Week 46: KNM - The Mission for Men

Well the power has been off and on here and time is short but just a few things... 

Super crazy that Cody and Lexi got their permits this week! Congrats and shoutout to them! Time is flying. And they start school soon? Wow sounds like summer is coming to a close.

Sorry nobody is getting a email response this week just a fair warning but I have had time to read everyone emails and thanks for them! Also thanks for all the pictures this week!

Transfers were crazy with so many people moving. Me and my companion are still together but the rest of our zone got mixed up. Elder Moline is also staying and is now training a new missionary (the only new missionary in the mission this transfer). Also, my trainer Elder Anderson is back in the area we served together- in Mwanza, Tanzania.

This is my first time being in an area for more than 3 months which is kinda weird haha. I love moving around but I also love this current area I am in.

We got 2 Elders that went to the Provo MTC- they were serving in Cali while waiting for visas now they are here.. Hahahah they went from 2014 Toyota Carollas and iPads to the Kenya Nairobi Mission. I will just say-- I have gained a testimony of why they call it 'KNM - The mission for men'

I got a Pringles can package on Aug 20th that was sent on Aug 4th from a friend but I haven't got other packages that have been sent to me from a lot earlier which is super weird.

We got our flat painted this week and we were able to go look at a different flat with some people from Nairobi that we might relocate to. It is a superrr nice house and would be super sweet to move into. There are a few problems with our flat and it it just super small so we'll see how it all works out.

A bunch of questions----

How are things going day to day for you? Great yeah yeah

Happy with the new comp? Pros and cons- as to everyone companion 

Enjoying being a DL? Not too much different, just a bit of added responsibility

Still doing a ton of walking? Biking 

Do you do a lot of service projects where you are now? Not really

What is the name of the city you are actually in again? Hahahaha it is nothingggg like a city- just a tiny market in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Way out in the bush. Mautuama is the name of the area. The closest paved road is 14 kilometers from us. 

Have the rains slowed down? Just a littttle 

Do you have running water? Yeah

Can you flush your toilet? Yeah, can you flush yours? 

What is your bed made of? A mattress on a wood frame

What is your house made of? Brick 

Are people relatively friendly? Every single person 

Do you have more members attending (percentage-wise) than in Kyambeke? Not sure

Do people have to walk as far to attend as they did in Kyambeke? Some walk super far

Have you seen any of your buddies lately? Just Elder Moline every week!!

Is Elder Ellingson still in South Africa? Yuuuup 

Are you still receiving written letters from people? Yeah! And thank you everyone for them!

Do you still talk to Jaden? Yeah!

How is he doing? Good- sounds like he is out in the countryside kinda like me, except in Virginia.

Hopefully next week will be a little better with time. And I didn't even tell you guys the lengths we had to go just to make it here to Kitale to email. . . .

Love you all,

Elder Eveson

Much love from the KNM

Week 45: It's not just a Testimony . . . it's Conversion

Well since y'all wanna know- I haven't heard much at all of Ebola being here in Kenya but according to this article it looks like it is headed this way. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28769678

I have only heard of the 2 missions being shut down so far but who knows- any day anything could happen. Ebola is super crazy though- apparently people don't show symptoms for 3ish weeks and they're still contagious for 3 months after of they actually survive and if you get it you have a 10% chance of surviving. 

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyways-- onto better stuff- today is transfer news and we will know tonight what's happening with the zone and mission. Interesting because there might be a new office elder as well as a new assistant to the president.

This week Elder Thomas (yes, the brother to the one from Tyler's MTC group) came to my area for exchanges which was super fun. His previous area before moving to Kitale was Mautuma so it was him revisiting his old area and seeing people.  

As of this week we have 2 new super powerful investigators which were both referrals. One is a part member family- 20 years, and the other is like 40-45 with 3 kids he used to be a pastor at some church but as we started teaching him he has really accepted everything and loved all the lessons. He came to church twice and we have both these on baptismal date for Sept. 

