Week 77- Iganga, Uganda with Elder Bukasa

Wow it’s been a lot of change lately. After being emergency transferred out of the area, we had to move across the country staying with different missionaries while President figured out where to put all 11 of us. I am now in Iganga, Uganda training a new missionary Elder Bukasa. He is really cool, and I like him a lot. One of the hardest things was I had to leave a lot of my food-including the turkey I just bought. The shower here is rough and my area is hot and dusty. We are still looking for places to buy food and get things figured out. We met with the members; this area has not had missionaries for a long time. Overall this week was just fine. On Tuesday we worked really hard and found 8 new people to teach just on that day. and I taught maybe my favorite lesson of my mission that day. We taught this 18-year-old kid named Wasswa who has grown up a Muslim. He wanted to learn more about Jesus Christ, so the entire lesson was just focused on the Savior and it felt so good to be able to share what I know to be true about our Redeemer. That was the highlight of Tuesday. Wednesday, we went back and taught Wasswa more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. He wants to be baptized but I don't know if we will be able to baptize him because of his Muslim family. They're super hard on people who convert, at a the very least he would be disowned and abandoned. We found some more new people to teach that day. All of our lessons were really spiritual and meaningful. That night walking home a drunk boda guy smashed into a cow right in front of us. Kind of wild. We had a really good week of finding, we taught 18 new people. (sadly, only one came to church, Wasswa.) Saturday, I spent most of the day working on my companion police report, so he doesn't get deported back to Congo. His English is improving big time. I forgot how weird it is to be with a new missionary. It's funny to see other people adjust to such a crazy country.
Some other fun things we did this week, we set up a basketball hoop in our living room and have been playing dunk ball at night. You'll be super proud knowing my team is currently undefeated. This week I have been studying the first few chapters in Alma. I've been thinking a lot about how trials help us grow, but to maximize our growth we have to handle the trials correctly. I'm working on that. Also, my testimony that happiness is found when our lives are built on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ seems to grow every time, I read the book of Mormon. I think my mission has really changed how I look at a lot of things and what kind of person I am going to be. I know that at home many youth feel pressured to go on a mission, care about what others think if they don’t go or think they have to go because their parents expect them to go. I think a little pressure can help push them in the right direction-but more importantly I think the youth need to know that parents and Heavenly Father ONLY want them to serve because its what is best for them. It is motivated by love and a testimony that serving will bless them. I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve a mission.