Week 68: I love NAMPULA!!!!

I love it in Nampula so much! I am so much happier with my companion, with the other guys in the house, and I feel like I am just able to work so much harder and more effectively in Portuguese! I enjoy being a Zone Leader, I am able to help out a lot more people and I interact with other missionaries and their investigators on a much more regular basis.

So here in Nampula the branch already has a branch president and his counselors. The President is a return missionary that served about 15 years ago or something like that, his name is President Chimit (Pronounced Schmit). So in Nampula we don't have any elders in the presidency, however, we do have in the other areas of our Zone. In Tete we have an elder in the Presidency, and in Maxixe we have both of the Elders as the counselors to the Branch President. But in all of the areas here in our Zone the branches depend a lot upon the missionaries.

As for our daily routine... It is still pretty normal.

We get up, do our normal morning routine, studies, lunch, and we typically get out by 12 or 13 and we come back around 2030 because we exercise at night plus everyone's doors are closed by 2000. Our daily routine here is pretty much the same as everywhere else in the world with a couple of exceptions.

So, on Sunday night we went to a birthday party of a member here named Maxx. He is from the Philippines and owns his own school. There is actually a high population of Philipinos here in Nampula, and only 2 of them are members. They are from the Northern part of the Philippines and Maxx  is super nice, same with his whole family. They invited us for the party, and we sang karaoke, ate a lot of really good Pilipino food and just hung out with about 30 philipinos!  It was so much fun! I talked with a lot of them about Elder Hofeling and asked a lot about the Philippines and stuff like that! A fun night. 

So, today is a holiday in Mozambique.... Mozambican Independence Day!   All the internet cafes are closed so we are using a computer at the church building.  We only have one computer here, so we are taking turns using the computer for P-Day. We live 20 yards away from the chapel, our house is right behind the chapel.

As for Elder Rash

Welcome to Africa, Man!

How are you liking it so far: Is it completely different from what you were expecting? I know that it was for me. Well keep up the good work, enjoy the MTC while you are there, and work hard when you get out of there! I love you Elder. Stay safe. Keep your head on a swivel.

That's all I have time for!  Love you all so much!

Elder Rash

"Old Man Head" Mountain...do you see it?

Branch Saturday Activity

What a turn out!!!

Birthday Party for Maxx

Trying to make his daddy jealous....I know it's a necessity, but mom doesn't like seeing this...

Message to Elder D.

Week 67: Zone Conference, traveling, area, and responsiblities

*  From Elder Rash's mom:  This e-mail are answers to questions from his dad.  So it doesn't really have a flow to it.  But I didn't know what questions were asked, so I'm just posting it as is!

 

Hey, so my zone practically covers 90% of Mozambique.

We have missionaries in Tete, Nampula, Chimoio, Maxixe, Quelimane, and had missionaries in Marromeu, but it got closed down because the war was getting too close to the city. The areas that we have missionaries in is pretty much the entire province in which they are serving, so there are no boundary limits.

We don't currently travel to visit other missionaries, but we are talking to president to see if we can get some divisions arranged. Each flight would be about 2 hours long or so.

Every other Transfer we have to fly down to maputo for a leadership conference and every other transfer we have to fly down to Beira for Zone Conference. So each transfer we are on a couple of planes to get from place to place.

Nampula is massive and 90% of the population is Muslim, so we never work in the city because that is where they all are, so we work in the outskirts of town. I love Nampula and the branch here. They are so excited about missionary work and give referrals like crazy! They are such a big help. We are really pushing to divide the branch into three so that we can become a district. We used to have an attendance of 200 here, but this past week we had 126 because the missionaries were out of town for half of the week at Zone Conference.

Once you've seen one part of Mozambique you've seen it all. The only difference about Nampula is that there are some cool mountains surrounding it, and the city is more spread out and bigger. The streets are wider, everything is more organized and clean.

Elder T is awesome! I also just call him T, so don't worry if you don't want to spell his name. We get along really well. He is really relaxed and chill, but is good to work with.

