WK 100 - The Grand Finale

Well, this is it. It's ending on a pretty nice number too. This will be my final weekly email. I would love to see you all at my homecoming! Everyone is welcome. It will be Sunday, December 18th at 12:00.

I get home Saturday afternoon after a week of Zone Conferences and hopefully some final miracles. But let me tell you about this last week! 

We had a ton of meetings throughout the week, and we also had to prepare for those meetings, so we were busy as could be. On Tuesday we had our normal office meetings, on Wednesday we had MLC, then on Thursday we led a training for the Trainers and Trainees. 

Some updates on some of the people we've been teaching! 

- Mikias+Biniam: Mikias is a somewhat recent convert that we have been working with lately that is an absolute stud! He opened up to us this week and explained how he has felt forgotten by the branch, but we helped him to see his potential! We have been teaching his friend Biniam and he also did something else big...that I will talk about later. 

- Addis: Addis is doing well. We had some good lessons with him this week. At first, we got down to the details and had to help him understand the importance of Priesthood Authority. Then next time we shared the different fruits of the Restored church. He was able to see a baptism this week too! 

- Belayneh+Gobena: These dudes are the definition of old fogies but they are so nice. We brought them to the chapel and they loved it. Hopefully they can come see a program soon. 

- Debebe+Family: This is a super active family, but we had a lot of fun visiting their home and sharing a message about praying for missionaries because they have a son in Ghana right now! 

Then the highlight of the week and a good send off for the end of my mission: we were approved to go on exchanges down to Hawassa! Hawassa is a lake town with lots of resorts several hours south of Addis Ababa and the last area in the mission I had not visited. So now my infinity gauntlet is complete...

- We flew down Friday afternoon and arrived after 50 minutes of enjoying Ethiopia's landscape. The airport was on the opposite side of the lake from the city so we took a bus and got some nice views. 

- We met up with the Hawassa Elders, Elders Willden and Rodgers, and we spent the time with them. Hawassa is super warm and clean and I love it! 

- Sooo here's the continued story about Mikias. He is from Hawassa, and his family still lives here! So, we were able to meet with his brother Ageze and spend a day with him! We thought he was going to take us to his home, but instead he took us to a famous park near the lake where you can get monkeys to climb on you! 

- Eventually, he took us to his home, but we didn't have enough time to stay, so we went again the next day after the church program and shared the message of the Restoration with him. He is so willing to listen and the fact that we were able to meet with him after working with his brother was an absolute miracle. 

- Of course we had to eat some good food, so we ate at one of the lakeside resorts and enjoyed the buffet there.... I haven't had food like that in a long time. 

I am so very grateful for my mission. I'll miss Ethiopia a lot. I have felt the love and trust of the Lord extensively over the last two years, and I'm especially grateful for the amazing people I have met and how I have seen the Gospel change their lives. I know that God loves us, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church, and that Russell M. Nelson is God's prophet on the earth today. 

See you soon

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

Elder Miles

 

Adventure is out there

Hawassa Lake at sunset

Ageze!

Hawassa Branch

Lakeside

Mikias! 

Monkey Time

Hawassa Lake from the sky

WK 99 - Double Dose of Exchanges

Good day my friends and family. How are we doing? As for me, I am just a little bit tired after a busy week but I'm doing well and I hope that all of you are too. 

To start off the week, we went to immigration to cancel our Resident's IDs and our work permits. I got to meet up with the OG MTC group homies and wait in lines all morning! It was great! But hey, now I'm officially a tourist...just kidding. But it was crazy to be doing that. 

I went on an exchange with Elder Asuquo and Elder Haile and it was a blast! We did some finding in a huge public square and had some fun doing so. We also had the opportunity to join a meeting where two native Ethiopian missionaries got set apart. One of them, Elder Mengesha, has joined us in our home for a bit until he can get his passport and go to Ghana. 

