Hello all,
Thanks v v much for all your comments and concerns about Elder Pentreath, and offers to send him things, I know he will really appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Here are some suggestions about packages for Ed if you send him anything:
- Make sure nothing looks new (i.e. remove them from any packaging)
- Don't send anything that will melt!! (just too hot out there so British chocolate is off)
- Send packages via DHL if possible- apparently they are most reliable and safest
- Sellotape a photocopy of a picture of Jesus to the package outside... to deter thieves :)
- Declare that it has no value!!!
Many, many thanks for all your help and love for him.
Abby
P.S. Write more letters!!! :)
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Email from Elder Pentreath, 28th May 2012
My mission is HARD!! =O It's much hotter here than in the MTC! Much
hotter.. We don't have electricity, water (at all, our supply ran out 3
days ago!) and so no opportunity to shower =) I so so hope I adapt!
Unfortunately the mosquito net I was given not only has holes in it, but
the normal standard holes are much bigger than my companion's..?! We
genuinely believe that the mosquitos can just get in anyway. I take my
doxy every day, but have received about 40/50 bites.
This place is just like nothing you've ever imagined! Our normal mode of transport is on the back of a motorbike or 8 people in a 5 seater taxi. The food we eat isn't a problem, but that's only because we don't eat any food..?! Noone's able to have 3 meals a day cos we have to spend so much on transport! =) We're not allowed to have dinner appointments at all, because we'll get sick everytime. =) Mission rule ;-) Soo you know the Comic Relief videos.. My whole area (my companion and I actually cover 2 areas) is EXACTLY like that. EXACTLY. I feel awkward and embarrased to walk through it. =(
My companion is called Elder Esiaba, from Nigeria. He's a great guy and has taught me much. He's from a family of 8 and has been out for a year this week, very humble and everyone's favourite companion. =) The works' going very well! We have 46 investigators with baptismal dates in the next 2 weeks and about 60 investigators in total. It's such a shame though 'cos we're simply not able to see them all. At all. =( We attended church twice yesterday (for the NEW Kru Town Branch and then the Point Four Branch). It was very interesting! We then had a few interviews with the District Leader for baptisms out in the heat. Came home and am sick sick sick. I've slept solidly for 24 hours pretty much, my head is absolutely pounding and I'm bathed in sweat. =) Please pray for me guys =) Love and miss you all so much. =) It's so so nice to hear from you =)
Because I'll be at the same place in Liberia for 3 months at least, send letters straight there! =) They'll arrive in 10-14 days apparently! =) The address is:
Elder Pentreath
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Capital Bye-Pass
Horton Avenue
PO Box 1905
1000 Monrovia
10 Liberia
WEST AFRICA
This place is just like nothing you've ever imagined! Our normal mode of transport is on the back of a motorbike or 8 people in a 5 seater taxi. The food we eat isn't a problem, but that's only because we don't eat any food..?! Noone's able to have 3 meals a day cos we have to spend so much on transport! =) We're not allowed to have dinner appointments at all, because we'll get sick everytime. =) Mission rule ;-) Soo you know the Comic Relief videos.. My whole area (my companion and I actually cover 2 areas) is EXACTLY like that. EXACTLY. I feel awkward and embarrased to walk through it. =(
My companion is called Elder Esiaba, from Nigeria. He's a great guy and has taught me much. He's from a family of 8 and has been out for a year this week, very humble and everyone's favourite companion. =) The works' going very well! We have 46 investigators with baptismal dates in the next 2 weeks and about 60 investigators in total. It's such a shame though 'cos we're simply not able to see them all. At all. =( We attended church twice yesterday (for the NEW Kru Town Branch and then the Point Four Branch). It was very interesting! We then had a few interviews with the District Leader for baptisms out in the heat. Came home and am sick sick sick. I've slept solidly for 24 hours pretty much, my head is absolutely pounding and I'm bathed in sweat. =) Please pray for me guys =) Love and miss you all so much. =) It's so so nice to hear from you =)
Because I'll be at the same place in Liberia for 3 months at least, send letters straight there! =) They'll arrive in 10-14 days apparently! =) The address is:
Elder Pentreath
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Capital Bye-Pass
Horton Avenue
PO Box 1905
1000 Monrovia
10 Liberia
WEST AFRICA
Thursday 24 May 2012
Elder Pentreath arrives in Liberia
Sorry for the delay in posting what is going on with Elder Pentreath. Here is an update-
1. In the missionary training centre his companion, Elder Oni got a fever so they couldn't have the air con on... which meant that Elder Pentreath felt like he had a fever :)
2. He had his birthday - 19!! - The chefs were really lovely and gave them some kind of marshmallow/ice cream thing. He said it was delicious.
3. Every night he sleeps on the floor, straight on the tiles. Apparently it's bearable because it's so much cooler (apart from the first night when he slept in the bed... and got bitten alive. Poor boy)
4. He saw a massively huge lizard a bit like a crocodile, 3 feet long and apparently it was a baby!
5. He got to phone home last Sunday because it was American Mother's day! He said it was great, but after he got off the phone it was really sad, and dinner was quite a quiet affair :'(
6. He got to be there when Elder Oni went to the Temple for the first time, and he said it was a really special day. There is a Temple in Accra.
