Good Stuff Every Day

Dear Family!
Y'ello!

In our area! It leads to a bridge. (Friday, July 25th. Doe Community)

The week was good! Really rainy, overall, which is funny for my companion 'cause his boots are spoiled. They have a slash in one part and a broken seam in another, so his boots leak! He's been hopping around. Funny to watch. There have been a few random funnies, I guess, this week. [Here is Elder Cottrell's side of the story, from his letter home:] "This week has been very very wet!! This year's rainy season is about three or four times more rainy than last years! and I happen to be in the swampiest area in the mission so I have to wear big rain boots every single day, even on Sunday! there is only one problem... on my right boot there is a hole above my big toe that lets in the water whenever I have to walk through it!! so to prevent having wet miserable feet all day, whenever I absolutely have to walk through the water with both feet (usually I can find high ground for my right foot while the left is under water) I hop on one foot through the water to make it to higher ground. it is hard work but definitely worth the effort! People, this is why it is important to stay physically fit!!"

Elder Cottrell and Elder Price (Friday, July 25th)

So, I'll do my best to explain the week! We are teaching that police woman, Y. She's good! She missed church, I don't know why, but we'll find out tomorrow. People are doing well! Because of the rain, though, we only had 11 investigators at church yesterday. But some very progressing ones! So, as I already told you, President came to our district meeting. He didn't stay for the whole thing, but it was good to have him there for a while! On Wednesday we saw people! We saw a man named J. who came to church last Sunday and seemed to be VERY interested. We taught him, and he had read and understood the pamphlet so well, it was great! He came to church again on Sunday, and he's keeping good communication with us, and we've planned to see him tomorrow. He's progressing great! He's trying to get a hold of the Gospel Principles book and read that, and he's reading the Book of Mormon. Sweet guy. On Thursday... I taught a few people! We saw M. again for the first time in several weeks, and she's really trying to repent. She went through a fast and everything, and she's preparing well--I'm hoping that she gets baptized this August! She's trying hard and is so sincere.

I also held a cat. Pictures soon. :D

Cat Photo
(July 24th)

On Friday morning I performed scripture surgery! My scriptures were falling apart, a lot worse than ever before, but it was a clean split between the pages and the backing, so I superglued it VERY well. It's working well. woohoo!

We've been teaching the N. family now, and they're doing well! The younger one, D., came to church again, and he's very interested. We also went on Sunday to the house of some 14 year old who has been coming to church for a long time (so we could meet his parents to teach them). We've basically told the branch that we won't teach the kids unless we're teaching and baptizing their parents. So we went to this kid's house, and on his porch was who? Brother N. The investigator! Apparently the kid's dad is N's older brother, and they were chatting. So we sat and had a good first lesson. The dad is a doctor on the Ebola response team, so he gets it pretty well.

This week was great! Elder Cottrell and I are getting along well, and he likes to cook good stuff every day. It's been pretty tasty. :) I also got really frustrated on Saturday, because I've learned how to wash my clothes by hand slightly wrong, so my fingers get all cut up and bleeding when I wash (I'm not the only person who has learned to wash like that...), and Elder Cottrell showed me how to wash the better way (an African taught him, thank goodness). It'll take practice, but I'll demonstrate when I get home! And then I'll teach my kids how to wash by hand and use that as their discipline. Instead of taking away video games, I'll tell them that the washing machine is off-limits. ;)

Cool picture of you with Elder Park's mom! I mean, it'd be cooler if I was sitting next to him [in this cafe], and I'm not, but oh well! Sounds like a good trip. [I went to Washington on a biz trip last week and got to enjoy lunch with Elder Park's mom--Elder Park is also serving in Liberia]  I didn't realize that I was endowed on the 24th! That's really cool. :) We didn't do anything for Pioneer day out here, but it's okay! We never did anything for that day anyway. [last year we were in San Diego for a family reunion and he went to the temple for the first time on July 24th]  Let me know how Ryatt's [football] tryouts go! I want updates on his sporting career.

Tent camping?? That sounds like a sweet  trip that I'd be game for when I go back. We'll go hiking, don't worry! Pick some trails; I'll be pumped to see mountains again.

I was able to get them [the Hezseltine's] my camera card! Woohoo! That's because President Kirkham dropped in on our district meeting by surprise on Tuesday, so I gave it to him to give to them! It worked out well. You'll be able to get it from them in a couple weeks. It's pretty weird for me to think that you're going to be meeting somebody that was a missionary with me out here!

Things are good out here in Liberia! I'm being careful for all the dangers, and I'm having fun riding in the back of trucks to get places! :) I love you all so much. Have a funny week!

