Elder Corey Miles - Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission: WK 29

Good morning y'all. It's been another good week over here in Abyssinia. Last pday we visited a sweet forest and had some fun there. A bunch of little kids followed us for like an hour asking for money and messing around with us. We were having a blast speaking Amharic to them until park security came around the corner and they booked it.

The week started with Zone Conference. We learned some solid stuff from the Zone Leaders and APs about recording spiritual impressions, teaching and finding effectively, and working with leaders here.

And indeed it is true. I ended up in a third-world hospital this past week. Although I wasn't getting anything done it was my companion. His teeth have been bothering him so we went to the Russian Red Cross to see the Dentist there. It was a trippy experience. The place looked exactly like how you would imagine a Cold War era Russian hospital to look. It was just a check-up this time so we'll be headed back this coming week for the actual work.

I went on exchanges with my MTC companion Elder Lyman on Friday. It was the first time I've led out the area here in Ethiopia and with it being primarily Amharic I was a bit worried, but it ended up going well. We did some good work and had a blast.

Sunday was the best though! Estefanos got baptized and I had the opportunity to baptize him! It was amazing. Another companionship had someone they were baptizing too. We had originally been holding baptisms on Saturdays so the new converts could be confirmed the next day, but member presence at the baptisms was not good. So at Zone Conference, President Dudfield presented the idea to hold baptisms after church to get more members. Boy I'm glad he did because the turnout was amazing. The brach here is usually so scattered so it was awesome to see that unity and support.

I've been studying a lot about the resurrection and death lately, and one of my favorite quotes from President Nelson is "the only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life" and that is so true. As a part of the opposition in all things we must experience, the pain of losing someone we love is one. But death is just a step into the next part of life. With our knowledge of the plan and of the resurrection of all people because of Jesus Christ, we can have that hope that death is just a temporary separation.

Chow Chow everyone. Talk to you next week. Have a good one.

Elder Miles