Sunday,
February 2, 2014
Along
with church membership in California, Scott and I fasted today for
the much needed rain. It isn't easy to fast for 24 hours in this
country due to the heat and humidity and I was weak and spent, but
happy to participate in this special day.
What
added to the day was a trip to Waterloo and the blessing of President
Kamara's son. He named him John Scott; he is the second boy that has
been named after Scott. Scott served his mission in New Zealand, and
converted and baptized Irie Thomson and her first child, a boy was
named John Scott as well. Since we have been on our mission, Irie
contacted Deb who contacted Scott and in turn, Scott and Irie have
been reunited through FB and email after 40 years.
Richard Carlos with Michael Ron
Elder Burns saying goodbye to the Waterloo branch. The Burns return home on the 14th of February!
We
arrived home and I immediately plopped on the bed and slept for a
solid 2 hours! I then baked a cherry cobbler to take to the dinner
invitation we had with the missionaries of the Mends Street
apartment. What a wonderful 2 hours we had with them. Elder Maxfield
was in charge of the dinner and he fixed ground nut soup over rice;
we provided the dessert, ice cream and watermelon. It was just so fun
to be with them. Just wish we could interact with all the
missionaries – when we do we try to make the most of it and let
them know how great they are and how much we love and appreciate
them.
It
has been a great day!
I love the centerpiece!
Sunday dinner with the Mends street elders. Dining in their bedroom/living room.
They used a sheet for a tablecloth.
We love the missionaries!
Tuesday,
February 4, 2014
Celebrated
Christmas, Valentines and Easter today because of packages that came
from loved ones in the states. A Christmas package that arrived from
the Smith's was mailed on the 1st week of December; also
received a package from Sherry and Rex Favero for Valentines but when
digging through the sweets, at the very bottom were Easter pencils
and a note Happy Easter just in case the package doesn't make it in
time for Valentines. Top this off with a package from some of the YW
and YM of our home Ward, the Mission Oak Ward that included wonderful
notes of love and support and some ties for missionaries. I barely
got the ties out of the box when they were snatched up by
missionaries who had just gotten out of Mission Leadership Council.
Really doesn't make any difference how old a missionary is – it is
exciting to get mail and packages.
Wonderful Valentine surprises!
Christmas and Valentines all in one on the refrigerator.
Thursday,
February 6, 2014
Skyped
with Wendy and Bob Bagozzi last night and that was fun; they are
serving their second mission in Hungary. The more I serve as a senior
couple with Scott, the more respect I have for seniors who serve a
second time and even more missions.
Today
I was in the office and responding to lots of questions from the
office elders who are learning a lot and doing a marvelous job with
what they currently know since the Lauritzen's left so suddenly.
Scott went out East to look at another apartment and possible church
building; I worked on the Mission History that I need to submit no
later than March. Scott shows up after being gone all day with a tale
of driving with a policewoman in the car because she “caught him
using his cell phone while driving.” They get in the car with you,
and then you must drive to the local police station in order to pay a
fine. She takes his driver's license, he takes her badge and off they
go to Waterloo. Mind you, she is stationed in Kissy. So when he
informs her they are on their way to the police station in Waterloo
(an hour away) she exclaims she can't go there and to stop the car!
She won't give back his driver's license and he won't relinquish her
badge (stand-off). He somehow wins the battle, she gets out of the
car and they give each other back their document. My question to
Scott after he told the story was: “Would you have done the same,
if it had been a male policeman?”
We
dined out with the Ostler's at the Country Lodge – it is jazz night
on Thursdays and the music is quite good and small-small on loud.
Friday,
February 7, 2014
Nothing
like a day of feeling completely overwhelmed for no significant
reason and then have Edward and Blessing Kanu come into the office
unannounced from Kossoh Town to pay us a visit to help me get things
back into proper perspective. How they had the funds to get to
Freetown is beyond me – Edward has been without a job for over 3
years now, though his wife works occasionally for some organization
that she sometimes either gets paid in leones or food. Edward stated
when they get 20,000 leones ($5.00) here and there, they pay their
tithing of 2,000 leones ($.50). Tithing is tithing and the blessing
predicated upon obedience is no different for the Kanu family then
the Kanzler family – I believe the Kanu's blessings are even
greater because of their great faith amidst great poverty.
Drove
downtown to the Dock Lady to purchase more items for apartments. I
always leave the shop feeling loved with her kisses on both cheeks
and a warm hug. I usually end up eating some strange food item when I
am in her shop. Today it was kebbe and a bottle of soda pop. I
generally do not eat anything offered me off the street so-to-speak,
but she is so insistent and I don't wish to offend her. Most
times I can walk out of her shop leaving the food behind as though I
forgot it, but not today. Before
I left, she went to the back of the shop and came out with a Nigerian
bracelet she had purchased for me. I wore it back to the office and
Elder Nwosu noticed (he is Nigerian) it and commented, “Sister
Kanzler, nice bracelet – it has a lot of bling!”
This
week-end we are off to Makeni for training.
Saturday,
February 8, 2014
Got
up early and drove to Makeni to train the branch leaders; I had the
specific assignment of the Relief Society; our task? To train the
sisters on how to invite the spirit into their Sunday meetings. All
the while the training is going on, the noise from the street is
making me crazy, but they don't seemed phased. These people have the
uncanny ability to ignore the racket, unlike me. After the training
there was a baptismal service at 5:00. Nine souls entered the waters
with life going on all around us in the neighborhood and the busy
main thoroughfare that runs right by the church.
The
new humanitarian senior couple who arrived last night opted to move
into their apartment today and it wasn't as complete as it should
have been. I completely forgot about a water filtering system, let
alone a sleeping net. And let's just top it off with no running
water. It is hard enough making the necessary adjustments in order to
function in this country, so when I was called today and told they
were in the apartment without some basic items, I hung up the phone
quite disappointed with myself.
That's all folks!
Love, Robin
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