Week 15- last with Elder Millecam, staying in Lugazi

Hey! I'm staying in Lugazi, probably at least 2 more transfers. I'm going to be training. My new companion's name is Elder Woodland, and he gets here from the MTC on Wednesday. The best thing that Elder Millecam taught me was how to teach simply. I'll try to do that with this new elder too.
I'm super excited to train! I'm also the new Lugazi District Leader. I have no idea what responsibilities come with it. I'm super glad that I'm staying here, I wanted to stay a couple more at least and continue working with our investigators.  By the way, nice timing on that package, it was perfect! You'll have to tell Grandma, Aunt Gigi and Aunt Sharon thank you for me, I got all my birthday packages. I loved it all, It made me super happy! We celebrated my birthday a little early and made that cake Sunday night and it was divine. The ping pong net is the best thing that you possibly could've sent me. We’ve had so much fun with that, what a gift! 
Mom, thanks for sending me that article on President Nelson's message to Africa, All of those Ugandans are people I know. I am in the Jinja Stake, in the Lugazi branch. I know Charles super well. There were about 5 members from Lugazi who were able to go. It's interesting what President Nelson said, and it's true it was absolutely tailored to the people of Africa. That's literally exactly what the people here needed to hear. Confirmation to me, that he really is a prophet of our God. Powerful stuff.

President Nelson Arrives in Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya — To listen Monday to an LDS Church president's voice in person for the first time, East African Mormons traveled hundreds of miles in dust-covered buses, bouncing and swaying over dirt roads, broken streets and omnipresent speed bumps that keep speeds under 50 mph.

They received a message tailored for eastern Africa, where many tribes continue to insist that grooms or their families provide a dowry or pay a price for a bride.

"That's not the Lord's way," President Russell M. Nelson told about 2,000 Kenyans and other Africans Monday night inside a large, oval, wooden event center styled after traditional huts in Nairobi, Kenya. "The Lord's way is to be married in the temple, for time and all eternity, with your children sealed to you."

He added that if he'd had to pay for his wife, "I would have missed five children, because only with my last five was I out of debt."

President Nelson also said tithing can break cycles of poverty in poor nations and families.

"We preach tithing to the poor people of the world because the poor people of the world have had cycles of poverty, generation after generation," he said. "That same poverty continues from one generation to another, until people pay their tithing."

The law of the tithe was followed by ancient peoples as taught by Old Testament prophets. LDS faithful believe God restored the law and its blessings for those who follow it by giving one-tenth of their income to the church.

Many Africans began saving money and planning their travel more than a month ago to attend what was billed here as a special devotional. It also was the third stop on President Nelson's first international trip since he became the church's leader in January.

"You folks are pioneers right here in Kenya. You might not think of yourself as pioneers, but you're just as much pioneers now as Brigham Young and the Saints were, following the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith."

His 35-minute address was worth 16 hours of rough travel, said Palaasi Charles, 49, of Jinja, Uganda. "Oh, much so. Much so," said Charles, part of a group of 29 Ugandans who left Jinja by bus at 2 p.m. Sunday and arrived in Nairobi at 6 a.m.

They spent the day on a nearby lawn watching and photographing warthogs and baboons and waiting in line to secure seats closest to the podium. "I wish I'd come with my family," said Charles, a first counselor in the Jinja LDS Stake presidency. He said he will return home and relay the special devotional's messages to his family and the Mormon congregations in his area.

"I will share with them the importance of us having temple recommends," he said, "that tithing is going to break the cycle of poverty, the importance of educating our children and doing away with dowry as part of our culture."

He and others are looking forward to construction of an LDS temple in Nairobi, announced in April 2017. Church leaders have not announced the temple site yet.

"I don't know how long it will take to build that temple," President Nelson said, "but let's have a little contest: See if you can build your lives to be ready and your ancestral documentation to be ready for when the temple comes."

He said it is easier for church leaders to build a temple than it is for them to build a people ready for the temple.

He also emphasized the importance of prophets, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration of the priesthood, family and worshipping Jesus Christ. He said one of the great lessons of his 93-year life is that people are God's children and he speaks to them.

"It's no different for you than it is for me," he said. "You can get personal revelation for your own circumstances, just as naturally as I can for my circumstances. You get it for your family and yourself, and I get it for the whole church."

 Another speaker on Monday night, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, also encouraged east Africans to prepare for the temple. He asked them to qualify, receive and carry the temple recommend required for entrance, even before the temple is built.

He also asked them to begin recording their family histories and to attend the temple in Johannesburg, South Africa "as often as the circumstances and the finances and transportation will allow."

