and his companion, Elder Boye-Doe, is replacing Elder Hilton as Zone Leader. They're bringing Elder Kenner from Njagboima branch to replace him. It'll be an interesting change. The apartment is back to being an almost all-American apartment again. Should be sweet.
I can't believe both how long I have and have not been here. I'm almost to five months on mission, and that's just a speck of time that's passed. Yet, there's so much left to go. It's a weird feeling.
So, for an explanation of the pictures, Elder Lancaster and I enjoying some delicious potato leaf at Festus' house, prepared by his sister Florence. I also added a picture of her eating out of the pot. :) Also included are pictures of my wounds, and my slacks after sliding down the road. They're completely in tact! GO STAFFORD! There are also pictures of my companion and I at the top of Candy Mountain (CHARLIE!!) with Festus and Abraham. It was a lot of fun, and the view was stunning. The last is a picture of the Ten Commandments movie, which was for sale at the local video/CD store.
Alright, the Time is Far Spent. I hope all stays well with you! I miss you!
Love,
Elder Vaughan
I couldn't tell if I was hurt, because my left leg from the calf down was completely numb. After some gentle probing, and coming around to my senses, I found that nothing was broken. The driver of the car that was behind us gave us a lift home, and the people who were there at the scene were so generous and concerned for my welfare. I was so impressed with them. The driver offered to come today and take my anywhere I needed if any complications arose from the crash. Luckily, or perhaps if not definitely, "blessedly" for me, I'm okay. My arm is scraped up real bad, and my left leg is pretty swollen and painful, but there's no lasting damage (see attached pictures). It's just a really bad bruise from hitting a stone in the road. Pictures attached. Please don't worry now, okay? ;) I really do feel fine, and I'm using all of those wonderful things that I mocked you for packing in my suitcase, like the Ace cold packs and bandage wraps. THANKS MOM! :)
So, with the mangoes you asked about, we have about 5 or 6 different varieties of mango. The most common one is a more oblong mango that is best eaten when about half-green. The variety that taste like the Costco ones are the infamous "Guinea Mangoes," which are humongous. "Big as your head", as Mom might say. Though really, they get about 5-6 inches in diameter, and are really nice. Jack Fruit does grow here, though I've never had it. I've seen them before though, and they get HUGE. They have to be cooked before they are eaten, or they aren't very good, so I'm told. I'm looking for the opportunity to try it someday soon. "Soursop" and "Breadfruit" are two other fruits that look similar to Jack Fruit, and are also monstrously huge. I've had Soursop flavored juice before, and it's really hard to describe the flavor.
Oh I miss Chinese food. It's funny you mention your recent visit to China Town and the duck with it's head and all, because that's how EVERYTHING comes here. Duck, chicken, fish, etc. It all comes with the head, and not just for show. It's food here. I've even gotten to the point where I can eat the chicken bones. You don't really "eat" them per se, you just chew the marrow out of the ends of them. I was really proud of myself. :)
Have I been able to use the Spirit while teaching? That's a funny question to me. They tell us that if we don't have the Spirit, DON'T TEACH. We're using the Fundamentals of "Preach My Gospel", as this new teaching program is called, and it's entirely focused on providing the opportunity for investigators to receive revelation. If the Spirit isn't there, you absolutely cannot teach. It just doesn't work. And since the Spirit is all I teach by, "my teaching ability" is really good at this point, though I'd never call it my own ability.
I went on exchanges with Elder Hilton (a Zone Leader) last transfer, and he said he was really impressed with my teaching, and couldn't find any ways to help me improve. I guess I'm just that good? Ha ha ha. My Krio is also better than his (not that I'm competing, but it feels good to stack up well against missionaries who have been here for 1.5+ years). From the sounds of it, I'm doing well, though that's hard for me to say. I guess you'll have to tell me when I call in a few weeks. ;)
Oh, speaking of transfer news, I'm staying with Elder Lancaster again. I'm happy about that, since being transferred would have meant missing Sister Sylvia's baptism with her two kids. I would have been sad about that. Elder Svongwa is staying in our district, and his companion, Elder Boye-Doe, is replacing Elder Hilton as Zone Leader. They're bringing Elder Kenner from Njagboima branch to replace him. It'll be an interesting change. The apartment is back to being an almost all-American apartment again. Should be sweet.
I can't believe both how long I have and have not been here. I'm almost to five months on mission, and that's just a speck of time that's passed. Yet, there's so much left to go. It's a weird feeling.
So, for an explanation of the pictures, Elder Lancaster and I enjoying some delicious potato leaf at Festus' house, prepared by his sister Florence. I also added a picture of her eating out of the pot. :) Also included are pictures of my wounds, and my slacks after sliding down the road. They're completely in tact! GO STAFFORD! There are also pictures of my companion and I at the top of Candy Mountain (CHARLIE!!) with Festus and Abraham. It was a lot of fun, and the view was stunning. The last is a picture of the Ten Commandments movie, which was for sale at the local video/CD store.