Zone Conference was really different  because of the new stuff I have to deal with, but it was good. Sometimes I wish I could just go back to being Junior Companion without any major responsibilities.

As a Zone Leader I don't do much, I just make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing, and give them ideas to fix any problems that they have. The main thing that has changed about me is that now I have to be even more of an example. So that has become a big shock to me. I wasn't asked to serve in this position because of what I have done in the past. I was asked to serve here so that I could grow as an individual.

Hey, can you guys send me the emails that Devon sends home so that I can see them. I wasn't able to subscribe to the automatic thingy.

During our time in Beira I was able to pass by and see Tony and Carolina. Tony is still super active, but Carolina has gotten a little weak. She lost her baby that she was pregnant with- a baby girl...

Thank you guys so much.

Elder Ryland Rash

Zone Conference in Biera

Three Zones:  Manga, Biera, Nampula

Human Tug of War with President Koch

Serving the missionaries during Zone Conference

Role Playing during Zone Conference

Quick visit to see Tony and Carolina while in Biera

African Sun Set

Dinner with the missionaries

Getting a ride is so much better than walking!

Nampula Zone

Heading back to Nampula after 3 days in Biera for Zone Conference

Week 66: Welcome to Nampula

*  Note from Elder Rash's mom:

E-mail was super short this week.  He made it safe to his new area, Nampula....which is the furthest north part of his mission.  In fact, the furthest away from Devon he could be! :o(

His companion is Elder Taukiuvea, from Logan, Utah.  He is tongan and plays the Uke and has one with him!  Ryland is such stocked about that!  Elder Taukiuvea has 3 more months before he goes home.  This is the first time since Elder Rash's trainer that he has a Senior Companion.  He is super excited about that!  He wants to learn as much from Elder Taukiuvea as he can!

Elder Rash says that he will probably be in Nampula for at least 4 transfers and he is happy about that!

He loves his new area, he loves the Branch that he is serving in, and he is "pumped" to be serving there.

He has been sending lots of recordings to the family, hence shorter e-mails.  I will try to share in the blog some of the things he shares with us in the recordings.  Just know, he is much happier and super excited to be in Nampula.

 

Elder Brochier became such a good friend to Elder Rash

Elder Bird was good to Elder Rash

Saying goodbye to Elder Chirchir

Can't remember this Elder's name.....But I'm sure Elder Rash will miss him too!
 

 

Week 65: Leaving the people of Swaziland is bitter sweet

I don't have a whole lot of time today; but, I have some exciting and saddening news.

I'm being transferred. Very. Very. Very far away. I'll let you guys know more about it when transfers officially happens next week. But for now it sufficeth me to say that I will be leaving this week, probably tomorrow. It will be a very new experience in a very new area and it will really help me grow a lot spiritually. I am really excited for this new calling and will tell you guys more about it next week. I love you all so much and will send some recordings this week. Let me know what you think about my daily recordings, is it worth it? Does anyone listen to them?

Happy Anniversary today for Tobie and Austin! I love you guys. Send me some pictures from Hawaii!

Alright. that's all I've got for now. Sorry it isn't a lot.

I'm sorry. I know this gospel is true. I know God lives. I love being a missionary to preach repentance to everyone I meet.

Elder Rash

*  From Elder Rash's mom:  Elder Rash is leaving Swaziland on Thursday, September 8th and heading to Maputo, Mozambique where he will get on a plane and fly to his new area.  He says he will miss the people he has grown to love in Swaziland, but is ready for this new experience and challenge.  No pictures this week, but tons of recordings....sorry you don't get to hear them, but I don't know how to put them on his blog.  Just know he sounds good!

Week 64: Answers to Mom's Questions

1.  What holiday was it in Swaziland yesterday?  Dad thinks it was the King day where all the virgins come to be selected...  Caleb wants to know if you had to stay in your apartment for this holiday?  He was afraid that a bunch of virgins would be walking around topless and that the missionaries would be confined to their apartments because of it.

