Happy Ethiopian New Year!
It’s been a crazy week. It was Ethiopian New Year. It is now 2019 in Ethiopia because as I mentioned in an earlier email. Ethiopia is in 2019 because it follows its own unique Ethiopian calendar, which runs about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar used by most of the world. With all the celebrating of the New Year we were at some friends’ house when the celebration turned to them offering us drinks. Neglecting to tell us that it was alcoholic. One drink and I knew that it was not your usual “soda”. A funny story that I’ll dive into later in this email.
Sep 8th
Pretty normal day not going to lie. We had some Amharic study and then went “finding” for a while. We also had a lesson with our friend Sintayu who is getting ready for baptism! So hopefully he continues.
Sep 9th
We had MLC (Mission Leaders Conference) this week, at least the first half. We were joined by an Area 70 Alfred Kuyungo who is Area 70 over the Central Africa Region. We had to split to fit into his time schedule. So, we did the first half of MLC and talked a lot about leadership. How we are all leaders and have important roles in all of this. President Kyungo also chose a few missionaries to interview, and I was one of them. We talked about how I was from Ethiopia but grew up in Bountiful and have now returned to my birth country to serve. He is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo but ironically has been to Bountiful and so we talked about that for a while too. It was nice to have some one-on-one time with him, even if it was short.
Sep 10th
ZONE CONFERENCE! Always the best! We also had the area 70 joining us, which was awesome! And we lowky just had an amazing time talking and learning. And it made me realize that I need to step up some of my efforts and the things I do and the person I want to become. His has been a good conference and I think that President Tandoh has his bearings and has started implementing some things that will make some changes in the mission. Mainly that he wants to take the mission to a new level.
Sep11th
Today we finished MLC and talked a lot about how we can be using members and this has been a topic for a long time in MLC. I have been in MLC as a zone leader for a good chunk of my mission and sometimes the same things get brought up. But it helps us further the mission.
Today was also Ethiopian New Year, which is called Enkutatash. The Ethiopian calendar runs roughly 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar which is the calendar that you all use. The Calendar consists of 13 months: 12 months with 30 days each, followed by a 13th month named Pagume, which has 5 days (or 6 days during a leap year). New Year's Day falls on September 11 (or September 12 in a leap year), signaling the end of the heavy rainy season and the arrival of spring.
Sep 12th
Today we visited Selam and we played lots of uno and just enjoyed! And then we went to Sintayus house! So that was awesome that we were able to get into his house. He is one of our new friends that wer are working with. When you go to peoples home in Ethiopia it is cultural to sit and drink or eat. No one is in a hurry and time runs slower. He offered us a traditional cultural drink that is totally fine to drink. Execpppptttt there are two ways of making it! And the way they make it had alcohol in it. 😅 I took 1 drink and knew that it was the alcoholic version. We laughed and traded for the other drink. Ironically today we had come to discuss the lesson on the Word of Wisdom. On the way home we had someone stop to talk to us and as I was leaving, he took my hand and kissed it. It was a little weird but, oh well.
Sep 13th
Pretty normal Sunday! Because it was New Years this week people were having upset stomachs because of too much food! Which made our numbers low. Not really the best but it’s ok.
Sep 14th
P-Day today we just played some pool again! And then we made jollof rice! Lowkey my favorite food! And my companion taught me how to make it so when I move on to another place I can still make it. It is a popular, one-pot West African rice dish simmered in a rich, spiced tomato and pepper. Because many of the missionaries in our mission are from West Africa it is popular with the missionaries. Now with me too.
Welp that’s all this week! Lots of crazy and lots of good. This week is transfers so who knows what will happen. I have been with Elder Lucas for three transfers, and I really get along with him. So, that probably means I will get transferred or he will. 😊
Love you all
- Elder Frasier
