Week 64 caught in customs...

scenery from Ethiopia

pics from a service project assembling Humanitarian kits

don't know what's in the bags...

Tired elders!!!

ewww!!! dead head of something....

pics from the district conference

Brad and Elder Rennie his first companion on his mission!

October 17, 2011

Dear Mom,

 

I am TIRED... This week was so crazy, not going to lie. We had alot to do. We got home from the airport on Tuesday night, around 7pm. The AP's had us bring some things back from Uganda, some of those things being portable DvD players. We as a mission are getting them to teach and to practice preach my gospel from the videos. Anyways, at customs, we got busted. They wanted to tax each one individually. They thought they were tv;s so the tax was about 61,000 Birr, which is about 3,500 dollars!!! The things are so cheap! Only about 40 bucks, so we ditched them at customs. They wanted to keep my passport till I paid for them, but I said I am not going to pay, and that I would call my embassy so I could get my passport back. Lets say they just gave it to me hahaha :) So awesome!! :P We had someone there translating for us too haha one of the great experiences on mission :) So on Wednesday we had a meeting with our district, and we are going to have a great month!! We have some great, focused, energetic missionaries. We also had to pick up the new missionaries on Friday and get them all settled in their houses and such. We opened a new area in a place called Bekolubet, now there are three comps there. We had to find them a new house, we did, and we moved them in this week. We also have to move another comp out of their house, because the lease is up, and the landlord does not want to renew. great. so there is another project haha. we also had to move some local missionaries around, so we went to Debre Zeit, which is about an hour and a half from here. We were so busy, I am tired!! haha But this week is going to be just as busy! We have to fill all our extra time in with teaching and finding, it is a challenge sometimes! BUT Getachew brought his little girl to church this week, and we got the Aaronic Priesthood! Yeah!! We are preparing his wife for baptism, and he can baptized her!! that is going to be one of the greatest things ever. We also had another family baptized this week in our branch from the other Elders, it was really a great baptism. There was not alot of water, and the mom was having a hard time getting under, because she was a little bigger. SO she had to be dipped 6 times before we got it haha I think that is a mission record.... :) hahaha They daughter and brother went well, and they were all so happy! We are finding some great families here in Megananga, we are being really blessed for our efforts. It is so good to see this all happening. All the missionaries have such high spirits, and the Spirit is so strong!!

So I really like my new companion, he is a really cool guy. His name is Elder Omondi, and is from Nairobi, Kenya. We are really having a good time, and we get along great! He has a good sense of humor, so that is probably why we get along so great haha But he has a great Spirit about him, and he is a great leader. He is really young on mission, only 7 months, but he is going to go great places on his mission. I have been given the assignment to train him as a ZL. It is a big assignment, but it is fun as well, he makes it easy!! :)

This week president Jackson and the AP's are coming again, so we are going to pick them up on Thursday and house them again. There are going to be alot of people in our house haha Oh ya, and we are going to be getting a new truck soon :) The old on died... I am excited!! :)

So yes, I am going to buy you a nativity from here. I saw one in Uganda, so I will bring it with me when I come home. I think that would be cheaper. I will look for one in Ethiopia, I am sure I can have a member help me find one. But the one in Uganda was cheap to buy, but there are some super nice ones down there made of wood and such, or stone, Ill get one don't worry :) As for my Christmas package, I am not sure I need anything, Ethiopia has all the best things, like America, it is so nice!! But I am in need of a new camera... mine is kind of freaking out... but i could buy one here for cheap. That's all i can think of, my clothes are good, shoes are good.... I am just pushing till the end!! 9 months!! Crazy.... I am not ready for that.... how is the BYU thing going? Are you guys working on it? Do I need to do anything? Also can you look up some scholarship things? Anything where I can get money from haha I am going to be poor!! Shannon is going to hook me up with a job though she said hahahaha Love you guys so much!! I am fine and pushing on!! I love it here!!

Elder Brad Kendall