"I know the Lord will help me remember!"

Dear Family,

          It was good to hear from you as always! I love hearing how the family is doing! As always, it sounds like things are going well! You would never tell me if they weren't though because I would freak out... Haha I was thinking about that the other day. I don't know why. But yeah it sounds like things are going really well. Things here are going really well as always also! Elder Ngombua is being transferred to Togo this Wednesday and I am getting a new companion. I'm not sure what his name is but I'll let you know for sure next week! The assistant said that I will finish out my training with him. I am nervous though because he doesn't know anything about the sector that we are in, and I have to show him were all the investigators houses are... And I don't know any of that! They don't have addresses here. They just explain their houses like, "it's by the huge tree" or something like that haha. 

So we will see how that all goes... I know the Lord will help me remember! And if I can't, then those investigators weren't going to progress I guess. Haha no just kidding. It'll all be good i'm sure! God never asks us to do anything without giving us a way to make it possible.

          The language is the same... I'm kinda getting worried about it! Not really, but it is pretty frustrating not being able to talk to the people! I study the language everyday and am learning little by little still...

I made some of the pasta that you sent me in the package and that was delicious! Except for our pans that we have in our apartment don't have handles, so it's hard to cook things. I spilled almost half of it on the floor... I was mad! But it was still really really good! I like that stuff. Whenever you send a package, you can slip some of those ready pastas in there!! I am really starting to like the food here though! I didn't think that I would ever say it, but it's true! The rice is way good, I put my Winger’s sauce on it! I am going through it to fast haha I need to slow down a little bit!

          The other night the power went out right before I fell asleep and I seriously thought that I was going to die! It was sooooo hot! This week has been blazing saddles hot. But it was only out for like 10 minutes. It seemed like 5 hours though. I usually sleep pretty good which is nice! I am always so tired at the end of the day I fall right asleep!

          We did end up having a baptism on Saturday! We were supposed to have two. We baptized a 20 year old and he was way into the church and has a lot of faith and just wants to follow Christ, and then the other is a 17 year old girl who wants to get baptized but there is a problem with her parents and they don't want her to get baptized... I don't really know what they are saying because they talk so fast and it's kind of an argue kind of talk so I don't really know. It’s sad because she is totally ready for baptism, but her parents just won’t let her. We are going to start teaching her parents the discussions so hopefully that will change their minds! I have taught almost all of the lessons to this girl, so when she gets baptized she will be my first real baptism! Seeing that I didn't really teach the other ones much.. So I'm excited for that. 

   Dad has always said and Uncle Larry also, that I'm going to have to practice patience with others who don't have the same work ethic as I do. I am practicing some of that now!... (edited)

     With that off my chest,  everything is going really good! I am liking it here and everything is golden! I have had a lot of time to reflect on life and just everything in general the past little while and how lucky I am to have what I have, and how lucky I am to be doing what I am doing. I am so grateful for you my family back in the states and everything else. You guys are amazing. I love you!

Q&A

1- Dad would like to know if you have given any Priesthood blessings yet?
     - I haven't yet. My companion has, but I haven't yet. I don't feel I know the language well enough and I would mess up... Ha.

2- Are there any white people living by where you are?
     - I see this white lady driving sometimes... And there is an American flag outside this house by our apartment. You will randomly see white people which is cool!

3- Have you done any service projects yet?
     - Not one... I don't think there is much we can do. Well there is, but none of it is authorized.

4- Have you met with Pres. Weed since you first got there?
     - Not once.. I don't see him really ever.

5- How do you workout? Do you need us to send any bands?
     - We fill up water jugs and use them for weights! I don't need any bands. 

6- Other than what we have talked about, what would you like us to send you?
     - Kanka for sure
     - More of the Hawaiian Punch drink packets! Those are super good.
     - Sunflower seeds. Dill Pickle, Ranch, BBQ

     - These things don't have to be sent right away... Just whenever!

7- How is the teaching going? Any special stories there?
     - The teaching is kind of iffy... I don't understand much. When I understand more, I will tell you more!

8- We have LOVED your "Cool Experiences" very much. Little nuggets that we would never know but love to hear! What is this weeks experience?
     - Cool experience of the week.... Hmm.... Oh! So me and my companion were walking down the street the other day and I hear this, "Hey you guys are the missionaries!" come from behind us and I freaked out and turned around expecting to see a white guy, but it was a black guy that spoke AMAZING English! It was a trip! We talked to him for like 10 minutes and he said that he lived in New York most of his life but his mom just died and he had to move back to Benin.. He said he was bummed about it. He didn't live in our sector or anywhere were we have missionaries so we didn't get to really do anything like that. I even told him that it was weird to hear English spoken so well from him! It was a cool experience for sure.