Elder Collin Park

 

March 4,

Hello world!

Okay for the questions you asked: Elder Zolois learning English because he is from the Ivory Coast so he spoke French, he's been here since October and keeps learning new words.  It’s really funny when he says a new one.  As far as animals go:  I've seen a ton of lizards, I've seen a couple monkeys, but besides that, nothing really.  For church: yes we have all 3 hours like back home.  For conference, we can’t see it live, we get sent CD copies about a month later. One American Elder said that people don’t watch them very often, that’s a bummer.   Later in March or April President Monson will have a special broadcast to West Africa.

I haven’t gotten any letters except the one I told you about last week. but it’s nice to know I'll have some.

So, this week was as exciting as last week.  On Thursday we had a zone service project, it was good but not enough work for the whole zone.  We did a lot though.  After we got back to the apartment and showered we waited small (yes, he said small, which from last week’s letter means little.  His English is starting to get messed up!) and then it just opened up!  It was raining so hard, it was nuts.  The dusty road we live on was flooded in 3 minutes.  Yes, we actually timed it.  It was raining so hard for so long that we didn’t go out that day which sucked because we had a lot of people we wanted/needed to see. Since I don’t have rain boats, it’s kind of a problem. The area I work in is part swamp so when it rains, it’s impossible to do anything.  It also sucked because the day went by so slow!  It was terrible.

On Friday I went on exchanges with my district leader, Elder Finau (from California/Tonga), it was so awesome.  I wrote you a letter about it (well it’s in a letter to the mission prep class but you should read it, also put it on the blog). it was such an amazing experience, I felt the spirit so strongly when we were teaching this one lady for the first time.  So cool.

On Saturday we had two people get baptized, a 12 year old girl and an 87 year old man.  It was awesome.  I don’t think we will have baptisms this week, me and Elder Skouson just have to work harder this week.  The work never ends.  We need to find more people to teach, the ones we have are all good but we need to see more people.

Today we had a 'super p-day' so all the missionaries in the zone got together.  We had a talent show, played a game called signs, and watched Megamind.  It was awesome. My district/apartment, we did a Hawaiian-made up dance with our lapa's on. It was so funny.  I have a video of it.   Oh man, it’s sweet!

So for the people thinking that being in West Africa is all fun in games, it’s not.  Living here is hard.  In Liberia we have to be in the apartment at 7:00, planning takes about 15 minutes, then it’s a lot of dead time.  I've said that it’s mentally tough being here and that time at the end of the day doesn’t make it any easier.  That’s when I get home sick.  It’s all good though.  I love being here.  Nothing against missionaries in the states, but we have a tougher mission than you guys, no matter what you say.

I knew i was staying in Liberia for the rest of my mission when I was in the car after the airport, so even though I was called to the Sierra Leone Freetown mission, I'll never see Sierra Leone. The new mission is probably going to be called the Monrovia Liberia mission. (The Sierra Leone mission will be split, probably in July, and the new mission will be called the Liberia Monrovia Mission - see below)

That’s about it for the week, nothing to crazy or exciting, just another week. I’m almost done with my first transfer, this transfer ends on Sunday, and in a 2 year mission, you have about 17 to 18 transfers. 1 done 16 to go!

Love you!  Miss you!

Elder Park
The White African
T.I.A!

 

This was copied from the Sierra Leone Mission Blog, dated March 2, 2013.  (I guess this answers our questions, Collin will be in Liberia for the next 2 years):

 

Liberia Monrovia Mission! July 1, 2013, the Liberia Monrovia Mission will begin with Roger Kirkham as Mission President. If you haven't seen it in the Church News or online, here is the online address:

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/63256/New-mission-presidents-by-area-for-2013.html

All missionaries that are now in Sierra Leone will stay in Sierra Leone. All missionaries that are now in Liberia will stay in Liberia. As missionaries arrive prior to July 1st, they will be assigned to either country by President Roggia. They will know which country they are assigned as they arrive at the Ghana MTC. As we publish this post, we don't know who our replacement is. We'll let you know as soon as we know