Baptisms

We confirmed J C a member this Sunday
and it was really good. He's a hilarious guy
who sometimes really gets it
and remembers what we say, and
sometimes you know he's just spacing
out. He makes me laugh though.

We also had three more baptisms this Sunday.
M, A, and E. M and A are good friends and
were coming to churchfor a while before we
realized they weren't members. M's brother
F is a member and the Young Men's President.
A is her good friend and is from Kenya.
She actually heads back there soon.
Eis 16 but is a really smart kid. He's the man.
All three of them have strong testimonies and I
know they will be faithful members and keep
coming. E was actually baptized by F since he
will be in the Young Men's anyways. We tried to
get A and M to want to be
baptized by F as well but I think for some reason
they thought it would be awkward having a relative
baptize you? Everyones a little
weird like that here haha. So I ended up baptizing
them as well and they were so scared of the water!
They both told me they thought they
were going to die when they got baptized.
It was all good in the end
though haha.

About the house we want to move into, we
didn't move in this month and
haven't heard from the couple missionaries or
the guy who was looking into it. We were hoping to
move in this month but that obviously
didn't happen so hopefully next month?

Ya every week I see how old this mission is haha.
I was talking to Elder D who is from
New York and was going to SUU for
construction management or something? He told
me of how he eventually was converted and
decided to serve a mission like a year later so he's
been out like 10 months but is like 24 or 25.
I think they will start sending younger missionaries
here but they must have just wanted to
have a lot of older missionaries to kind of
start this mission over the last 5 years.

Yes I am keeping a journal and I'm trying to
write in it either every day, or every other day.
The children here don't know English like you
said. The only thing they really know is how
to say "how are you" and "fine".

So this week after P-day we just went
and grabbed some food and went over to
Walukaba and hung with the
Elders there until about 4:30 and headed
back to Bugembe for and FHE
we had at the church.
Tuesday was nothing special. Just lessons
and a DDM. Wednesday we had some training
for the Jinja zone on 8 new highlighted
aspects of preach my gospel and we hit up the
first 4 on this day. we just sat there in Jinja’s chapel
forever listening to each section which were
prepared by Elders that lasted an hour and
a half.. EACH! So that’s also what my day was like
on Thursday as we went back and continued
the training. We got to see the Mission President
and everyone again so it was pretty good.
Friday we just set up some of the baptismal
interviews for Saturday and met with some of our
progressing investigators again to make sure
we got the baptisms done for Sunday. We saw
M again though, which is good because she has
been missing since before I got here.
She had a baptismal date and everything but
just disappeared I guess.
We just set up an appointment with her and her
friend E who also had a baptismal date soon.
They both wanted to be baptized together on
August 15 so we’re shooting for that even
though E has had all the lessons as well, but since M
forgot a lot of the things, he wanted her to know
them too because she started getting taught before
him and he didn’t think it would be fair for him
to be baptized first.
We also have these two girls who live down
by the swamp of Lake Victoria named B and A
who both are really eager to be
baptized! B hasn’t had all of the lessons though
because she had Malaria when we were teaching
A a couple and A has had all
the lessons and really wants to be baptized.
Saturday we played soccer again in the morning,
and again… I was the only Mazoongoo.
Not many people showed up this time so we
played 3 on 3, half field, of just hitting the goal post.
Every time possession changes though you have
to bring it back to midfield but it was really
fun. We also finished up teaching E, A, and M
and set up their interviews as well as prepared
them for some of the questions
they were going to be asked. We did have a scare
though that night and we didn’t think we were
going to be able to baptize A or M
this week. I guess there was a misunderstanding
and the DL who was interviewing M thought
she had taken tea just this last Thursday.
But after clearing it up it was a week from
Thursday that she had taken it, because that
was the day we had taught her about the Word of
Wisdom. So we were all good and she passed
the interview.
Sunday we just churched it up for fast Sunday.
It was interesting because the two Utah State
guys also came with two other Mazoongoos
who were married. The husband was in the same
program as these guys and they were all here to
meet with their professors who came out. It
was interesting seeing a whole 7 mazoongoos at
church! We had the baptisms and they were great.
The only thing that sucked that day was
the fasting. Fasting in Uganda is hard. It’s so hot
and having to walk up and down hills tires you
out but I made it! So that’s probably the
only thing that wasn’t awesome this week but
everything else was!
And now, it’s 10:30 A.M. on Monday morning
and I’m writing you guys.
So that’s all that is new. But, I still love it here
and it’s awesome.
I’m not getting as shocked by things here
lately but every once in a while I’m just like, what
in the world is going on here haha. Oh and
the picture mom was confused by. Hahaaha that
made me laugh so hard.
That isn’t a hole in the wall… it’s a hole in the floor
… and that’s
what most people here use as toilets… Haha don’t
worry we get an actual toilet at our place!

I love you all so much and pray for you guys every
night! I know you keep me in your prayers too
and I’m thankful.
Love,
Elder Trey Welch


pictures
Church
Country
Picture of toliet hole...not oven;) (turn sideways)
baptism and companion