News from Elder Parker Dustin Hawk: Traveling in Uganda... wow.

Habari!

Hope you're week was a good one. Ours was pretty good. We had to travel to Kampala last Monday. Someone from the mission picked us up and 4.5 hours later we were in Kampala. The next day we had a training with all the trainers and trainees. It was very powerful! We headed back Wednesday morning. Had some super nice lessons and then on Friday morning we headed to Bugembe for interviews, but this time we had to ride a taxi... So imagine being stuffed with at least 20 people in a 15 passenger van with just enough room between the seats to squeeze your legs in. Then sit for 2 hours... Haha it wasn't horrible, but we were an hour late to our meeting and then we rode another two hours back.. While spending 20,000 shillings on the whole thing.. Hence the subject of this email..

Other than the traveling, it was a pretty awesome week. There is just one story I want to share. Last week Elder Yemoh and I were doing some finding. We often run into people who don't speak English (this is an English speaking mission?). We ran into this couple who seemed very interested, but no English. I tried to explain as well as I could in Swahili where the Church was and we continued on our path. Yesterday while waiting for church to start I get a phone call. They are speaking Swahili and at this point I have completely forgotten those people. I am able to understand enough to know that they are asking where the church is, so I explain again where it is. This couple shows up part way through the meeting. I recognize the man's face, but not where he lives, so we set up a meeting. As we are walking that night to the meeting it comes back to me. We get there and we enter a "house" made of sticks and mud, and teach the Restoration, showing pictures by candle light. (One of those moments where I say, "crap, I am in Africa!") Very spiritual lesson, which is hard when you are using a translator. At the end I ask Geoffrey, the man, to give us a prayer. He breaks into a long story and then the translator tells us that today they didn't know if they were going to be able to stay in their house. The Landlord came and told them that they needed to pay rent and he was going to kick them out. He leaves and they just go inside and start praying. He didn't come back. I know that God does answer prayers. I don't know if the guy came the next day and kicked them out or what, but I do know that he let them have their way long enough for us to come and share the greatest message there ever was on the face of this earth! I know that this is the greatest work in the whole world and I am glad to be a part of it. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored once again to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. That this Church has Priesthood authority. I love the people here in Uganda more than I thought possible, and it is only through Christ that that is possible. I love this gospel. And I will defend it to the death.

Well, I didn't expect it to turn out that long, but it was an amazing experience. I am weak in writing, and hope that I conveyed at least a fraction of how powerful of an experience it was for me. Also, Beatrice was Baptized!! It was very nice and she was very ready for it. I love you all. Sorry for the long email. Have a great week.

Love, Elder Hawk

You know you're in Africa when you see people rap the news..