             The Holiday was the Reed dance! It is the holiday that the king chooses a wife and the women dance naked for him... So in the past all of the missionaries used to stay inside for a few days... But now it is just the missionaries that work in Ezlwini that stay out of their area for a week. They have been on divisions with other people all week to avoid walking in their area because of the women.

 2.  Tell us about Brian's baptism

            Brian's baptism was perfect! We did it after church and there was a huge turnout of members and even Brian's family came to watch his baptism, such a tender mercy. It was his family's first time to visit our church. Brian was not nervous at all, but he was so happy as he came up out of the water. I thought he was going to cry.

3.  How is Elder Brochier doing?  I can't believe he has MORE growths in his armpit!!!  Are they in-grown hairs?  What are they doing to treat him?  Are they treating him with medication?

             Elder Brochier is doing alright. His armpit is still growing viciously! I don't know what they are doing to treat him, but they are doing a pretty cruddy job if you ask me. They aren't in grown hairs, they are little demons that are possessing his armpit​.

 4.  Do you attend wards or branches?  How big are they?  How many active members?

             We just have branches here because we don't have a stake. We typically have an attendance of 50-100 people coming to sacrament meeting. It varies a lot depending on the week; it is very sporadic.

5.  Have you come up with some last minute advise for Devon?

             Yeah, there is a recording for Devon that I sent.

 6.  Can I send packaged seasoning packets in your package for Christmas?  I have been afraid to send anything that is a powder (ranch mix, taco mix, etc.)

             Yes, you can send seasoning packages. Elder Bird just got some not too long ago.

7.  When was the last time you played the piano/keyboard?

             The last time I played the piano... A few weeks ago. The keyboard at our chapel is broken, so it has been a while since I've been able to practice.

 8.  Give us a mile radius of how big your area is now?  Have you even walked your whole area yet?

             A mile radius of my area... I have forgotten how big a mile is. But my area has about a 20 KM diameter... I think, there are parts that I am not sure if they are my area or not, and I still have not been to some parts of my area... So the part that I know is about 20 Kms.

Elder Ryland Rash

 

Brian's baptism day!

Elder Rash speaking in church on the fly!

Getting water for his apartment

Brian and his family

Elder Chirchir, Brian's family and Elder Rash

"I do believe in FAIRIES!!!" 

American food!  The first time in over a year!  He was so happy!

 

Week 63: Answers to Questions from Dad

1.      What do you like most about Swaziland now that you have been there for awhile?

Now that I have been here for a while, the thing that I like most about Swaziland is a tie between the scenery and the people. I love the mountains and feel like I am driving up through Logan county and Cache Valley every time I mount a Khombi and go up to our area. The Scenery is just gorgeous! And I also have fallen even more in love with the people and their culture. A lot of people are just super nice and are willing to joke around with you and laugh (especially if you are a white guy that can speak a bit of their language). FYI My siSwati name is Jabulane Lekhwekhwe (Happiness Rash) Haha! But also the people can be my least favorite part as well. People here are far more racist towards whites than you would think. I have snide remarks and cold looks thrown at me wherever I go. If anyone back home complains that whites are racist towards blacks... Come to Africa... You'll see what racism is like- especially towards albinos. It used to be legal to hunt and kill Albinos and sell their bones for money. People are more civilized now, but the racism is still in full force.

2.      Tell us more about your area. What is the address of your home or do they have addresses?

My area... I don't have an address, and if I do I don't know what it is. But my area now covers Makholokholo, Nkoyoyo,  and Mpolonjeni.

3.      How big is your area now that you have redistricted the boundaries?

My area is massive now. Mpolonjeni is HUGE!  The Sisters previously had it and they use a car. They had that area BECAUSE they had access to a car. It is muito grande! We have barely scratched the surface, and we've been working there for about a week.

