Sitting by the Docks of the Bay - May 19, 2014

My last Monday in Bo we rode out to a school in northern Bo because it supposedly had a caged crocodile. We got there and found the pen holding him and he was huge! I have pictures but I worried about plugging it into this computers because of viruses. Anyway I'm sure the condition of his pen would have gotten any activists hair to curl. He was over 50 years old and was missing most his teeth but still a fearsome fellow. They say people just drop cats and small dogs into his cage and that's how he is fed.

   Tuesday I left my apartment early in the morning and spent a few hours at the Sewa Road apartment with others being moved around. I had just been at that apartment on exchange with Elder Allen (my great friend who is well cultured in good music) and so we and other played rook (a card game I learned here.) Me and Elder Jest( from England) went to a nice super market in town while our ride was fueling up. There they had a sale on Ben & Jerrys ice cream (the small bowls) they were old and a bit freezer burnt but we feasted on them anyways. We soon left and traveled for 4 hours or so to Freetown. I arrived somehow late so not much time to do anything, but I met up with my new companion Elder Hofman. We spent the rest of the night talking about the good ol' days in Ghana and Kasoa.

   So the area of Congo Cross is wedged right between the mountains of Freetown and the Atlantic Ocean. It so strange how they built Freetown in, on and around the mountains here. There are not many mountains in West Africa, but somehow an entire capitol city ended up on one. It makes me miss the flatness of Bo but my legs are getting toned. It's nice to be on the ocean again and feel the nice saline breeze it brings. With Freetown harbor right next to us I get to see huge tankers and freight ships prowling the waters all the time. It makes me curious, almost enough  to want to work on one for some time, another one of my fantasies. We have a lot of really good people to work with in this area, including some sweet families. Congo Cross is a ward in the only stake in Sierra Leone. That Stake was created by Elder Holland around the time I was in the MTC and was the Church's 3,000th. I'm happy to be serving here and enjoying the few comforts of Freetown (More ice cream and the occasional cheeseburger.)

    I haven't received either yours or Grandma's package but I did get a letter from her. I'm going to be working hard not only in the area this week but also in improving the apartment I'm in. It has been known to be a hole and everyone hates it. Really it just needs to be cleaned and maintained. But I may do one or two other things to bring it up, like plant a garden. We will see though. I'm extremely happy to be here and I'm still finding joy in serving. I'm getting close to 18 months and doing my best to not think of too many things of home, but I'd be lying if I wasn't a bit excited....though don't worry I am still focused. So there's Elder Ray's life of the last week. not to bad and the best is yet to come.

    Love,

       Elder Ray

Picture of the medical conference they just recently had attended. Elder Ray is on the 2nd row, 4th from the right.