"Nothing will bless you more," he said, "nothing will unite your family more, nothing will bless your children more, nothing will bless your ancestors more. Quite frankly, there is nothing that will bless you in any way more than your attendance at the temple, a place of peace, a place of revelation, a place of joy, a place of comfort, a place of purity, all the best things in life."

Sister Nelson said the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi built a boat, LDS Church founder Joseph Smith oversaw construction of circular Nauvoo Temple windows and President Nelson pioneered heart surgery by living "not after the manner of men," a Book of Mormon phrase.

"We need to live our lives, build our marriages, increase our means of livelihoods by increasing our knowledge and skills according to the way the Lord would show us, not after the manner of men." Nephi, Joseph Smith and President Nelson instead followed eternal laws, she said.

"Think about something you need," she added. "What would make your life better right now? What are the eternal laws that govern that blessing? What eternal law would you need to live so that you could receive that blessing?"

The eternal law that governs finances is tithing, Sister Nelson said.

Then she said dowry and bride price are manners of men. She relayed a message from one of her African friends, and said "You, the Saints of Kenya, could set an example of joyfully freeing our young people from the chains of this practice and thus begin living 'not after the manner of men.'"

 I read this article in the Desert news. Although President Nelson traveled to Kenya-not Dylan's mission, his message applied to all people in Africa. Well really all of the world. I felt the spirit testify that that President Nelson is a living prophet who speaks for God here on earth. I felt a confirmation that he is our prophet. What a bold and powerful message he shared. I found Sister Nelson's message to be inspiring as well. The group of 29 Ugandans that traveled to hear the prophet are from Dylan's mission, along with the 1st councilor in his stake Presidency-Palaasi Charles. 

The Lord asked us "What manner of men ought ye be? He then answered "Even as I am" . He challenges us in all areas of our life to live after the manner of God, to be more like Him.  It has had me wondering this week what ways I live "after the manner of men" and what I might do to become more Christlike. -Annie 

Week 14 in Lugazi with Elder Millecam

 Transfers are next week; I will find out soon what I am doing. My area is doing so good though, I don't really wanna leave yet. I 'd like at least one more transfer here. We had 6 investigators get baptized on Sunday!! Faith and Jared got baptized, along with a man named Elvis, Umar, Jonah, and then Annette. It was a super exciting Sunday. Their testimonies after were incredibly powerful. Some of them bore their testimonies in Lugandan, and even though I couldn't understand all of it I felt the spirit super strong. It was neat! Have you been following the prophets journey? We put some money together so that our elder’s quorum president could go to Nairobi and meet the prophet. He was so excited to go! Did you know that President Nelson and Holland spent three days in Jerusalem prior to coming to Nairobi? Two prophets in Jerusalem? Remind you of a scripture in Revelation? I’ve been studying so much. My scriptures are marked up super good. It might be cool for you to read through them when I get home.  Anyways, Elder Millecam's proselyting bag stunk super bad so he washed it ya? Well it still stunk after, so he was looking inside, and it turns out a lizard got stuck in it and died. It was hilarious. The poor guy also had a giant praying mantis climb into his pants and he had to kill it on his leg.  It was not his best week…

