(Trying to catch up emails!)

My week was good. On Tuesday we got to help build a house in Wendo Genet. I guess all the people there just help build other peoples’ homes and all they do is just have the person whose house their building cook lunch. It was fun to be able to help build that house. It was kind of like Zion where everyone just teamed up and helped each other build. There was no poor among them.

We also had water heaters put into our house so no more cold showers! It was so nice to have a nice warm shower again.

On Saturday we did some yard work and had some guy cut the grass. I was able to design the garden and plan lettuce, tomatoes, swiss chard, and carrots. I hope they grow since it was my first time ever doing it. We did have one of our investigators who works for Morrell Agro help show us how to plant the seeds.

We also had the baptism of our dear brother, H. He’s a funny guy. We got to the church and showed him the bathroom and told him he could change in there so he could shower after the baptism. Well we were all sitting there waiting for him and then the Counselor in the District Presidency was just like “he didn’t listen to me, he’s showering now”. Haha it was pretty funny that he was showering before the baptism. He came out wet and people who showed up late thought he had been baptized already.

We got to visit Arse Negele too on Saturday and Sunday. The people there are great and the one man wishes to have church services in his home once they become members.

On Sunday we had church, of course. We had 33 people at church even though it was pretty cold. We had the confirmation of H which was good. Other than all of that, we did the other basic missionary work. Just teaching and such.

The week has been good. Another week with only small differences and occasional things out of the ordinary. We did finally have B interviewed by President Parrish and he should be baptized this next week. President was really impressed with him. His friend though is wanting to wait a little longer on baptism now though.

We’ve been teaching a lot in three areas now. We teach in Wendo Genet, Shashemene, and Arsi Negele. Things are going well and we have people with baptismal dates in all three areas. We’re trying to throw our resources around all over to help get the name of the church out there and to build it up as best as we can here.

A downer is that my companion, who was with a local, crashed his bicycle on Friday and got a little scraped up and sore but he’s doing well. Things haven’t been so easy on him. I haven’t mentioned but his father also passed a couple of weeks ago too which was one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever had to deal with. Don’t worry though, I tell you now because this actually happened 2 or 3 weeks ago. He’s doing well now though. He’s such a great guy.

On Sunday we had President and Sister Parrish at church on Sunday which was great. We had 30 people at church, and like I said, mostly men. President and Sister Parrish are so great and I can see you guys being a couple missionary someday.

Also last night we went to Arsi Negele to see Brother M and his family. They are doing so great! We had 21 people alone in that lesson and it’s the start of great things to come in Arsi Negele. We had 13 men there who are all very interested in the gospel and are already doing missionary work on their own out there trying to invite people to come visit with us. His wife also came to church which is about a 2 hour round trip. I also committed all the men there to baptism on the 27 of August and we asked them to save up 50 birr for each person by then to make the travel for the Saturday and Sunday, so they could make their own sacrifice for a great thing. 50 birr is a lot for people here and it was a great thing because 6 of the men committed to saving up the money for that purpose. It was great and I feel as though the gospel will spread much more quickly there than it will in Shashemene.

True Size of Africa

I thought this was pretty fascinating! It gives us an idea as to how big Africa really is! And Elder Tex is covering 4 African countries within his mission! (click on the image to enlarge!) Awesome!

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

The guy who works for LDS charities should be baptized this week along
with his family. We had 13 investigators at church and we’re teaching
quite a few people. They mostly speak English because we haven’t had a
local missionary but we can start dipping into those that don’t know
English as well once we get a translator.
The Humanitarian missionaries are helping with building water wells,
teaching people correct ways of getting water, and placing things that
have been donated from the church.
This week was good. I was in Addis Ababa again. This time we were up
there for a leadership training with President Jackson and the 5
greenies that are starting their missions in Ethiopia. The trainings
were great but took up a couple of our days.

The rest of the week was spent teaching and other things. We are still
preparing about 4 or 5 people to be baptized this coming Saturday. One
is the man who works for the LDS charities and his wife
and son . The other two are the daughter of the 2nd counselor in
Awassa and referred us to his
daughter. T is her neighbor and friend. Those two women are the
most humble and submissive girls I have ever met though! They usually
just sit there for the lessons and accept every thing we teach them. I
don’t think there could be greater people to teach.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the drive down from Addis to
Shashemene was quite the adventure. After the meetings on Saturday
afternoon we needed to go back for church the next day so they hired a
taxi and the District President of Addis had his brother drive it for
us (the brother isn’t a member). We drive for about five minutes and
were still on one of the main roads when this guy starts trying to go
around a parked taxi. We’re only going about 10-15 miles per hour but
I see this taxi and I’m just thinking, we’re way too close to this
thing when BAM. We smash right in the back of it and gave us all quite
a shock. Luckily we were going slow but it was actually quite
humorous. We all joked it was because this guy had taken off so
quickly that we didn’t have time to pray for a safe travel, so we made
sure to pray for that as he got out and was arguing with the other
driver.
We finally get a different driver and get on the way. It was
seriously the longest trip though. The guy was driving so slow! We
didn’t get home until past 10:30 in the evening and we were all pretty
exhausted.
Sunday was great. Elder O and I held the service in Shashemene
and we had 27 people there this week. 13 actual investigators this
time and not so many children. We are hoping to get 22 more chairs
this week so we can get the attendance up to 50. We started the
primary this week too and it went great. The kids that were there were
very interested in the lesson about Adam and Eve.
Well that’s the highlights of my week, I want you all to know how much
I love you all and that the church is true,