June 8, 2013

Hi everyone,



First of all, here are some pictures. We went to Ouidah (pronounced We-dah) again. Lots of fun, went to a new museum and learned some new things. And yes, i just noticed how small my photo files are. I have no idea why, I'll look into that.

Well, this was a week of wonders. So many firsts, lasts, and middles. Okay, well mostly just a couple of firsts. For example.

I rode in an elevator (no, not an elephant). We stopped by the new Best Western hotel right by the airport, and they gave us a tour. It is very nice, I was astounded. It looks at least as good as any hotel back home I ever stayed in. And the elevator even worked. I don't know who will stay there, but it was pretty cheap!

Are you ready for this? We received the June Liahona this week. We still never received the May edition. When we emailed Distribution in Accra last week they said that even they haven't received it. Sigh.

This morning we went to the baptism service with one of our investigators who will be getting baptized soon. It was a fun experience, I got to play the piano. I did a lot better than the first time I played for a baptism. 

One of the exciting moments you can have as a missionary is when you are teaching someone, and they have a question that they just can't seem to resolve. Then suddenly, you get an idea about how to approach the problem. It works! The investigator feels satisfied with the answer, and you know that that didn't really come from you. I love it when that happens. Unfortunately, that particular investigator is a security guard that has to work Sundays. That's one of the hardest things to work out. 

We have our two investigators that are going really well, but I don't know if we will have more baptisms very soon. Most of our other investigators are still pretty new (or, in the case of Gospel the Nigerian, just don't understand very fast). 

We have had some crazy happenings here, and the going gets crazier. This next week is a doozy with transfers and new missionaries. Add to that a mission beach party, working to get a branch approved, trying to reserve a building for said branch, and preparing two investigators for their baptisms, and you'll appreciate my situation. Luckily, after that everything calms down and we have nothing for a month, which means we'll be able to get a lot more normal missionary work done. Hopefully. 

Rainy season is still on, but the last few days have been pretty dry. Driving through the ponds are fun! The one problem, you don't necessarily know how deep they are before you start. Good news, we finally started filling in the dips around the mission home and office, so there shouldn't be any more lakes outside of the garage. 

Wow I miss camping, I hope that Cameron has a lot of fun!

Wait, so it's a trailer or a motorhome that you found? I'm not straight on this. Either way, cool! Not that I can really think that far ahead though, that's a full year away. I really can't think ahead more than a few months for the moment. As far as my personal life is concerned. For the mission, I can look a lot farther ahead. 

I think I might have been in the office too long. I'm starting to memorize phone numbers. Oh well. 

Hmm, now I can't actually think of all that much to write. I'm just too focused on how to get through this next eek. Oh well, the pictures should count for something. 

I'm thinking that I may just buy a whole bunch of "African fabric" and then come home, learn how to sew, and make souvenirs (aprons, pillow cases, ipod socks, etc) for everyone. It would be pretty cheap, and I would know how to sew! The problem is I have no idea how hard it is to learn that skill....

Love you all lots,

Elder Christensen

 PS, the picture of the taco is the best meal that I ever ate here in Africa. I loaned my taco seasoning out so that they could make tacos for Elder and Sister Dickson when they came by, and we got to eat the leftovers IT WAS AMAZING.