Time is moving fast!

Selam, family and friends! I hope you all are staying blessed and having a good time! Listen to some music for me! Watch some amazing movies! Here is my report for the week.

November 4

Today was another interesting day. No trainers again, which was hard. They went to visit the zone.  They are both trainers and Zone leaders. It’s getting easier because I am learning more Amharic, enough to communicate! It was a good day, and we figured out some stuff in a meeting with our group leader(bishop) about money to get up to Addis Ababa! In our group (The Group is our congregation, or what some of you know as a ward, just MUCH smaller). We have group correlation every week which is a meeting, and we needed to get money for us to go to district conference. We needed to organize rides and prices, etc. After the meeting, we had another lesson with a man named Wesse, he's really nice, and we found him when reaching out to a family we have been teaching for a little, he seemed interested, and so we taught him more and more. And this night we taught him about the Book of Mormon. After we were done, I asked him to be baptized, and he said yes! Which was awesome. Sadly, however, he leaves for school soon, so I don’t think he will be baptized before he leaves, and we will need to see if there are other missionaries that can continue with him when he leaves.   But it still brings me joy knowing he has the fullness of the gospel, and he felt the spirit so strongly that he wanted to be baptized. In Ethiopia, when you get accepted to go to university, it is simply an acceptance.  Then the Government will assign you to where and what school you will go to. 

Nov 5

Today was a good day, besides a few arguments with my greenie comp. There are two sets of missionaries in our apartment, and the trainers are both the Zone leaders. The other greenie companion is from Liberia, and we are both new. We needed to go down to Kayla, which is pretty far from the church, and we talked with one of our members. His name is Merg,a and we had some food with him! It was really nice to see him; my Amharic is getting better! Or at least it must be getting better, or else me and this greenie are in trouble because it is just us two together trying to do the work while our trainers are out of town! We had Family home evening, and it was really nice! Only kids showed up, so I played games with them! That ended our night, and we've been out of power for a couple of days hahahah. I can still shower, so it’s fine. In Ethiopia, your power goes out when the bill does not get paid, meaning you pay and then it is use as you go. Until, the money you paid is gone, and then the power goes off, and that is how you know you need to go pay them more money.  It is a pain, especially because it takes a few days to come back on. Comps get back tonight

A tour of our town.

November 6

The days just keep getting faster; it’s really weird. I am loving every moment! Today we had 4 lessons, which is a lot! We taught good lessons! My Amharic was out the window, though, and I was lowkey so sad that I couldn't speak that day. BUT! It will get bette,r and soon I won't need to think, it will come naturally.  But right now, I have to really think hard when I am trying to formulate my words and thoughts.

November 7

Today was really good! We had a packed day, which was really nice! It makes the days go by faster. We asked Kenbor, a guy we have been teaching, to be baptized this week as well! He said in the future, he thinks he wants to. He is so deeply rooted in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and so is his family that that changing religion is hard for a lot of people. We took a taxi home.  As we were driving, the door fell off the taxi.  We had to stop and put it back on before we could keep going.  hahahaha! So, for a few minutes, it was just an open car! It was funny 

Nov 8

Today was good! It wasn’t really planned, though. After the District findings, our friend Kenbor actually invited us over for lunch. We were not expecting it! And so we went, and we hung out and ate food and shared a message with the family. The parents don’t really like us, but Kenbor does! And I like Kenbor a lot!  His family is afraid that we will influence him to leave his religion, so it is not that they don’t like us personally, they are just worried, and I understand that. Tomorrow, we are going to the capital for the district conference! 

November 9

SUNDAY! Today was the district conference. It's pretty much stake conference for those back home, but we don't have any Stakes here because we do not have any Wards in Ethiopia……yet.  So, it's called District conference. It's a big meeting with all our members! And it was beautiful seeing that many people and so many members! I couldn't understand most of the meeting because people were talking so fast, and it was not one one-on-one. BUT! I know when I feel the spirit. And it was there! I also met up with the new senior missionary couple, Kelly and Paul Schofield.  I met them back at home in Bountiful. My parents are in the same ward as Sister Scholfield’s mom.  It was good to see them. Sister Scholfield tried to hug me, and I smiled and said, “I can’t, I’m sorry, I am a missionary!” She smiled, and then Elder Schofield said, “Well, I can hug you!” They are so sweet, and it's awesome that they are here! I got to see all the other missionaries, which was really nice! It was beautiful to see that many Saints and members of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in one room sharing one love ❤️ Here is a video of part of the district conference and the children singing in English "We Thank Thee of God For a Prophet"

This week, I would like to leave with my testimony that I know that this church is true! I am tested every day here with questions that I don’t know the answers to, and it makes me question my faith. But that’s what the lord wants! He wants us to ask these questions and search diligently for them! And so that’s what I do. I've been searching very hard for answers and found most, if not all, proving that this church was true. I know the

Book of Mormon is the word of God and another testament of Jesus Christ! I know that God’s love is eternal and it’s for everyone of us! When I think of friends, family, and people I love and get sad when I can’t see them, I remember knowing this church is true, and even if I never saw them again, I will see them in heaven.  We will be the Lord’s servants in the Celestial Kingdom. I know the Father and his son, Jesus Christ, are who I turn to, and I know Jesus is my savior! 

There's a song called I am Barabbas. Give it a listen because it has the chorus” I am Barabbas, you took upon my cross. I was a prisoner, till you bought my bond with blood.d" The Lord made it so we can have eternal life and have the atonement! I believe all of this with all my heart. 

And I leave it with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen 

Elder Frasier