Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh...

Today the honeymoon ended. After a full week with water and power every day, we realized that although things are pretty nice here, TIA. (This Is Africa!) No water and a bucket shower started the day. The power was off for 7 hours. Neither the car nor our shipment of household, personal and church office goods was released from customs AGAIN today. So, on days like this you just have to look around and laugh......so you don't cry.

So, these are some of the things we did today that made us laugh.

Elder Frogley stopped outside a store to talk to ONE vendor about strawberries. This was the result. He was swallowed up by a mass of vendors wanting to sell him everything you can imagine and he barely escaped with his strawberries, his basil and his life in tact.

We went out for a few hours and when we got back, the people who service the apartment building had kindly surprised us by hanging our clocks. So, how did they ever decide on this placement? Seeing the time "could give you such a crick in the neck!"

We've been having terrible trouble with our washer. When it spins, it dances across the room and vibrates the whole house. At home a washer that is off balance would stop itself. Not here. So, we're trying everything to make it stand still.

We saw a whole group of young men carrying mattresses and running as fast as they could go. From our vantage point, you could only see legs moving under the mattresses-like little mattress-head people. And nobody dropped anything!

This clever system of watering newly planted trees gave us a chuckle. Only in Africa could recycling be so resourceful.

The mosquitoes are killing me. Every night when I sit down at the computer, they swarm under the desk and bite me about 50 times. So, tonight I found a new protection system--the wrap and the blue fly swatter (in the background.) Brent got a good laugh out of this one and was just waiting for me to jump up and run for the washer when it hit the spin cycle.

And the last one. I think we were slap happy by the time we saw this shop. Anybody need a new mom or sister for the family? This is the place to go. Family Spare Parts!

Maybe tomorrow we'll cheer if the car or the shipment comes or even if we have power & water. But today we laughed!

Our First Sacrament Meeting in Burundi

Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010 was our first sacrament meeting in Burundi. Since we arrived a day late, we were really hoping that the landlord and the member couple, the Malabis, had been working hard. We were not disappointed. By 2:00 Sat. we had the keys to the chapel and every necessary thing was ready. Not every detail was perfect, but we had a clean, freshly painted place to meet and 50 plastic chairs, which was more than the room would hold. We had called people to speak and we had heard that members and others who are not baptized, but are hoping to be, were coming.

On Sat. we took the chairs, which had been cleaned and readied by the elders, loaded them into a rented truck and headed to the meeting house to unload and set up for Sunday.

With the help of the elders and the wonderful landlord,who even brought us a table from her own home to use for the sacrament table, all was prepared.

We had no idea what to expect the next day. We had 6 young elders, two senior couples, a US embassy employee and twelve other members, a group of 30 who live an hour away and 10-15 other people who live farther, who had told us they were coming. We also had about 10 people from around town who, as we met them during the week, said they would like to come. But we didn't really know if we would have 10 or 60 people come.

We wanted to make a final check of the chapel, so we arrived at 8:30 for our 10:00 meeting. We wanted o put up signs to point the way to the church and just take in this historic moment.

As we entered the walkway into the small plaza where the church is located, we saw a man with a white shirt and tie. It was Moise, who had come from Uvira, Congo, across Lake Tanganyika (a half hour away) and had already arrived and was waiting patiently for church to start.

From there on this is how it went....

By 8:45 we had about 10 more people. Then before 9:00 another 15-20 people arrived.

By 9:15 most of chairs in the room were filled and we missionaries gave away our seats.

By 9:45 We had every seat filled, the missionaries and those who arrived after 9:30 were standing in the rooms behind the main room, all the children were on the laps of their parents or sitting on the floor and everybody was quietly waiting as we made last minute preparations.

WE HAD OVER 70 PEOPLE THERE.

We were overwhelmed by just the numbers of people who came to this first meeting.

The meeting was wonderful. Ann Marie Malabi, a young adult member, and Elder Kizimbou spoke. Then Brent, who presided as the counselor in the mission presidency, was the last speaker. We were surprised that the people knew the hymns. We found out later that they have translated 50 of them into Swahili so they could sing them in their meetings. People listened with real intent and many took notes and recorded scriptures for later study.

When the sacrament was passed, Elder Frogley explained that the sacrament was for members and done as a way to renew our baptismal covenants, but if someone felt it was something they wanted to do as a token of their devotion to the Savoir they could do so. Everyone took the sacrament, although we knew that most were not baptized members. They took it with a reverence and sincerity that was palpable. Many had waited for years for this opportunity and they would not be denied. This was a group made up largely of people who have been studying the Book of Mormon, learning all they could about the gospel and living it on their own, without any official support or direction. It was one of the most tender moments of our lives as we watched them savor this first experience with the the sacred emblems of the sacrament.