We also went on another exchange this week, this time back to DEBRE ZEIT. I was so excited to go down again. We took a public taxi this time and enjoyed the sunset as we travelled down. We met District President Efrem at the church and he drove us to his home for a special dinner! It was so fun and I felt so welcomed. Their family is awesome too. 

We stayed the night at the Elders' apartment and the next day we had exchanges with them too. I was reunited with my son, Elder Burke, and his companion Elder Mensah. It was actually Elder Burke's birthday so we celebrated a lot, but we also got to visit a super powerful family that is preparing to go to the Temple! We showed them the Rome, Italy Temple walkthrough and they loved it.

The next day, President Efrem drove us back up to Addis because he was going for a meeting, and we were able to meet with several people and prepare for church the next day. We had a good turnout at Sacrament Meeting and were satisfied with our efforts. 

Here are some of the people we are teaching:

-Addis: He is still progressing really well! We taught him the Word of Wisdom and he has a lot of questions about it, but he is willing to try to live it! Please pray for him that he can receive a witness for himself. 

-Abraham: Abraham is actually a contract driver that the church hired for the Elder Christofferson event, and he drove Elder Palmer around, which gave Elder Palmer a chance to share the Gospel with him and refer him to us! We met with him and then he brought his whole family to church!

-Atalay: His name actually means a deceiver which is wild but he has some questions about religions that we've been able to answer!

-Other than that, we've seen a lot of miracles finding other potential people as well as working with less-actives. The work is good!

I want to share my thoughts about the little things. On my mission, I've gained a greater appreciation for things like prayer, scripture study, the Sacrament, and service in the church. I have truly come to see how important they are and the role they play in spiritual life. The little things everyday keep us strong.

One more p-day to go!

Elder Miles

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

Elders Haile and Asuquo

Abraham!

Debre Zeit chapel (for the memories)

My boy Solomon getting pumped up to pass the Sacrament

Like my Grandma said, I found a little convert to take home

Indeed the Sabbath is a delight

Lemma and his family in Debre Zeit

WK 98 - A Variety of Thanksgiving ነገሮች

This week, I really don't have a crowning event or a funny moment to name this email after, so instead, I named it after the Holiday. Plus, we did a lot of things, so there is the Amharic word for things: ነገሮች።

In our first week as a trio, we did a ton of finding and it was pretty fun. We spent a lot of time out on the street speaking with lots of people and it felt good to raise my voice and share my testimony with anyone that would listen.

We traveled to a bus hub called Lamberet twice to teach some lessons. One was with a man named Tarike who basically led us all the way out there only to schedule another time to meet. The next time we went, we met an older gentlemen named Mulugeta and his brother Gobena and they were so sweet. They appreciated us as missionaries and we got to share about what we do with them.

Our friend Addis is progressing very well. He is in Alma in the Book of Mormon now and is loving it. We hope we can put him on-date this week after we teach him about the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity! 

We had a cool miracle moment this week. Early on, we met with a man named Kidane and visited him at his work. A few days later, he came to the church and we gave him a pamphlet about the Restoration. The very next day, he shows up unannounced and asks for a Book of Mormon that he can read on his own. He felt a connection with the Joseph Smith story too and is eager to learn more. 

President and Sister Dudfield's son and his friend came to Ethiopia to visit this week and they asked us to take them out to get some Ethiopian food. It's always fun seeing people eat Ethiopian food for the first time, especially the Injera and also because it can be spicy. They really enjoyed it until the friend ate a whole chili pepper and then it was game over. We had a good time with them though. 

We played some volleyball this week and got smoked. Man, when it comes to anything athletic, I'm rusty. 

Another Elder's Mom came to visit the mission and help out, so one night she treated us to a nice Ethiopian restaurant with some traditional dancing and singing. It was so fun and we were very grateful. 

And of course, there was Thanksgiving. I felt very grateful for a lot of things this year and I couldn't help but feel blessed. I'm grateful for a Father in Heaven who guides me every day as I seek it. I'm grateful for a Savior who enables me to do things I could not without him. I am so grateful for family friends, companions, and leaders who love, support and lift me every day even though I don't always merit it 🤣

I'm grateful for you!

