Digging

Hey Everyone,

This last week was pretty good.  We had a few problems because almost our entire teaching pool is women and we have to have a member come with us to teach and we couldn't find members that would work with us.  We did a lot of finding with not a ton of success.  We got way out in the bush though a few days.  It was really cool to be out there (you know how I am, I like being away from everything) it was really productive though because the houses were few and far between.  We did what we could though. 

Me & Topista (the 1st Counselors Daughter)

Both Tuesday and Saturday we did some service, digging.  I’m actually starting to like it.  It’s hard if the ground isn't wet but I like it.  My hands are getting tough again but I don't know how long that will last. 

Me and Godson (one of the members)

We finally got to watch conference.  On Saturday and Sunday we watched all the sessions but priesthood.  It took a while because after every talk they would do a short summery in Luo for those that don't know English.  It was really good though.  Sunday morning was great.  Mom and Dad, you are lucky to have been there live.

Everyone eating lunch on Saturday

Winni with my gloves on

It rained a ton this week.  Both Friday and Saturday we had to run about a mile each day to get to where we were going and then we would be drenched when we get there.  My stuff is still drying. 

View while tracting

View while tracting

Dad - Mom still wants to know if you do your own cooking of meals or you have someone to do it.  You talked about beans and rice for lunches all the time. But didn't say anything about dinner except the members don't feed you very often.

Breakfast depends on what I am in the mood for.  Usually not much.  Lunch is a huge plate of rice, beans, sweet potato and boyo and dinner usually doesn't happen because I’m not hungry but sometimes i make noodles like spaghetti noodles. 

Our awesome lunch we got after digging on Saturday

Well everyone have a good week.  Love you all.

Elder E.E. Buyers

We went on Safari

Well, I'm not really sure what to talk about.  There comes a point that it's just the same thing week after week and there isn't much to write about.  Both Elder LeCheminant and I Stayed through transfers.  Elder Nyoni left and Elder Manyakanyaka stayed and is training again.  The new guy’s name is Elder Hardman from Utah.  He's pretty cool. 

Remember Okello Bruno who was baptized a few weeks ago?  On Saturday he baptized his daughter.  It was a really amazing thing to watch.  His wife wants to be baptized too but she hasn't been coming to church so she can't be right now.  We are all working on it though. Things are going good though. 

Chobe last Monday was awesome.  I attached some pictures of some of the animals we saw.  

That hippo was a lot closer than is seems in the picture.  At one point it was like 10 feet away.  We were out looking at another part of the river and it kind of snuck up behind us.  It was cool though.  We also saw a tiny croc but I couldn't get a picture of it.  

It was really cool to see them in the wild.  It was a lot different than in the zoo haha.

It seems like it is still July over here.  It just keeps getting hotter.  The actual hot season starts the end of November and I hope I will be gone around then but whatever happens I guess.  To be honest I have no desire to go anywhere other than Lira here in Uganda.  It would be cool to open an area in the Far East or far west but the church isn't even there at all right now.  I’d like to go to Rwanda but that is a slim chance.  I just have no desire to go anywhere near Kampala unless it is just for like 2 days to get a few things then head north again.  Whatever happens I will do of course but that's where I am right now.  Sorry kinda got off on a tangent there but back to winter.  I am going to miss the snow that’s for sure.  You will have to send some pics. 

Kelly, I got your Halloween package and opened it.  I didn't open it because I forgot you told me not to, I just opened it because you can't stop me :p

Anyway.  I hope things are going good. 

Love you all.

Elder E.E. Buyer

I turned 3 months...

I don't have much this week but it was really good.  I turned 3 months on the 10th.  Man the time has really started to fly by.  I try to read the transcription of my setting apart at least once a week.  when I read it this week I noticed how right after I was set apart President said, "well you're just as much a missionary now as you were 3 months from now.”  I also looked a bit back into my journal and stuff.  Man, I might have the exact same authority and power as I did then but I am nowhere near the same missionary.  The craziest thing is how you don't even realize it.  You just change.  In all good ways but you change. 

Anyway, this week was pretty good.  Tuesday morning we did some service.  Digging.  Not too much fun but it was a good workout.  My hands have gotten so soft in the last little while.  It happens fast when you don't work much.  I got a few blisters.  Wednesday was Independence.  President said to do what we can but enjoy the day.  In the morning we worked a bit then we went to a celebration that was in Lira.  It wasn't much.  A few people talked about how great Uganda can and will become and a bit of the army was just standing in the field.  After a while we decided to head to lunch and afterward went to the church for a small party that they were having.  On the way to the church we walked past a water pump that a bunch of people were lined up at.  At this point the water had been out in all of Lira for about 3 days so everyone needed water.  Right after we walked past I decided to help out a bit.  I was just planning on filling like 2 cans then be on our way but then the enyabos (women) that were there started taunting me saying that munos (white people) can't work.  I got inspired so I filled 15 10-liter gerycans.  That might not sound like a lot but oh man.  I was pumping for about 40 minutes.  It was good though and I didn't really work out that morning so it was good.  Other than that is was an average week.  Lessons were good.  We found some great people.  It was good.

