Awkward Moment and 3 Miracles by Noon

Count down till Christmas is on!!
I cant believe its time for christmas already.  This year is almost over and 2014 is upon us! How was your thanksgiving?  Did you take any pictures or no?  Because for us in Lib in the Logan Town Zone, we made it BIG!  Elder Humpherys and I cooked for everyone and we made deep fried spicey chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, turkey gravy, baked beans, bread, and everyone bought their own drinks.  We lined up 4 tables and put cloths over them with candles on each table.  We know how to celebrate our American Holidays in LIB!  Oh yeah,  we also made caramel popcorn balls for our dessert (:  This Thanksgiving was the first time I had ever seen someone throw up from eating too much food.  Can you guess who it was..?  And it was not me....  Elder ________  couldn't keep it down.  He was sitting kitty corner from me and the whole time he's eating, he's sweating.  We all are enjoying ourselves when he goes,"uh oh...."  Then gets up and runs to the bathroom.  I kind of had an idea of what was going to happen, so I did the most logical thing to do and pulled out my camera.  Great friend right?  Someone needs to document it though!  We were all laughing our heads off, and then he comes back, sits down, grabs his popcorn ball and starts eating again.  It was the funniest thing!  He said he felt fine once he threw up, so he kept eating. I love that kid. And I forgot to say,  before we ate, we sang We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet, and at the end we sang Love One Another.  Awesome thanksgiving.  Not like the ones back home, But for a thanksgiving on mission it was pretty legit.

   Answers to questions his family asked:

I'm hoping that Elder Humpherys and I stay together another transfer so we can celebrate Christmas together.  but, who knows.  We'll see on the 22nd what happens.  Its awesome Luke got his mission call to Illinois!  He'll love being in the mission field!  By the time he leaves, I'll be pushing close to my year mark!  That'll go by way quick.    And the sandal size is 10 or 10 1/2, but I would LOVE TO have sandals here.  I don't know what I was thinking when I didn't want them.  Your feet get too hot here to wear shoes around.  And you liked my fashionable rain boots huh..?  I thought the duct tape would add a good look to them.  I have a picture of my old boot, and the new boot, and let me tell ya.  I wore out all the tread on the old one.  There's a good inch sole on the new one compared to the old one. 

This week not a lot went down.  Besides Thanksgiving and our District conference this weekend, nothing else happened.  There was an awkward moment that took place at a welcome home party we got invited to on Friday.  This mom has been in America for 11 years and finally came back to see her children, so one of the members in the Logan town Branch invited us over.  I was on Exchange that day with Elder Guymon so I was back in my old area and I knew the member.  Anyway, we show up to the party and everyone has on white shirts and hats with the moms picture on it.  Looked like we were at a Democratic/Republican convention and we were supporting a party.  We sat up on the front porch and maybe 5 minutes later it started.  They did an opening prayer and then some people talked, then it was the mothers turn to speak.  Take note that none of them are members besides the guy who invited us.  So, the mom gets up and starts singing her church songs.  She sings two and then starts saying,"Amen!""Praise The Lord!" "In Jesus Name!" "Hallelujah!" and went on for a solid two minutes.  You definitely know she's lost with religion.  Alright, I'm side tracked.  As she's talking, she starts telling everyone to not let their kids go to America because they believe in Child Abuse and you can't beat your child there.  (I'm giving you the American wordage here so its a little easier to understand)   The whole time she's talking she kind of made America look bad, so I'm thinking to myself,  I wonder since she came back to Liberia, if she'll stay here or if she'll go back?From how she was talking it sounded like she was staying. She then added some things that made it sound nice.  When she finished her speach.  She came over to us 4 American missionaries(Guymon, Me, Erickson, and Backman) and was telling us how she made AMERICAN food for the party.  I'm thinking hamburgers or something along those lines, but then she says, "I got salad, noodles, and rice with mixed vegetables."  Oh.... so if theres a salad at the party than its American I guess..?  I'll make sure I write that one down.  Then she stands up and tells everyone that the men of God will get served first and compares it to how the angels in heaven aren't all equal blah blah blah.  (men of God were us 4 Americans and the pastor) Afterwards, she takes us in to get food and dish us up.  She gives me my plate and I'm thinking, well, they didn't bless the food, so I'll say a prayer myself."  I say the prayer in my head and then go sit down.  I start eating and then I hear a gasp and someone say,"The men of God are eating..."   Um..... awkward?  Then a man stands up and says, "we have some catholics among us, so let us bow."  Then he says a prayer for the food.  That whole situation went differently through my head....  Usually people bless the food before they let people get food so things like this don't happen!  Now everyone thinks we don't bless our food. haha  But going back to that question I had if she was staying or leaving, I went up and asked her.  I said, "so ma, are you staying in Liberia, or you going back?"  She goes,"Oh, I'm going back! I'm only here for 4 months then I'm leaving."  Haha She made America seem bad, but even she doesn't want to stay in Liberia.  She's going back. After 11 years of being in America and then coming back, she's probably really grateful to live there now.  This was my awkward moment for the week though.  What I learned from it, Make sure that whenever I have a party, we bless the food before you let them get a plate.

