Week 72-Masaka, Uganda with Elder Ahome'e

My comp at a local salon.
P-Days are busy getting everything done for the week- but we like to get a little play time in too. Pool is always a favorite. Also building relationships, talking to and meeting people while sharing the gospel has become 2nd nature to me. I find some of our greatest lessons and messages shared are on p-day as we are interacting with everyone around us. Like, at the grocery store, hair salon, and pool hall.  Sharing the gospel comes naturally  and easy in everyday situations. Especially if you take time to laugh with people and ask them questions about their life.
Pauline's Grandmother has forbidden her to come to church, but is allowing us to still teach her. We told her she needs to be obedient to her grandmother- but on Sunday she snuck away while her grandmother was napping so she could take the sacrament and bear her testimony. It was so powerful-I asked her to write it down for me so I could have a copy. Can you imagine an American teen sneaking out to go to church ....?

Week 71 Masaka, Uganda with Elder Ahome’e

Before I got to my new area, I got rid of a lot of stuff. It was the coolest thing ever to be able to give all this stuff away and see how happy simple stuff makes people here. Like there's a kid about to leave on his mission and I gave him a suitcase and he said he was just going to take three backpacks because he couldn't get one, so he was so stoked. And then I gave my guard a bunch of clothes and he was so happy I think he was going to cry.
I'm adjusting pretty well. I like my companion a lot and the other missionaries I'm around are so fun. They are named Elder Malaba from Congo and Elder Kabayadondo from Zimbabwe. They're both so hilarious and good runners so I always have someone to run with. They live next door to us and they're in my district. I'm having a great time. My comp really likes to work hard but he's also a big fan of playing hard, so it's been a perfect balance. But we had a CRAZY end to our week, we had an investigator pass out at church yesterday!  In the second hour we had an investigator who had a super bad asthma attack and lost consciousness. Me and Elder Malaba ran to her house in the rain to try and find her inhaler after we gave her a blessing, but she didn't have one there, so we came back and got a truck there to take her to the hospital. We called sister Collings and she thought I was going to have to do rescue breathing- so glad she was ok. We are teaching this young woman named Pauline. She is 17 and the most spiritually prepared investigator I’ve ever taught.  After each lesson she finishes all the things we have asked her to do. She comes to church each week and writes a list of questions to ask us at the next lesson. She even called us to schedule her next lesson. She would like to get baptized but she must ask her mother, who lives in her ancestral village for permission. She is very afraid that her mother will not allow baptism. Please pray for her mother’s heart to be softened. Love you guys lots!

Week 70 - Masaka, Uganda with Elder Ahome'e

I know you're not up right now but since my companion is from Tonga, he has to email in the middle of the day so he can talk to his family Let me tell you a little about my week. On Thursday we got picked up and taken to our new areas. I'm in an area called Kijjabweni which is in Masaka. It's a super awesome area, it reminds me a lot of Lugazi except our apartment is SO nice. We have a great shower, and it's small and clean. I'm really happy here, and we're teaching a lot of great people. My companion is Elder Ahome'e from Tonga. He is a lot of fun. Thursday night we came into town and got a little bit of food and then we came back, and I unpacked. Friday, we had some appointments and we met with members. Saturday, we went out and taught all day, and it was good to get back into it. Being around new missionaries is a little bit reviving. We had Book of Mormon class that night too and that's my favorite. 
One thing about Masaka is it's a little bit chilly sometimes and I love it. It rains almost every day and that makes the weather pleasant. Sunday was good, I got to share my testimony at church. Then after lunch we went out and contacted a ton of people. The next few weeks we will be super busy with teaching. Every night this week we've been playing cover your assets with the other elders. I have lots of funny pictures, but I can't send them from the internet cafe. Some of them include my companion eating a pig’s head, him killing bugs with a homemade flame thrower, and then me and a toy lightsaber I found. I'll figure out some way to send them to you soon. I finished the Pearl of Great Price this week, and I'm going to start it again. I'm reading Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, but I forgot my scriptures, so I don't have a good spiritual thought to share from my studies but in our Book of Mormon class we read 1 Nephi chapter 6. Two things I really liked were 1 when Nephi was tied up by his brothers and left for dead, he asked God for strength to break the bands, he didn't just ask for the bands to go away. It made me think about how when we go through trials, we should ask for strength to be able to handle them, instead of just asking for our circumstances to be changed. the second thing was at the end of the chapter Nephi and his family get together and they offer sacrifices and they're thankful. I was thinking about how even in hard times we can find things to be thankful for and be happy because of our family and loved ones. That was good for me because adjusting to something new is not something I like. 

Week 69- Entebbe, Uganda with Elder Budu

Well the main news is there was a problem with my paperwork for Ethiopia. So, I'm heading to Masaka this week to be with Elder…. don't know how to say his name. He's Tongan and really big. So big in fact he roasted and ate a WHOLE PIG by himself this week. Elder Budu had his medical exit exam and found out that he has bilharzia along with every other missionary who is going home. I think I'm going to go get tested on Thursday now haha. Tonight, we went to dinner with Brother Albert, the gentleman we were teaching from Sierra Leone. He took us to a really nice restaurant, and we had a great time. He's such a nice guy and I'm excited for him and his future. He is going to be baptized this coming Sunday. Sure love you guys!