Our Mission President has planned 3 individual times
to come to Mwanza to interview us 4 Elders here but each of those times
the flight was canceled or something happened. We have to do interviews
with him every so often and the end of this transfer is Mar 2nd and had
to be done by then. He was going to come this past Sunday- again that
didn't work out.
Friday night we got a call from the Assistants to the
President and said since he couldn't come to us- we're going to him.
Saturday morning we printed out itineraries and Sunday morning after
sacrament meeting headed to the airport.
Had a 5 hour layover at the Kilimanjaro airport and while I was
writing a letter and my companion was reading 'Believing Christ', two
Caucasian girls traveling together in their young 20's came up and
introduced themselves as members of the Church.
They were there
volunteering at an orphanage outside of Arusha for a month and a half to
finish up a requirement for school at BYU-Hawaii before graduating. On
their long flight over from the States they had mentioned to each other
how cool it would be to see missionaries while they were here- and they
met us the last day of their trip, an hour before their plane took off.
Turns out one was from Georgia, and the other said she was from Portland, Oregon. I was kinda like wait whattt....
I said I was too, she asked
which part, replied Beaverton, and then she mentioned she went to
Westview High School - rival to Sunset HS which I attended. She is in the
Bethany ward and lives like 10 minutes from me in Portland. Small world
huh? We were able to give them some Swahili Church materials we had and
they were thrilled.
Got to talking to an elder couple while waiting for the plane who
were from Reno, Nevada- they have been on Safari for a few weeks and
they loved talking on and on about it. I was thinking- I hope that's me
one day sitting in this airport having done that.
A younger couple
started talking to my companion and I, and asking questions about our Church and Missionary Service. We were able to answer them and it turns
out they were from Concord (San Francisco) California- and I have family
in Lafayette and Sausalito, CA, which are all near each other. Small
world huh?
I love talking English and being able to know and understand and participate in the conversations. Swahili is slowly coming along.
Got
into Nairobi Sunday night, and Monday morning we went to the Mission
office and us 4 Elders had interviews with our Mission President, which
went great. He is an awesome and powerful man.
It was really nice going to Nairobi- I was able to get everything
that was sent to Durban. Thank you to everyone who sent things- I got
more mail (from a while ago) and the other Christmas things that were
sent there. Thank you sooo much to everyone and their generosity.
Christmas in a box.
It was great to be back in Nairobi and at the
mission office even if I was only there 2 months ago. I was able to use
the washer machine at the Assistants to the President's apartment- what a
luxury. I was also was able to take things from my suitcase that is
there and put things in there that I didn't need here in Mwanza, which
was very nice to do.
That was my Monday, then this morning at 6:00 am we headed for the
airport, and am now emailing from Mwanza, Tanzania. Busy few days- and
added a few more stamps to the passport. Oh- and now that my Kenyan visa
and work permit are endorsed, I am an 'East African' resident. Now
that's pretty cool to say. The Tanzanian work permit is coming along and
I shouldn't have any problems- I have been really blessed.
After this transfer we will have 69 missionaries total with all the
ones that are leaving and even more (last count was 36) that will be
serving in temporary assignments while waiting to come to the Kenya
Nairobi Mission. I was the most recent missionary to be allowed in.
Crazy thing is- as a mission we're doing the same amount of work as when
there were around 120-140 missionaries here. The Lord is Hastening His
work.
Last thing- turns out zone conference is next transfer- not this transfer. We will be traveling to Dar es Salaam for that.
So that's why I didn't email yesterday- sometimes things just happen. All is well here. Making these the best two years.
Take care.
Love,
-Elder Eveson
Kenya Nairobi Mission
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