Moyamba Week 15

Moyamba is sweet now, because we found where we can email with 3g. So it's basically a party that no one wants to leave. (I'll send a picture).

This week went by really fast for a few reasons. On Tuesday we went on District exchange, so Elder Kabosha and I went out to screw the devil up together. It was really fun, because Elder Kabosha is hilarious and we both came to Moyamba the same time, so we know our way around and get along super well. We had a blast and even taught a really spiritual lesson to two less active sisters that have trouble coming to church. I love going on exchanges because its a great way for me to expand my teaching skills as I am able to see how others teach.

Wednesday we got the great chance to go on another exchange with our Zone Leaders from Bo. Elder Rydjeski went with Elder Barker and I, and it was awesome to see another way to teach the same lessons. Also, Elder Rydjeski played water polo at the Air Force Academy for two years before coming out on his mission, so it was really cool to talk to him about that experience. 

The first time that my companion and I had a normal day just the two of us was Thursday, you can now see why the week went quick. We taught good lessons together and enjoy working together with help from the Spirit. 

Yesterday church was interesting because we had a normal sacrament meeting but instead of going to sunday school and then priesthood we pulled the flat screen tv in the big room where we hold sacrament and put in the DVD of Conference. The members watch conference about a month and a half later because there is no electricity or internet for the common man. I really enjoyed watching conference and hearing the words of the Prophet again but some of our investigators did not feel the same. 

All in all it was probably a terrible sunday for our investigators because they had no idea what was going on. And while English and Krio are very similar a lot of people still can not understand English, and they really can't understand it when it is coming from an old white man. So about halfway through most of them got up and left to get food. But really I can't blame them, even if you can understand conference it's not the most interesting of things. 

All is well, and I love the chance that I get to serve the people of Sierra Leone. I love this Gospel and know without a doubt in my heart that it is true. 

Love you all,

Elder Hendricks 

Pictures:

1. Found a kid in a Provo Rec Center Jazz jersey so I had to take a picture, he was really confused but it was worth it. Next is to try a get a picture with the bike man that wears a Canucks jersey or the guy with the WSU football jersey.

2. Mr. Freetown (Thomas JonJo) and I. If you can't tell by the photo, he's

a real interesting guy to put in nicely.

3. Mi Padi Hendrix, had to get a picture because we have the same name. 

4. How we Email with 3g now.  

Moyamba Week 14

This week went by really quick, which it seems to be the trend which is good right?

Last week one of our young women in the branch brought her brother to church for the first time. We had tried to teach him before and even his sister had invited him to church, but he showed no interest at all. So when I saw him at church I figured that it would be the same thing, that he comes with his sister and best friend but he won't want to learn. He started talking to Elder Kabosha and ending up getting a Restoration pamphlet. To make a long story shorter he read it and came back that afternoon with a bunch of questions. So Kabosha handed him off to us because he's in our area and we scheduled a time to go meet him this week.

On Wednesday afternoon we went to meet him to start to see what his questions were. He proceeded to bear testimony that everything he had read was true. He said that he had a feeling inside him that he needed to
change and that when he read the pamphlet he found his answers and what he needed to do. HOW CRAZY IS THAT!!!!! His questions were to just help him understand more about the prophet Joseph Smith and how Jesus's Church was reestablished on the church.

It was such a spiritual moment for my companion and I as we were able to see how the Lord had prepared this 22-year-old boy to receive the Gospel. How when we tried to teach him earlier it was not the right time yet just a few months later it was. That whole lesson I was feeling a prompting to invite him to be baptized. I hadn't talked to
my companion about it all but by the end of the lesson, I felt that I needed to do it so I did. And he said yes.

As we were walking away from the lesson Elder Barker thanked me, all I could think of was "don't thank me, thank the Spirit for the way that it directs everything". It was honestly so uplifting and cool, and I felt so good inside because I did follow the Spirit and knew we were not alone in that lesson. And he's getting baptized November 24th.

This week on a more physical level was pretty sweet as well. Elder Kabosha goes home in almost two months and decided he wanted to get fit again for his countless women back home in Zambia, so we have all been working out a bunch, which isn't a bad thing but some days we wake up sore.

I also got talking with an investigator about my favorite fruits and how I really like raw bananas. The next day I come and she had gotten like 15 bananas for me. It was really nice to have fruit for once.

This week I want to share a little bit of what I studied in the scriptures. This week I read Doctrine and Covenants Section 10. How great and crazy of a section this is. And I would encourage everyone that has a chance to read it along with 1 Nephi Chapter 9 and compare. These two chapters put together truly does testify that the Book of
Mormon is true, Joseph Smith is a true prophet, and God lives and loves us.

I love you all and miss you.

Elder Hendricks

Questions:

Can you buy butter in Moyamba?  Yes, one shop sells butter.  It’s pretty expensive so we only get it when we make cake.

Do they have milk there?  Any milk you want is powdered milk that you add water to. So I don’t drink real milk. Sometimes you can find chocolate soy milk so I’ll drink that.

What do you eat for breakfast and lunch?  Breakfast I eat dry corn flakes or scrambled eggs, and lunch – every day we eat the Irish potato dish I’ve talked about and the one lady that sells it.

Do members pay tithing online?  I’m sure members could pay tithing online, but most don’t have internet or a bank account.

Are you still helping the branch clerk?  Yeah I help small small, but the new clerk is really good about magnifying his calling.

And photos!! Elder Hendricks was finally able to send some pictures home! There as also picture of the deer that they butchered, but those have been added to the old post (so you can see them if you want to, but you aren't forced to).

Moyamba Week 13

Happy New Month from Sierra Leone!