Love,
Elder Price

Elder Price and Elder Kamara. July 11th Service Project.

Sunday, July 27th

Prepared People

Hi Family!!!!!

... Yeah, I'm past 10 months... Feels kinda... Odd. I mean, it feels like I've been here a while, but not exactly... Yeah, it feels like 10 months. Doesn't feel like a year, doesn't feel like less than 10 months. It's crazy 'cause I'll be coming to my half mark in 2 months. Then it's last half!

[One of his best friends (since age 4) is heading to the Alpine Germany mission. His farewell was Sunday:] I'm so happy to see Zach head out. That's really amazing. I like those excerpts of his talk. I'm surprised that he didn't talk about the derivative of the growth instead of terming it the "mathematical acceleration" ;) Thanks for sending the bits of his talk. Really cool to read.

I hope Dad is able to get his leg all fixed better so he can run even more! I'll do a tri with him for sure.

I'm good! This week has felt pretty long, but at the same time it's rushed by. Elder Cottrell and I are doing great! Everyone did put their best foots (feet...) forward. a BUNCH of people having to learn their areas! Things are really different, and I find it interesting.  But yeah, Elder Cottrell and I are working together great! It's cool to be able to talk about... well, anything! There's not much that we can say that the other won't understand; it's different. So, anyway, this past Tuesday was unique! District Meeting was good; Elder Widdison gave a neat instruction on Agency. But then my companion and I had to stay inside for the rest of the day because the plumber was working on the busted pipe in our wall and putting our tub back in and everything. So Elder Cottrell and I cleaned and reorganized EVERYTHING in the apartment. The other elders' desks we moved to our bedroom; we moved our beds into the room we study in (the main room); we shifted our desks to fit; we put a table in the center of the room and put chairs around it for a dining room table; it all fits great! Everything is cleaner and nicer. The apartment feels more welcoming and more like a home now. :)

On Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday: We taught people! On Thursday we were looking for this one girl and her sister or something like that who came to church this gone Sunday (that's how people say "past" here. "gone"), but we didn't find them... Instead we found this police woman, Y., (off duty, so we couldn't tell. She just told us.) who we asked where to find these people. She was like, "let me go get better situated to walk with you guys and show you!" and she led us around the area to find the people. We didn't find them, but we found a different group of people--the N. family. They're GREAT. No small children, just a bunch of adults, and we contacted them. We set an appointment to see them later that week, and we invited Y. to church and tried to set an appointment. Well, On Saturday we taught the N's. GREAT lesson. A bit long, but David, not the father but still older than 20, came to church on Sunday. Super cool. We didn't get a chance to teach Y., but she showed up to church on Sunday!!! She came in with a baby-carrier on her (the kind that holds the baby on the front side of the mother), and it looked really funny after seeing all babies carried by lappas (the cloth that everyone uses) tied to the backs of the mothers. It was great! We had some other cool things throughout the week; we're trying to transform our teaching pool to a very strong group of adults, and I can see the hand of the Lord guiding it; people were contacting us and coming to church that we've never talked to! A man named John stopped us as we were walking to the main road to get a car on Thursday. We were walking through the other Elders' area, so I figured that he would be living in their area. He explained to us that he was affiliated with the church in Ghana, not a member, and that he wanted to study with us again. He told us he lived in Doe Community (our area!), and we invited him to church. Well, he came! We gave him a Restoration pamphlet. This morning he called and said to me, "I finished reading that one. I beg, you can bring another (different) one when you come to teach me this week??" It was so cool. :) People are prepared by God here. So sweet. We don't plant seeds, we HARVEST! We had over 20 investigators come to Sacrament Meeting; even more showed up after that first meeting! All adults. :) Also, I conducted the hymns again yesterday... I also was playing around on the piano after church for a few minutes, just playing some of the songs I remember and merging them into each other really cool-like, and afterwards Elder Cottrell told me that I AT LEAST need to play the right hand during Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. So, we'll see. :) [Q: Does anyone play the piano at church? If you played, who would lead the music?]  No one... and usually there's sister Perry to lead the music.

This week was interesting and unique! The work is good; I'm doing well. :) I'm looking forward to six more weeks in this transfer; I feel like there's a lot of growing I'll be doing. Thank you so much for the support and love you give me. I love you guys so much, and I know I'm doing the right thing by being out here.

Have an awesome week!

Love,
Elder Price

Miracle at Home

The first email we received from Elder Price today was short:
I don't have much time, but I have to write: Dad is running. Oh my gosh. I'm pushing back tears. And I haven't even seen the videos 'cause they won't work. [I had attached a couple small videos to give him a small glimpse of this miracle in our lives, but I also included a few photos]. 