Quote I want to leave with you this time,
"Every Night I turn my troules over to God.  He'll be up all night anyway."

This quote is sweet.  I thought about mom when I heard it and I really wanted her to hear it as well. Mom you need to just let God worry about your troubles at night.  Get some rest and then ask for your problems back when you wake up.    
Things I would appreciate,

- A sugar cookie receipe for Christmas,

-The missionary little quote book,

-toothpaste... quick please

I love you all and will be talking to you guys in no time on the telephone!  Have a great week!
Love Elder Zaugg

Several of the Elders were standing at the curb in front of their apartment building, trying to get a taxi so they could go to their areas to work for the day.  The work goes on, even on Thanksgiving.  Dedicated, hard working missionaries!         

L to R - Elders Humpherys, Zaugg, Fairwell, Pearmain, Erickson, Guymon, Backman, Gunnell

                                                               
 Three Miracles by Noon

                         

Story about Elder Humpherys and Elder Zaugg taken from http://berrettsinliberia.blogspot.com/

Last Tuesday we got a call from Elder Humpherys telling us the sealant the dentist had put on his chipped tooth two weeks earlier had fallen off.  So back to the dentist we went on Wednesday morning.  We checked in with the receptionist and sat down to wait.  We had been waiting for just a few minutes when in walks Dr. Neal, the dentist.  He recognizes me and asks, "Do you have someone here to see me?"  I tell him, "Yes, a returning patient."  He says, "Wednesday is my day off.  I usually teach at the University, but they are closed today.  I just stopped by the office for a minute, but I will see him."

Really?  Why hadn't the receptionist told me he wasn't in?  That it was his day off?   Dr. Neal has Elder Humpherys come right in and again fixes his tooth.  I'd been nervous to ask the cost, even though I knew we shouldn't be charged again.  

So when Dr. Neal tells me, "No charge",  I was relived.

As he walked out of the dentist's office, into the waiting room, Elder Humpherys looks at his companion, Elder Zaugg, and says, "Miracle number 3!"  Come to find out they had been given rides to the dentist's office that morning by two nice people who hadn't charged them a cent.  Now he'd come to the dentist's office just a few minutes before the dentist who shouldn't have been in that morning and gotten his tooth fixed for no additional charge.

The Elders were aware of the miracles that had taken place in their lives that day.  

They were already up to 3 and it was just noon!  

It got me thinking.  Do I recognize those 'miracles' - tender mercies - that occur every day in my life?  I think I need to be more aware and grateful.  

Thanks for the reminder Elders.  And thanks Dr. Neal!!

Elder Humpherys and Elder Zaugg