Bus,Sushi, Bus and Bikes!

The list which subjectifies this email today is a list of the highlights from this week.  This week was full of traveling from Mombasa to Nairobi, then being in a meeting all day, going and getting Sushi.  Then back on a bus, and this morning unknowingly my area became a biking area so that was a nice surprise.  Here are some fun stories though.

Stori ya Kwanza: "Where do you get off?" - Hot rod

This quote is used a little differently this time though.  So on our way to Nairobi I was with Elder M.  He was being transferred to an area there and I was headed to pick up Elder Z.( my new comp).  Anyways so there are two or three bus stops in Nairobi and nobody told us where to get off.  So where neither of us have made this trek before we just waited for people to get off and then we would. So we took the bus to the end of the line for lack of a better term.  Turns out we were supposed to get off about half an hour ago.  So we ended up in the middle of nairobi near midnight, with no phone.  Luckily a guy was nice and let us use his phone to call mission president, and we got to the mission home around midnight. Nairobi at midnight is kinda scary fyi.

Stori ya pili: "You have what for me?"

This one actually happened this morning.  So I got a call from some random number and they were asking where I was staying.  I was very confused so I did my best to explain to them that I am a missionary and I stay in Shanzu.  Then this lady starts going nutz looking for my last companion Elder Fuller.  Then she says she has some things she needs us to sign for and hangs up.  Well then I get a call from another number saying that I get bikes! So after about an hour long game of phone tag  and "I don't know where that is". We have brand new bikes that no one knew were coming.  I named mine Jasmine, my companions is named Grace.

Anyways that's it for today, my new companion is from Zimbabwe, he is cool. I can share a couple pictures from when elder Fuller left but that is about all I have for you. I was inside a lot this week.

Love y'all

Elder Tucker

(No pictures came through. ) At least he had power and was able to Email and I am grateful!  Some of the missionary mommas Elders have no power. Praying for everyone to get to Email next week!! POWER, POWER the internet next Monday!! Mom

Nitakuwa baba (I'm gonna be a dad-a trainer with a new elder)

What is up my homies?

So this week I don't have many stories for you, but we did get transfer news. I will be getting a brand new straight from the MTC missionary.  He is from Zimbabwe so it should be fun when we go meet people and they have to talk to the Mzungu instead of the African.

 "I don't need that joke elders".

So on sundays when people are getting transferred usually the missionary leaving gives his testimony.  However when we got to church and told the person conducting that Elder Fuller is leaving. He just laughed and said "I don't need that Joke elders!"  He wouldn't believe us. We announced it again in priesthood, and the branch president is like "Why don't you give his testimony"?! Our defense being "We told Malande!". At this point Malande stands up and states "Wait you aren't joking, what?!!?!? Elder Fuller didn't get to give his testimony and it was quite funny.  Looks like I will have some explaining to do next sunday.

From my letter:

Thank you mom for the motivational quotes. It may not seem like it over email but there are times when its hard to remember why you came out here or who you really are. There was a quote by Elder Bednar during the last mission broadcast. "When asked the question what is your advice to missionaries whose efforts don't seem to be paying off?" He said "I hope that missionary remembers who he is, and that he/she hallows each and every door they knock on." Really, really powerful to me, now I don't knock on doors or go tracking cause in Kenya it would be useless but still every effort I give is worth something.

From Dad's letter: Week was pretty good, we got another baptism set up for a couple of weeks, so that was awesome! I think I have had some of the things missionary greenies get hit with this last week, just a little late. Now I am doing better and feeling excited about the next phase of this adventure.   

Anyways have a great week you guys love you all

Sincerely Elder Tucker

P.S. Camels are dinosaurs fact!

May 15, 2017 Middle picture is on a hike to "Jesus cave".

I will share some pictures I got.  Last monday it was raining a ton!  After emailing we went outside and the roads were covered in water, not just a little but they had turned into rivers, literally! We were almost swimming when we were trying to get home it was a blast we had so much fun!  For the most part the water was up to our knees.