Have a noice week

Elder Miles

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

The best of the best food

Sunglasses to match the boys (more to come)

Ethiopian band

Some happy Elders and a kind mother

WK 97 - At the Feet of an Apostle

This week flew by like none other and yet I still feel like I have very little to talk about (except for one thing of course but I'll get to that later). 

We have some good people we are currently working with:

- Addis, our Book of Mormon reading phenom, is still progressing really well. He's in Mosiah currently. He loves it. We have been teaching him about the Gospel and we want to put him on date this week. 

- We met with a recent convert and his friend this week. The friend's name is Binyam and he seems fairly interested. He's busy now though so we are hoping to work with him more in the future. 

- Zinash, our strong Mekane Iyesus (Baptist) scholar, is absolutely loving the Restoration, the fact that we have a living prophet, and the Book of Mormon. She said she would bring friends and family. It is always odd teaching her because her primary language is Afan Oromo and I think I speak more Amharic than her. We teach her in English.

- Our friend Abayneh who we thought we would drop this week actually pulled up and has been awesome! So, we will continue to work with him. 

We went on exchanges this week and we returned to my old area Beklobet for it. I was with Elder Turner, and we had a good day. We did a lot of finding and talked to some good and some not so good people, but then I got to see my recent convert Kebebew! It was awesome to see him again. 

HERE'S THE TITLE STORY: Elder Christofferson came to Ethiopia this week! It was so cool to, as President Dudfield says, "learn at the feet of an Apostle of the Lord." Sunday morning, we had a devotional with him, Bishop Causse the Presiding Bishop of the church, Elder Palmer of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Ardern from the Area Presidency. It was quite the powerhouse line-up. All the members in the country came to that morning meeting, and because we were expecting 400 or so people, we had to hold the meeting in the conference room of a hotel. It was an amazing experience and I feel like the members were strengthened in exactly the way they needed. Our interested friends Abayneh, Addis, and Rahel came to the meeting as well! 

Later that night, we had a missionary only meeting with those four and it was easily one of the coolest meetings of my life. We got to shake their hands (I'm never washing my hands again) after taking a picture, then all of them shared a five-minute thought. Elder Christofferson finished out with a powerful thirty-minute message on Repentance. 

The next morning, we had transfers and an area security training, so my p-day got moved to today. Speaking of transfers, I'm now in a trio now! My last companions, Elder Folau, decided to join Elder Marble and I in the office. Indeed, these next few weeks will be blessed. 

ቻው ቻው Brethren and Sistren

Until next week

Elder Miles

Addis and I walking to the Hotel

The conference room we met in Sunday morning

Our boy Abdi enjoyed Elder Christofferson

Elder Marble and I

The Brethren

Saw Tekaw again! The gang is reunited!

Farewell dinner for Sister Asfaw

The Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission and Elder Christofferson!

 

WK 96 - "Do I hear Minecraft music?"

Hey what's up everyone! To be honest I don't have a lot of energy to write a creative intro because to be fair, I haven't had a whole lot of energy this week. But alas, as Michael Jordan had his best games when he was sick, perhaps this will be at least entertaining and somewhat spiritual. I love you guys!

Last p-day, we did something legendary. I've sent out pictures of me at a green and tan cathedral before. This week, WE GOT IN. We came in the morning while they were cleaning and the doors were open. I will forever thank Elder Benjamin Johnson because he was brave enough to just walk in. The Priest at the door didn't stop him, just told him to take off his shoes. So, in we went. And it was sweet! I've got some pictures down below. 

We had MLC this week. It was quite nice if I might say. I left feeling enlightened in many different categories. I had to do a roleplay in a pretend scenario, and in this pretend scenario a man came to us and told us that an angel in a purple robe appeared to him and ordained him to be a prophet, then we had to respond. The funny part is, a real situation like this is not unheard-of. But despite that, we learned a lot about power, authority, communication, correction, love, you know the good stuff. 

