WK 62+63 - A Shout-out to South Sudan

Hey everyone. Good morning. It's hard to miss a week because now there's too much to talk about but I'm just going to go for it. It's been a really good two weeks though. 

-Transfers came and went and nothing happened to our household. I'm still comps with the Englishman and I'm pumped about it. 

-Last Sunday we had Stake Conference at our chapel and it was so packed that none of the missionaries were able to sit inside and listen. We all congregated outside and tried to hear what was going on but sadly the mic wasn't loud enough. So, I didn't get much from it. 

-Getting people to church has been a big struggle. Even though people seem very interested when we teach them, they keep coming up with reasons to not come on Sunday.

-I've had more meals from members or investigators in this last week than my whole 6 months in Ethiopia. 

-People like to call us random names here. "Mzungu" is a slang word for white person. We hear that a lot. For some reason people will just call any white guy they seen "John" so we get called that a lot too. One day a bus conductor called me "John Cena" and another guy called my comp "James Bond." 

-We've been working with a member in our ward named Ivy a lot. She taught us how to make Mandazi (which is like scones) and Samosas. She also introduced us to a super old couple that live in our area. She made us phanny packs too! 

-Every day we have a mandatory encounter with a drunk person. We just know that it's going to happen at some point in the day. It's usually really funny. 

-Last P-Day we linked up with some of the other Elders to go play basketball at one of the most famous streetball courts in Nairobi. We played an adult club team there and even though I'm rusty and out of shape we still never lost. 

-I enjoy walking around with the cows these days because they are everywhere. If they get in peoples' ways or do something dumb the people just smack them. 

-Met a lady named Emmaculate who works at the airport. She had us over to teach her family and fed us nicely. She saw some of the other Elders at the airport as they flew out to the bush. 

-One of our friend’s named Ian is on date to be baptized this coming week. We meet with him at the chapel and then we celebrate with some KFC. I've never loved KFC so much and we are pumped for Ian. 

This Sunday we were able to baptize two of our friends. One was Lucy, the snack cart girl, and we are so happy for her. She has such a solid testimony that she has found the true church. The other was Abraham, a member of that South Sudanese family we visit. They are amazing. The more and more I hear about their story and South Sudan the more I love them. The oldest brother, Daniel, is actually an RM and one of three South Sudanese people to serve a mission. And now he takes care of this whole family because life in South Sudan is not safe. Most of them are members and Abraham has just joined them. We are teaching another one of them that will be baptized soon but he's been sick and doesn't speak English so it's been delayed. I've been meeting people from South Sudan ever since coming to Ethiopia and they are the best. I can only describe them as homies. Just like the bros. So, shout-out to South Sudan.

This email is already huge sooo that will be all. Have a good week and remember that Christ lives!

Elder Miles

One big happy South Sudanese family

Me and Abraham, Ferguson and Lucy, and Mafunga and Hesbon

Mandazi pretzel because I can't get pretzels here

POST MALONE BUS

Ferguson and I with our phanny packs

Doing daily shepherding work

WK 61 - "Obama is My Cousin!!!"

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

How's it going? This week was a bit of a slower one but that's OK because it was still enjoyable.

As we walk through our area, we often come across the same taxi money collector who introduced himself as Obama's cousin. Now every time we see him he's like, "hey my American friend remember me? I'm Obama's cousin!"

The highlight of this week was zone conference and interviews. In my interview with President Mdletshe he emphasized the importance of studying the scriptures and made some cool promises (which I'll share later). We knew that at zone conference President would be calling on one companionship to do a role play in front of the whole zone, and a week or more beforehand Elder Ferguson told me that he knew it would be us. Well, his instincts were correct and we gave the roleplay.

This week was filled with teaching opportunities and they might not have been as noteworthy as last week, but the Spirit was just as strong. I love teaching here in Kenya! Everyone we talk to wants to learn more about Christ and strengthen their relationship with God. I can genuinely say I enjoy teaching the Gospel.

