This week brought to you by: President Joyce Banda

And just when I thought my collection of Mission Stories couldn't get any crazier... this week happened. I am so grateful for the good old U.S of A and our lack of rioting. It's probably a good thing I didn't live in the sixties.

As previously stated in last weeks email, elections were scheduled to take place on Tuesday, so we were to be in starting Monday up until Wednesday. We had been told that things were peaceful and it shouldn't be too bad of an issue. Well- Tuesday came. And with it came riots and demonstrations. Right out side of the Elder's flat. So- Zone Meeting was canceled and we began our week of long-suffering and patience. For the sake of the White handbook, I will not go too into detail of what has been happening with elections, but it has just been one crazy scheme after another to get power. Suicide's, re-counts, hacking, false ballots, not enough ballots, pre-marked ballots... you name it, they did it. We weren't authorized to leave the flat until Thursday afternoon, but our specific area wasn't authorized. Friday we tried going out- but it was just too eerily quiet and we didn't feel comfortable, so prayed about it, and felt that we should go home early.

Saturday we went out, and had planned to be near members. All of them told us we shouldn't have been out, and updated us on all the latest scandals. Malawians are enjoying this WAY too much. It's hilarious. But also scary. We were on our way to Cordination at the meetinghouse, but then the Zone Leaders called (they work in our branch, so they are close) and told us that they were coming to meet us to take us home. Normally we don't ride with the Elders- ever, so we knew this was an emergency. Riots had begun in some of the neighboring areas against President Banda calling for a re-election. We've been under lockdown ever since then, with only a few exceptions for church yesterday and today. We don't really know what to expect of this week. For the most part things are safe, but we don't know when things could be announced, so anything could happen at anytime.

That's it in short. One day I'll tell all of you about this week in full detail, and I'll reenact the Zone Leaders driving their truck like Tom Cruise. It has been such a different week, but quite enjoyable. We all find this quite humorous. I am so grateful to be raised in a country where the ruling President isn't exempt from the law and does whatever She wants. With that comes consequences that they are not willing to face. I am so grateful that this gospel teaches us the truths of life that allows us to understand our agency and the plan for our lives here on earth, and that we understand the love that God has for us as his children.

One good thing about this week was that on Wednesday my companion got an endoscopy- so she was drugged for two days. It provided much entertainment, and tending over her gave me something to do. We found out that there is absolutely nothing wrong. Except that there is everything wrong. We met with the former area doctor who is here as a CES - Elder Merrill and we talked through everything. We were there for hours. This is what we concluded with-She was given malaria medication in the MTC that was banned from the markets years ago. How this happened, we are still not quite so sure. With this medication come severe side-effects, some of them even fatal. Well, she has a good majority of them. It's going to take at least another 52 days to get it out of her system. And with that is going to come withdrawal effects, some of which we're already experiencing, like depression, mood swings, chills, fevers, and many more. What amazed me most was how the Merrill's took everything back to the gospel. All healing, support, patience, and endurance. It really only is the medicine. They don't call Christ the Great Physician for anything!

All is fun and games in Blantyre! Really though- the Elders have been playing Monopoly for 6 hours straight everyday.

Sister Clifford