 Oh, by the way you'd be so proud of me...I have ZERO food-stained shirts

Week 13 in Lugazi with Elder Millecam

I want you to know that I can absolutely feel your love and I know you're cheering me on at home! I love hearing about the family and what you guys have been up to. I'm doing good, it was a good week. I did watch conference and I really enjoyed it! We watched the Saturday sessions back-to-back on Saturday and the Sunday sessions back to back on Sunday. Two 4-hour sessions. It wasn't like being at home, but I did feel the spirit super strong. Honestly, Saturday session was my favorite session. The solemn assembly where we got to sustain President Nielson was amazing. I couldn't believe how strong the spirit was. There were only five of us in the chapel for the Saturday session and there were no branch leaders, but we all got up and sustained him and it was so neat. I knew that without a doubt I was standing as a witness before God that I know that he really is our prophet and I felt so happy. It was awesome! If the boys didn't watch the Saturday session they ought to, and they ought to participate in the solemn assembly. It was incredible. My favorite talk though was Uchtdorf’s. I don't know what its title is yet but I'm gonna guess it's titled Behold the Man. I finished reading Jesus The Christ this week right before conference and then listening to that talk and totally understanding in detail what he was talking about was super spiritual for me. I loved it. I don't get to watch priesthood, so the boy’s ought to tell me what was good. I miss going to priesthood and shakes with them so bad. I was super grateful for you guys all though conference and for the knowledge that I get to spend eternity with you. So, they talked about pure love and ministering a lot right? Mom, you're such a good example of pure love. I can feel it all the time. I can tell how much you love to serve and care about other people without judgement. Also, Ava was a good example of ministering. She still does minister our family to this day and that's pretty dang cool. It's changed our whole families lives in a way. This week we got a chance to do some service too. On Tuesday we went and farmed for Moses, one of our RC's. It was interesting, it was out in the middle of the jungle. We helped him plant Kasava, it’s a little like a potato.  We also saw a sugar cane field catch on fire and that was wild. We got stranded out at a gas station and couldn't get picked up by a taxi.  We ended up walking like 7 miles or something. That paved road is Kampala Highway, it’s only paved in certain areas and is the biggest highway in the country. The weather here is just like the food, really bland. It's on and off rain and on and off sunshine. I miss the seasons. Utah really is the best place in the world. I'll know next week if I'm staying here in Lugazi or if I'm leaving. I'm doing good on supplies and food and finally put some weight back on. I'm eating fish and beef and eggs every day. I found a place where they sell fresh Tilapia. Just raw fish steaks and I have been eating them all week. They're super yummy and I make this tomato sauce stuff that I put on it. That's what is in the picture is I sent you. Usually, the skin is still on the fish, so I have to prepare it hardcore. And then I just grill it on a pan, the same way I cook everything. I really enjoy it and it's good to be able to mix it up and eat more than just eggs and beef. That's my diet and then mixing veggies in there too. I can't eat the super oily food here It makes me throw it up. I did eat a rolex today and it was super yummy! No other missionary eats the things that I eat. They like Rolex and fries.  That's literally all that my comp eats.

Man, Dad- you are such a stud. After reading the katana story I think you will laugh your head off when you get my next few letters in the mail. You'll understand after you read them. I'm beyond grateful that you've been willing to be so patient with me and "mentally forge" who I am. I'll do my best to do my part as well.. I love you a ton. I want you to know that my studies are really focused on Christ right now. I've learned sooo much on my mission. I know missions are really for the missionary and then the people who benefit from me being out here is a bonus in a way. Jesus the Christ has really changed my perspective and opened my eyes to a lot. I recommend that read to anyone and everyone. I really love you guys a ton and I can't wait to come home and hug you. I'm so excited to talk to you in ONE month on Mother's Day! I never want the homesickness to go away though, it just means that I love you!

Week 12 in Lugazi with Elder Millecam

We didn't watch or listen to conference; we will actually watch it this next Sunday due to tape delay. They send us a DVD to watch at our chapel. I definitely missed being at home and watching it with you guys. It didn't seem like Easter. None of the holidays are the same without my family and the people that I love around me. It was cool to be reading Jesus the Christ at this time of year though. It made Easter more meaningful. We brought 10 new investigators to church on Sunday. I was really surprised overall attendance on Easter was low. Our investigators made up a fifth of the congregation. Also, we had a tender mercy in disguise as a disaster. I lost my wallet on Saturday and thought I’d never see it again. I wasn’t devastated, just annoyed at the inconvenience that it caused me and could cause the mission office. About 4 hours later we got a call from one of our investigators who told us that a young man had found the wallet and was waiting for us in the chapel. The man’s name was Arnold, and we took the opportunity to teach him. He was super attentive and came to church the next day. Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways to connect people to His message. Tell the Larsen’s that I got their letter and I loved it. They had some really nice things to say about you and Dad. All true too of course.

I think that this was a good mission for me. Ya, it's definitely a good mission for me. I can be myself, work hard, teach a lot and have fun doing it. However, Africans don't get sarcasm mom, It's so funny.

Dad, Man-I miss you. Thank you for setting such a good example for me. I’m grateful for all the lessons you’ve taught me while growing up. Especially the ones about working hard and pushing through hard things. I really think that if you hadn’t taught me to do hard things, I wouldn’t be able to do this. Leaving my family is easily the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Another great example you have set for me is how to treat women. You have always taught me how important women are. Dad, thank you for always supporting me and working so hard to take care of our family. I want you to know that I really love you!

  

President Collings interview

I was reading President Collings blog- if you haven’t checked it out you ought to! It is written by Sister Collings and gives a great overall perspective of the Uganda, Kampala mission. There is a link to her blog on the web version of This blog- it is right above Dylan’s address. Her update yesterday included a report of Dylan’s areas and interview with the President. It was so fun to read- I thought I'd share her post. The Lugazi secret stuff ingredients were listed on the back of the bottle

 

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