We have been teaching a dude named Addis this week who is an absolute stud and is always smiling. We found him while bench contacting and he has met with us ever since. We gave him a Book of Mormon this week and today he told us he had already finished First Nephi! Pray for this man! During the lesson where we were teaching about the Book of Mormon, it had gone really well and we were bearing our testimony, then in the background we heard someone playing Minecraft music on the piano. 

On the other side, we haven't been able to meet with President Yohannes's wife because they have been busy. Pray for them that we will have time to go! 

Friday was sad. I woke up early in the morning feeling colder than normal. Turns out I was just shivering a lot because my stomach had gone to red alert. I spent the whole day in bed and was a cold boy. Elder Marble was sick earlier in the week, and a bunch of the other missionaries were sick too. 

I was feeling mostly better Saturday. It was a crazy day though and I didn't really have the energy to keep up. We taught our friend Abayneh and he wasn't really having it. We met with a member who called us frantically out of nowhere and then ran out of the compound five minutes into our lesson. We also met with Elder Marble's recent convert named Muvunyi and he was awesome. We had to drain a baptismal font, but to do that we had to get in. Then a young member boy decided he'd do it himself and went swimming. Not literally, but it was pretty funny. 

This week I've been thinking a lot about the Savior's power to forgive. Sometimes, when we do something wrong, we feel like we have to do so many unrealistic things to make it right. Of course, we have to make our wrongs right and apologize, but we also need to seek the power of the Atonement to help us feel forgiven, clean and healed. How can we do this? By stopping, praying, taking steps to change, and preparing for the sacrament. This power is REAL and will help us to feel truly forgiven. We can even forgive ourselves.

Elder Miles

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን በቅርቡ እንገናኛለን

Medhanitalem Church, or The Savior of the World Church

The entryway

The holy of holies area

THE DOME WAS SWEET

Enjoying the cool church

Chanoly Noodle with the Meg ZLs

Arat Kilo grand opening

Haircut before and after

WK 95 - MOUNT OF OLIVES

It has been such a wild week. Like, I look back at it and I've definitely never had a week like it before. Did I enjoy? Yes. Do I have a lot to talk about? Also, yes. Plus, I was able to do something I've been wanting to do for 22 months now.  

Monday morning, we picked up the mother of an Elder serving here, along with her sister and her two friends from the airport. You may be asking, "Why is a mom coming? Does that happen much?" The answer is actually sometimes yeah. A few mothers have come in the past to help out the mission because we desperately need it. So, we welcomed them gladly and helped them ship their bags to the mission home. It was so fun to have 4 moms straight from the USA appear for a week. They were so fun and did a whole lot of good for us here. 

We had a few meetings this week. Elder Christofferson is actually coming to Ethiopia in two weeks so we are preparing for that! 

I started MyPlan this week. It is a program the church does for missionaries who have six weeks left. I've seen so many missionaries do it and I guess it is my turn? Wack. 

We played some basketball this week on the church's court and have started making some friends. 

A new trend has hit the EAAM: bench finding. It’s really hard to find good people to teach in this country. So, the solution is to have them find you! We sit on a bench and say hi to everyone until they stop to talk. We actually found two or three solid people that way and met with them this week!

Thursday was one of the coolest days of my mission. One of the services the moms were giving was haircuts, and so we travelled with them to work with missionaries along the way. 

First stop was Summit, an old area of mine. I hadn't been back in a year since before we went to Kenya (in fact today is the one-year anniversary of us evacuating Ethiopia). It was so cool to see it again. They now have a cooler house than I did though. They gave haircuts, we talked with missionaries, then we moved on. 

Next came Debre Zeit, or in English, the Mount of Olives. Now, I have heard a LOT about Debre Zeit during my time in Ethiopia. It is a town just outside Addis that missionaries always called the promised land. Now what makes Debre Zeit special is that they have a huge chapel that looks like a small Temple which is especially weird for Ethiopia. I've always wanted to go and see with my own eyes, but I never got the chance to serve there. I got to visit on Thursday though and it was so cool. We got to eat lunch there and help the missionaries teach for a bit. I also really enjoyed the drive, seeing what it looks like outside of the concrete jungle. 

