Hi from a internet cafe 3-29-2010

Shikamo, habari leo?

Things here are rainy. Its rained almost every single day last week and its looking like its going to rain today. So the language is still going slow but its nice cause everyone want to help me out with it. And I do have an awesome comp. In the field he is known as my father because he is my trainer. I thought that was kinda funny. And he has been out 4 months! Crazy i go home 4 months after he does! So ya last week i got to go on exchanges with Ubongo's Elders. I went with a guy named Elder Tyler he is from South Africa. Ya that was fun two Muzugu's walking around. We got twice as many stares. But it was fun we went and saw a lady who was just baptised and she has to teach a gospel principles class. She was nervous so we went and helped her get ready for it. I thought it was funny cause before we could start teaching her she made us sing two hymes with her and like 6 primary songs with her niece. I guess she just likes to sing and its always good cause it helps invite the spirit. So ya after that Elder Tyler got us lost for like an hour and a half. We were walking through people's yards or at what you would call a yard, i would call it dirt in front of a house. So ya he finally found his way to the church and we had two appointments that were there. But both didnt show which kinda sucks. So ya went back to the Ubongo's apartment and slept. When i woke up i was extremly sick, worse headache i've ever had and sore throught and stuffy nose. But i didnt want to stay home sick so i toughed it out. Bad idea the next day was worse and there was no way i could go out and work. So ya i just stayed in and slept but my comp was extremly nice he would make me food and make me drink water. So ya that wasn't fun but im getting better now. So Saturday i got a call from the branch mission president and he wanted me to speak in church the next day. So i said yes and he gave me the topic of missionary work. I was glad he gave me something that i know alot about. So ya i gave my first talk on mission yesterday. I thought i did okay i talked for like 10 to 15 minutes. So ya that was my week. Oh i tried something on friday that i've never had before, it was cooked bananas. It tasted exactly like a potato. Not exaclty sure how they cook it but its pretty good. Oh another thing i like is fries and eggs. You mix the two and its actually pretty good, its only a Tansania thing though. So ya im gonna go and try to upload some more pics for ya so goodbye and talk to you next week. i dont have any pics of dollaz dollaz on my camera today sorry but next week ill make sure to get them. I love you.

- Elder Jackson

3-22-2010

3-22-2010

Your day is just starting, its 6:57 am there and 4:57 here. Things here are busy and hot. Although its rained alot last week, and even today. It sucks when it rains cause after the ground releases heat and then the sun, it just makes it alot hotter. And ya I have not burned yet, thank goodness, i only get darker. Im like really tan its awesome. So ya its P-day. Started out with personal study,comp study, then washed my clothes in a bucket. Brother mwingera came by to fix our stove and priased me for doing my laundry in a bucket since he knows that i have a washing machine at home. But brother Mwingera is an awesome guy, he is the young mens president and he is the one who takes care of the missionary's. He feeds us dinner every friday night. His family are also awesome and his wife is way nice.
We cleaned the flat and headed to shoprite to go get groceries for the week. But my highlight was on the way there when my comp was getting money out, i had my first conversation in swahili with a women at a gas station. I wasn't the best but i was able to understand her and i think she was able to understand me. But ya i told her i was a missionary and that im from america and i have family in a america. I told her about the church and invted her to come. I dont think she will come but it still makes me feel good that i was able to communicate with her. To answer your question about food, the food is good. I buy my food at shoprite and little shops behind out flat. I eat alot of rice, beans, instant noodles, some beef and chicken. Also we have chapulte's kinda like a tortilla but i usually cook it in the morning for breakfast. I eat at members and non mebers houses alot. We almost always have ugali and fish or some kind of meat. And you don’t you use silverware to eat it, you use your hands. And you have to finish all of it or else the people will get offended. But i have something to tell you, this was really rough for me but i did so i would not offend a mama we are working with. She gave me and Elder Machanzi some rolls and a Pepsi. And i just looked at the pepsi and was like i cant drink this. But elder Machanzi said you have to finish everything they put in front of you. And so i drank the pepsi, i felt way bad after but that is the only time i've drank caffine of the mission. And i dont plan on drinking it unless i have to. And once i go home i will contiune the no caffine. So ya that sucked but you know i had to do it. So pop is called soda down here and they are in glass bottles and you dont see very many cans. I think its awesome i like glass bottles there sweet. I have seen the beach it looks nice, Its pretty lame that i cant go to it. And to be more specific about where i am, im in Changombe in Dar es salaam. But the members here are awesome they always feed us. And they are really really nice, they are helping me with my swahili. So brother Morris asked me two questions and i want you to tell him my answers.
1st: was what did you do that best prepared you for a mission? A: I would say that praying everynight helped me and reading but i really didnt do Study like i should have. I just kinda read and not really thinking about it.
2nd: What would you recommend the young men do to prepare.
A: I would first say to learn how to cook, cause odds are that there will not be a mom there to cook for you. Next pray everyday and everynight. you can literally do nothing without the help of the lord. And also study the scriptures, not just read them but look for things that will benifit you and others. And i finally i really wished i could have gone out with the missionarys to an appointment to see what it was like. That would have really helped me, it would have not been such a shock the first time you teach someone.
So ya anyways mom Im enjoying life right now. Its so great of a feeling to constantly have the the feeling of the spirit with you especially when you teach. I love it, and My companion Elder Machanzi here is some backround information. He is from Zimbabwe, he moved out of his moms house when he was 16 to finish high school. He didnt have any money then and he didn't have any food. he couldn't afford to stay somewhere but luckly a family let him stay in their backyard for free. But he is a really awesome guy. He is very powerful as the elders say, he knows the gospel and has such an amazing testimony. He is teaching me so much stuff everyday its just unbeliveable. But ya thats it for this week but i gotta go.