After the meeting we invited them to stay and talk to the missionaries. We divided them into groups by the areas where they live. As we started to talk to them, the really amazing things about this day began to be shared with us as we heard their stories. There is a group from Uvira, Congo, (half hour away) who have rented a small hall for $10 a month. They meet every Sunday, Monday and Thursday in that place. There are over 50 of them and about 25 were in our meeting.

When Brent asked them what they did those three nights when they meet, they said that they studied the Book of Mormon, the Bible and other scripture, and an old institute manual that someone had been given. They don't have the Doctine and Covenants or the Pearl of Great Price, but knew about them and asked how they could get them. When asked about Monday night they gave Brent a puzzled look and answered "we have family home evening." Most of these people have been waiting for 15 years for the Church to come to Burundi. Sadly, because of the distance they live they will probably have to wait a little longer, since we don't yet have permission to go out of Bujumbura. But they are just waiting for the day when they can be baptized. This is a pricture of the people from these three different cities across the river in the DR Congo, along with us and the missionaries.

The sisters met in one room with Sister Malabi since they mostly only spoke Swahili. I was happy that they asked Sister Frogley and me to talk to them. I had been thinking so much about my ancestors as I heard the stories of these African people. My ancestors waited for three years for missionaries to come back and baptize them. Come of these women have waited 15 years. For some it's more than half of their lives. But I told them how my ancestors had, by their devotion and patience, blessed 8 generations of their family. I told them how blessed I was that my ancestors had found the gospel and embarrassed it. I told them that they are like our ancestors. Their love of the gospel and their faith and patience will bless many generations of their posterity and will bring great good to their lands. I feel a very strong kinship with them and love them already.

Another group of about 15 people had come from Baraka, Congo, which is 9 hours way and Fizi, which is even farther. Brent met with them and was most impressed with their sincerity. It had taken them three days to get to Bujumbura and would take another three to get home. When asked how many would come back next Sunday, every hand went up. We think that the cost will probably prevent them from coming, but they were eager to be in church and we will not be surprised to see them again.

Other people were there in church who we had seen on the streets and in the markets. They had accepted our invitation to come to see the church. The elders collected names and made appointments to teach. Early Monday morning the elders called to get the church keys for their first teaching appointments. One man met our member, who works for the embassy, in the man's church last week, and felt the desire to come. The missionaries have his name and will deliver a Book of Mormon to him.

This is the Lord's time for Burundi. We feel it every time we meet with people and hear their stories. It will be a trial of their patience to wait so that things can be done in order and following the direction and pattern of the priesthood, but it will happen. We are thrilled!

Our boys

The day after we arrived in Burundi we were back at the airport at 1 AM to meet a plane carrying six of our elders. Two were not able to come because of a passport issue and will join us later. But we were so exited to have them. They are some of the GREATEST elders in the world.

Elders Diazola, Moussele, Kitembila, Kizimbou

Elders Tshituka, N'Gondo, Mpoyi and Moussa (the last two haven't joined us yet.)

We were excited to see them and they were equally happy to be here. They were simply bubbling over with enthusiasm...at 1 in the morning. It was a great reunion. On the way to their apartment they were wide-eyed and full of questions about this new land. We were stopped at a military barricade and that made them a little nervous. However, the police and military here are not like in the Congo. This is the first time we've been stopped since we arrived. No problem!

We took them to their apartment and let them rest for a few hours.

The next morning we held an orientation meeting and breakfast at our home. We talked about how to begin in a new city and made plans for our first sacrament meeting in Burundi.

We talked about security and practical issues.

Then Brent asked each to express his feelings about being called to this distant land to establish the church in a place where there is no church presence. They gave very tender expressions but were of one accord. The Lord had sent them here. They knew it and they were willing to go wherever and do whatever He asked of them. They are awesome!! It is so wonderful to have them with us. We are strengthened by each contact with these great young elders. They are the hope of the Church here. They are the hope of all of Africa.

• A fun post note. When they arrived at our house on Friday, Elder N'Gondo expressed worry about the high prices here. He said that he'd heard a chicken was $30. He was anxious about it and so were others. Several times during the morning, they brought up the chicken and how expensive it was. I happened to have bought a whole chicken at the store the day before. ($8 not $30, but still ridiculously priced!) It was pretty yucky and as I put it in the freezer, I wondered if I would ever really cook and eat it. We're spoiled with Costco chicken breasts in the US. After the elders left and were just waiting downstairs for their taxi, we decided to give them the chicken. Instead of taking it to them, I just called Elder N'Gondo over and threw down the frozen chicken. He was pretty excited!

It was a fun surprise for them. Then off they went to begin their work here. I'm sure that they had a good chicken meal that night. We just love these boys.