Africa is good. Ya the 4th of July here isn’t celebrated here.
Actually, according to their calendar it’s like June 25, 2003.


Another good week here. Pretty basic again on what goes on.
No travelling or anything just teaching. We didn’t have that
baptisms either because the woman’s brother told her not
to be baptized or take the lessons anymore. We left some
scriptures with her friend to have her read and that’s all
we could do. Well last night we saw them again and she’s
changed her mind and still wants to be baptized and stuff
but I don’t know. The brother is just trying to keep her
from going to any church besides Ethiopian Orthodox.


We did have 37 people at church this Sunday which was great.
We hope to continue improving with attendance.
I didn’t have to teach any classes either, although I did
conduct sacrament meeting.


Well the week was very uneventful so not much to write about.
You are all so amazing and it’s truly a blessing to be a member
of the church. I know it’s true simply because of the persecution.
Take care and be safe.

Love,

Elder Welch

My week is great!This week was different, I didn’t have to travel
Addis this week so that was nice! The baptisms went well this week,
we had the four; B , D, A, and L. La’s friend T needed a week to wait.
We had primary again this week and I helped with that again.
The children are so humble and they just listen and are so obedient.
We all need to be like that.
The Humanitarian missionaries were actually in Shashemene for church
this week because of brother Batri’s baptism and confirmation.
So another week down. It was a good one. Just busy with the usual
missionary work and riding my bicycle all around Shashemene while
being yelled at all day long... People just yell “you, you” over and over
or “where you go” or just “forengy” or other strange things. I think it is
just too much of a temptation to not say anything to a white person
on a bicycle.

On Saturday we did a lot of yard work to make the church look nice.
I dug a trench to help the water stop flooding the yard, cut the grass
(by hand), placed some bricks around the plants we have in the yard,
and removed some of the rocks from the grass. We also cleaned the
church and classroom we use for primary and all the chairs. I
got so burned like I said!

Also that day we had the baptisms in Awassa although there was a
miscommunication as to when it was going to start… We called B
i at about 1:30 in the afternoon and asked him if he wanted to meet
us at the church at 5 so we could all travel to the baptism together
which we thought was at 6. He told us he was already almost to
Awassa and that the baptism was sooner. We had no idea who told
him the baptism was at 3 but that’s what he was told so for us we
called the other 2 people who were supposed to be baptized and we
told them to get to Awassa sooner if they could. We told the Branch
President there to have the baptism at 4 instead and we got ready and
on a taxi as fast as we could for the 20 minute taxi ride to Awassa.
Well we got to the church and we saw the O’Crowleys there, who we
also told during the week that the baptism was at 6 and had called
them earlier to tell them it was at 4 instead. Well we walked in and saw them
and they just said “he’ already been baptized.”
I thought they were joking. They weren’t. I guess B and his son D
had got there before us and they just baptized them even though we
missionaries weren’t there, neither were the O’Crowleys who are the
humanitarian couple who worked with him. We weren’t as mad but Elder
and Sister O yelled at the Awassa missionaries and Branch
President a little bit for having the baptism without everyone being
there. It was kind of messed up but it’s all good.
They were baptized and that’s what counts!

After that we had brother A
with us and had his baptism. Me and him were in the water for about
10 minutes waiting for the other missionaries to come back from getting
something. We finally did the baptism so that he could get back home.
We also had L and her brother, who was being taught in Awassa by the
other missionaries baptized. I baptized her as well. It’s great to see that
after 1 year, their entire family have become members of the church,
these two kids being the last two to join.

Sunday was good and we had those confirmations.

I love you all so much and I’m glad for all the support and love you
send to me. I hope all is well and that this next week is another great
one for you. Just know that the church is true and that my only wish is
for you all to continue being faithful so that God can give you all the
blessings that he has in store. Love you all!

Elder Welch