Monday, March 24, 2014

Can I get a pet crocodile?


Dear Family and friends,
Looks like this is the only open emailing spot in town so all of our time has been spent here waiting to email. Our plans to go explore some ruins of an old abandoned Hotel will have to wait for another week. Glad Im finally on to email though!
This week has been terrific! I am really loving my new companion, Elder Lamont. The new zone is also great, 12 elders and no sisters. We all live in the same barbed wire compound which allows us to really get together and become unified. I've also made good friends with an apartment mate, Elder Montgomery this week as well. Everyone in this zone is really great and Im so thankful that we dont have any real trouble makers or nothin. Too Easy!
I just skimmed my email from mom and GRANT IS GOING TO MADAGASCAR??? what!!! ah, that is so sweet brotha! also, i remember Diego getting called to Sierra Leone? Holy smokes! what a treat they are in for. I just heard from an elder who went to sierra leone that i knew from efy, he said its also difficult to adjust to at first, although once you adjust, its terrific. That has also been my experience, as well as almost all the other elders i know. Just hang in there for the first few months and before you know it, you'll be in heaven like me!
I've really got nothin to complain about this week. My companion is wonderful, but the area is even better!! haha just kidding. :) I love elder lamont too much. but the area is stinking beautiful. the poverty is still an issue, but if you can remember, brewerville has a bit more money than new kru town. Regardless, i love being out in what you might label the "country". beautiful sunrises and sunsets, birds chirping and dogs howling all throughout the night. Roosters crowing in the morning at the crack of dawn. And the weather is blazing hot during the day, but at night it cools down surprisingly and my bed is right next to the window allowing me to sleep better than a mom after christmas! Seriously, the area is just toooooo good. I get to walk a million miles, but all down long dusty roads just like you might imagine in your dreams what a mission is like.
Lets see, i made a few notes about cool things that happened this week. First note is that there is a school for deaf and also blind students in my area! isnt that cool? I had no idea that they helped deaf or blind people here. usually those with abnormalities just get mistreated and left at home to waste away their lives, but i guess not! so i have come across a few deaf students once or twice in passing and have gotten to use my little sign language skills to say hello and introduce myself... yet my knowledge of sign language has really deteriorated because i cant remember past that. Although I was surprised at how much I could understand THEM. anyways, looks like that one year of sign language class came in handy eh scott? :)
Apparently, Falcons live in Africa... because one man has a pet one that we came across yesterday. He clipped his wings so the Falcon cant fly, but let me tell you, it can still kill you with its eyes! seriously, it was about to look so deep into my soul that it was going to tear my spiritual eyes out. that bird was SCARY im telling you! I almost pet it, but then it looked like it was going to bite my finger off so i heeded the prompting of the spirit and took a few steps back. The spirit really does always give us good advice, Im a witness!
A woman tried to sell me some live baby crocodiles this week for $20.00 USD. She just had a few of them in a small bucket of water on her head walking through the streets trying to sell them! I thought about it, but then remembered that the white handbook discourages pets of all kind. Although, i did consider eating the crocodile so then it wouldnt be a pet but rather food but... i didnt. Maybe one of these days ill buy a live chicken from the market and see how it tastes. but not a crocodile. plus, i dont know how id cook it! I should also mention that Elder Lamont and I are really trying to buy a goat and have a feast sometime this transfer. You know, gotta make sure we take care of our zone members with a fun activity! who knows. Africa CAN be fun if you know where to look.
Speaking of fun, mom, We are looking to get some paintballs over here to Brewerville if you ever get the chance to visit. We found ourselves some sweet handmade slingshots made from some type of tire/ rubber and some sticks. Selling them for a few bucks. Some of these boys are pretty creative around here. regardless, zone paintball would be fun. We've got the slingshots, just send the paintballs yeah? (maybe i should get this activity approved before you actually send those mom... :))
I think some people have asked how we preserve food here. the answer? we dont. haha you cook food for that day, and eat it that day. although when it comes to meat, most of it is shipped in from somewhere (really, i have no idea) and comes frozen. then, people selling in the market go buy it from the shipyard market where it comes off the ships, then come sell it out here in our communities. That is for things like chicken and fish. no beef or pork is sold here- oh wait, pig feet are sold here sorry. yeah, those arent my favorite meal not going to lie...  Anyway, they also can dry their meat and make something similar to jerky. They mostly do it to the fish that they catch themselves. \they call it "boney". I dont know how to do it personally, but essentially, they just smoke it for a good long while, then it can be preserved for a few days. too easy yeah? who needs deep freezers?!
well, I think thats all for the day, time is up! love you all and wish you could come see all the wonderful things I get to experience each week. Life is good anywhere you go, that is for sure :) When you're doing what the Lord asks you to do, you can never go wrong! :) Thats the real test though isnt it... till next week!
-Elder Fairwell

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