I got my own haircut. Hopefully I come back looking fresh because of it. 

We did some service packing food for a humanitarian organization working with the church. We tied bags of Teff flour for hours and my hands were raw by the end but it was fun to be there and participate. 

Saturday night and Sunday morning we spent time in Arat Kilo to help prepare for the opening of the brand new group there. The meeting was awesome and they had 50 people for the first time. It is a blessing to see the church grow here.

This email is already long enough. I'm enjoying every day though and I'm very grateful for the experiences I'm having. There are for sure ups and downs, but the Lord always leads us along if we let him. 

Elder Miles

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

Summit, my old area

Debre Zeit Chapel

This is supposed to say "Texas Burger"

Delivering the moms

President Dudfield enjoying the goods

Arat Kilo for dinner

Roadtrippin' to Debre Zeit

Enjoying by the temple looking church

WK 94 - Spooky Season

BOOOOOO

Spooky season has arrived. But the only spooky thing here is how fast the week went. Oh, and I almost got pickpocketed one night. That was kind of spooky. Also, the week was full of a spirit...the Holy Spirit. 

Sorry about that. 

We finished the training of the new missionaries this week. They got their trainers today and we are all so excited. By the end they were so ready to get out and do missionary work. They were calling people, setting up lessons, and finding some of the most golden investigators I've ever seen. We helped teach some of them. It was powerful:

Abayneh: Kind of a strange guy, but said he was willing to listen to what we had to say. 

Mister: A young man who brought his friend named Ishmael. They are over a different faith but the came to church and loved it. 

Fikadu: An older man who has no church, but wants to learn about religion so bad. 

Mihiret: A young girl who brought her mom and little siblings to be taught. She came to church and was so excited to learn. 

Eyob: The friend of one of our investigators we had the greenies teach. He had a lot of questions, but we had a great lesson about the Book of Mormon and he agreed to read it. 

We helped some Sisters in Boston translate for an Ethiopian lady who they put on date. 

The church compound here has a basketball court and we have been monitoring it and coming up with a plan to turn it into an effective finding method. I'm excited to lace up the ole reliable and teach about God while doing so. 

When I first got here, Elder Marble had the two sons of a member on date for baptism, but they have been so inconsistent and they fell off the face of the earth. We even walked forty minutes to their house to finish their baptismal interviews and only found the twelve-year-old boy who didn't need anything. We don't know what is happening but we pray we can get them back on track again. 

We did some good member work this week as well:

Dula: A recent convert from when I was here before brought a friend named Lijalem to be taught. He sadly does not live in our area, but it was cool to see Dula's desire to bring a friend. 

Zergi: A powerful member who is the mother of one of the MTC Amharic teachers. We visited her family and had a good discussion about the world. 

Tekaw: My recent convert from Beklobet moved to Megenagna! So, I get to continue to work with him. It will be fun to work with him. 

MIRACLES ARE REAL

THE SPIRIT INSPIRES US

When I found out I was coming back to Megenagna, I felt like there was something I needed to do. One of my first impressions was to visit an old friend, President Yohannes and his family. His wife, Rahel, is not a member, and we had been working in the past to develop her interest. Recently, it seems like that desire has grown, and tonight, President Yohannes asked us to see if she would like to learn more from us. We had a great lesson and when we asked, she agreed to learn more about the church. 

PLEASE PRAY FOR RAHEL. If we can help her progress, it will be the coolest miracle of my mission.

"See you on the flippity-flop" -Elder Marble

I love you all. Tell me how life is for you all. 

ውዝጋብሔር ተመስገን

Elder Miles

Random girl we got to come to church

Reunited with Jordan from Korah

I drove the mission van today, the first driving I've done in 18 months, so I took a pic to remember. 

Homemade Misir with the greenies

Nice view