Transfers, sad news, Congolese missionaries, power outage

Transfers were announced at the missionary Christmas party on Saturday and I'm staying right where I'm at and so is my companion. A couple Elders in the zone will be training and Elder Krueger is coming to be with the district leader in Mengo, so I'll probably have a chance to go on transfers with him. Even Elder Wright is coming to be a district leader in Makindye, so I'll be on transfers with him. It's always cool to be with old companions. Our zone's trouble missionary is leaving. Great guy, but very stubborn. If he wants to do something, you won't change his mind. I tried helping him understand the whole 'submissive as a child' thing, but he tried helping me understand his agency. That's fine. President told me point blank that if he doesn't straighten up in his new area, he's going to just send him home. That's too bad... But I can't deny that he's a stumbling block in the mission right now.

His companion, Elder Lumbala, is a great missionary. He's from Congo (DRC). I'm sure you've seen him in some of the pictures and videos. He'll be training this transfer. And for the first time, he'll be with another Congolese. They should be great together. You should have seen all the Congolese missionaries sing at the Christmas party. In French... When I first came there wasn't anyone from Congo, but now there's about ten. They're all great missionaries. On Sunday, Elder Lumbala gave the closing prayer in sacrament meeting and it was probably the longest prayer I have ever heard on my mission so far. That's pretty impressive considering that he didn't know English when he came.

Friday morning President Christensen called me at about 10:15 a.m. He asked if everyone was at the house. He said that he needed to meet with Elder Sammy. I asked him if I should inform him that he was coming. He said, "No, I have some very sad news to tell him and think I'll just wait until I get there." The very first thing that entered my mind was a death in the family. Sure enough that's what it was. Elder Sammy's father died Thursday in some type of well construction. I guess he fell in and got caught under some kind of grate and drowned. But so far Elder Sammy seems to be very ok with it. I have the feeling that they weren't very close. I think it was his step father. Either way, we've been trying to be careful around him. He also is a great missionary.

We've been having a few problems with the power lately. I've been spoiled with the houses I've been living in. I always have power. But this last week put me back in the days of Walukuba and Seeta. Candle light evenings... I think it's all figured out though. The line coming to our building fell and the power company was trying to tell us that we're suppose to pay them to put it back up. As if it's our fault that it fell. Seems like basic business to me: If you want us to pay a power bill, come give us power. But everyone seems to want a little something on the side.

On Sunday we set eight baptismal dates. Keny Armstrong and his family, and Vincent. Vincent is the one who's going to be coming back and forth from the village while he works there. Keny's wife doesn't speak English, so we gave her a baptismal date 2 months away. The only way she can be baptized is if she can pass a baptismal interview in English. She knows some, very little. But the nice thing about Nsambya branch is that they have a literacy teacher every Sunday. So she's been coming to those. They're a great family!

I got the package! And I'm not going to open it until tomorrow morning. Pretty exciting. Thanks.

Talk to you tomorrow.

ZAC