Wednesday 16 January 2013

Ed's Missionary Christmas 2012

Hello all, we thought you might like to hear a bit about how Ed spent his first Christmas as a missionary. He phoned home to speak to the family for an hour. Here are some of the things he told us:

- On Christmas Eve (while we were watching 'Carols from Kings' on the TV) he was hauling water and pumping it through a filter, sweating crazily.


- On Christmas Day the six missionaries in the apartment went to a 'real restaurant' with air conditioning. They had burger, chips and salad and he actually said he felt really cold in the restaurant, because he's got so used to the heat! He said it was bizarre when they left the restaurant, and he realised he was still in Liberia when the heat hit him! The exchanged gifts with each other in the apartment, and when he spoke to us on the phone he just sounded he just sounded so happy, but had an AFRICAN ACCENT, which made us all laugh. Basically he spoke with each word detached, and in a more basic way, although he sped up and sounded more English as the phone call went on! He was really shocked when we said he sounded different.


- He made us laugh when he told us he is seriously considering not getting a washing machine in later life... he's obviously got used to 8 months of hand washing and his fellow missionaries have helped him make things really clean! He said he can't imagine not sweating all day, every day- it seems impossible to him. We told him that Granddad was listening with a blanket over his legs which he found a shocking thought :)


- He told us that they cook communally in the apartment and they eat two meals a day: rice and beans for breakfast, and rice and beans for tea! Scrum.


- Recently Ed's brother Harry got his haircut and emailed Ed about it, and how it cost £10... Ed's reply: "Today I'll get our lovely Ghanaian guy to cut my hair and give me a shave.. it'll cost me 50 Liberian Dollars... about 53p.. =D =D =D"

Recent happenings from Elder Pentreath, Mon 14th January 2013

Here is a story from this week's email about a local member of the church who Ed taught earlier or his mission.

"Sooo we passed Sondoe today and he was painting his boat (he's a fisherman), we were pleased to hear  he has had family prayer everyday and has been reading the Book of Mormon each day before and after he goes out on the sea. So, I asked him if I could name his boat, as he said that it doesn't actually have a name, although it used to.. so I thought for quite a while, thinking of 'Mousehole' and 'Demelza' or 'Penzance' and settled on the name 'Bosmagny*'.. =) So he promised that he'd paint it on tomorrow once the first coat's dry.."... sure enough, the following day he'd painted "BOSMAGNY" (I hope I spelt it right for him../1 =S) onto both sides of his little quaint fishing boat in big block, deep red (not too dissimilar to the red on the original.. =)) and everyone was wanting to know what it means, soooo...?!?!? I'm presuming it's Cornish, right..!??! =) I'm going to go this week and take a photo of it.. =D =D =D"

*Bosmagny is the name of a model boat that we have at home, which was made by Elder Pentreath's Great Grandfather.




Another boat on the nearby beach: Isaiah 60:1! Very Christian!

A couple of weeks ago we had to let Elder Pentreath know that his Nanna had died, after suffering with cancer. Here is a snippet of what he had to say:  

"I'm so grateful that Nanna is now at perfect peace with Uncle Richard and that she didn't need to go through any more pain. I love her so much and know how she would want us all to feel. I'm thankful for the knowledge and surety which I have of the perfect plan our Father in Heaven has for us and I know that it's taken on a whole new meaning to me now that someone so close to me as progressed through it closer towards eternal life. Nanna is the epitome of love and care and possesses so many of the characteristics our Heavenly Father requires us to have to be able to live with him again. What a joyful reunion between Uncle Richard and her immediate family which have passed on before her is surely taking place right now. We can't comprehend how wonderful life is beyond with our Father in Heaven, but now we know that Nanna will be there to welcome us when we join her! =) I'm so grateful to be able to bear a more personal testimony of the Gospel which brings hope and peace to everyone out here and up there! =)"