Usually the weird things I eat out here are just that- weird. It's rare that I really like the bugs, or the leaves or the dog or whatever they're feeding me (not that everything I eat here is weird, but most of it is pretty exotic), and I usually just eat it for the experience and the calories. This week however, I had stuffed frogs. Now, I feel like frogs are something that most westerners would shy away from, and I am having somewhat of a unique experience that makes me relatively open to such foods, but it was literally one of the most delicious things I have eaten in the past year. Frogs are pretty common out here. They're all over the ground. They get sold in the markets- actually side note real quick, when they sell frogs in the market, the seller skins the frog and chops it's head off. The frogs are still alive at this point. They jump around skinless and headless until people buy them. It's a little disturbing the first time you see it. --Yeah anyway, the frogs were delicious. A woman that we have been teaching for a month or so makes them and so we ordered from her, kind of to help her out. She cleaned out the frogs and stuffed them full of fried pork and onions and spices. So good and pictures to come! Mom and Dad, when you come to pick me up in February you better be ready to try some new stuff! Frogs are on the menu! :D
We helped a recent convert of ours prepare a talk for sacrament meeting the other day. He's 15 and has only known about Christ for 10 months or so, but he is always excited to learn more about the scriptures. He was pretty nervous for his talk but we helped him write stuff out and prepare and encouraged him. Well, last Sunday he got up to address the congregation and had the craziest stage fright I've ever seen. It almost seemed like it couldn't be real. He tried to clear his throat like 10 times before greeting everyone and then he couldn't even say the greeting. His voice cracked and he said about half of the word over 15 times. It was pretty uncomfortable and a young woman on the stand stood up next to him and helped him through it. He could have chosen to be embarrassed or decided never to do anything like that again, but he didn't.
This week, after we met him to study the scriptures like normal he asked if he could tag along as we taught others that day. In every teaching appointment we went to, we asked him to share something relating to the lesson. In one of the lessons we gave him a scripture to share and asked him to teach one of the points. This week was testimony week at church. He got up and this time was able to give a brief, but heartfelt testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. What an example! He faced his problem head on and overcame it!
It's rainy season! Actually, it's not raining very much for it being rainy season but it still rains nearly every day. The other day Elder Martinson and I were a little late for an appointment at the church and we were just leaving another teaching appointment about 10 minutes from the church. The instant we got on the road we knew we were in for a downpour. The wind blew, the temperature dropped and the sky darkened. We stopped for a second to put our stuff in bags and then kept going. The wind was blowing right into our faces. The rain came down like bullets at first and then the sky just opened. There was so much rain hitting the front of me that it was pushing me back and I had to struggle to pedal. We were soaked in seconds. When we went up a hill to the main road there was a waterfall coming down. By the time we got to the church we were biking through sitting water up past our ankles. 5 inches of rain in 5 minutes. The storm kind of blew me away. Literally...
I shared a scripture from the Sermon on the Mount while teaching in Elder's Quorum yesterday. Matthew 5:13 reads, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."
In ancient times, salt was an invaluable resource. Everyone needed salt to season meat and make it last. What made it valuable? The saltiness.
Christ taught that we should be as salt and season the earth. What is our saltiness? When I asked that question I got a variety of answers. Christian charity, goodness, faith.
Only when we apply the gospel of Jesus Christ and care for the poor and needy and show our love for one another, will we truly begin to walk down the path that leads to Eternal Life. If we don't do these things, we are as flavorless salt. Choose today to be an example of Christian charity. Love you guys!!
-Elder Vore
New Sisters in our Ward. Sisters Dy and Ky! And Sunset from the church
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