Alright, the Time is Far Spent. I hope all stays well with you! I miss you!
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Monday, March 21, 2011
Seventeen Mangoes
We heard about the earthquake in Japan. We hear about all of the major world-wide headlines. That's pretty amazing to hear that all of the members and missionaries were kept safe. As far as an earthquake hitting home? I guess I don't really have any reaction to that... There's no reason to fear anything. To me, it'll just be a big headache. I think the precautions you'd want to be most particular about is with keeping the business safe. Considering that if we lose that, well, we lose just about everything. Well, that's life I guess. We're always one loose stone away from death, so, I guess it's really nothing to worry about. I'll pray that it doesn't happen though. ;)
So, lucky for Elder Lancaster, he broke his fever Monday night, so we didn't have to go to the hospital. There was much rejoicing. He's pretty much back to normal, save for his stomach, which still feels off. He can keep stuff down now though, and that's great.
And wouldn't you know it, it's my turn to be sick this week. I felt it coming on through the week, but it really struck last night. Some kind of 'fresh cold.' I'm certainly enjoying the DayQuil I brought with me, and look forward to a wonderful night of NyQuil. I definitely don't have it as bad as my companion did, but I'm still not enjoying it.
Regardless, this week was pretty interesting. I got the letter from Mom with the $20 and stamps she hid in the Staples catalog. It was pretty funny, because it was the Assistants and the Roggias that brought mail. I opened it, and I couldn't find anything inside. I thought Mom had maybe forgot to put the stuff in it. Sister Roggia took it and said that maybe it just needed a mothers' touch, and indeed that was all that it needed! I gotta admit, those things were very well concealed! The other Elders got a kick out of that.
So, about two months back, I bought a side bag to use for proselyting (my backpack is HUMONGOUS, and rather cumbersome). It was a really sweet Puma bag that I bought on the street for 25,000 le. Unbeknownst to me, it was a ready-made Chinese piece-of-trash. Turns out that here in Salone, you want to go to the "junks" if you want to buy something nice. The Puma bag spoiled last week, so I had to go in search of a new one. The junks have all sorts of wonderful imported stuff from everywhere in the world. Mostly from the UK and US. Think street market Value Village. I scored a really sweet "2004 Republican National Convention" side bag at one of the junks for only 20,000 le. I was pretty excited.
Oh, and guess how many mangoes I ate this week? Seventeen. Remember that mango stand I told you about last week? I hit it up a couple times this week. Oh baby, I enjoyed. Those 17 mangoes cost me about 12,000 le ($3). It was marvelous. I'm sending a picture of me with my little babies (there's only 7 in that picture).
Other than that, not much to report this week. The stone is rolling forth. Til next week!
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Oh, and if you need any more ideas on stuff to send, you could always send a couple pairs of socks. Kids have "teefed" about four of mine, so... Thanks! :)
So, lucky for Elder Lancaster, he broke his fever Monday night, so we didn't have to go to the hospital. There was much rejoicing. He's pretty much back to normal, save for his stomach, which still feels off. He can keep stuff down now though, and that's great.
And wouldn't you know it, it's my turn to be sick this week. I felt it coming on through the week, but it really struck last night. Some kind of 'fresh cold.' I'm certainly enjoying the DayQuil I brought with me, and look forward to a wonderful night of NyQuil. I definitely don't have it as bad as my companion did, but I'm still not enjoying it.
Regardless, this week was pretty interesting. I got the letter from Mom with the $20 and stamps she hid in the Staples catalog. It was pretty funny, because it was the Assistants and the Roggias that brought mail. I opened it, and I couldn't find anything inside. I thought Mom had maybe forgot to put the stuff in it. Sister Roggia took it and said that maybe it just needed a mothers' touch, and indeed that was all that it needed! I gotta admit, those things were very well concealed! The other Elders got a kick out of that.
So, about two months back, I bought a side bag to use for proselyting (my backpack is HUMONGOUS, and rather cumbersome). It was a really sweet Puma bag that I bought on the street for 25,000 le. Unbeknownst to me, it was a ready-made Chinese piece-of-trash. Turns out that here in Salone, you want to go to the "junks" if you want to buy something nice. The Puma bag spoiled last week, so I had to go in search of a new one. The junks have all sorts of wonderful imported stuff from everywhere in the world. Mostly from the UK and US. Think street market Value Village. I scored a really sweet "2004 Republican National Convention" side bag at one of the junks for only 20,000 le. I was pretty excited.
Oh, and guess how many mangoes I ate this week? Seventeen. Remember that mango stand I told you about last week? I hit it up a couple times this week. Oh baby, I enjoyed. Those 17 mangoes cost me about 12,000 le ($3). It was marvelous. I'm sending a picture of me with my little babies (there's only 7 in that picture).
Other than that, not much to report this week. The stone is rolling forth. Til next week!
Love,
Elder Vaughan
Oh, and if you need any more ideas on stuff to send, you could always send a couple pairs of socks. Kids have "teefed" about four of mine, so... Thanks! :)
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