October 26, 2015

Great to hear from you again.  Yes, mission life is challenging lately.  Yes I was talking to president about that asking him why its making my time hard and he told me that he didn't put him with me just because he wanted to but he said that he knew I can take care of him more than anyone so he just told me to try my best to help him.  So this week we are okay but passing everything.  I hate living a fake life but no choice.  I'm living a fake life to make someone feel good and I'm okay if he will learn to humble himself and do his work.  We are having 2 baptisms this coming Saturday for Clement and Sister Ofori.  They are both PM with very active family.  They are going to have interview this Friday and will be baptized the next day.  Before that we have member devotional with Elder David A. Bednar.  It will be great to hear from him this coming Thursday.  We will take investigators with us so they can have a chance to hear from him as well.  Last when we are walking on the road to our apartment we meet very nice family who are very interested and want to learn with us even.  They asked us to come and visit them every Saturday.  They are happy family.  I can't wait to meet them again.  Yesterday was a nice day.  Had a great time at church.  8 people come to visit us.  3 of them are referrals to other missionaries but 5 are progressing.  We will look forward to seeing all of them in this coming week.  I don't want to give up on anything.  There is always tomorrow.  You can be better tomorrow if you are not today.  Just look forward to having fun and making my mission memorable, and going home with honor.  I really know for myself that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is for all mankind and He loves all of us.  He makes it possible for us to go back to our Father which is above.  I'm so grateful for the Atonement of our Savior and His love toward all of us.  For sure we will stay in touch.  We are family.  Thank you so much for all things.
Much love,
Elder Birresa

October 19, 2015

Yes it is challenging.  Guess what?  We are at mission house.  We had a really hard time last night.  We fight.  I don't want to but he tried to bite and punch me on the face but he missed me so I have to punch him back and I did it.  The other missionaries come and helped to hold him back.  He is not humble.  He don't want you to tell him anything.  But I can't live a fake life.  If I need to tell him I will.  I will keep telling him.  I promise I'm not bad and I will get along with everyone.  So we meet with the mission president just now and he talked to us.  Now my companion is with the mission doctor.  He needs help.  The transfer is just last week and President wants me to stay with him for small time.  Again it wouldn't be hard for me to stay with him.  I will change my ways and try to help him.  But we had a great week.  We received 3 referrals.  Two of them come to church.   Actually we taught 2 of them.  The other one is from TOGO.  He's a French man.  He stays in sister's area and was referred to us from a member.  We try to pass to sisters but the member said to teach him and he will go to their branch when it is time for him to be baptized.  We can give to sisters so they can baptize him.  I don't know it wouldn't work but we will talk to president about that.  Even before we go back to apartment.  But it is great thing we are having people to teach for the next month.  My companion is from South Africa.  Yes, I do have a lot of friends that are Muslims.  I really enjoy being around them.  Our culture is very similar to each other.  It is not hard for me but it is hard to teach Muslim people but I enjoy their companionship.  Yes I did have a Muslim girlfriend.  Yes she is married now.  I will probably date Muslim again when I go home and convert her maybe.  It is really good to hear that Rachel is married now.  With the oldest dress.  I think that is good idea to pass the dress to generations.  Back home if you go to wedding or hear wedding you will say this word.  Let me say it in Amhric first.  YE ABRAHAME EN YE SARA GABECHA YE HUNELACHU.  Hope you will manage to read my Amhric.  Let me interpret to English.  I'm wishing for their life to be like Abraham and Sara.  Will you forward to them for me?  Say it in Amhric to them.  It wouldn't be hard!!  Thank you so much for all thing.  Wish great time and week.  Please I miss Emma and Lydia.  Please give my hug to them and tell them my much love for them.
Much love
Elder Birresa

October 12, 2015

Hello.  How are you?  I'm doing good.  Yeah  my past week is somehow very hard.  My new companion is having a hard time.  I really try to help him.  I have to tell him all things.  I have to do all things with teaching.  Yesterday before we left the apartment we have to pray and I start praying.  He start talking.  I didn't say anything.  I finish my prayer and we left.  But I will do my best.  He's left with 6 months.  But we had a great week.  Clement is progressing very well.  He comes to church and is studying all the things that we told him to study.  He have a lot of young man friends at church  so for sure he will be great young man.  We received referral yesterday from members.  She stays with them.  We will start teaching her from this week.  Our next transfer is in 2 months.  One of the longest transfers but the time go fast too.  We contact 6 days for one hour and most of the people in our area are Muslims.  We try to contact all people that come in our way but no return appointment.  Yesterday we get to know 4 members where they stay.  We both are new to the area.  We don't know members houses a lot so we are trying to know members houses.  We start from leaders.
Yes Abdi is looking forward to serving mission.  He is 16 years.  He has 2 years left to prepare but probably he will go after 4 years after he finishes his school.  You know when we moved to Addis to stay with Jason he started school from 1.  Now he's grade 8.  He is doing all the best at church and home.  He's looking forward to serving mission.  We have very good leaders.  They do support young men and women.  In the district the church is not too big back home.  We are under Uganda Kampala Mission. My mission is the best 2 years of my life.  Being here is the right thing for me at this time.  I have learned a lot.  Not just for myself but for all those around me.  Mission is school for your life.  It is the place that you will develop Christlike attributes.  I just get hope, faith and charity.  I will never give up with anything.  I don't know what will happen.  We live in faith but I'm lucky that I had a chance to serve a mission.  Think of all the young men all over the world.  A few of us have had a chance to serve and bless others through our service.  Anyways a lot of things to say.  Hope you understand me.  It is time I think about my future as time is going to finish up my mission.  I don't want to go back to my hometown, but I will live in Addis.  I don't know where the life will take me but at the end I will live in Addis.  Anyway I'm happy to talk to you.  Thanks for the things that you have done for me.
Elder Birresa
Much love