7. Usually they do exercise every day... but one day last week it was off because on the field there was a poisonous snake and an alligator. "Crazy stuff!"
So there ends his training centre experience (in all of the above stories he has hours and hours of training and practise in a classroom)
It is official, Elder Pentreath has now finished his couple of weeks of training in Ghana and he arrived in Liberia to begin his missionary work on Tuesday. Here is some photographic evidence of him with the other six new misisonaries arriving with him:
He met his Mission President (there is a couple who are responsible for the missionaries in a region) who gave him an interview, some pizza, a net, doxy (medicine to prepare your tummy for different foods?? Not sure about that one) and a pillow... then off to his first 'area'- a town where he will be doing missionary service. Apparantly one of the other missionaries speaks no English, only French! Amazing.
So all well, will update again, and make it more regular from now on :)
1. In the missionary training centre his companion, Elder Oni got a fever so they couldn't have the air con on... which meant that Elder Pentreath felt like he had a fever :)
2. He had his birthday - 19!! - The chefs were really lovely and gave them some kind of marshmallow/ice cream thing. He said it was delicious.
3. Every night he sleeps on the floor, straight on the tiles. Apparently it's bearable because it's so much cooler (apart from the first night when he slept in the bed... and got bitten alive. Poor boy)
4. He saw a massively huge lizard a bit like a crocodile, 3 feet long and apparently it was a baby!
5. He got to phone home last Sunday because it was American Mother's day! He said it was great, but after he got off the phone it was really sad, and dinner was quite a quiet affair :'(
6. He got to be there when Elder Oni went to the Temple for the first time, and he said it was a really special day. There is a Temple in Accra.
7. Usually they do exercise every day... but one day last week it was off because on the field there was a poisonous snake and an alligator. "Crazy stuff!"
So there ends his training centre experience (in all of the above stories he has hours and hours of training and practise in a classroom)
It is official, Elder Pentreath has now finished his couple of weeks of training in Ghana and he arrived in Liberia to begin his missionary work on Tuesday. Here is some photographic evidence of him with the other six new misisonaries arriving with him:
He met his Mission President (there is a couple who are responsible for the missionaries in a region) who gave him an interview, some pizza, a net, doxy (medicine to prepare your tummy for different foods?? Not sure about that one) and a pillow... then off to his first 'area'- a town where he will be doing missionary service. Apparantly one of the other missionaries speaks no English, only French! Amazing.
So all well, will update again, and make it more regular from now on :)
Monday 7 May 2012
News from Elder Pentreath
So you'll be pleased to know that Elder Pentreath has made it safely to Accra, Ghana, and he is now being trained there to be a missionary! Ghana is the newest of the 17 Missionary Training Centres worldwide (others are in Preston England, Sao Paolo Brazil, Tokyo Japan, Bogota Colombia...)
Every missionary is assigned a companion- basically another missionary to be with at all times- and he has been paired with Elder Oni for these next couple of weeks while he is being trained. Ed says Elder Oni is great and comes from Lagos, Nigeria and will also be a missionary in Sierra Leone (there are other missionaries being trained in Ghana that are going elsewhere) and Ed is excited that this week he will be able to go to the nearby Temple as well as learn more about being a missionary, and background on the countries where he will be going.
In other news, he got split up with one of his bags at the airport!!! That was a bit of an adventure with Mum and Dad desperately phoning the training centre and airport (talking to a Ghanaian called Moses, cool!) but I think both he and his bag have been reunited now. Here is a bit of an email he sent home on Saturday morning to let us know he is safe and arrived:
"It's super super hot here.. Reaaally sticky! Unfortunately I only have one shirt as well. =P Very excited for the Missionary Training Centre, we have a rigorous schedule, which is great, but I know I'll sleep well tonight! Despite the heat I slept well yesterday too! The middle of the night is kinda nice-ish in terms of temperature"
So all well so far. More to report later in the week when we hope to hear from him again. In the meantime, WRITE TO HIM to say hello!!! :) at dearelder.com (select Sierra Leone Freetown Mission)
Thursday 3 May 2012
Leaving tomorrow!
So Elder Pentreath leaves tomorrow and the blogging baton has been passed to me (his oldest sister Abby: hello!) Above is a shot of him and five friends who are all going to be missionaries starting in the next couple of months:
Haydn Hewitt- Toronto Canada
Edward Pentreath- Freetown Sierra Leone
Gonçalo Esteves- Leeds England
Robin Guy- Melbourne Australia
Robin Guy- Melbourne Australia
Tiago Pereira- Manchester England
Just a reminder that you can write to Ed for FREE via this website: dearelder.com Just select 'Sierra Leone Freetown Mission' from the 'Select Mission' dropdown menu and off you go. I know he would really appreciate your love, support and updates about your life back home :)
... Next post will be from him out in Ghana (he will be trained to be a missionary there for a couple of weeks before he gets sent to his first town) Watch this space...
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