WHAT a week my dear friends and
family :) and boy oh boy, i've got news for you! good news that is. well,
considering that it doesnt affect any of you, i guess it doesnt really matter but
its Good!
Transfer news came this Thursday and surprisingly, i've been moved OUT of Brewerville and to the New Kru Town Branch! Elder Udotiom was also moved, to New Georgia Branch. We were "White Washed" as they call it. Hey man! i was surprised! SHOOT!!! an area as large as Brewerville being white washed was no small thing! we cover quite a large plot of land. although, through many wonderful blessings, all is well and in good hands.
My new companion is... drum roll... Elder Pearmain!! hey brothers and sisters, this deserves some hootin and hollerin!!! sheewwwtt was i excited! I served in Elder Pearmain's district earlier, when serving in Point 4. so im simply coming back to my birth apartment, birth building, and essentially the same area. point 4 and new kru town are just on opposite sides of the road. instead of proselyting on the left and of the street, now i go right :) and i even know the area, small small, from previous exchanges and whatnot. its sweet to be back home! although i was pretty bummed to leave Brewerville. hey. no small disappointment to leave a great place like that no matter how long you serve there.
How grateful I am to have had the opportunity to serve in Brewerville and to befriend and serve with such wonderful souls. I was so very sad to say goodbye to those branch members, investigators and especially those recent converts! Ah, i dont mind admitting it brought tears to my eyes! They were all such uplifting people and truly, i was blessed by their spirits and learned so much from THEM! I simply hope that i was also able to bring the greater light of the Gospel into their lives in some way, as they did to me.
Despite my attachment to the beautiful Brewerville Branch, i received an unmistakable witness while worshiping with the New Kru Town Branch that this is where the Lord needs me. There is a work here for me, personally, to do. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord has great blessings in store for this branch. I so much look forward to reporting those wonderful miracles and improvements that will occur here. There is much potential for improvement! The spirit is in the New Kru Town Branch, that is fact. It is my new home, and it's great. i love it already.
I am also so incredibly grateful to the Lord for sending me Elder Pearmain. I believe i once told him that he is a chapter 6 missionary. That fact still stands, but he is also understands all of the other chapters as well. We are ready to work harder and smarter than we ever have before! You have no idea how excited i am to do that! We set a goal this morning to "increase in faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection and freedom" this transfer by helping each other be 100% obedient. Not that we don't strive for that currently, but improvement is always available.
Transfer news came this Thursday and surprisingly, i've been moved OUT of Brewerville and to the New Kru Town Branch! Elder Udotiom was also moved, to New Georgia Branch. We were "White Washed" as they call it. Hey man! i was surprised! SHOOT!!! an area as large as Brewerville being white washed was no small thing! we cover quite a large plot of land. although, through many wonderful blessings, all is well and in good hands.
My new companion is... drum roll... Elder Pearmain!! hey brothers and sisters, this deserves some hootin and hollerin!!! sheewwwtt was i excited! I served in Elder Pearmain's district earlier, when serving in Point 4. so im simply coming back to my birth apartment, birth building, and essentially the same area. point 4 and new kru town are just on opposite sides of the road. instead of proselyting on the left and of the street, now i go right :) and i even know the area, small small, from previous exchanges and whatnot. its sweet to be back home! although i was pretty bummed to leave Brewerville. hey. no small disappointment to leave a great place like that no matter how long you serve there.
How grateful I am to have had the opportunity to serve in Brewerville and to befriend and serve with such wonderful souls. I was so very sad to say goodbye to those branch members, investigators and especially those recent converts! Ah, i dont mind admitting it brought tears to my eyes! They were all such uplifting people and truly, i was blessed by their spirits and learned so much from THEM! I simply hope that i was also able to bring the greater light of the Gospel into their lives in some way, as they did to me.
Despite my attachment to the beautiful Brewerville Branch, i received an unmistakable witness while worshiping with the New Kru Town Branch that this is where the Lord needs me. There is a work here for me, personally, to do. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord has great blessings in store for this branch. I so much look forward to reporting those wonderful miracles and improvements that will occur here. There is much potential for improvement! The spirit is in the New Kru Town Branch, that is fact. It is my new home, and it's great. i love it already.
I am also so incredibly grateful to the Lord for sending me Elder Pearmain. I believe i once told him that he is a chapter 6 missionary. That fact still stands, but he is also understands all of the other chapters as well. We are ready to work harder and smarter than we ever have before! You have no idea how excited i am to do that! We set a goal this morning to "increase in faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection and freedom" this transfer by helping each other be 100% obedient. Not that we don't strive for that currently, but improvement is always available.
In attempts to look through new
eyes, i decided to share small about what its like transporting around here. no
small advendture just trying to catch a ride a mile or so down the street.
so, usually, we simply stand on
the side of the road and hail a motorbike man, tell him the place we're going,
negotiate for a price (usually cause im white i have to work it pretty hard for
a decent price) and then hop on and enjoy the thrill of weaving in between cars
and trying not to get caught in a head on collision. its pretty exciting after
the first week or so and your natural instincts to run and never get on a bike
again wear off. haha. so thats a motorbike.
Recently, however, Liberia
passed a law banning motorbikes on the "car road" (aka UN Drive). so
now we transport using Cab. now, these cars are painted yellow but they are no
new york taxi. these are 1970 Nissan "sunny". yeah. you hail one, it
pulls up and already has 5 people in it. my companion and i hop on in! at least
4 people (full grown men) in the back seat of this tiny car and 2 in the front
seat. so my companion gets the front seat, i squeeze in the back. "ya
hello" you whisper as you squeeze in, practically on the young woman's lap.
(only in liberia can a missionary sit as close to a young woman as we are forced to. too
bad many dont wear deodorant. haha) then you try to get the door closed by
repeatedly slamming it against your hip. about the 3rd try, everyone shifts
small so that you have more room and often, someone from the outside helps by
forcefully slamming the door shut. metal chinks and clinks, the whole car
rattles as the driver puts the clutch into first. yeah, these cars are
older than matter... haha and you simply keep a prayer in your heart that the
door doesnt burst open and you fall out. although, the cars dont have the juice
to get going faster than about 30 mph, so even if that did happen, nbd right?
haha.
i look around and
often, i just laugh. "uhh...just.. stop..." i say to myself
before i start judging. haha.
when you've reached your
destination, you mumble to the driver, he pulls over and you try to get out
without falling on your face. meanwhile, about 5 other people are fighting to
get INTO the car because of the lack of motorbike drivers and taxis. you brush
yourself off and give the driver his money, and head out on your way,
successfully surviving a taxi drive in Liberia. mission accomplished.
i hope you enjoyed your taxi
experience today. next week i hope to come up with something new to share about
this crazy wonderful country i currently call home. sweet LIB :)
lots of love, and take care
this week. thank you for all the support and prayers!
-elder fairwell
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