4.      Are you still enjoying being a DL?

I've gotten used to being Distric Leader. It is just a part of the mission. Wouldn't say that I "enjoy" it, but I've been serving as the District Leader for Half of my mission now. It is just a position to learn and grow a bit more. I am super grateful for the experience that I have gained, and I do enjoy divisions to get to know other areas and other missionaries. So I do enjoy that part.

5.      Is Chir Chir learning Portuguese? How is that going?

Elder Chirchir is learning Portuguese. It is going well... He hasn't been immersed in the language, but with the resources he has, he is doing well. His accent is terrible, but that will come with time.

6.      How well do you think your Portuguese is now?

I don't think my Portuguese has changed all that much, aside from my accent. I have started using the Brazilian Portuguese because that is what I am surrounded by. I speak with Brazilians every day and still speak portuguese. I think my language may have even improved. So that is good.

7.      Are there any strange things they eat in Swazi?

The foods that they eat here in Swaziland are pretty much the same as the foods that they eat in Mozambique, except here they eat a lot more beef. But it is typically just rice, or pap, with some type of soup or stew. That is the norm.

8.      What cultural customs do they have in Swazi?

The culture customs are pretty weird. We are approaching the Day of the Reed Dance. Which is the day that the King chooses a new wife. The government takes all of the virgin young women between the ages of 12 to 18 up to the mountain to perform some ceremony and practice a dance, then on the day of the Reed Dance, all of the young virgins dance shirtless in front of the king so that he can choose his new wife... Yeah, pretty weird. They also have some weird rituals to tell if a young woman truly is a virgin or not. When they go up to the mountains, every young woman has to cut a reed that is growing by a river and hold it in their hand as they walk down the mountain. If the reed stays straight and upright, then the woman is a virgin, but it the reed bends and withers, then she is not, and is not allowed to dance for the king. Weird, right? Also the marriage traditions are odd.

9.  Have you learned any other African languages?

 I've been learning siSwati a little bit, and it is coming along nicely. I can say a lot of things, but understanding people is a different story. They speak so fast.

10.  How long do you think you will stay in Swazi?

I am pretty sure that I will stay here in Swaziland for a few more months. I wouldn't mind staying here until Christmas, then being transferred at the beginning of the year. Most Americans stay here for about 4 transfers, and after this one, I will have been here for two. So I will probably have two more and maybe a third. I should be here still for Christmas

11.  Is the work getting any better? Are you feeling the fruits of your hard work yet?

The work is getting better. We will be having Brian's baptism this week and I am so excited! I am starting to see the fruits pay off. I really hope that we can have Easter and Zelda's baptisms this next month. Continue praying for them.

12.  What words of advice do you have for your brother?

I'll send some stuff for Devon next week probably. alright?

13.  How is Elder Brochier recovering after you preformed the "surgery"?

So with Elder Brochier, he is okay! The abscess did leave eventually, but now he has 7 in the same armpit! Nice, right? I will not be performing anymore surgeries.

You guys need to send me more pictures from home! And some recordings! Okay?

​Well, you ought to feel special Dad. Took all my time writing you this week, instead of Mom. So this will also be my weekly letter. You may post what you want and take out what you want. But this is it for the week.​

Elder Ryland Rash

Divisions with Elder Larsen...Ryland loves this guy!

Having fun with Elder Larsen...PLUS, riding around Ryland's area in a CAR!!!!  What a treat!

No running water in their apartment for a week!  They have to walk down to a creek and fill this bucket with water.

Elder Brochier is recovery well after this "surgery"!

Sharing water with Elder Bird and Elder Brochier.  Bucket showers all week!

Week 62: Finally saw some Africa wildlife....

So this week has been quite the busy one. Last Monday the Martins put us through a "Cross-Fit Challenge"! I just about died! It has been longer than a year since I last worked out as vigorously as we worked out! Crazy! Also, our area just got even bigger. We added an area called Mpolonjeni to our area and have been hitting it super hard, so we've been busy there all week finding new people and teaching new people there.