[Second email was more substantial:]
Dear Family!
I'm feeling great, thanks for asking! Even better with seeing those pictures of Dad running. Just... Whoah. That's amazing. I can't believe it. I can't wait to see it with my own eyes happening. I can't wait for... the possibilities. My dad can run. Those words mean so much to me.

Ryatt's room... My room... ah! That's so crazy! I was just thinking about that desk this week 'cause Elder Burr got some sunflower seeds in his package (please send some, dill pickle) and it reminded me so much of eating seeds while doing homework late at night at that desk. I hope Ryatt uses it well. Especially my sound system. Are the subwoofers still there? I can't see them in the picture. Nice decorations though! [Ryatt finally has moved into Rain's old bedroom]

Haha, for dinner last night? uh... Hm... Peanut butter and honey sandwich as well as some potato greens (w/rice, obviously) earlier... Yep! :) 

Thanks for the socks! They'll be much loved. Some pens could be nice. Those gel pens ran out very fast... with pilot, either those really nice fine point pens or they have this other kind "V ball" with a more fine point... I dunno. I like fine! I definitely do not need more toothbrushes. They sell those here. Oh, a dictionary would be nice! I like dictionaries a lot. So... A fun dictionary. :) Please and thank you!

The zone meeting was good! The interview with President was good too, I feel like I'm trying to do my very best out here. It's interesting how different people respond to their interviews; not everybody is happy. I really see it as how you take something, not what or how it's given. I truly feel like the stuff before mission with my mission call prepared me for more things out here, and I see that some lessons that I learned back home people still haven't learned out here.

The service project was successful, too! We totally helped someone build their house! Concrete, bricks, cement, small wood bridges, heavy moving, wheelbarrows of sand, shovels, just... No powered equipment! It was really fun. :) My biceps really hurt afterwards. A great project.

On Thursday was the interview with president, but then I went on an exchange with Elder Widdison! It was really good; I liked being with him. He's a good missionary. He's still in my zone! Woohoo! But while we were waiting in the church for the interviews to finish for us to go (I was waiting for Widdison), a mad man came into the church and stood in the center of the main room (chapel? The chairs were all stacked though) and, standing, started to pray. He wasn't completely not there, but he wasn't there enough to understand that's weird. :) It was a sweet experience though.

So, transfer news:
Elder Price: Staying! Receiving Elder Cottrell! Yay! I'm way excited. :)
Elder Kamara: going to Brewerville to be ZL with Fairwell! I'll miss Elder Kamara.
Elder Burr: gone. AP!!!!! What? yeah. It's cool and crazy.
Elder Widdison: DL for Logantown district. Received Elder Morrison
...

I'm way excited for Elder Cottrell as my companion! :) It's been a crazy day. On Saturday the plumber came and trashed our bathroom--we had a leak. So he was still working on it today, and he's not done yet. He's coming back tomorrow. Ah! Lots of work. Transfers are always crazy, too. I'm praying for the best. It could be a very memorable 7 weeks.

I love you all so much. Have an amazing week!

Love,
Elder Price

Note: In June of 2011, Rain went to a youth conference (Especially for Youth (EFY)) at BYU. He arrived on a Monday, but on Tuesday we had to do an emergency "check out" because Good Morning America was flying Rain and Dale to NYC to be on their show. Rain returned to EFY on Thursday. Interestingly, one of the friends that Rain made at EFY that year was Daniel Cottrell, aka Elder Cottrell--Elder Price's mission companion for the next seven weeks. I sent a couple of these old photos to Elder Price. He said, "Thanks so much for the pics! Elder Cottrell and I had a good laugh. :) "

EFY 2011- Front row: Price and Cottrell

Time For The Rain Jacket

Dear Family,

Hello!

...There's a Spiderman 2?! What?!?! Crazy... And let's just say that movie theaters are simply a memory. There's nothing to even compare.

It's good to hear about your experience working in nursery... Speaking of the primary songs, I bought a children's songbook! I'm loving it (plus, it has guitar chords in it... hehe). It makes me happy to sing a bunch of the primary songs; I like it more than the hymn book.

I wonder what it's like to teach someone back home... I'm so used to teaching here that sometimes I wonder what it is like to teach people back home in church. It's on baptism? Hahaha, that's our go-to subject, really. I love the pictures. [I'm teaching a lesson on baptism in RS next week, I dug up baptism photos, including a photo of Rain on his baptism day] 

As for things here: things are going good! I feel like transfers will bring some changes here in Logantown zone; I find out on Saturday night! As far as blessings go, we are instructed not to administer to the sick for the time being. And no, don't add surgical gloves. :)

I'm glad you liked the stories! This week might not be as full, but I'm happy the Berrett's posted that photo so promptly! It was on the way to a baptism, that one is true. The jacket's working well! Though I've only worn it that one day... It was good for that day!