I love this area- the members are so willing to help us. For example.. Saturday we went to a recent convert's house (first time after baptism) to go over the after baptism lessons and he had his 2 older sisters there for us to start teaching so we were able to go over the Restoration with all of them so it was perfect. Then in the afternoon we went to another recent convert's house (same situation) and she brought 2 people for us to teach so we had the recent convert, her husband, 2 investigators, and the branch president all in the same lesson. We all bore testimony and the spirit was strong- the recent convert..wow. It's not just a testimony- it's conversion. 

Now that I am district leader I was the one to do the baptismal interviews for Elder Moline and Elder Makazi which was sweet. It is awesome to see how far they have come from whitewashing the area.

Saturday night I was getting a haircut and contacted some youth aged people and then Sunday one of them came to church and finished the whole Restoration pamphlet I gave him, which was sweet. 14 years old!

Sunday after church we biked to Naitiri then went with the Flakes (senior couple) to Shikendu and went on splits with the zone leaders then to Kitale Sunday night so that this morning we could play soccer as a zone with some orphans. That was realllly sweet, we played for like an hour then came to town to email.

Well til next week

Elder Eveson

Much love from the KNM

Zone Conference in Eldoret

Zone Conference: Take II with
President and Sister Hicken

Week 44: Plague Brings Blessings ~ New Elders from Countries Affected with Ebola

Crazy week. Last Monday night (after running in rain all the way to the flat) we got word because of the Ebola virus in western Africa, the Sierra Leone and Liberia missions were shut down and we would be getting all the Kenyan missionaries serving in those 2 missions back to be serving here. We have been really needing missionaries and it has been a great, unexpected answer to many prayers throughout the mission. Added 14 or 15 missionaries this week! No word of it spreading to East Africa- but I did hear if you get it there is a 90% chance you die- it's no joke.

Monday night we went to the Flakes (senior couple)- it was their son's birthday and Elder Dick's birthday coming up on Wednesday, so we had a little birthday and it turns out their son is over Pepsi North America Beverages. It was a bit weird talking to a family of white people but super fun.

The first district meeting as district leader on Tuesday went really well, having zone training meeting this week.

Had exchanges this week- I was with Elder Moline (yes the one from the same MTC group as me) and it was super fun! We had a good time doing the Lord's work together. From Naitiri we went back to Kitale then went to Eldoret for zone conference. We left our flat/area Monday morning at 8 am and didn't return til Saturday at 5:30 pm. Needless to say, not much work got done in our area this week.

Zone conference was great- super fun to be with a bunch of other missionaries and learn quite a bit.

Sunday at church we had the 6 confirmations for those baptized the week before and they all went well.

Things are working out well with my new companion and he is really mature and a great teacher which is sweet. Really knowledgeable in the Gospel and the scriptures.

One thing- in this branch they sing Hymn #7 Israel, Israel God is Calling superrr nicely it's like a remix. Just a few do it and it makes the song super nice. Not sure how else to explain it.     

I have 32 gigs of pics taken so far and I hope in my next area I will be able to send some pictures to you all.

Transfer news is next Monday- things could get interesting.

Since y'all liked the song lyrics I sent last time here are some more--

Take It Home lyrics

What would happen if we took off our masks

Peeled back the labels

Tore down the walls we have

What would change if we just saw each other as

Children of our Father

Out there it's easy to get caught up in our lives

Here we all can feel the sparks of truth ignite

We can keep this feeling burning inside

If we carry it … together

We have felt the way our hope and faith begins to grow

We have felt this light and peace to guide us as we go

We know we can take it home

What kind of difference can start with you and me

as we remember to live what we believe

A mighty change begins with small and simple things

We can share with one another

We have felt the way our hope and faith begins to grow

We have felt this light and peace to guide us as we go

We know we can take it home

Every single one of us here has a part

Inside our father's plan and this is where we start

We have felt the way our hope and faith begins to grow

We have felt this light and peace to guide us as we go

We know we can take it home

Questions---

Is the power better where you are about staying on? Yeah it's usually on

       

Can you keep fresh meat in your fridge?  Yessir

       

Is the food better in your new area? Depends what you want to eat

       

Do you have to use side bags? Hahahaha nope. We are still with the backpacks. The camelback is a great invention.

