Jack-o-lanterns!

Tuesday. I didn't get to give my Book of Mormon devotional last week so it was decided that I would give it this week and specifically Tuesday. I think it was a successful meeting but I'm not really sure. We got a little bit off topic and started to discuss other things but Martineau helped me to reign it all back in. Just as we got ready to go out for the day we were hit by a good rain storm. It lasted for a little while and kept us trapped in the apartment for most of the morning and afternoon. We were finally able to get out and go see a few people by the late afternoon. We were able to see a few people before it got dark and once that happened we took the time to go visit a recent convert family. While there, the mom cooked us banku and okra stew. It was almost impossible for Taylor and I to finish it but we were able to choke it all down and then tell her that we were full. The little girl in the family was sick so they asked if we would give her a blessing. I anointed and Taylor sealed the anointing and gave the blessing. It was an awesome experience for me and I could really feel the spirit there with us.

Wednesday. We woke up around 5:30 and left the apartment at 6:00. We were taking a few people down to the temple site for a program the church was putting on which gave free glasses and eye check-ups to those who needed them. We got there an hour before they opened the gates and yet we still had almost 400 people there ahead of us. We waited in line for a couple hours before they told us that we wouldn't be able to get our people in at all. At this point we decided to go to the back door and try to sweet talk our way in to get some reading glasses. We were helped by a really sweet lady and we were able to get glasses for all of the people that we had brought with us. We didn't get home until the late afternoon at which point it started to rain and so we just hung out with Uzoho and Martineau for the afternoon. Once the rain let up we went out to see one investigator and then we were needed at the church for coordination meeting. The meeting ended up not even happening and we just went home. We were discouraged to find that we hadn't had electricity for the last 36 hours. Martineau's girlfriend went into the MTC around 7:00 that evening so we celebrated with some amazing french toast and caramel syrup.

Thursday. Since everyone had a little bit of an odd day and schedule on Wednesday we held district council meeting on Thursday. We have been having problems with the ward leadership lately so that is what we chose to discuss. Lately they haven't been willing to help us in any way at all and we haven't been very nice to them about it in return. We felt really good about the meeting and hopefully some good things will come of it. After that we went out to see a few people but we didn't have much time before we were supposed to meet Uzoho and Martineau. We were meeting them so that we could travel together to the temple site for the fireside that evening. Elder Bednar was coming to speak to the members and we had been invited to attend. We got there a few hours early so that we could get a good seat and ended up sitting halfway back. The meeting was so powerful and such a great experience for me. I got to see all of my friends in the mission there and we had a good time just talking after the meeting. After that we piled 4 of us into the back of a very small taxi and took the very long and uncomfortable ride back to Amasaman. We got home and just when we did the electricity came back on. We had spent some 60 hours without electricity and everything we had that charges was completely dead. It was nice to finally have the electricity back for the evening. 

.How many missionaries can fit in one taxi?

Friday. Taylor and Uzoho had to go to MLC in the morning so Martineau and I were together for the day. We were just getting ready to go out when Ntumba and Asumani came to get us to start the Book of Mormon devotional that we didn't know was happening. We weren't prepared for it and neither were they. The whole thing was kind of pointless and we ended up just wasting over an hour of precious time that could have been spent proselyting. By the time we got out of the apartment is was just after noon. We went to run a shirt to a member so that she could tailor it for Martineau and by the time we got there and dropped it off we received a phone call from Asumani telling us we needed to go back to the apartment. Apparently someone was coming by to fix the ceiling fans and so someone needed to be there while they were working. Since Asumani's work is more important than ours we were the ones stuck at the apartment until almost 5:00 while they worked on the fans. We got back out in the evening to go fill out baptismal records with the two investigators being baptized on Saturday. We were able to see them and fill it all out but it took up our whole evening. 

Saturday. It was another really early morning as we were going to the baptism. We wanted to start it earlier than normal because one of the investigators being baptized needed to be back for work that day. We got there and started the service around 7:30. It was a complete success and we felt good about the whole thing as we made our way back home. We went out for the day and saw a few people before we met Uzoho and Martineau again for a meal at an investigators house. She prepared fufu for us with an awesome stew. We all ate as much as we could and were just barely able to finish all of it. After that we all went to the Preach My Gospel class we are supposed to teach at the church but no one showed up to unlock the building. After an hour we were forced to call it off and send everyone home. We saw a few more people and then spent the rest of the evening carving watermelons. We had a blast carving them and even more fun lighting the entire thing on fire so that they looked really cool. 

Can't find a pumpkin....A watermelon will do!!

Jack-o-lanterns!

Even missionaries love fire!!

Sunday. All of us struggled in the morning because of it being fast Sunday. It doesn't help that you don't have any food to cook even if you wanted to. It just adds to the pain. After church we had a meeting with the first and second counselor of the bishopric. They just chastised us the entire time and we left the meeting with even more feelings of animosity than when we went into the meeting. Later that afternoon we went to see a recent convert.   She fed us more fufu with light soup. She is knownfor giving us more food than we can handle and she didn't disappoint this time. We ate until we couldn't even walk out of the house. Later in the evening Martineau and I took our laundry to the wash lady we have. Last week I was missing a pair of Nike Elite socks from my laundry and it had upset me greatly, so when she came to take our stuff I brought it up. She had them and they were clean and I think I almost cried when I saw them again. Getting my socks back really made my day. 

Monday. We got up ridiculously early again so that we could make it to the temple site on time to play basketball. We got there just a little bit before everyone else and took some time to warm up and eat a little fruit for breakfast. Once everyone got there we started to ball and we didn't stop for almost 5 straight hours. I was on the court almost the entire time and once we were finished I was exhausted and sweating like crazy. It was worth it though because I hit a half dozen game winning shots today. All of my homies were there and we had a blast just hanging out and talking and playing around on the court together. It's always nice to see my friends and have that break where things seem like they are just like they were back home. Just all of the guys getting together to play some ball on a summer day. As soon as we finished we came back to Amasaman to email and what not. After we started emailing the internet went out and we had to wait an hour and change cafes before we were able to email again so here we are.