Christmas....

SO this was the worst Christmas in the history of the world….well at least my life…..Christmas eve was nice even though we had to cook all of the food….that only insured that it was good food that we would eat….but Christmas Day that is another story….so when we got back from dinner, Christmas Eve, we found that our bathroom was flooded….that was fun, but being too tired we decided to take care of it in the morning and went to bed….I woke up to the sound of running water….and I found the reason the bathroom was flooded…the tap had been left on….so I turned it off and got the broom and started to sweep out all of the water, there was about two inches….then I took a bath, made breakfast….the morning went on like any other day….So Jabez, our Project Leader, had invited us for church…the taxi came and picked us up around 10 and we proceeded to Jabez’s house and then to church….so we get to the church and I am a little wary but also a little excited to see what the service will be like….the choir is singing and dancing and we get front row seats…..they have a guy playing the key board, mixing and what not….a little weird and super loud but ok….the preacher gets up and says he is going to talk about the origin of Christmas and he asks three members of the congregation to come and tell what Christmas means to them….it is all really gospel-ie, with all of the Amen’s, Praise: God, Savior Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Halleluiah’s you can imagine, or more. So the Preacher, Father, Pastor….whatever he is called goes on and on about where Christmas came from and all of the legends….getting more and more animated….then the choir comes back up and starts to sing again….they start to wail and crying to holy Jesus to save them…waving their hands and covering their faces….and I take a good look around and it is like they are all pretending….it reminded me of some scriptures…I have no ideas where they are but to ones about “weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth” also “making a mockery of God” ….and the pastor takes the mic and starts call up people who have problems in the home so he can pray with them….so a few people come up and he grabs hold of them and starts shaking them and screaming….them people who feel unloved came up….and the pastor and woman did the same thing….shook them and screamed…and one woman was bawling and another woman “fainted”…..It was all so fake and all so horrible….it made me feel so dark and dirty, but also so happy that I have the truth! Later Mich and I were talking and crying…and she, who does not believe in religion, but believes in God, commented that she thought it was rude to God, what they were doing….Awful, Awful…..Jabez asked how we liked it and all I could say was….it was loud. He also invited me to go with him if I couldn’t make it to Lusaka to go to Church on Sundays….I politely told him no. After Church we went to Jabez’s house for Linner….Lunch/Dinner……it was….not so good….and there were a million flies everywhere! But after we ate he put on CNN so that I could be informed about what was going on in the US….but instead of the News there was an award show….CNN’s Heroes of the Year. I sat there watching these amazing people do incredible things to help others, and I felt so horrible….like a failure. I am here, wanting to do something good but I have felt like I have done nothing, Nothing! I want to help, I want to serve….but I feel like a failure. One the drive to church there was this tiny boy half naked standing in a heap of garbage….and no one cared….how can I help him? What can I do? I am a failure and I am letting everyone one down…..so Mich and I went back to our house and sat and cried for hours…resolved to start something outside of the project, our own program, teaching children….then ate peanut butter sandwiches….so that was my African Christmas! I hope yours was amazing and you got everything you wanted! I love you all so much!

The place where I reside.....

So I was talking to my amazing Aunt the other day and she said that the guy I described in my last post would be translated and I would never be able to meet him....so I guess he can have a few flaws....and she also reminded me that all I really need is a guy who is ga-ga over me and I over him....so that is what I will go for! So sorry I haven't posted for a bit, life has been really really boring....I don't know why but December the entire country like shuts down, I mean I understand shutting down for Christmas, but it has been all of December...so we haven't really been able to do a whole lot, sigh.....But I have been trying to up load the video I made of the house where I am staying....for like two weeks, but it hasn't been working, which I am really sad about because it was really funny although it sounded like I had a lisp, so I decided to work with what I could do....here are some pictures of the house with commentary added.....



So this is my closet...on the bottom (not in the picture) are shoes, then some food and trash, then you have my six months supply of shampoo, body wash, face wash....and what not (really this has saved me!) Then is my supply of vitamins that my mommy sent me, so I can stay healthy...Then there is my tooth brushes and mirror and things.....

Here is my bed, protected by my wonderful mosquito net! can you believe it...my bed is made! I know it is a miracle....

So on the other side of the closet is where we hide our food...we have to keep it here or it disappears....

So here is our table....it is quite nice to have....

It is really four cinder blocks and a rug....and holy cow! It was hard getting then in there...heavy!

This is the one chair in the entire house.....

As you can see it is broken.....

But by my genius we can use it without it collapsing.....

This is Mich's bed......

This is the hole in the ceiling right outside our door....every time Mich leave the room she checks to see if anything is there, because one day a good sized lizard fell out and was about an inch away from landing on either on of us....

This is the toilet...I am very lucky, it is inside and it flushes! But the seat is broken, so you don't pinch your butt you kinda have to squat or just not use the seat...and then you still have you squat......

Oh look, look.....And this is the gaping hole above the toilet....you have to be careful that nothing falls on your head while you are peeing....

This is the bathroom....

This is the bucket that I use to bathe with.....

And this is the cup I use to take my bath.......

This is the boy who cleans the house...his name is Eric...he is really nice, but I feel so bad for him because Petronella is such a mess, well I should say pig. She just throws her trash on the floor of her room. I asked her once what she was doing and she said, "it is ok, it will get cleaned up"....

The kitchen sink....as you can see the right faucet is covered because it doesn't work....and the left on leaks.....and this is Eric cleaning the pots...we don't let him wash our dishes, the house is such a mess from Pertonella that he doesn't need to clean up after us too...so

This is the Kitchen...really there is nothing in here, just a sink and cabinets.....oh and flys! Tons and tons of flys all over.....