       

Are you in a area you can send letters? Yeah, time to write them isnt too much but it's doable. The few I have sent from here have arrived to the States.

        

What language do the people working with read? Most are fine with English

        

They read the Book of Mormon in what language? Most English, not many in Swahili.

        

 Do you use your camel back? Yeah

         

Is the water drinkable away from your house? Yeah it's just rainwater

         

Do you get many bug bites? Not really

         

Are you able to get up each day ok, or does your comp have to shake you up? 6:25 I'm wide awake no problems

          

What do you do on P days? Bike 14 kilometers then get a matatu to Kitale, eat, email, sometimes play soccer depending on time, cook some nice food and chill with the zone.

         

Are the members feeding you on a regular basis? sometimes- usually it's just something light and quick.

         

So what are you studying in the gospel right now? Focusing on reading the Book of Mormon quickly and it has been super nice, it is a lot more easy to understand and more interesting reading it fast.

     

How often do you polish your shoes? Hahahaha that's a good question. Not often. When we are in the area I wear my hiking boots though.

     

Do you have lots of strange bugs in Africa? Not too many but there are some. Look up the 'Nairobi Fly' on Google images and check the damage that 1-2 centimeter thing can do! Only seen a few of them though.

Hope you all are doing some sort of thing for 'Mormon Helping Hands' this Saturday!

And a last song lyric--  'Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly?' That's something we can all think about this week and try to see people as our Savior sees them.

Love you all have a great week!

Elder Eveson

Much love from the KNM

Week 43: New Companion & a New District Leader!

What a week. To start off with the big news-- I got a new companion- Elder Kisekka- and had a companionship interview with President Hicken (which included him calling me to be the District Leader) then headed off back to Kitale at noon, arriving at 9. 

During the trip between Naivasha and Nakuru we saw zebras on the road, saw some apes on the road as well. Then just off the road were gazelles/antelope/impala not sure which and also some warthogs and water buffalo. 

Elder Kisekka is pretty cool, he trained Elder Anderson in Mwanza who then trained me in Mwanza. He is from Uganda, 21 months on mission so when this transfer is finished in 2 weeks he will only have 3 months/2 transfers left. Looking forward to the work we will be able to do together.

Sunday we had a ballin day at church. Sacrament meeting was absolutely packedddd and members brought their friends and all our investigators came and we had 21 nonmembers at church.

The senior couple the Flakes have their son and his 3 kids visiting from NY so they all came to our branch and it was sweet. The 2 sons were able to pass the sacrament and all the family bore their testimonies during testimony meeting.

After church I was the last one to change to get ready for the baptismal service and I walked in and saw 6 investigators all dressed in white, and the member who was also to baptize with me, and Wow! The Spirit hit me. All these people have chosen the right path and it has been awesome to see them taught from lesson 1 and now where they are at now. And the branch is awesome- if you visited you would think they were already members because everyone is so friendly and accepting and they all have friends in the branch. After the baptisms we sang 'The Spirit of God' and that was straight powerful. 

Today- just like every Monday we biked almost 9 miles then took a matatu for 40ish minutes to Kitale.

Well I now eat maize (corn on the cob) like aunt Karma- row by row. Fun fact for you.

I will answer all questions in my weekly email next week because of time.

Have you heard anything about the Ebola scare? 

Yes and we are quite far away, and it hasn't been found here.

Gotttaaaa go but have a great week everyone- we are headed to Eldoret for zone conference this week.

Now it's August just a few months til Christmas!

Elder Eveson

Much love from the KNM