7-26-2010

The official name of my area is Misikhu, but the town i live in is called Webuye. It just a small town, but we live really close to a Barclays bank if you ever heard of that bank. And everyone knows us and its actually pretty cool. Also my area is north kenya, im only like an hour away from the boarder of Uganda. My comp does not speak swahili. Although he does know Zulu. So this past week, was pretty cool we had zone conference. We had to go to eldoret which is like 2 and half hours from where we stay. It wasnt too bad of a matatu ride, but we got there and we just had fun. We had almost all the missionaries from the zone come to ZL's flat the day before zone conference. And i got to see some MTC buddies there. So ya we spent the night at the ZL's flat. And the ZL's are way sweet by the way. i forgot my blanket and its freaking cold there. Luckly Elder Frost, and Elder Munatsi shared theirs with me. So Zone conference was way nice. I can say i dont think i've ever attended a meeting where you felt the spirit so much. President Broadbent is powerful. I can say he is going to be an amazing Mission President. And i like how excited he is to be here. I dont think i've ever saw him without a smile on his face. And his wife is just as nice, and she gave a powerful training. It was just a way nice zone conference. And wow our zone conference is huge. Well im not sure compared to other missions, but i thought it was big. We had like 22 missionaries there. Im used to 8 people from my last area. But ya i got to see more MTC friends. i got to see the sisters that were there with me in the MTC and they were excited to see me, they told me that i've grown alot since the mtc. Not really sure what that means but anyways it was good to see them again. So after Zone Conference we went to Kitale, to where Frost and his comp stay. And the road there was miserable. Holes everywhere. And your packed in that matatu, it kinda sucks. It took two hours to get there, and it should not have taken that long. But the time we got there i was tired and didnt want to ride in anymore matatu's, so we just spent the night there. So although matatus are bad, i still dont think there as bad as Dolla Dolla's. At least in Matatu's you get to sit, but in dollas id say 70 percent of the time your standing and packed in there way too tight. But you know its all just one nice experience ill have, and get to tell everyone about when i get back. Oh by the ways, matatu and Dolla drivers are insane, they drive crazy, it can get pretty intense sometimes. So anyways im not sure if i told you, but in my area i get to ride tons of piki piki's or motorcycles. Like alot, there actually pretty fun. Our area is too big to walk it, and no matatu's go to most of it,so we have to get a piki piki. So anyways thats it for this week,
So finally i want to tell you about the "kitale remix". The members here like to change the way the hymns are sang. Like not change it little, the change the way the song is sang. I tried to sing along with them but its just not possible. I think its pretty funny, and actually one of the songs they remix sounds pretty cool. I only wish you could hear it. But my comp was mad yesterday, cause they ruined one of his favorite hymns. We tried to correct them by singing loud and showing them but that didnt work. So after a while we are like we cant correct them might as well join them. But you cant sing with them cause they just twist the song in ways you dont know. So all you can really do is remain quite. Pretty funny stuff.

-Love elder j.

7-19-10

Kenya is good, but its very cold, i need to go and buy a hoodie or jacket this week when i go for zone conference. Cause i often find myself freezing, i never thought i would be cold in Africa but you just never no these things. So ya sorry i was no able to email yesterday because the internet was down. It sucks the internet goes down to often in Africa. But anyways this past week went good. Im getting to know my area suprisingly. And our investigators are cool, are member are doing a good job with giving us referrals. But ya here is a little story from last week. We went to teach this old man who is not a member of the church but his wife is and want him to be taught. The only problem is that he doesnt speak english. So we went and saw him and his wife wasn't there but he was. So he invited us in and we kinda just sat there a minute in silence till i couldn't take it anymore and i started talking to him in swahili. Just simple things, then i started teaching him in swahili. I taught him a full lesson, and im not going to lie the lord did help me out cause i dont know that much swahili but i somehow taught him in swahili and understood him. Im not sure how i did it but it was a neat experience for me the lord truely helped me there. And the guy wants us to come back and teach him again. But ya just a little story for ya. So ya the people in our area love to feed us, love love love to fed us. We eat like 5 times in a day some days. In fact sunday we went and taught some two people for the first time and after they gave me and Elder Munatsi a full loaf a bread to eat there. Just bread thats it. But its all they have so you have to eat it all. But ya so far me and Elder Munatsi are having fun and working hard. Im loving serving with him its really fun. So ya our flat is okay its not as a big as my last one but its got some good security. Our landlord lives right across from us and they watch it while where out and they have a dog come out at night so its pretty good.
So anyways right now is the season for maze. Maze is just corn. So we having been eating it like crazy here. In fact we got fed maze at our appointments for today. They even gave us maze to take home. We had maze i think everyday last week. I can say that im getting sick of it, but its only starting. So i must learn to love it. So ya maze maze maze maze maze maze everything is maze. Elder come and eat some of my maze. But anyway i had some ugali here its different than it was in Tanzania, it acutally has taste to it. So its actually pretty good. And im not sure if i mentioned this last week, but there is no chips mayai here. I had to make it myself. im not the best at it but im slowly improving. I make it alot so by the time i come home ill be a pro at it and ill have to make it for ya. So ya zone conference is this week, im excited i get to see some MTC mates. Im excited to see them. Ill have to tell you how that goes. But ya thats it for this week im going to try and upload some pics here but its kinda slow so ill have to see if it will cooporate with me..

