Merry Christmas... Again!
- Jill Frasier
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
HELLO EVERYONE! I hope you are all doing well and the Lord is looking after you. This last week I was transferred …again. Hopefully, this is the last transfer for a while ( knock on wood). I was made a Zone leader right out of training. (NOT USUAL!) And I've moved to a branch called Ayat. It’s a really nice and developed branch. I am in a trio and the youngest missionary of the three of us. Let's jump into this week
January 6
The first day of many without a trainer. I said goodbye to Elder England and Elder Noko the day before. And I quickly realized, " Crap, I’m on my own". This means I'd better get good at Amharic and ramp up the language learning. We actually had a lot of missionaries leave the mission today, and only half as many replaced them. You can see the picture below with all of the leaving missionaries. The mission gifts them the scarves they are wearing with the year they came and the year they returned home.
January 7th (Ethiopian Christmas)
Ethiopian culture celebrates Christmas on January 7th. Because their calendars are off. Remember, I told you that Ethiopia is the only country in the world still following the Ge’ez calendar. This calendar has 13 months instead of the usual 12, with 12 months of 30 days and a shorter 5- or 6-day month called Pagume at the end. The Ethiopian calendar is based on the calculations of the Annunciation of Jesus Christ, which is considered to have occurred 7 BC. The result is that Ethiopia is 7to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar that we follow in the USA. So, it was a little slower today because of that. We had 3 appointments, but only 1 showed up. His name is Israel, and he is awesome! Lowkey taught Elder Thayne some Amharic.... his trainers didn’t teach him a whole bunch. (THAYNE, I LOVE YOU!!!) We met with our friend Israel and just played ping pong to build a connection with him before our lesson; it was fun. In Ethiopia, things run slower and people here have a lot more time to talk and socialize, and that is very important.
January 8
Today we received transfer news, and I’m leaving the University area and becoming a zone leader in Ayat. Elder Ayele, my companion, when I went to jail and was beaten up, used to be there, so I will be taking his spot. He is being made an AP (assistant to the president). Being a ZL right out of training is kind of crazy and unusual, but because the mission is so small, some people must step up quickly. Most of my group that I came out with is in leadership, so it is time for us to put on the big boy pants.
January 9th
Today was Travel day, and we said goodbye to my companion Elder Thayne. We will meet again later down the mission. Everyone kept saying" My Leada!" When they saw me hahaha. We met the new greeny missionaries, and one will be coming into my house. There were several new missionaries that just arrived from the MTC in Ghana. But just a small group, nothing like the group that I had with me.
January 10th
Nothing crazy today (I wish we did more), but we met with Ashenafi today and got him ready for his baptism tomorrow! We went over what to expect and answered all his questions. He’s an amazing guy a few pictures from church and around my house.
January 11th
First Sunday in Ayat! It is a really nice Branch. However, there is work that needs to be done. Ashenafi and his son were baptized today. Miracle’s people, miracles! It was great to witness. Being the zone leader, I then had a lot of meetings, accounting, and baptism interviews. It was a meeting day (I have a feeling it will be that way for a while)
January 12th
Nothing crazy goes on during P-days. In my new apartment, our washer kind of stinks, so I’m washing by hand for this transfer 👍. It'll be new for me, but hey, I am in Africa, so I am grateful I have had a washer up until now, and I will get this figured out. I slept in a little today. For all of you who know me, understand that this is not normal for me. hahahaha,
Love y’all! Please don't do anything stupid. I hope God is blessing all of you
-Elder Frasier