Monday, March 10, 2014

Not Easy Being the New Kid - March 10, 2014

Irony, the hard crust of the bread of Adversity
 Yeah I stole the title from Elder Neal A. Maxwell (he is a good friend
 and I think he would approve.) Not much time for writing today, the
 internet is not running great and my keyboard is half Islamic letters (so I'm trying).
 It was just another day in the life of a missionary of Salone. I'll
 tell you my companion, Elder Symons, is going out hard and working
 like crazy. I have learned a lot from him. The mission itself has a
 lot more rules than anywhere else I have served
 (sounds so weird to say haha) Just trying to get use to use to them
 (things like what we wear and how we do studies, exchanges, reports,
 etc.)
 Wednesday I had my first chance to go on an exchange with a zone
 member in another area (his comp a DL went with my comp.) his area's
 branch is one of the roughest in the mission and has been in decline
 for a while. They are trying though and I really see some good work
 happening. One street that runs through that area all the way to my
 own is called “old railway line” - Once a railroad was here but due to bad
 infrastructure and the war it was buried then torn out. All I could
 think of was how ironic.
 Besides this event the week went by pretty normal and we had lots
 of failed appointments but far more lessons than ever. We are working
 for 4 baptism at the end of the month and a possible 4 for the first
 of April. This place is growing gradually - we just need to keep our
 members we have, just like anywhere really.
 Not the best week of my mission, I have been really homesick. Not
 of Utah, but of Ghana and even Texas. It’s not easy being the new kid
 in town( eagles quote) and not easy having 15 months experience in a
 different mission and expected to just know a new mission like that.
 Though little by little it’s all coming and I'm making the best of what
 I can do. I know there is a reason or at least the Lord will have a
 purpose for me, I just need to find it.
 Struggling, but still doing my part happily,
 ~Elder Ray


These were his answers to some questions I asked:
We have 4 districts and 5 branches I believe in the zone.
We cook most of our own food or have a member make us a big stew and
we just make rice( it’s all they eat here)
We are the outskirts of Bo, kind of bush area with the city at one end.
The southern part of Bo I should say.
The city only has power in the rainy season, which isn't until May or
June, maybe not til July
Glad to hear of the news from home, I didn't know that about those
families, but that is so amazing for them to get that chance now.


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