Service brings about Strange Happenings August 25, 2014

Mother Dearest, (I hope you heard the sarcasm in that name. Not because it's not true, but because I don't ever call you that).

So things are going good. I feel like I had a lot to say. Especially after reading your email. But now that I am actually typing I feel at a loss for words. First however, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT TREVOR GOT HIS CALL! Where is he going? I've just been sitting over here in my own little corner of the world thinking that it hasn't even come yet. And now he is leaving! Haha! Also, Thomas Garrison, I think I heard where he is going, but a refresher would be nice!

I am glad that you got the letter. it was another one of those things that I thought I had a lot to write about in an actual letter, but then when I started writing, my mind blanked. Which is kind of what is happening now, so I hope that this doesn't just sound like babbling.

Alright. This week had been prettay carazay! Haha!

So first. we have been doing a lot of service. Which is sweet. A while back I wrote about a family that has kids that are members, but we are working to get the parents married and baptized. But, anyway. We have been helping them. They are adding onto their house, so we built a foundation! The way they do it is odd, I mean, I say that like I know how we do it in the states! Haha! But, they built bricks up and then filled it with as many boulders as they could. And then rocks, and then sand, and then they get it wet, so it all sinks down. But we have basically just been helping them carry boulders. Elder Swan was talking about how it was odd that they used rocks and didn't just fill it all with sand. And of course I started singing the wise man and the foolish man. I mean, that is a pretty good doctrinal reason if I do say so myself! Haha! I sound like a weird missionary.

Here is another service thing we had. This one was a lot more interesting. So there is this lady, Patricia. She was baptized in January, and has been less active ever since. But we go visit her. But we offered to paint her garage for her. So we went over one morning to paint her garage. So we get there, and she isn't there yet. But like two days before her two children, in their twenties had come home. Her son, who is twenty four has been at Sangoma Initiation school. So basically he has been studying to be a witch doctor. Anyway. We got there and they were burning something. And he was dressed like you would think a witch doctor would look, minus any bones through his neck. Haha! But then Patricia gets home, with a friend. The friend said that Patricia had been acting weird. But that was pretty much it. But she was talking a TON. And she is usually a pretty quiet lady. But she goes inside and we start painting. So anyway. The door into the house is open. And we can see in. Then randomly Patricia starts running around screaming and mumbling odd words. And she is like fifty years old. Anyway. She keeps running in and out of the house. While the son is chasing her around chanting with this giant stick. But they get her in the house. She is still screaming, and they lock all of the doors. She is screaming for about an hour. We finish painting and then go around to the back of her house to wash the brushes. But she is back there. Not screaming, but still talking way more than she usually does. She starts telling us about how God came and planted a tree in  her backyard. Anyway. Then she tells us everything that she had already told us that day. It was like she had it memorized. We finally got out of the place. But then we went back for a lesson that night. Still WAY weird. The spirit that was there was definitely not the Holy Ghost. Malapula keeps acting like we need to go back. But I have basically told him there is no way I will go back there. It isn't something we should mess with. And Elder Swan and our Branch President agree. So yeah. Crazy stuff.

Now I would like to share an odd tidbit. So our first counselor in our branch presidency's name is Zack. We went to visit him. He is a nice guy. Single. Talks a lot. I really like him though. Anyway. As he was talking all I could picture was King Julian from Madagascar. THEY HAVE THE EXACT SAME VOICE! All I could think of was, "He is carrying scissors and hand cream!" (if you don't understand the reference, please refer to my assistants in awkwardness, Matthew or Rachel). But instead of that he was saying "They are all jealous. Jealous of our Jesus Christ". He was referring to people being jealous of our church's name.

Lastly. The N'kosi family. The family with the daughter that has hydrocephaly. So their son died in a car accident earlier this year. They don't have transport to get to the grave. So we told them we would take them. It was FAR. But I was very thankful that we did. It was a very tender thing. To help them clean the area. And then watch them do some of the traditional things. But it was sweet to see them. I mean, sad, but still the spirit was there. It was a very tender moment that I can not describe, but I was just very happy that I was able to share the moment with such a beautiful family.

So transfers are coming up. We will find out if someone is leaving this coming Saturday. I will most likely leave. But we will see. I love this place so much! I don't want to leave! But we will see what happens. It is odd, like you said in your email, how much I have come to love these people and this place. I don't want to leave. But we will see.