I feel really trusted by the Lord !

Hello Mother,

My week was good. It was a little slow, but it was okay. Yes! The thumb drive did work and I would love to have more. The people in my apartment love that song by Carrie Underwood (How Great Thou Art). Those talks are awesome! Could you send some Hinckley talks and some sound track music from some movies, like Lord of the Rings or other stuff that you find? I like music with bagpipes and fun stuff like that. Man General Conference came that quick again? Yeah, I wont see it for another month or so. Wow then Easter, then I get to call home for mother's day. I will mark my calendar. 

That's great for Grant Hiltbrand (someone from our stake who just got his mission call to Botswana, Africa, the country right above South Africa and this boys brother is currently serving in Kenya, Africa). I know a few Botswanians. He will like the Botswanians, they are really great people. Is Botswana its own mission now?  Africa is going to grow a lot, I think the first presidency doesn't know what to do with so many missionaries...so they send them to Africa... jk! This place is ready to grow (from our stake alone we currently have 6 missionaries called to Africa).

So here is a "THIS IS AFRICA" story for you. Recently there has been an out break in Guinea of something called the Ebola Virus. You can look up the Ebolavirus, but essentially there is no cure. Because Guinea is a neighboring country and everything that Sierra Leone has comes from Guinea. We as missionaries are having to be extra cautious not to get sick or to pass it along to people. The virus has not yet come in quantity to Salone but here are some things that we are having to do and not to do. We can only eat food that we prepare and has a seal, which means no free meals, no bread, and fruits must be washed in bleach. We are not allowed to shake hands with anyone, and we are not allowed to give sick people blessings. We had to go and buy food storage, just in case. So that is something interesting, I am pretty sure it will come here because there is no real sanitation here. So thank you for sending the hand sanitizer in great quantity, it should get me through this. I am not to worried, as long as I follow these things, its just to prevent, it isn't here yet. Don't worry, the mission wont let us be somewhere that is dangerous. In fact, it  was really cool to get the news of the virus before the public did. Just shows you who  our leaders are! I just hope that is doesn't disrupt my mission here, but I will be okay. Yes, I am still using a bucket to shower. In dry season it is hard to get water, so I use about 3 cereal bowls full of water in my bucket, and I use a rag to soak in the water and squeeze it over me so that the water will last. Most areas on the mission don't require that, but this one does. I am glad that rainy season is coming this month.

So we got transfer news on Saturday. Elder Bogh has left me and I am staying in this area. I am glad to stay in this area, but I am sad to see Elder Bogh go. He is an awesome missionary and has helped me to become the best I have been on my mission. I will miss him. I don't quite know who I will be receiving, because I will be training someone. So I  get to bring someone brand new into Sierra Leone. I hope I will be a good trainer, but just like that scripture you sent to me says (1 Nephi 7:12 - " Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him.") but it will be a great opportunity for me, it will just make me a better missionary. I feel really trusted by the Lord to lead this area and to train. It will be a great experience.

So here is just a great story I want to share. So last transfer we baptized a woman named Aminata. We have been able to work with her family and it has been going good. Last Monday we taught the family how to have a Family Home Evening. Wow... Family Home Evenings are awesome! I have never seen a family be so close here as when they are doing Family Home Evening. The pikin (children) just loved helping to teach, and I saw how happy this family was because of the gospel. I realized how much that I am grateful to have grown up having family home evening. I will definitely do it with my family. 

Anyway, I am the happiest I have ever been, liking the teaching of Christ is the best way to that happiness. I can't even say how true the Book of Mormon is, I love it so much. Keep it up, keep enduring and dig deeper.

I'll see you soon!
Elder Beckett