Some updates on our friends: Lucy, the snack cart owner, disappeared on us after church and come to find out she went to the Relief Society President's house for an activity! It was exactly what she needed. Her and Abraham, one of the South Sudanese men, will be put on date this week because they are ready. We shared some General Conference videos with Susan and her family and they loved them! I always love sharing President Nelson's messages because I think it is physically and mentally impossible for anyone to dislike them. We met a young man named Seif this week and shoot, he's as prepared as anyone can ever be (plus he bought us mango juice so I like him).

Spiritual thought! I've been thinking a lot about scripture study. I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self just how important it is to read the scriptures. They give us the strength to endure to the end and remind us of the commandments which is so important! President Mdletshe promised that if we study the Book of Mormon every day, then our personal witness of the Restoration would grow and not shrink. We try so hard every day to get people to read the scriptures because they truly have power to change a heart and a life. Read them!

I hope all is well!

Elder Miles

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

Nyayo Estate, the nicest part of our area

Tell the world we're coming home

WK 60 - I'm a Shawarma Model

After having three months of zero in-person teaching, we were very blessed to have some awesome teaching experiences this week. 

Monday: after playing some bball at the church, we came home and visited our friend Zedekiah. I think it may have been the most meager, humble home I have ever been in, and they were some of the most humble and genuine people I have ever met. We taught the Restoration seated on some cushions and his wife made us hot cocoa. 

Tuesday: we went to teach a mechanic named Samuel that we met, and he took us to a little shed where his friend works. It started out just those two but by the end of the prayer we had gained a group! It was an awesome lesson but I don't know if any of them are truly interested. We will see. Also this same day I tried a classic Kenya dish, Ugali, for the first time. Plus I learned how to make it. It's basically cooked, fluffy cornmeal that you scoop stuff up with. 

Wednesday: after district council, we usually eat at a nearby shawarma place. This week there was a camera crew there with lighting and everything taking pictures and videos. They got a nice shot of me unwrapping my Shawarma so check out the "Shawarma Grill" in Nairobi social media and you might see my cuticles in action. 

Thursday: Sat down with our friend Joel who makes bead bracelets and he asked us to tell him a story. So our "story" was really just the Restoration. But he was actually quite interested and asked a lot of good questions. 

Friday: kind of the same thing as Tuesday but at a car wash instead. Taught some dudes and a huge group gathered. Mostly kids though. They seemed more interested. 

Saturday: God couldn't let us have a perfect week because I woke up sick as a dog. I slept pretty much all day and then we ventured out and taught Susan. She's our African mama and is very sweet and honestly seeking truth. We are trying to get her to read the Book of Mormon right now. 

Sunday: I think the highlight of the week came on Sunday. We got asked by a member from South Sudan to come over and teach his brother. We taught a lot of people from South Sudan in Ethiopia and it was the best and this was no different. We were expecting maybe two or three people but as soon as the member let us in we turned the corner to probably ten massive Sudanese dudes. Most of them were members and they had SOLID testimonies. We taught the few of them that weren't members with their help. 

Long email so short spiritual thought: Christ is so quick to forgive! Never forget that. The moment we say we will do better and mean it is the moment Christ forgives us. We will slip and fall still, but if the intentions are there, Christ and his grace are there. I am grateful for a Savior who is so merciful. 

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

Elder Miles

A nice dirt road

Embakasi (at day)

Embakasi (at night)

My bois Bob and Pat

Elder Fry and I

Kenya Matatus (Buses)

Week 58+59 - Greenie Again

It has been a major 180° degree, flip-flop, world turned upside down, where the fetch am I moment over here for me. On the first day I had the same feeling as I did on my first day in Cali which made me feel like a brand new missionary again in Kenya. It's been a crazy fun and busy week so let's begin. 

