Hard Times Getting Better

Jarren has been sick with some kind of bug. He had been running fever and having intestinal problems over the last couple of weeks. The last email I recieved from him he stated that he was finally on the mend. Things are progressing at Kenema. The missionaries stay busy teaching and baptizing many souls. Elder Holland is coming for a visit so all missionaries will board the bus or the boat to attend the conference in Freetown where he will be speaking. Jarren commented that this would be his first visit with an apostle. He doesn't remember but when he was three we traveled back to Mission, Texas to hear President Gordon B. Hinckley speak at a Stake Conference.
The last letter we got from Jarren he stated that Elder Jenkins has been released as Branch President of the Central Branch and an African had been called to this position. Jarren always comments how Africa still lives in the stoneage, but progress is being made even though it is slow going and sometimes feels like nothing is moving forward.
Jarren has been buying all of his food precooked so he doesn't have to pick out the rocks or the bugs from his food. I have suggested to him more than once that all the missionaries need to pool a little of their money and hire someone clean that is a good cook to fix their meals. He would have a hot cooked meal at least once a day and it would also help give a little money to someone in need. I hope at some point that he takes my suggestion and hires a cook.
Knell

Interview in Bellair

A Sierra Leone Freetown Mission twist on an old early nineties favorite. Bellair is an area around Freetown in Sierra Leone. In Nov 2011 there was a new branch created and named the Bellair Park Branch.

African Football

Football is a mojor sport in Africa, even for the missionaries on preparation day. I don't think all the players are missionaries from Jarren's mission but I recognize several who are. When Jarren sends pictures there have been several from the football field.

Of course the game isn't complete without the post game interviews...

Elder Purcell says they are playing in the Wellington Community Center. Wellington is near Freetown. He also teases about the other missionary's age.. 26. Missionaries are typically much younger than that. Most missionaries are 19-21.

And there you have it!

Kenema Branch

The Rough Road to Liberia

Ode to the Rough road to Liberia

Jarren, Elder Percell, and Elder Jenkins /Companions in Kenema

Man on a Mission: Christmas

This past weekend was our Christmas Conference. We got to watch two
movies. A Christmas Carol and Megamind. A Christmas on Friday and
Megamind on Saturday. We came back that night. We left on Thursday
afternoon.
Oh I also forgot to tell you. Elder Moss was transfered to BO. Elder
Jenkins, Purcell, Okeke, and myself got to spend the two nights in his
apartment. He was also made District Leader after I left and is the
District Leader in that apartment. It was fun to see him again. We
both mised each other.
Christmas Conference was alright. We had to organize a Chior in the
three branches and have them sing at the Conference on Friday. We had
30 come. Ours was the biggest chior. We also had two investigators sow
up too. But it was a fight and a hassle from the begining. It always
is in Africa. The way Africans communicate is arguing about anything
and everything and over the smallest thing.
To top it off, nobody can carry a tune, they don't know how to read
music, they don't know the songs that we were supposed to sing and
they had no unison, or beat and they always want to sing the songs
about 50 beats slower than it should be. But somehow they managed to
pass themselves off as a chior. I don't know how I managed to do that.
I had to be the conductor. President Roggia thinks I pulled the skill
out of no where and at the end of the conference in his closing
remarks, asked me to conduct the whole place in Joy to the World. I
think hes going to have me conduct hymns at all the zone conferences
now. Crap.
I don't think we will get in much proscyliting time in this week. We
have this trap at our back door. Its a board of nails to catch
intruders who try to break in. I "tested" it last night. Guess what?
It works!
Yes I stepped on a nail last night and limped to the internet cafe.
Don't worry, I'm going to be alright. I'm up to date on all of my
shots. I'm taking an antibiotic that Dr. Ford sent me off with to
fight off infections before they start, and my foot is fine. It just
feels like I stepped on a nail, and it is very sore today.
How was your week?
-Jarren

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