YAY Email came with PICTURES!

 February 11, 2014

Hey Family and Friends

This week was so sweet, wow I am in love with Kakata, and the people here, this place is incredible.   So mom, yeah its kinda a city mixed with forest so  I cant really explain it, almost most the houses are made of mud, the people are really nice and quick to love. It is so quiet, and beautiful. My new companion is from Zimbabwe, his name is Elder Marondera, we are friends and have been before becoming companions, and when we got each other as companions we flipped out, so all is well.   We are working together so well,  that's a bonus with the area.   The next bonus, is that these people are so prepared, we are getting new Investigators and have the ones that are progressing.  Wow I am just so impressed, and all our investigators are so close to baptism its so nice, they are so willing to keep Gods commandments.  We have 27 investigators with baptismal dates, and our goal is 35 here soon.  Next week we are planning on 4 baptisms :) woohoo, this place is crazy good.   So I am living with two other Elders, my father Elder Elliott and Elder Avronu who is Elder Zauggs son.   We have running water all day everyday, we live in a sweet Compound I will send pics.  We have electricity from 7:00 till like 3:00 in the morning, the mornings are so cool and sometimes are chilly too, so nice.   The different sounds of Birds, and oh the Stars at night are Spectacular!!!!!! Living conditions lets just say we are Celestial like, best in the mission. Running showers too:) haha its a huge blessing to be here.   We are having almost 9 lessons a day :), our church building is an upstairs building its nice but getting small for our branch which is growing oh so fast.  Nothing weird yet,  I hear there are a lot of those little deer around, and also the snakes are many haha but they wont give us a hard time.   The shopping is a little different but similar in a way.  I eat two egg sandwiches a day one in the morning and at night, Happy late anniversary Mother and Father glad Dad pulled it off again for the 21st time :) one day I will try to do the same ;) All is well,  I am healthy,  I go running every morning. 

Tarr Family

We had a Big family get baptized on Saturday, the Tarr Family, 8 in all, it was so nice and I enjoyed the Spirit that was there.   The Tarr family reminds me of our family a lot, they act so good with each other and  they just pull off the perfect LDS family.   I am excited for them.   I have been reading 2 Nephi, 7,8,9  and have been enjoying and gaining a better testimony on the Savior and his atonement, even though we may be so far into sin we have a hand reached out to redeem us of our wrenched state and to pull us out of the hole we are digging ourselves and pulled up and lifted up into a happier place.   The Lord is the Redeeming Grace in our lives if we are struggling we can turn to the Good Shepherd and he will groom us and make us clean again and feel the spirit and the guiding power that we receive from him. I know that Sacrifice brings forth the blessing of heaven!!!! Well all is so good and I am enjoying the missionary spirit in the Work of the Lord and helping to bring others unto Christ.  It sounds like everyone is doing great, good luck in Wrestling Benton and kick some butt!  I hope we all have a great week changing for the Savior and not the world, until we come together an again and partake of the holy sacraments and  try to do better the coming week.  I Love you all Love Elder Erickson

 

These next Pictures are of his trip to Kakata and then his apartment complex