Before I share the email from this week I wanted to share a little bit of a conversation that was started by his emails last week. Over the past couple months we have figured out about what time he will be emailing every Monday so on occasion we are able to get a few emails back and forth with him. They aren't normally more than 2 or 3 but we love being able to have some real time "conversation" with him.
MOM - Wow! I can’t believe all the things you are eating that you don’t usually like, eggs, sweet potato. I know I started liking foods when I became an adult that I didn't like as a child. Then again, maybe they know how to fix those things in Africa so they really taste great. I like it when you tell us the name of some of the foods you eat, so I can try to find the recipe on the internet so we can try it. I’m sure it tastes nothing like what you have, but it gives us an idea.
ELDER BUYERS - I'm not sure what it is. I mean eggs are really our only source of protein. Meat is rally expensive. We might get it twice a month. The sweet potatoes aren't like yams. They seem more like those ones you bought when grandpa was there just before I left. The boyo you can't find in the states I don't think. But you can try to find something close though if you want to make it.
MOM - What is in the Boyo? I can’t find anything on the internet?
ELDER BUYERS - Boyo is greens (the plant is called Boyo) in g-nut (kinda like p-nut) paste and all cooked. It’s actually really good but you probably can't find any info on it. I don't think it is anywhere in the states.
We know that he has been emailing people other than just family so if any of you have any fun facts that he has shared with you we would love to hear them. Please feel free to forward them to Bill, JoAnn or Kelly. Thank you! Now, on to this week's email...
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Hey everyone,
How's it all goin? This week was pretty good. It was slow going by way of work and stuff
though. We had no success tracting. No investigators showed up to church. We had trouble reaching our goals. Desire, not faith but desire, was slowing
down as the week went on. Elder
Lecheminant had some sort of sickness all week and passed it off to me half way
through the week. All that stuff all at
once. It just wasn't good. We made the best of it though. Something I've been thinking about lately is
the enormous determination of the adversary.
The hardest time of my life was the few weeks just before I put in my
papers. Then it cooled off for a while
because that was such a spiritual experience.
A few weeks later he was back at it.
Giving everything he had to make me slip up, to make me doubt myself. Then the first few days of the MTC were fine
mostly because you are just confused. Everyone
thinks it gets easier once you are on mission too. I did.
Truth is it doesn't work that way.
He tries even harder. It seems
like every week there is something new that he is throwing at you. I'm not saying this to deter anyone from
doing what they know they should. It’s
just a warning. Be ready for it. Heavenly Father will provide the strength to
push through these things but you have to be willing to submit to him. Since I’ve been here I have watched Satan
take one of the most powerful future missionaries I have ever seen and watched
him tear him to the ground. He will
place huge walls in your way but, and you heard this time and time again but I testify
that it is 100% true, our Heavenly Father will get you past these trials if you
let him help you. Just remember to put
your trust in him. Mark something:
something - "Be not afraid, only believe" and God will provide a way
for you to accomplish his commandments (1 Nephi 17:50-51 1 Nephi 3:7)
Anyways, my rant
is over. Well on Wednesday we had an
amazing Zone Development Meeting. President
Chatfield is making some major changes to the mission. He gave to Zone Leaders some stats to show us
where we are struggling by way of "real growth". The people that were baptized most of them
didn't have that real conversion through the Holy Ghost as it should have been
or just weren't ready and didn't stay. A
huge focus that Chatfield has given us is to find those that didn't stay and
bring them back if we can. Of course we
still find new members if we can but he told us that we really need to focus on
finding those really elect for now just because the church is so new in this
area. It think it will be really good
and we will see some major improvement if we do our best.
On Saturday our
Branch President had his Graduation party thing. It was pretty cool to be there, even though
it rained, and to get a ton of food. It
was the first time since I’ve been here that I had to eat with hands. Rice, beans, goat, chicken, casava, and lamb
it was really good.
On Sunday there
was a Solar Eclipse. You couldn’t see it
too great from Lira but you could see it enough.
The moon mostly covered the sun but it was
still really bright and you needed a couple pairs of sunglasses to see it. It was cool though.
I lost about 10lbs
this last transfer. We don't have a
scale at our house but there is one in the senior couples old house that we go
into to get things every once and a while.
They are back in the U.S. for a little while. So every time we are there I take advantage
of it. I’m trying to start lying off the
soda though. See how it goes.
Well, sorry. It was kind of long this week but i hope
everyone has a great week. Love you all.
Elder
E.E. Buyers