So this is the "Stove" where I cook every meal....only the right burner works so it makes it kinda annoying when I have to wait till one thing is done (like rice) so I can finish cooking the meal....But at least it is not coals!

So I hope you liked the tour of the place where I reside....The movie was better, but oh well.... So I thought I was getting kinda tan....but nope I am still albino....Although I do have some funny tan lines...hmmm, oh well! I love you all! And Merry Christmas!

Hmmm....that would be perfect

So I had a revelation, ok not really but…..so I was reading on of the Ensigns my mommy sent me before I left, the October 2008, and there is an article in it entitled “Preparing Yourself for Marriage” by Elder Eric Shumway. Some of the things it says to do to prepare are….Love the Lord, Become productive, Be happy, Develop friendship, create order, serve, maintain moral purity, and attend the temple…..and I was thinking about that and also something I heard or read, that said to pray for our future companions….So I have been praying that I can develop and “acquire the personal attributes that will sustain a happy marriage.” I have also been praying for my future husband that he too is work on those things….and as I was thinking about it I asked myself the question “What do I want in a husband” Well really the questions was, “If I could have the perfect guy, what would he be like?” So here is my answer….He has to

Love the Lord
Be Humble like Ammon, Alma 26:12
Be Obedient like Nephi, 1 Nephi 3:7, 19:1
Have amazing Strength like Moroni, Alma 48:11 &17
Be diligent like Jacob, Genesis 29
Have Faith like the Brother of Jared, Ether 3:9, 12:20, 21
Have Charity, Moroni 7:45
Be Wise like Solomon, 1 Kings 4:29-30
Be Patient like Job, James 5:11
Be Grateful, D&C 78:19
Be vitreous like Joseph, Genesis 39:9
Have Knowledge like the Sons of Mosiah, Alma 17: 2-3
Be Forgiving, like Nephi, 1 Nephi 7:21
Endure all things, like Joseph Smith (no explanation needed)
And most importantly he has to be Honest like the people of Ammon, Alma 27:27


He also should be……Kind, hilarious, fun, healthy, romantic, thoughtful, curious, adventurous, spontaneous, intuitive, determined, motivated, playful, clean, good, loving, open, happy, sincere, silly, hard working, even tempered, assertive, courageous, giving, and observant. He should also love to serve and he has to be will to admit when he is wrong…..I know I am reaching for the impossible, but I don’t expect him to have all of these qualities right now but he should be striving to acquire them….just like I am, so we can work together and grow closer, to each other and the Lord.

Week 6...i think....

So guess what!.....Nothing happened this week when I went to Church! No crazy car experiences, or traumatic events.....No I just had a wonderful day at church! It was so nice. So I have been having a dilemma this past week because of the money it takes to go to church....about K100,000 every week, that is the equivalent of about $25 and half of my allowance for the week, but I made a choice, and budgeted....I know strange word for me....and I will be able to go to church often and still eat food and buy things I need.....it makes me very happy! So this week has been very....hmmm, what is the right word?......educational, i guess.....so Michi and I have made a budget and a menu so we know what we are spending so we don't over spend....and little did I know the effect that would take on the woman we are staying with....I think she got really offended, because we put the food in our room and she could not eat it when ever she wanted like she did before.....so she started hiding the dishes and pots and pans.....and then when I asked her about it she said she had no idea where they were....of course I knew she was lying...the next day I found in her room all of the pots and pans and dishes....it just made me laugh! So we went and bought some little plastic bowls we could use....it reminded me of when i was a nanny and Cannon would try to hide something he did....and that is how most of the Zambians are that I have met....sure they completed grade 12 but the education levels are so different and just everything is so different, but education is the big one....It is like I am dealing with children all of the time.....so I am learning patience....Also I learned something else about my self this week....I guess I talk in my sleep a lot! Michi says I talk to her and say lots of random things....ha, ha, ha, ha...so that is funny! I mean people have told me that I do, but it was every once and a while....Mich says it is like every night! It thought that was way funny, I really wonder what I say! I also made a video show my house....I will see if I can post it! I will try, but as you might have guessed the Internet here is not the greatest....but I will try!

Why?

So no amazing life changing, nerve wracking story this week....I wasn't able to go to church this week so that is why, I was so miserable yesterday because I couldn't go, but I kinda needed to have food, so church this week was out, sadly....but don't worry I do have enough money for food, this week was just weird.....But because I didn't get to go to church I had a lot of time to read and study....and I was trying to decide what I was going to write today.....and I thought I would answer a question so many people have asked me....."Why did you want to do something like this?" or "why did you want to go to Africa?" and It is a very good question and I will see if I can answer it. I have always wanted to travel, ever since I was little. I wanted to experience and see, new exciting things....Utah was boring to me. I would watch documentaries on KBYU and stuff like that and I longed to see those places. There was this one night I was home alone and I was watching one of these programs and it was about starving children in Africa. For three weeks strait I had the same dream....me driving a huge truck full of food, and giving it to those kids in need...I had to do something to help.....so that is one reason. The second reason for doing something like this, now, is while I was in Utah, I was watching friends and people my age all getting married and I knew I wanted to too, but I felt that I wouldn't make a very good wife and mother.....I needed to experience more and go through more trials that would teach me patience, reliance on the Lord, understanding, charity, and other qualities need to make a wonderful wife and mother.....That is what I want more than anything in the world....that is all I have ever wanted. To be the best mother ever. So I hope from this experience that I will gain the qualities need to become one some day......I hope that makes sense, and answers the question........