I think that has been the kernel behind my weight loss. I'm not eating as much because I don't have time to eat and because we don't have anything particularly tasty but also the amount of exercise increased 20x, or more. It is funny isn't it? Doctors say the healthiest way to lose weight is exercise and diet, I guess they know what they are talking about huh?
Funny enough, we've been sick this last week as well. We suspect food poisoning but we are not positive. Elder Van Meeteren bought canned Chinese duck last week and we both tried it. He had a portion on Monday and myself on Tuesday. The day after we tried it we both were sick and we've both been struggling with it since. Nothing too bad but a lot of diarrhea and such. Valuable lesson there. Don't eat canned Chinese duck in a third world country. It isn't safe.
The area is doing pretty well. We currently have four people that we are serious with and then a few other danglers. I'm sure you know how that is. I think we could have four baptisms by the end of March to be honest if we do our job correctly and help them progress. I really feel like I'm getting into a pretty good grove now where it is maybe not easy, but not difficult either to teach just about anything. Elder Van Meeteren laughs at me because I always seem to have an example. Tons of examples, but they help me and they seems to help the people so I'm good with it. I like being in this area again but I kind of would have liked a companion exchange.
Our four really solid investigators are: Sandy, Yolanda, Curtis, and Camaron.
Sandy is a christian convert who actually does not yet have a church. She is really open and love our church but she just can't seem to recongize her answer yet. I think she has one and she knows it is true but she just can't seem to see that. Any ideas? I really like her and would be totally bummed if she wasn't baptized. She is just really solid and really opened. She works at an outdoor adventur store in the City and is the person who kills and cleans the animals at home. Not married but is in her early 30's and wishes that she was. We are thinking about setting her up with a member.
Yolanda is an older black woman who really only speaks Srnantongo. She is funny and love to talk with her, "young boys." When we told her we couldn't teach her inside when it was just the three of us, gotta have another man rule, she laughed at it and said, "I'm as old as your parents I'm not going to do anything." She still doesn't get the rule but she helps us out by talking to us outside. She came to church for the first time this last week and seemed to really enjoy it.
Curtis is a younger black man about 23. He is really smart and runs his own charchoal business and was studying Chemistry at the University here in Suriname. Being smart it is a lot easier to teach him as he understands things. He also likes basketball and said he'd get just hooked up with the local man who actually has a basketball court. That would be cool. Biggest problem here is his girlfriend and maybe the Sabbath but we aren't sure on that one yet. I'm hoping he'll make progress and he seems to be doing so. He actually read through all the testimonies, three eight and Joesph Smith's, without being asked to do it. Always keeps his appointments which we absolutely love.
Camaron is an older black woman. She is kind of angry and I'm not sure exactly while she keeps talking to us. She likes the message though and she told us after our first appointment, "You have a good message come back." So we did. She came to church this last week and had a good time I think but we'll have to check up with her again on Tuesday when our next appointment it. She is unmarried and living with her "man." Chasity will thus be a big problem but we'll work it out and with the Lord everything will be good I know it.
As you know I'm in Koewarasan for the third transfer in a row and Elder Van Meeteren is now here for the fifth transfer in a row. We are still doing pretty well. He's kind of an off guy. Not crazy but not normal either just a little off in a goofy sense. I can't think of a good example but he is always just saying really random things. Good guy though I really like him. He is only seven months ahead of me and goes home in November just before thanksgiving.
Food is food. I eat to survive. I used to survive to eat. I'm in a rut right now just eating the same pattern of food. Biggest problem there is that we are in an area without a lot of diversity so there is only so much you can do. I need to find a local that will teach us to cook that would be nice. I'll have to see what I can do about that. Overall it is okay, just don't eat the canned Duck.
By the way, I really do believe there is a difference between the Chinese for America and the Chinese for Suriname. The biggest problem here seems to be a quality control issue. For example, I've now been riding on the same back innertube for 2 weeks! Just before I put this one in though I popped like four within two days. Doesn't make a lot of sense and definitly wouldn't be tolerated in America. Oh well!
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