On Friday we had just started working and our plans were terrible because nobody answered phone and what not.  It looked like it was going to be a long day.  We were walking down the street and passed a motorcycle that had a sticker on the housing of its headlight.  It said, "Don’t lose hope." that has kind of been my motto for the past few days and it was been helping.  Have faith in God and he will provide a way if it be his will.

Today we are at a place called Chobe.  It is a resort kind of place in a national park.  It is a NICE place.  On the way in we saw all kinds of animals.  Giraffe, Cape buffalo, warthog, hippos, monkeys, baboons, all kinds of bucks, impala, a lot of stuff.  We are hoping to see elephant on the way out.  It has been a nice relaxing day. 

It’s hard for me to see things changing.  The only season there is here is hot.  Things are supposed to be drying up in November but it never cools off.  It just gets hotter.  It still seems like it is July.  I miss the seasons but I will be back soon enough.  Everything is starting to move faster.  There isn't enough time in the days and stuff.  There might be hope for me after all.  After all, I’m 1/8 of the way done already, haha. 

Nearly everyone in Adyel has gardens.  It is almost village so there are places with just huge fields.  It’s crazy to think.  They do all this by hand.  Plow with a ho (dig. vary tiring) plant by hand.  Everything.  Some fields are twice the size of our property at home.  All worked by hand.  It’s crazy.

Just so you know transfer 2 in over.  We get transfer news tomorrow but I have a feeling I am staying in Adyel/Lira. 

Love you all,

Elder E.E. Buyers

Miracles are Happening

Apwoyo panu na (hello my family),

I'm going to be quick because I don’t have much time but this week was really good.  Our numbers weren't great but miracles are happening.  We are teaching the family of Bruno, our recent convert.  On Tuesday we had a lesson with them and shared the last bit of the restoration and stuff which includes Joseph Smith’s first vision.  After we were done it went silent for just a bit.  Bruno started talking and bore a VARY powerful testimony about the church and restoration and Book of Mormon.  Just about everything.  It was so powerful.  It made me think about when we first saw him.  He didn't seem to understand anything we said and we weren't planning on seeing him again.  We passed by his house a few days later and just walked passed without a second glance.  We were a little ways passed and this girl comes running up saying that her father is calling for us.  We were like ok and went back and taught him again.  He still didn't seem too serious but we saw him a few more times and now look at him.  The gospel changes people. 

Then just a few days ago we had a lesson with a family that we found a few days before.  We were also sharing the restoration and they had all been really quiet the entire time.  That’s not unusual, Ugandans don't give much feedback at all.  Anyways, the names of the parents are Bosco and Sicilia.  When we were done we asked if there were any questions.  There was the usual silence for a bit then 30 seconds later Sissy said, "I'm pretty sure the thing with that boy (Joseph Smith) is true.  I had a feeling when you were talking about it."  We kind of jumped up a bit and asked here to explain the feeling.  With a little help she explained the feeling of the spirit perfectly.  We told her about how it was the Holy Ghost telling her these things are true and stuff.  It was really powerful.  We invited them to church and all but for some reason we didn't invite them to baptism, it didn't feel right. 

That was Saturday and on Sunday when we arrived at church Bosco and a few of his kids were already there.  Sissy had to stay home because there were visitors there I guess.  So we had a good sacrament and all and when sacrament was over I went out and talked to Bosco for a second.  All I asked was, "What did you think of the service."  He waited for a few minutes then pointed to the chapel and said, "This church is true.  I've been to many before but none like this.  All Churches talk of Christ but compared to this they seem run by Satan.”  I was really awestruck and he just kept talking.  "I want to make it official; I want to be part of this.  When can I be baptized?”  I was so surprised it took me a minute to get back to earth but then we talked about a few more things and went right back for Sundays school.  Haha it was really interesting.  We had never asked any of his family about be baptized or anything.  They here already prepared though.  They were ready.

The week wasn't too bad though.  We had trials as expected.  Our faith and patience was tested but in the end it was all good.  For the pictures there is one of a member named Solomon in an orange tree.  

