I Survived!

Malawi. It's a special place. I watch monkeys from my bedroom window every morning. Members pick fresh vegetables out of their hill-side gardens that they live off of and give them to us. Hyena's roam wild just over the hill. Avocados are as big as my head. And most importantly- they finally decided who the heck the President should be. I SURVIVED ELECTIONS 2014. I didn't think it would happen- but I did. And now today we are celebrating with the rest of the city for the inauguration- I have some sweet pictures of flat-bed semi's packed full of hundreds people wearing nothing but blue, and some crazy costumes. But, I lack a card reader still. So those will just have to wait.

Another great thing about Malawi is that I am usually the only white person I see all day. In chichewa, 'white person' is 'azungu'. As I walk around my area I usually have swarms of children running about me shouting "AZUNGU!" I swear it's the first word they teach their children, because I've even had babies say it at me. They usually follow with their one phrase of english- "Azungu! I'm fine and how are  you?" So of course I respond with "I am good and how are you?" And they say back "I am fine and how are you?" And it continues on to an endless cycle of 'how are you's. This week I decided to teach a particular group of children a new phrase. So now when I walk past, instead of having azungu screamed at me, I get "SWEET DUDE!" yelled at me. It cracks me up every time.

This week we had a Zone Meeting. As part of this Zone Meeting we were instructed by Elder Merrill (yes- he is making my emails three weeks in a row. I'm just too obsessed with him and Sister Merrill. 80  years old and on their 7th mission.. in Africa.) about health here in Africa. He definitely called all of us to repentence. Here are just a few things I found out: mosquitos are attracted to smelly socks and feet- if you don't want malaria, wash your socks; ants are scared of chalk; bacteria doubles every 45 minutes in Malawi; and if you want to be hip like the Merrills- bleach everything, all the time. They also encouraged us to get ourselves on a planned diet. I decided to take them up on it- I figured it couldn't hurt to try. WRONG. I don't think I've ever been more irritable in my entire life! It wasn't even that big of a difference, but my flat mates are demanding I go off of it. Who knew?!

For the past while we have been teaching a young family we tracted into. They live in the area where the people have toilets- so that's a big deal. The wife is from Tanzania and was Muslim, but changed to Christianity with marriage. We LOVE them! It's been a process teaching them, but they are so willing to learn and are very diligent in keeping their commitments. The father is applying the teachings into his life, and is able to recognize the changes in his life. And he is loving the BOM! We have been asking around for a Swahili Book of Mormon for the wife, but EVERYWHERE is out. We've had the President's wife looking from the temple to all the distribution centers, and there was nothing. When we heard this, my companion and I decided to pray. Later that night we recieved news that the office couple by some miracle found two Swahili Triple Combinations in the back of the Lusaka Distribution Center! We told this to the family, but told them that the only thing was that they had to come pick it up personally from Sister Erickson at District Conference this Sunday. They haven't been able to come to church because they are staying with his younger brother, who is a pastor, so they feel obligated to go to his church because they are living off of him. However- they realized that 'it's everyman for it's own' and that they will be coming on Sunday! We have so many investigators with so much potential, but we are facing a huge challenge of getting them to church. Amazingly, most of them have committed to come to the conference on Sunday- with much prayer we have faith they will all come!

Sister Gehring emailed me this week that someone we tracted into while I was in Lusaka has the whole ward wrapped around his finger. He is a security guard to a government house, and an 'undercover christian' (not the first one Sister Gehring and I have ran into). They've been teaching him and has totally been converted. Although I only met him for a few minutes- it feels so cool to be a part of someones conversion process. He even bore his testimony- and I guess it was powerful. That's what I love about this work- it is always surprising you! From what we thought was a semi-productive morning and an un-interested contact came a changed heart. The Lord- isn't he great?!

Everyone stay classy-

Sister Clifford