-I am still in Nairobi, in an area called Embakasi which is in the south-east part of the city. It hit me right away that we were pretty spoiled during our online work time because this area is nothing like where we were living. For one it is the dustiest place I have ever been in my life. The whole apartment gets coated every evening. There are cows on the streets and little shops everywhere with some nicer places scattered between cinder block apartment buildings. There are often smells on the street that I have never smelled before. We don't have an oven or a washing machine so hand-washing is our new go-to and my new worst enemy. 

-My Kenya comp's name is Elder Ferguson from Manchester, England! Yes...the dude's accent is so sick. I'm already learning cool new British phrases like jumper, chav, and gone off. We live with another companionship: Elder Fry, a fellow Ethiopia missionary and his comp Elder Mafunga from Zimbabwe. 

-The work style here is very different from Ethiopia. In Addis we waited while people came to us, here we walk absolutely everywhere and visit everybody in their homes. Do I like it? Yes. And no. My legs hurt. The first couple of days it poured on us, and then the last few days have been beyond blazing hot. 

-Despite all that I love the work. The people here are so humble and love to hear messages about Jesus Christ. We called a lady named Ruth (who was referred by an Elder I knew in Cali) who is golden, and then she introduced us to her sister and niece who are also golden! If we just say hi to people on the streets, they want to know what we are doing. 

-We go to church at one of the Stake Centers in Kenya. The ward is awesome! They had us new missionaries bear our testimonies. We had one friend come to church named Lucy. She owns a food cart near our house and she's super fun. 

-Other little details: for district council we got lunch at a Shawarma place and a bunch of the other Ethiopia missionaries were there! We got ganged up on by severe alcoholics who tried to get us to go into their booze shed. All the kids call us Mzungu which means white person. Instead of goats, cows rule the streets here in Kenya. I'm picking up a little bit of Swahili as we go. 

Because this email is already so long my spiritual thought will be short. The work is true! Have you read all the prophecies in the scriptures about the spreading of the Gospel and the gathering of Israel? Well, I am seeing first hand that these prophecies are being fulfilled. This work is real! 

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

Elder Miles

Elder Ferguson and I

Cow Town

The Embakasi area

On the roof of our apartment building

Goodbye President Dudfield! 

WK 57 - Answers...🇰🇪

Well, we got word of what our fate is this week. President Dudfield came back and along with Elder Carpenter announced that most of us will be officially and temporarily reassigned to the Kenya, Nairobi mission. So...yeah...on February 21st I will be joining my third different mission in two years. 

But there's hope. First of all, I'm actually pretty excited because I get to see more of another African country. Along with that though, there are some encouraging signs. The Ethiopia and Kenyan missionaries are going back to Ethiopia on Wednesday, so the country is indeed open. President Dudfield assumes we will be back within a transfer or two and the return will be staged. All of us are praying for miracles. 

On the flip side, work in Ethiopia has been good this week especially because the Summit group, which is the area I have been in for the past 5 months, finally opened! And wow the first meeting was a hit and a half! We had seven. whole. people. That may not seem like much but considering we had a one day notice we'll take it! There are a lot more members in the area that we just weren't able to notify in time. Members are now meeting in the home where we lived. It was honestly a historical day because these are the steps we need to take to help the church grow in Ethiopia! One day Summit will be a branch, and then a ward, which will contribute to a stake, and then eventually a temple! 

Also, Happy Valentines Day! As a dedicated, consecrated missionary I can legally make no comment other than God loves you all and will always love you! There was a Valentine's dance at the stake center this week, but literally nobody was there so in our free time we went in and did Ethiopian dances for the DJs. 

I'm sad Elder Willden and I may not be together for much longer. We get along really well and have been grinding the Amharic studies. We don't know how in the world the Kenya mission president will integrate 35 missionaries, but I guess we'll find out next week. 

I want to talk about trust again! In our Sunday school lesson yesterday we covered trust (good timing I know) and the Spirit was slapping me back and forth like a ragdoll. Do you ever worry about the future? I know that I have lately and the Spirit told me that my worry about the future stemmed from a lack of trust in God and his timing. A little bit of worry is healthy, but if you are experiencing worry, just know that God is directing you and you probably don't need to worry as much as you are. 

