Good-bye to Pres. Jackson

     Dear Family and Friends,

 This is going to be my mission presidents last week of service (President Eric Jackson), he leaves this Friday. It's really sad to see him going, he has helped to make this mission one of the best missions in the world. I have learned more and matured faster during these 7 months in his leadership than I think I ever have before in my life. I know that he was a man chosen by God, and although I will miss him I also look forward to seeing what the new mission pres will bring to the table.

      This was a pretty good week. We had stake conference this week, and we were able to bring a few of our investigators there as well. The stake center is really nice, It's like being in an actual chapel back home (which is something I really miss). There was a huge turn out at the Conference and over a thousand people from all over Kampala came (Only the wards in Kampala are part of the Stake so I didn't get to see anyone from Lira, unfortunately). It was a good Conference and the central theme of it all was actually about missionary work, and about how members need to do a better job supporting the missionaries.

       At the Stake Conference I also received a nice surprise when someone that I knew from my ward back home appeared: Charles Smith. I guess he was doing some work in Uganda to help build stoves for the people here (or something like that I didn't really ask to much), and he showed up to the Stake Conference as well. It blew my mind to see him all the way in Uganda, and seeing him It felt like I had been in Uganda a lot longer than 7 months. After the Stake Conference, we needed some help teaching one of our investigators who came to Stake Conference, so I even got help from Charles in teaching as well. It was kind of cool.

    I didn't really know much about the new advancement in the missionary work and stuff, but it's going to be really cool to see how everything works out in the next few years. Knocking doors is pretty effective in Uganda (I've found and baptized a few that way), but at the same time you honestly baptize referrals and people who have found you the most. The internet is a great way to find people. There was this one Lady who was baptized in Seeta just before I got here named Elizabeth, and she actually found out about the church online, went on Mormon.org and got referred to the missionaries through the internet. The internet could be the breeding ground for much good (especially in the developed world). I love that the church is really utilizing there potential.

     The branch in Seeta is very different from the one in Lira, It's more organized but less friendly to the missionaries. We have a branch mission leader but he's Less-Active so we go to visit him sometimes to reactivate him. The Branch President is a way cool guy though, he is super organized and he helps the branch to function really well. Home teaching is a big problem in Seeta, I've been trying to work with the Elders Quorum President to help Home teaching happen, but it's really difficult to get things started out here.

     Thank you for the Loving support mom, your awesome.