Elder Kamara and Elder Price walking to Saturday's Baptisms

First, I'll talk about Tuesday! Tuesday was good. It started off with... district meeting... Then we had a service project! But it was POURING rain. So we still went. We brushed! That means we cut grass. But the patch of land that we were working on was flooded, so... We still did it. We weren't able to cut it as good as we wanted, but we still did our best. We were soaked! No pictures of that... Sorry. The service project was in Doe Community for Logantown District (so it didn't involve Point Four or New Kru Town). We didn't have time to teach that day...

Wednesday was Mission Council (random note: in Liberian English it sounds more like Wed-nes-day. Which I really like.)! It was really good! Traffic on the way back to Bushrod Island, even though it's not very far, was TERRIBLE, so we didn't have time to teach that day either.

On Thursday we had a pretty good day; we saw a bunch of people that we planned! No really cool stories from that, however. We had Janet, our recent convert, proselyting with us! That was cool. I taught her all the way through, and now she's proselyting with us! It's awesome to see progression. :)

Friday was an exchange. I went with Elder Smith to New Kru Town. Oh yeah, District Leader for New Kru Town district was changed on Wed-nes-day. Elder Smith was made district leader; he's a great guy. The exchange was really good, 'cept it was pouring, and we forgot to bring umbrellas. I was FREEZING, and the rain was too much to proselyte for a while. I didn't have my jacket or anything. It was an interesting day though! I liked going into where Ebola is reported to be the most concentrated. I mean,... it's more of a feeling of awareness.

Saturday was good! There was the baptism first, for Logantown, and we went to support them. We taught a few lessons afterwards, but nothing super crazy... We saw J. again! I don't know if I ever told you about her before (that I contacted her with Elder Zaugg way back on exchange months ago and now she's way sweet), but she had disappeared for a while. She moved to Redlight, but now the confusion between her and her man is cleared up! So she moved back. And both her and her man, A., are way serious about working to marriage and baptism and being forgiven of their sins! I mean, their kids are already baptized (except for their youngest daughter, but she's not old enough, though she's the most adorable thing on planet earth. Goodness, if I could, I would adopt that girl. But she stayed in Redlight, 'cause she gets sick more easily with all the water in Doe Community).

Sunday was good! As usual, really. We went to Helena Boakai's graduation (a great branch missionary) celebration, 'cause she asked Elder Kamara and me to sing a couple hymns there. So we sang the one she asked us to (you can make the pathway bright), and then we sang Come thou Fount and some other song (39? I think? I don't remember...). It was pretty cool.

My notes:
I think I forgot to tell you that last week or the week before I conducted the hymns a couple times during sacrament meeting! It was fun!

It was RAINY this week. Seriously. Crazy amounts of rain....

Rains and flooding in Liberia. Thanks to the Berrett's for this week's photos.
Read more about the weather adventures on their blog, here.

For the 4th! Elder Widdison and Elder Burr made burgers (the kind that we can get here... it had ginger in it...) and fries and fry sauce! It was good. I enjoyed it, and it's surprising to me how fast that kind of food can fill me now. I'm not used to heavy foods like potatoes anymore...

I FOUND THE CHIP! I found the chip with the music inside the photo envelope. Good place to put it! I've been loving it. So... Yeah!  [microSD card with music in his last package--no longer missing. We are 8 for 8 with packages. 0 for 5ish for regular letter envelopes--we've given up on mailing those, all handwritten letters are now included in packages]

Well, things are going well out here! Next week has some fun stuff; zone meeting on Tuesday, interviews with President Kirkham on Thursday, and transfer news on Saturday! Probably a service project on Friday, too. So... it'll be a fun week! It's good to hear from all of you.

I know this church is true; I know that the work I'm doing here has more impact than anything I've done in my life so far, and I'm being prepared to be a better son, father, and person overall. The Lord's hand isn't slow; He won't hesitate to help you, but it takes work from our side. D&C 101:7-8.  I know that each of us mean so much to our Father, and we can all do better to keep his commandments and progress to the glory of Him. :) (hey look, I never share stuff like this in my emails! ;) )

Love,
Elder Price

P.S. Mwah!

Follow up note:   Whoah, I borrowed another elder's scriptures to read that just now... That's a great scripture! Thank you. :)  [I had sent him Alma 38:1-3: "My son, give ear to my words, for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end. I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the Zoramites."]