He was working with us and we went to a RCs house and she told us to take oranges so he climbed up and we filed a huge bag full of them.  Oh yeah, oranges here are green.  Kinda weird.  Then there is a picture of the people that came to our D&C class on Friday that we teach every week. 

Well everyone have a good week.  Love ya,

Elder E.E. Buyers

Letters with Dad

Just before I started writing this I was reading a few of your past e-mails and noticed something about how your attitude has changed. Back on August 5th you were venting about your last comp and said, 

"Last week we did it his way, next week we will do it my way." 

Contrast that with what you said last on September 23rd,

"I've never relied on Heavenly Father more than now.  I literally have no control over what happens. If I try to make things happen it will be a bad day.  I leave it to him 100% and I have the best days. There is no other way than to trust in him in this kind of work.  When we tract I have no idea where I plan to go, we just go and are led.  I can't even stress how little this work has to do with me.  I have never mattered less."

I am so grateful for the lessons that Heavenly Father is teaching you over there. And so proud of how open you are to learning them. He is also teaching me the same lessons through you and your testimony. Being an over achiever and perfectionist can get in the way of these lessons. I have to get over my tendency to think that only I can do it right. And of course I do pretty good but I also screw things up pretty often. I now know, but still struggle with remembering it in the heat and pressure of work and everyday life, that my skills and talents are gifts from God. That being humble, being grateful for these blessings and trusting in Heavenly Father and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way.

Thank you for being so willing to share with us what you are experiencing and learning. I have to wonder what a different person, husband and dad I would have been if I had been a member in my youth and gone on a mission. Oh well, I finally see the light now and am doing my best to be the son, husband, dad, and holder of the Holy Priesthood that Father wants me to be.

Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you about last weekend. Mom went to Spud Day and I went to the Temple. After Temple I got a text from my Mom that set me off. It doesn't matter what it was but needless to say I didn't handle it well as usual and made it hard on my Mom. It bothered me so much that I started a fast when I woke up Sunday morning and asked Father for help. Just before sacrament, I was prompted that I should get a blessing for this from our home teacher (the Bishop).

Mom and I met with Bishop after the block and talked for about 30 minutes about the struggles I have with my Mom. He had some great council for me and then gave me a wonderful blessing that changed me. His council was nothing that I hadn't already gone over in my own head many times; usually after I calm down and realize what I butt I had been. The difference was, the blessing softened my heart to her and, I think, allowed me to let go of control and the desire to "FIX HER." Anyway, the blessing was what I needed and things have been much better with my attitude toward her. I have been able to just let the stuff that normally set me off flow through and past me making the life of everyone here less stressful. I am so thankful for the priesthood power that God grants to His faithful and obedient sons like our HT & Bishop.

So, stay focused, obedient and keep up the hard work. Remain humble and continue to be open to learning the lessons Father has planned for you. You are becoming a great man for all to admire and love. You going on a mission has blessed us beyond measure.

All my Love,

Dad

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Thanks dad. I never even thought about those things that I said before. It’s amazing. I forgot how those things change so drastically and you don't even realize.  Just one thing, you always look back and say what could have been. I urge you to look forward and ask, “What will be? What will your life be like in the future because these things have happened?”  I was thinking about it and if you would have been a member from your youth I probably would not be here now. You know how stubborn I am and I believe if you would have been a member you would have pushed me to do these things and I would have pushed back. Yeah, you not being there and me have such a big choice did lead me to do quite a bit that I shouldn't have. It’s because we were converted when you where that I am here now though. I may have had the church there my whole life but I became converted with you.

Love you Dad. Have a good week.

Elder E.E. Buyers

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You know, you are probably right. We are here and it is wonderful. And you probably wouldn't have a wheeler, pickup or an arsenal. Ha. Ha.

You know, I never really thought of you as being stubborn in the way I think you are describing. Sure you didn't always listen to me, a good thing in some cases, but I never thought of it as rebellious or stubborn. I always thought you thought I didn't know what I was talking about. "That is you Dad, not me," kind of thing. Since your way wasn't that bad and you didn't get in trouble, I just let it go so, hopefully, you could learn for yourself - sometimes the best way to learn. Spending and satisfying your temporal needs is my biggest concern. Of course the weight thing is always there too. It has been such a burden and impact on my life I just can't help worrying about it for you and Kelly. Exercise is the only way that I know of to keep it off. Of course none of us like exercise. We are mental people, not physical.

Dad

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Well I don't know that stubborn is the right word but your right. I had to find out for myself. But either way I know I wouldn't have been here if I wouldn't have had the experiences I did with you.

Elder E. E. Buyers