-love elder Jackson

7-12-2010

Hello from Kenya,

So first i wanted to say that i saw Kirk or i should say Elder Smedley. I had to spend the night at the ap's flat before i left the next morning. And wouldnt you know it they came in with kirk. It was cool seeing him again. Although he looked kinda nervous. Doesnt suprise me i was scared out of my mind when i got here. It was kinda bad though he had a guy from kenya who is going on his mission the next day stay with us and he talked to kirk all night. He was so loud, even me i told him to shut up like 6 times. Esh that guy came in at like 230 in the morning and woke everyone up and just started so say good morning. Ah he is crazy. But anyways kirk is going to Mombasa, its like an 8 hour bus ride like me. Luckly for him he didnt have to go alone, he went with Elder Nkohma. He is a really cool guy. So ya my new area is called like Misikhu, we live in a town called Webuye. My area is out in the middle of no where. Its a bunch of farms and corn and fields. And alot of mud houses. , we were actually in a part of our area the second day i got here and there was litterally nothing there. Just corn fields and tree's. Its alot different from my last area. Im still adjusting but ya its good to have some change. Crazy i've now seen mud houses, i cant believe people actually live in mud houses. And the first day here i saw some monkeys. i was pretty excited when i saw them. Now all i have to do is catch one and care for it till i come home. Man i want a pet monkey. . Now all i have to do is see a lion. So ya im now serving with my mtc comp, elder munatsi. he is cool im excited to do the real missionary thing with him. Our area is like 2 hours away from kitale. So we get to have sleep over at missionaries flat every week.So far the people i've meet have been way nice and way cool. And all the people here speak english, its way nice. Although i use swahili alot still. Our new flat is good, except i think we have some bed bugs. Not all that fun. But im slowly getting used to this area. It rains alot here, i think its rained everyday since i've been here. And by the way im freezing here. Im so cold, i have to use a blanket unlike dar. its a huge difference from dar. im going to have to get used to this weather. But now im scared for when i come back to utah its just going to be flat out cold. But ya the church building here is not actually a church building. its just a small house. So kinda like my last area. And i had to teach the young men and women yesterday. And my comp tells me that we have to teach something every week. But the members seem to be cool. By the way i met a guy down here who sounds exactly like michael jackson. And he is the choirister. Esh its way funny to hear him sing. And when your talking to him it like your hearing micheal jackson. Its funny. So by the way i was in the most southern part of the mission and now im in the most northern part. Quite a long distance to travel for a transfer. an hour and half plane ride, followed by an 8 hour bus ride. But anyways i gotta go, so i love you and i promise ill send pics next week, i forgot the camera today. So ill see you.

P.S. Everyone speaks english down here, its really nice. And when i speak swahili they get really excited and say this mizugu knows swahili. the people like it when i speak swahili.

-Elder Jackson

7-5-2010

Some intense stuff happend this past week. But to start off, if you want your mouth to drop to the floor you should come and attend some fast and testimony meetings here. I can say i've heard and seen it all. Some things are just like why? but its good, they dont totally understand but they mean everything in a good way. And yes church is conducted in english but they occasionally trail off in swahili. And by the way i took my worm pills, and if you dont have worms you dont have any serious side effects. But as for me i took the nini's and the next day just sucked! I was hurting so bad. It felt like something was trying to tear its way out of my stomach. Not fun at all, i was in pain the whole day. But i was ok after. So i think i had worms. But a side effect everyone has when they take it is a metal taste. Your mouth tastes like metal, everything you eat drink taste like metal. Including water, water was the worst. All i know i used to enjoy food, but when i took that it just wasnt the same. Not good, im not looking forward to taking it again. Its suppose to be every six months but they gave it to me early. So ya i was not able to email yesterday cause the internet was down. Always sucks! But ya today im saying my final goodbyes to the members. Im leaving dar tomorrow. I fly out tomorrow morning, and then prob will be put on a bus for 8 hours to get to my area. Not some fun stuff. Im headed for Kenya. To a small village called Kitale. Im going to be with my MTC companion. Elder Munatsi. Im excited and nervous. Im not happy to be leaving elder Mkhabela, he is an awesome guy. Im gonna miss him , he is a good missionary, and also he has become a very very good friend. I hope he makes it to salt lake one day so i can see him in my home town. But im still curious to see what will happen after this transfer. There is some talk that my group might be training. But you never know. But as for my tranier, elder Machanzi he is going to kenya as well. He is going to a place called Chyulu. Its like out out out in the middle of no where. you get to ride whats called the Iron horse. Which is a very big and heavy old bike. So im not sure if he is happy about that, but ill see tomorrow. It kinda sucks to be leaving but still good to go to a new area. And also everyone speaks english in kenya so i wont have to worry so much about the swahili thing. Cause esh its tough, especially in changombe. Im going to miss it like crazy though. But ya this past week was amazing. I know the lord helped us this past week. We found two people seeking the gospel. And both are amazing. One is a muslum and to turn to christianty is a very big thing. But he has a desire to learn more. You should see how he looks when we taught him. Its just one of those excitement and happiness. Although we have to get permission from president broadbent to continue teaching him. Cause you have to make sure that everything will be alright for him and his family. Muslums frown heavly on another muslum changing to christian. But he doesnt care, he wants to know more. And esh when we teach him you can just feel the spirit. Its a undeniable feeling. I love those moments. It has helped me stengthen my own testimony. And now i can say without any doubt that this church is true, and the book of mormon is true. And i know if you read and pray about it, that the holy ghost will tell you whither its true or not. But as for me im loving serving the lord, and have never regreted it. . Know that i love you, and miss you alot. And i cant wait till i see you again. So ill talk to you next week in Kenya!

-Love Elder Matthew Edward Jackson aka "jack"