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.                               

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 Do what you can today and God will take care of the rest. He doesn't want you to worry. 

 I should have some good stories next time... 

 Elder Miles

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

Valentine's Day Dance

Willden and I and this crazy church

The Summit Group

 

WK 56 - Orphaned Missionaries

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a good week and I hope I can brighten it just a little bit more! Mine was honestly really good. 

President Dudfield is in Ethiopia scoping out the situation there. We have been hearing some really positive things. Sister Dudfield left to Australia to assist with one of their children giving birth. So, we've been abandoned with only one senior couple watching over us. 

We had some good lessons and experiences this week. I went on exchanges with one of the APs this week, and we set the goal and prayed about talking with three people by the end of the day. We talked to Abdi (which I'll talk more about later), then to Tesfaye who is now meeting with missionaries in Uganda! We're so happy for him. It looked bleak for a while because we cold-called almost everyone on Facebook and WhatsApp, and just before the end of the day, someone called us back! We were able to share a member’s number with him and it was a total gift of tongues moment. 

Speaking of which, we may not be able to speak Amharic as much, but I've seen it improve in other ways. My understanding of the language is much better and I think I can finally say that I can at least read and understand those squiggly, minecraft enchanting table letters fairly well. So, a little bit of an update there.

We met with Abdi, our Facebook referral again, and he's going through a hard time right now. We shared some scriptures of comfort and kind of slyly slid in some Book of Mormon scriptures and thankfully he loved it. Apparently, he met with missionaries 5 years ago and he is super interested to learn more. 

I bought a tie off of a dude on the street. The Summit group will start meeting next week with a powerful young leader running it that we are really excited for. 

I've been studying hope lately! Hope is a trust in the future that God will fulfill his promises! If you are feeling down, remember that the future can always be better than what you are experiencing now. Hope founded on Jesus Christ is one of the strongest things you can have. An anchor of the soul if you like. Make a conscious effort to have more hope... It makes things much better!

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን 

Elder Miles

Elder Willden and I

El apartmento gatos

Nairobi sunrise

House dinner

I'm not sure what's going on here but there's me and some lightning

Summit District in our parking spot

WK 55 - Lil Ethiopia with My Grandson

I guess my son has been an absent father because my new companion is my Grandson! Elder Burke was training Elder Willden, and now I'm finishing his training. Funny thing is, my father (Elder Anbesse) is now companions with my son (Elder Burke). We've got a crazy family tree going on here. 

This week we had the opportunity to explore downtown Nairobi and look for Ethiopian communities. Sad thing was, we found no Ethiopians nor their communities, but hey it was a major blessing to get out and about and be talking to people face to face again. I guess I shouldn't say we saw no Ethiopians, because we went to an Ethiopian restaurant for lunch and met two Habeshas. It was awesome to be able to speak Amharic like that again. That plus the food was like quick trip to Ethiopia. 

We talked to a man who had met with missionaries twenty years ago who said he'd be willing to read the Book of Mormon! One of our old investigators, Tesfaye, just informed us that he has moved to Uganda! I'm sad that we won't be able to teach him anymore because he was elect but I'm just glad we got in contact with him again.

We had another devotional this week, this time with Sheri Dew! She is the chief communication officer for President Nelson and so she shared a lot about him and how inspired he is. My favorite quote and a big theme was "prophets can see around corners." I love that. We can always find safety in following the prophet. Do you guys remember the gratitude video President Nelson came out with around November last year? Well she shared how he received some pretty specific revelation about it, like it's length and content, and it turned out to be the most viewed message by a prophet ever (at least in this dispensation).

That's pretty much it for the week.

Have a grandiose one እሺ? 

Elder Miles

እግዚአብሔር ይመስገን

 

Goodbye Elder Musonda

Sheri Dew

Bubble

Summit District

Ethiopian ምግብ

This is pretty much Ethiopian steak

Getting lost in Nairobi

Summit Zone on the hunt