On Wednesday I was on a division with Elder Nunes and showed him around some new parts of his area that we gave him, and that was a decent division... I really enjoy being with Elder Nunes, but all of our lessons fell, and we ended up just walking around, knocking on doors, and almost walking without purpose. I don't like that. I hate not having plans. But it was fun to be with Elder Nunes.

This week I have been busy realigning our district's boundaries. Because of some certain situations, it has become necessary to take some areas from a companionship, and give to others. So we have been getting to know some new area that we have, and trying to refigure stuff out. It has also been a stressful week with a lot of odd stuff happening. One of the Sisters in our Zone had what seems like a mini heart attack or something like that and was in a the hospital. It may have been a stroke too because she was also paralyzed for a time as well. The other companionship of Sisters also had their car hit by another car, and so that had to be dealt with. So it was quite a stressful week, and even more stressful for the Sisters, I'm sure!

On Sunday, Easter and Zelda and our other investigator, Brian, all came to church! I was so happy! Brian is preparing to be baptized on the 27th of this month! With Easter and Zelda, it will probably be next month! I also was asked on Friday morning to give a talk about Missionary Work for 10 minutes on Sunday, so I also had to whip that together (which wasn't too hard... You know, these day I live for Missionary Work) ALSO! We have started teaching the Temple Preparation class to the members that are preparing to go to the Temple somewhat soon. And by we have started teaching, I mean I have started teaching. But at least the first lesson was really simple. I pretty much had to teach about the Plan of Salvation- which is something that as a missionary you study a million times. But I must say; I am loving this class! It is full of those elect people that have a strong desire to go to the temple, and they are advanced enough in the gospel to understand what we are teaching, and to ask quality questions about the Plan of Salvation that even cause me to think! So I love the Temple Preparation Class!

Today for P-day, the two Zones went to do a hike together in Ezulwini! We hiked what is called Execution Rock (I bet you can guess why it got that name) It is a super tall mountain with a steep cliff that they used to throw people off. Well on the way there we saw Impala, Gazelle, Warthogs, Baboons, Wilde-beasts, and Zebras! At one point during the hike, Elder Nielsen and I spotted some Zebras in the brush in the jungle, and we started to stalk them! Eventually we got close enough to almost touch them! Like, 5-10 feet away! Crazy! So majestic! We kept walking and heard this massive pounding noise! As we look up, we saw about 10 Wilde-beasts stampeding almost directly at us! I felt like Simba as Mufasa swoops in to save him, then dies- "Wake up, Dad" (Quote from the Lion King)

When we made it to the top of the mountain, it was gorgeous! Even better, I got to see Elder Nielsen and Elder Watteyne again! I have missed those guys so much! It was so good to chat with them and hang out with them for a while.

I also forgot to mention that Elder Brochier has gotten an abscess in his armpit! A massive one! about the size of a golf ball in his armpit! And it has been hurting him ALL WEEK! So Junior Doctor Elder Rash swooped in with his amateur surgical skills! And by that I mean, "Elder Brochier, bite on this wooden spoon! I'm going to take this razor and cut open that sucker while you scream in pain. Then I'm going to squeeze it with all I've got, Okay?" It sounds like a stupid idea, but us idiots thought it was a good idea. To make a long story short, his armpit is much better now.

Well, because of time, I've got to go, but thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. I have really felt them this week.

I know God lives. I know that he hears and answers our prayers. I know that as we approach God, we will draw near unto us and strengthen us.

 
Elder Rash

Had apartment inspection and made cookies to gain some brownie points with Sis. Martin

Zebras!!!!  So close he could touch them!

Execution Rock with some wonderful missionaries!

Elder Watteyne, Elder Nielsen, Elder Rash

Flags of the countries he is loving!

Cross Fit Challenge

Personal times for the challenge

Trying his best to do better than the guy next to him

Elder Martins really worked them hard!

Free haircuts for the missionaries

Elder Rash thinks he is a pro.

Letting Sis. Martins practice on him

He finally took over and did it himself!

Elder and Sis. Martins are so good to our missionaries.