Elder B in Zimbabwe: A Zim Christmas

This week was something else.

Started off like any other normal week. Taught the Restoration lesson like 87 times. Exaggeration obviously but still, its like muscle memory teaching that lesson now hahaha. One of the nights we had dinner at Bishop Hanyanga's house (the bishop of the Mufakose Ward) and it was soooo good. Rice, potatoes, chicken, coke, strawberry ice-cream. It was refreshing to have somewhat of an American dish. It has been nice that these people like chicken so much because I have had it a lot! So the week started to get kind of weird during the Marimba Ward Christmas party. This thing starts off normal with a Christmas video and then some plays that the youth put on. I didn't understand anything because it was all in Shona haha. But then we started playing some games... The first was this challenge where a team of 5 people had to get an apple from one table to the next. But the only way they could hold it or pass it was by pinching it between their chin and the top of their chest. So when two people were passing it it straight up looked like they were about to procreate. And everyone in the ward was just laughing and clapping and even the bishopric was getting a kick out of it! Elder till and I were sitting in the corner rethinking the gospel hahaha. So after this game died down the bishopric rolls in these masssssive speakers and started bumping music and the kids played musical chairs. Then after the game ended everyone just gets up and starts dancing in the middle of the gym! It was the craziest thing ever. My companion and I were just laughing and then he turns to me and is like, "Freaking Africans!" hahahahahaa I was dead. And then we got to eat another amazing meal and we got the heck out of that place. Weirdest Christmas party I have ever been to. But memorable.Sidenote, The man next to me in the internet cafe has to at least be 45 and he's playing Justin Bieber super loud through his headphones. He's surprisingly popular here.Back to business.So the next day we were at a members house in the area and we got a call from the APs and they told us that we were getting a car!! So they dropped it off for us and wow it has made things so much easier! Plus we have been able to stay out late and have more lessons because the kombis start to stop going at around 8 but now we can stay out til 9-930. Super nice. this happened on the night of Christmas Eve! Super cool present. And then later that night we picked up the other elders in our district and also one of the ward missionaries and we headed back to our house and we made sadza, crocodile meat, and karpenta (google it). I will attach pictures. But this meal was amazing. Crocodile is like a mix of chicken and fish and it is actually super good! and the karpenta was also very good! Sadza like always is just amazing too. Really good Christmas Eve dinner. So sadly our car is currently out of commission. Yesterday, after we skyped our families, it started to rain..... And oh my goodness.... The sky bowels of Poseidon straight up dropped like 35 inches of rain. Again an exaggeration but it was honestly the most I have ever seen. It was crazzzy. And the rain was super thick and dense. Like right as we went outside we were soaked! It was amazing! And the thunder and lightening was also just raging! So we intelligently decided to drive home. The roads were seriously turning into rivers! I tried to take pictures but i couldn't haha. But our car broke down when we were almost to our neighborhood. So the ZLs came to look at it and we ended up pushing it home! haha on Christmas night!!! insane. When we finally got home at 11:30 I made myself a phat plate of eggs and toast. it was fantastic. Then I go to bed to find a freaking toad roach just sitting between our beds. This guy was oatmeal thick! I sweat at lest two inches long and at least half an inch off the ground. My comp and I were like what the heck and just stared at it until it waddled under my bed. Of course it would go under mine hahaha. Skyping the family was so nice. I loved talking to you guys and glad we got to talk for like 2 hours. It was strange to see snow in the background because its sunny or raining here. I wont see snow for two years... haha. So we contacted this one guy this week and told him merry christmas. and he was like wait, you mormons celebrate christmas. And we said yes. And he just goes off about how Christ wasn't born on December 25th. And we were like dude we know. We don't believe that. He was born in April. And he's like no, the bible says it was during the rainy season and that is in October. And I'm like dude, was Christ born in Zimbabwe? The rainy season is different in Jerusalem and Zimbabwe. And hes like why are we arguing about seasons now!? And we're like youre the one that brought it up!!! hahahaha and then he just mumbled and tried to defend himself it was pretty funny. Its surprisingly how many people don't celebrate Christmas because they think its a sin, or a pagan holiday or something weird like that. But the people that do celebrate Christmas play dance music super loud and throw parties and shoot of fireworks haha. Very different that America. I don't know if I said this in past emails but the people here, no matter how poor, always have super nice sound systems and TVs hahahaCouple of funny things this week.-One night I was talking my shoes off and a freaking lizard fell from the ceiling, slaps my hand, rolls down my leg and hits the floor, and then walks under our curtains like nothing happened... I just sat there and started dying laughing! What are the odds of that happening?!?! hahaha.-In of the kombis the guy started playing country music! haha what the heck. This guy turned on the song where its like, "gimme the beat boys and free my soul" or something like that and I was so confused how he knew that song haha I found out a couple people here really like country. weird.-Kenias, the ward missionary that cooked the crocodile for us, was talking to me about the music here and I was like okay dude, you need to make me a list of all the dope songs that they listen to here. And he's like "...I can make that happen" haha love it. He said the most popular guy here is called Winky D. Look him up. His music is cool. -The other day this kombi stopped to pick us up and as we were getting in this other man ran up and was like "no no no no no eldas eldas! Come with me!" hahaha so we kinda just stood there and then like 4 other men came up all tell us to come with them in their kombis and we had no idea what to do and then they all started yelling at each other and a fight almost started and we just started laughing and then slowly walked away. So yeah I guess having two white kids in a kombi gives them some kind of prestige or something -Also, everyone knows the song Hello by Adele and they ask us about it sometimes. Weird.-I saw a cage full of live chickens for sale and the sign on the front said $6.00 each.... 6 bucks for a freaking chicken. Crazy. Its funny how somethings are crazy cheap here but expensive back home and vise versa Anyways, all jokes aside. I am continuing to love this place and all the weird and funny things about living here and the culture and the people. I love talking to these guys because their so nice and loving and humble. America could learn a thing or two from these people. I love this gospel and the opportunity I have to come here and serve and invite people to experience the endless, pure happiness this gospel offers. Its cool to actually see a difference in the eyes of the members and non-members. You can just tell that the members are so so happy and humble and the others are sometimes the same way but they don't have this light behind their eyes. Can't wait to see this change in some of my stubborn investigators. Diligently waiting for my first baptism. Stay tuned for next week. Love you all and you all continue to stay in my prayers. Stay steady grindin. Much love. -Elda Andason (this is how everyone says it)

Now some pictures.

Christmas Eve Breakfast prepared by my companion (being from Austria he celebrates on the 24th. He argues that the song Silent Night (which was of course written by an Austrian) talks about the night and not the day. So they celebrate the Eve.