-Elder Jackson

March 15, 2010

So ya im getting used to the heat. I still sweat alot but the heat doesn't really bother me. So i have no gotten burned yet i just got really really tan. Its awesome, so i didnt really know how great of a companion i have. He has been so nice and patient with me. He is teaching me so much stuff and im learning so much stuff with him. So ya so far we have alot of good investigators who speak English! But they just dont want to come to church. It can be frustrating but i will have to contiue to work with them. Luckly though there is Jackson, i think i talked about him last email but ya he is still coming to church and his baptism is on April 11, and it just totally makes my day that he comes to church. But ya im so glad that im able to be a missionary especially when were teaching and a person face just lights up when they start to understand. No matter how bad of day your having once you see that that day just becomes the best day ever. So today was P-day and we helped some other elders move to a new house. It is so nice compared to ours, one of the elders told me that me and Elder Machanzi have the worst apartment in the mission. So after we went to shopright and got our groceries and then that brings us to now. oh i still dont like riding in Dollaz Dollaz its to hecktic for me. And also i have not written an email to Elissa, but tell her that i stand by what i said in my farewell talk that there will be no boys while im gone. So ya last week was good, we had alot of lessons with people who speak English! but sadly none of them came to church but i still have hope for them. So ya my comp. is awesome, just thought i should share that. He is teaching me so much stuff and im so glad that he was my trainer. Ya im loving the mission and i absolutly love teaching people. Especially when we teach what they need to hear and there face just lights up its just so amazing to see that, it can turn the worst day into the best day. There is also something i learned out here that you can do nothing without the help of the lord and he has blessed me in so many ways i can not even count them. Im so happy that im able to share the gospel with these people and it really makes me so happy when they get and accept it. So ya kwaheri until next week. I hope leo (today) will be good for you. So Jioni from Dar es salaam

3/8/2010 So Dar Es Salemm... what the?

So i left the MTC last week and me and 5 elders and two sisters landed in Kenya. We were meet by other missionary's going home and the AP's. They were all really nice and funny. So they took us from the airport to Presidents Taylors Flat. Yes Flat thats what they like to use for the place you live. And we got there had dinner and introduced ourselves to the president and his wife. After dinner he told me and the black Elder Jackson would be staying the night at his house. So after the other missionary's left he interviewed us. And he let me know that i would be going to Dar Es Saleem Tansania for my first area. That kinda took me by suprise. So the next day we had a orinataion meeting and immiditaly following i was put on another plane to Tansania. And when i landed and got off the plane i figured out how hot it was. I was sweating so bad just walking from the plane to the terminal. So they make everyone that is coming in from Tansania show them there yellowfever card. And i only had a copy of mine and the guy said that they dont accept copys only the real thing. But he was in a good mood and decided to let me go through. Lucky me i would have been stuck there. So my new comp and a senior couple was there to greet me. My comps name is Elder Machanzi. He is a really awesome and nice guy. So the couples took us to our flat. And its not the greatest but it will do. We dont have any carpet but alot of concrete. I have to sleep with a misqito net. And our shower is very scary looking. We have alot of cockroaches and ants so thats nice. And the filtered water kinda tastes funny but im getting used to it. So we have taught alot of lessons this week. The first time i didnt do very good cause i was nervous. But after that i really started to get into it. Like last week we commited a guy named Jackson to baptism for april 11 and he was so excited and happy. And when he lit up like that it made me feel awesome. We also have been teaching a guy named Komiius. He is by far one of the coolest guys i've meet. He is working right now for a job that isn't paying him. And he is looking for another one. He doesnt have a house or an apartment he just stays with friends. And the places he stays are bad, like they are a wanna be, wanna be version on an old crappy beat up shed. Its really sad. I've come to care and love for him cause he is just a unique guy. Im not gonna lie if you would have asked me for all the money i have right now i would have given it to him without hesitation. But ya he is an awsome guy and we just taught him about the Atonment and he seemed very interested in it. Oh by the way i have to tell you that i have ridden in a dolla dolla. Absoultly crazy they just cram that thing full of people. Its so crazy and scary. And also by the way all the Elders here speak swahili very well. And i have to learn it quick cause almost no one speaks english its almost all Swahili. So im trying my hardest to do so but its hard to do that while in the missionfield. So its really hot here did i already say that? Ya i've been told that its the hottest spot in our mission. Ya sweat alot, everyone does. So you know when basketball players are interviewed after a game and they have sweat just pouring off there face, ya its exatly like that everyday for me. By the way its 3:25pm here and 5:25am there. By the way i've seen 4 white people here and they were passing in a car. And thats about it im usually the only white walking around. and little kids always run up to me and say miazungu or white guy. they dont mean disrespect its just that they dont see a white guy very often. And so i just smile and say mambo and wave. Its actually kinda funny. Oh also i have to teach an advanced English class tomorrow. Yep just found out today by my comp so i hope i dont totally suck. But ya im in the hottest place in the mission. We just have sweat pouring off our faces all day. Its really nasty. Also i did my laundry today for the first time in a bucket. Which that wasn't too fun. But ya no washer or dryer. Its all about me and a bucket of water. So ya my flat or apartment is kinda ghetto but im getting used to it. Its full of cockroaches and ants. There is no carpet but alot of nice cement. I get to sleep with misqito net which is cool. So ya i have ridden in a dolla dolla, absolulty insane. Its way scary they somehow fit like 30 to 40 people in that small van. Oh by the way i bought groceries today yep i droped 15,000 on them. Sounds like alot but it really isn't. And also i had a Fanta today in a glass bottle. So anyway things here are going pretty good, i hope things are going good back home. But i gotta go.
Elder Jackson