Baptisms

The trips to The Surgery (our local hospital name) have been less frequent this week.  We have had to go every day at 9AM to get an Elder with a boil on his elbow drained.  Today (Saturday) they filled the hole with honey and he should be good until Monday when he will be seen again.  Elder Voracek, who we helped last week with the hole in his hurt leg sent Sister Squire a very nice thank-you note along with a picture.  Here is the bottom picture part of the note...

Sister Squire helped him go to his "Happy Place" while the Dr proceeded to dig around the inside of his wound an inch or two to get all the dirt and grass out.  The doctor told him it is good that it hurts because only living tissue gives pain.  As part of the last treatment we had our first experience with using honey as an antibiotic healer.  It didn't seem to hurt him any and I came to like licking his leg whenever I needed a bit of a sugar fix.  The funny writing is the language they use in Ethiopia (Amharic: አማርኛ) where he served for a year.

Do you, like me, wonder if you have done any good in raising your kids?  I know that Nancy is the reason they turned out so nice but what about me, have I done any good?  Well, just when the self-doubts started to trouble my soul I get this amazing fathers day card that just screams - YOU DID GOOD MISTER!  Isn't it sweet that this reminded her of me?

In our branch in Laguzi we have had a baptism each week for the last two weeks.  I love being in Africa and watching the conversion of these good people to the restored gospel.  Last week we had a young woman baptized and this week a 73 year old man who accepted baptism.  The Elders had been working with Christopher for many months but he had to quit drinking so it took some time but he was ready and so today we baptized him.  Can you imagine his joy when this life is over and he is already through the gate and on the path back to his Father in Heaven.  Here is a picture of him and the Elders who worked with him.  Elder Vis baptized him.

Our sweet font - we had water today

We had two elders that had birthdays this week.  Sister Squire love to spoil the boys (and sisters) so she is always baking treats.  She made two of these pans of sugar cookies that were gone in no time.  Here is Elder Edman whose birthday really isn't until Thursday but he is one of our Lugzai Elders so we celebrated today.  He is from Texas so we had some good old Texas BBQ for lunch.  It is a hog that Elder Holyoak had butchered and then he cut is up a half for us.  It was so quiet during lunch you could have heard a pin drop.  Elder Holyoak is home in Gunnison now so no more pork from him :(

It was really good!

Happy birthday Elder Edman!

Last week we told about the two elders we were caring for.  It is fun spending time with these elders because we get to know them better.  A couple of cool stories.  Elder Voracek told of having a dream the night before he opened his calling.  He was playing soccer in his suit with a bunch of African children.  He is from Texas but was going to school at BYU Idaho so his roommate asked where, if he could go anywhere in the world, he would want to go.  He said he would like to go to the Uganda Kampala Mission because that is the only mission he knew the name of in Africa.  An interesting note is he knew that because Elder Edman is from his Stake and had just received his call to this mission.  Anyway, he opens his call and it is to the Uganda Kampala Mission and his roommate about falls off his chair.

Elder Salakielu had a dream two weeks before his mission call came and in his dream he was sitting with his family opening his call and it was to the Uganda Kampala Mission.  When his mission letter came, he was sitting with his family (Deja vu) and opened the mission call and it was to the Uganda Kampala Mission.  How cool are those stories?  Me, I had heartburn and a little gas before my mission call was opened but that was about it.

Our APs have had some cool stories as well but I will let you read Elder Gacula story about temple work that was published on the African lds.org site: http://africase.lds.org/never-postpone-a-prompting  -He is from South Africa and when you say his name you click with your tongue on the c, Ga(click)la.

I guess you will have to cut and paste the link because it didn't happen automatically.

Our Lugazi family while we are away from our kids.

We hope all is well with everyone at home.  Here is the random photo of my happy place...BBQ night at Proteia Hotel every Wednesday - ribs, sausage (under the tomato sauce), chicken, potatoes and beef kabobs.