The Work Continues On

3/16/15

Hey guys!

Glad to hear from you always. This week’s email is better than last because there are no Germans demanding my attention and help. So, I can just focus on writing.

Everything is going well here, continuing to work in my sector but with Marurai now. Not sure how long they’ll keep me here in Porto Novo. Hopefully I’ll be able to stay awhile, or go and help open Tokpota when that area is ready to be opened.

Nothing really interesting to report on for the week. I don’t have any fun stories to share (well, there is always something crazy going on, but eventually it all seems normal to us here!).

We are getting our ami, Cyrille, ready for baptism. Will probably be about two weeks before he is baptized. Cyrille is one of my favorite amis. He is around 25 years old and is an English teacher, so he always speaks in English (he’s really good at it). He’s a smart cookie and really good hearted. I think he will be one of the future leaders of the church here. Hopefully, we won’t have many roadblocks along the way to baptizing him.

Mom, you asked if I get to drum much here and the answer is not really. I will drum a little around the apartment, but I would never bring it to church. Drumming and weird dancing is a common part of other churches here, so we don’t want to look like them. So, if we were to drum like them, it would not set us apart. I did get to drum for the Missionary Christmas party and that was a blast. And I drummed the other week with a funeral party that was going past our apartment. Occasionally, some of the young men from the church will come over to try to hang out with the missionaries, and sometimes I will drum with them.

The music here is pretty much like home—except the hymns are slowed down. And we often get a few wrong notes here and there. It isn’t “Africanized” music like you might hear on Youtube. We do sing probably the same 15 hymns over and over—I do miss being in a big ward with strong singers and an organist.

Mom, you also asked about what to send in my birthday package. Everything you send is great. I like the Cliff bars and the Zone bars better than the Quest bars you used to send. The Zone bars might be a little melted when they get here, but I can just stick them in the fridge and they are fine. And a pair of closed toe sandals would be nice. The ones I have now have a hole in the sole from walking on the rocky and uneven terrain. I haven’t gotten the Valentine’s that the ward sent yet—I will check at the Bureau the next time I am there.

That’s pretty much it, have a good week! Ill do my best to do the same.

Love,

Elder Walls