This past week went really quick and its crazy how its already the holiday season! Doesn't really feel like it here because it just keeps getting hotter and hotter each day. But I guess there is things worse than a winter in 85 degree weather.

Last Tuesday Elder Flake wanted to do something for Halloween, which is not celebrated at all here. So after lunch Kabosha and Flake went to the market to look for pumpkins, because pumpkins are actually really popular here and the way the cook them isn't absolutely terrible so we manage. But they called and said that they had found four pumpkins for us to carve that night. So when we got back from dinner we proceeded to carve pumpkins. And let me tell you these pumpkins are the most awkward shape and the outside is like a green
brown, but when we opened them up they were orange and they turned out nicely. We took picture with lights in them and then had the great idea that we should display them for the public to see. Our fence into our compound has spikes on the top to keep thieves out so we just got up on a ladder and spiked the pumpkins on top of our fence.

People were confused out of their minds what they were. And we provided missionary moments for a lot of our members and investigators as they continued to reassure the people of the town that the pumpkins were not to worship satan but a celebration of American holiday.

The actual day of Halloween was just like any other day. We went and proselyted and did everything normal. This week was pretty normal but we started teaching this one young girl I think shes about 22 and like
after the first lesson she asked if I liked cake. I said of course and she asked if i liked chocolate cake. The next time we went to teach her she had a chocolate cake made. It was nice but they don't have cocoa powder here so their idea of chocolate is using instant chocolate drink mix for powder, so while it doesn't at all taste like chocolate cake it was still good.

Elder Barker and I are getting along nicely, We have a lot of new investigators that are moving nicely towards baptism. Its really fun to teach with someone else because now i get to see another way of how to teach and different examples i can use.

We even went for a 2 mile run today into town as a district and then we did work out videos so i am getting my exercise in. Eating rice, bread, and potatoes everyday gets out but its nice to work towards something.

I think I have adjusted nicely to living without electricity and the Sierra Leonean culture and I can already pretty much speak Krio fluently.

My testimony continue to grow each and everyday as I see the hand of the Lord in our lives. When we find people that have been less active for years or when my companion says the exact thing that i was going to say when he finished talking we can really feel the Spirit guiding us in our work. I love this Gospel and know without a doubt in my heart that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Jesus Christ true church reestablished on the earth Today!

Love you all and hope for the best!
Elder Hendricks

Moyamba Week 12

I have officially killed my father.

Not Gary, he's fine you don't have to check on him, but my mission father, or my trainer. I have killed him meaning that I was his companion when he went home. He's not home yet bhe'shes in the mission home waiting for his flight tomorrow.

This week was almost like a farewell tour for us though. Elder Applegarth had made such a huge difference in this town that all people wanted to have their own time with him. Tuesday was our last full day of strictly proselyting together as a companion ship and it went well. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Wednesday as he was finishing up the final stages of packing and giving away or burning the stuff he didnt need they brought my new companion. Elder Barker, I'll talk a little more about him later. We then went and taught one last lesson and went to a party that the branch was holding for him. They had sent people to Bo to buy stuff for this party so we enjoyed eating African fried rice, cake, and they even gave us soft drinks (a rarity because most people dont have the money to buy them in bulk). We stayed there until the sun went down and saw a few more people on the way home. All I can say is a lot of people cried that night when he was leaving. It was cool to see how much he meant in their lives.

Thursday at 3:30am the truck came and pick Elder Applegarth up. We said our last goodbyes and that chapter of my mission officially closed. Elder Barker and I started our companionship that morning. And it started out well as we finally got our fuel and probably will have fuel for the rest of the time that I am here.

Elder Barker is from Missouri but he lived for ten years in Everett so we have a small connection. Hes a tall guy more reserved so at some points theres been some awkward silence but no problem we are growing closer. I found out that he really likes hockey so we can talk about that and he's actually younger than me, even though hes been on his mission for almost 11 months now. Kinda weird because I still feel really young.

The rest of the week was pretty normal just contacting and trying to line up new investigators for this transfer but when Sunday came it hit me like a truck.

Some of you might remember my old companion was the branch clerk. Well, he is gone now, so that leaves me. They just called a branch member to be the ward clerk and assigned me to train him on what to do. The only problem is...I dont know what to do either. So we sat in the office on Sunday for two hours with the Second Counselor of the Mission Presidency as well learning the ins and outs of being a clerk. By the time I got out of church, I was tired. But I guess the faster I train our clerk the less I have to do.

Speaking of Training. I am officially done with training. Woooo Hoooo. Now that in no way means that I feel like I know what I am doing but I am getting there small small as they say here.

All is well and I didnt suffer and feel anything that resembles malaria or typhoid this week so I think its safe to say I am 100% again. I made a goal to read the Book of Mormon as carefully as I can and well I am still only in 2 Nephi 8 I have learned so much and cherish the time I get each day to study the Word of God. I love this Gospel and know without a doubt that it is Jesus Christ's true Church on the Earth today.

Elder Hendricks

more updates from Elder Hendricks:

Yes the Mission home knew about my Malaria, and I’m pretty sure even the West African Area nurse knew about it so I was covered in this area, and no, I did not get a flu shot.

The mission office is the address is:

#2 Belliar Park

Dwarzak Farm

Freetown, Sierra Leone

Elder Applegarth gave me a lot of good advice and we were really similar and created a really strong friendship together. SO it was tough for me to watch him go.  Elder Barker is nice and we have a common interest of hockey.

The money I get from the Mission covers food (even in Bo where we bought peanut butter and sugar cereal).  I’ve spent my own on a backpack I bought to carry stuff to Bo and the lappa jacket I got.

How’s showing someone the new area been?

Different.  It has really forced me to talk to a lot more people and do things I never did like call people or things like that. So it is
helping me grow a lot.