Training Week 11 - Taking the Lead

Hello!

Oooh lots of stuff at home! Poor Rikki gets to turn into a superhero. Tell her to play Infamous. (it's a game where basically a guy gets radioactivized and gets superpowers. She owns it.) :) [Rikki is having cancer treatments this week and she’s going to be radioactive]

Here's what I have for this week!

So, in a lesson on the Word of Wisdom this past week we committed this woman and her sister to living it. We then proceeded to challenge them to giving us their box of tea so we could dispose of it. She proceeded to get the box of tea, a rather large box of black tea, and give it to us. It was a super neat experience.

I went on an exchange with Elder Fairwell this past week! It was a good exchange, and it was cool to get to know him better. On that same exchange I came across a stuffed Pikachu... For only 50 LD. So I got it! Hehe.  [that’s about 60 cents]

I got sick this week. I guess that's what happens when I tell you I haven't been sick at all! So I just had a pretty bad cough along with stuffy and runny nose, some headache stuff, etc. Just normal cold/flu symptoms. I took some dayquil and nyquil stuff, and it turned out to be alright. I still have a small bit of a cough, but it's okay!  [Dale asked me where I thought he got the medicine from--I sent it with him, of course!]

You asked how this week went... It went very well! I led and planned and did all that stuff well, and I felt the Spirit a ton.

I received some letters! A couple dearelders from Emma, one from Zach Smith, a handwritten from Ry, and the wedding invitation! It was sweet.

Now as more of a response to your letter:

The weather here is really hot, rainy season is actually over! Although it still rained once or twice this week. The ground isn't all mud, so it's definitely dry season. The pollution is pretty bad next to the road, where we live... But the further away you get from the main road, the cleaner the air feels. The Christmas devotional was really cool! I learned some sweet stuff more about Zacharias and Elisabeth. Our Rastafarian is doing pretty well, he's reducing slowly how much he smokes. His friend, John, has completely quit smoking though. So that's sweet.

Last p-day I... I got new shorts! Yeah, that was really fun. We had planned to do stuff, but it mostly fell through. This P-day there's a football (soccer) game that we're going to, so it's gonna be fun! A frisbee could be pretty cool to have. Definitely board games would be awesome.

Ryatt's learning to program! Sweet!!!! :D Give him a little bit of html and C++ when he's ready! That's really cool. I'm super excited for those TED talks. I love TED.!

[Asked him about last week's funeral:]  It was the primary president, technically an LDS funeral, but with other churches from her life representing themselves there as well. We didn't go to the graveside service, but from what I've seen of burial sites, they're above ground cement blocks.

We taught a bunch of new people! We teach nearly 20 lessons a week...

Traveling... I rode on a public bus for the first time! That was sweet!

[Asked him what he's been eating lately:]  I eat food! Yeah, I've had chicken feet a few times... It's not really meat filled, so I'm not a big fan, but it's definitely edible! Mostly a bunch of rice. Except... I've found something out here... Cold cereal is really easy to make out here, too. Ooops. Could you send me some quality American cereal though? The cereal here is pretty cardboardy, but I still like it... I've eaten it for dinner the past couple nights! With powdered milk, of course.

Having sandals would be awesome!

I'm working hard out here, and I'm almost done with my training! Last week! Life back home seems to be pretty crazy though, it's cool to hear about it all. Next week we're gonna be talking on the phone! Still not sure about the time or how it works, I'm sure I'll be able to explain more to you next week. Sorry... Oh yeah, could you invite Emma to be involved with the phone call too? Thanks. :) I hope Ryatt has an absolutely fantastic birthday!

'Till the next week!

Love,

Elder Makani Rain Price

Photos courtesy Sister Berrett:

Elder Pearmain got a package. 12 Dec 2013. Price, Pearmain, Manqana and Fairwell

Elder Price and Elder Manqana studying

His trademark-two thumbs up!



Elder Price is in the back with his two thumbs up. This was at the Christmas Devotional on Saturday, 14 Dec.

__________________________________

This week's letter to his mission president:

Dear President,

This past week has been the best week of my mission so far. It was week 11, and I was able to lead well. I prayed for support from Heavenly Father every morning, and I felt the Spirit with me more strongly than in weeks past. I know he's helped me in all aspects of the work, leading, planning, etc., and I'm so grateful for this. I feel much more confident as a missionary now, and I feel more prepared for being a missionary for the rest of the time I have to serve the Lord.

My companion and I have been getting along great. At one point in the week, he evaluated how I had planned for the exchange with Elder Fairwell and how that day went. He gave me very positive feedback, and I felt his support very strongly. The exchange went well, and I was able to lead us well throughout the day. I learned more about how to be getting members to the lessons as well as how to better communicate with the people.

The branch is doing better than it has been, and the leaders are working hard to strengthen their own branch. If we are able to have use of the building by Bong Mines Bridge, I know it would strengthen the branch greatly. We have several members and most of our investigators on that side, and the church attendance would be much stronger each week if the building was closer. We have been focusing much more on that side of our area, and it's proving to be fruitful. We've received several strong investigators that I know the Lord has been preparing for us.

Thank you for your counsel for this Christmas season. I feel myself drawing closer to the Savior more than ever in my life, and I know sharing these things will strengthen my loved ones back home as well. Thank you for your support as we serve and especially for the devotional you shared with us this past week; I enjoyed it.

Sincerely,
Elder Price