I am in Guyana and my first day was quite the adventure. I have mosquito bites all down my leg but I got one of those coils that make smoke and they leave. I got in a bike crash my first night out working too. My companion (Elder Giddings whom was born in Guyana but was raised in Antigua) has been here for 9 months I believe he said, was riding bikes with me at night trying to get over to some members homes because they prepared us some awesome dinner. There is this about 6 inch pot hole and it was filled with water making it look like it's flat ground. He went over a certain part that had a pathway across it and as soon as he did that he realized it was my first day and next thing you know I fall right off the bike pretty hard and scraped up my arm just a little bit. Nothing too serious. It was a blessing though that no cars were coming otherwise I could have been seriously injured or dead. (It's fun to say it that way because it scares my mom and makes me sound cooler) but aside from that and just being so drained from riding my bike to a few villages that day I walked the bike (The chain broke) and kept going. I that day had Satan tempt me a lot saying it's okay to go home. I am not planning on it though! When I was in the MTC I said I was so ready to get out here and said "Put me in the fire." Guyana is said to be the hardest area but most baptisms. There is no ac at all. Just fans. We had a zone conference in Georgetown, Guyana (got me super pumped by the way) and the building had ac! Needless to say I wanted to stay in that building for a long time! I got to bear my testimony in church (Not too many people there and it's like a house) and talked about how a friend said to me that I shouldn't complain about the awesome things I will be missing this summer like concerts and all that because I am going to paradise. They all laughed with me about the paradise part. I told them that outside that church building is not paradise at all. None of the West Indies is. But what real paradise was being in church there. Feeling the spirit strong no matter where in the world the church is. In a sense the church was the same. You go to Elder's quorum and there are guys texting girls while someone is talking. I was a little upset about that but then I realized a few months ago that was me. My first day there we went out for lunch and people would just stare at me because I was the only white guy in miles (With acception of a senior missionary) Some guy who I am sure was drunk just looked at me and held out his hand and I asked my black companion what he was doing. "Admiring your whiteness." It feels weird being the minority but it is awesome because there is no racism at all here. I am wondering if that is mainly in America. We have to pass this liquor factory almost every day and the smell is just so rancid. Any temptation to try and drink has been shattered by that smell. I cannot even explain it. I saw a monkey in a cage but it's owners weren't around so I couldn't hold it. These kids in Friendship, Guyana had a monkey but I guess it got stolen. One of the kids offered to get me a monkey to keep for on $3000 Guyana dollars. That's really cheap. So in 2 years I might come home with a monkey or at least I hope so. We went grocery shopping today too and spent quite a few thousand dollars so I felt grown up and rich. We cleaned the whole apartment and I am so glad! Guyana is so dirty. Anyways I will keep you all posted next week and try to remember more things to write.
-Elder Brown
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| Brother & Sister Mehr |
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