Here are some more stories for you, cause I know that's what you skim over these for ( cause lets be real who actually reads this.)

Story number one!

"Elder you up for a run?"- Elder Fuller

So on this run/swim home, it was impossible to get a matatu.  We ended up walking towards home for about two hours.  After about an hour of walking Elder fuller looked ant me and asked this oh so wonderful question.  We proceeded to run through the flooded streets of Mombasa at night, screaming the song "Singing in the Rain", and sprinting through puddles.  At one point Elder Fuller thought he was stepping in a little ditch-ish thing and it turned out to be a creek so he just falls in to water about to his pecs and is screaming!  It was so funny we had an awesome time.

Story Number 2!

We had a baptism!!! This was with a brother named H. he was a Muslim when he got married the first time but his wife divorced him and took everything and left him with his two kids.  He got remarried to a Christian woman and she died and her last words to him were "Find god"  whatever religion he felt comfortable in. It was just really spiritual, so he showed up to the church one day. After teaching him the plan of salvation he got super happy.  Now he is baptized and he is super awesome!  The baptism was kinda fun though because we don't have an actual chapel, so the church has these like protable fonts, which are essentially blue dumpsters. I got to baptize someone in a big blue dumpster, and it was absolutely fantastic.  I am so glad to be helping these people come unto christ!

Story Number 3! 

I actually had a drunk man who was scared for Jesus here because in the bible it says "he will come as a thief in the night", so he was saying"if jesus comes as a thief in the night, the kenyan government will burn him because that is what they do to thieves".  Sometimes people take the bible so literally it is hilarious.

As well this week I got to talk to my family and that was an awesome experience.  Just two more times then I will be headed home.  Still feels like I am super new on mission.

Also to my mom, I love you and happy mothers day, to all the mothers who read this.  Also to the Missionary Mommas of Kenya and around the world, I am grateful for all the prayers and faith you give us you don't know how much it means to us missionaries!

Love Elder Tucker

For my mother:

P.s. I am awesome and anything that I see on TV internet or in my dreams is totally physically possible!  I will always try to be super, and his name is Zuko.

May 8, 2017

uko poa? niko.....*stares at companion with strangest face I can muster* SAFIIIIIIIIIIIIII.

Well I am not sure why Elder Fuller and I have started doing what is said on the subject line, but we have been doing it all week. So I had to put it as the subject, I just had to. Things in Mombasa are really really wet! Thanks for the prayers. We have been exploring the area 1 because there are literally lakes sprouting up everywhere! and 2 because the jungle is really pretty in the rain so we try to stay in the more forested areas. For some stories this week was pretty good.  One day we went to work in a Shamba and it was on the riverside at the edge of the Jungle and the sky was all rainy, it looked exactly out of a scene from the tarzan movie it was beautiful! Sadly I didn't have my camera that day.  Then we got to work in a Kamba and make word carvings.  I will share some pictures to show you my work. Big highlights of our week.

1: Im already wet screw it!

So on our paths that we walk we are now having to like dodge and work our way around these little ponds around here.  A lot of them are next to an area called Haller park which is just a jungle where all these cool animals live. In the morning I left my jacket back at the flat cause the rain looked like it was going to go away soon. ( More proof god has a sense of humor) anyways so the WHOLE day it is pouring.  Whilst walking by one of these puddles I see it would be pretty hard to get across but it is a perfect set up to try to wall run, my thoughts on this matter were " if zuko can do it than so can i!" So i give my bag to my companion, get a running start, and I'm going pretty fast... slip in some mud, and end up in the worst swan dive of my life into straight mud and water. Elder Fuller died laughing and so did I cause at that point, that's about all you can do.

2: "Elder, look at what you have been reduced too."- Elder Fuller

Alright so for some background, sometimes the water at our house is kinda like YEET and just doesn't work.  This was one of those times. As well the water from the filter is super salty so we have to buy our own drinking water, which was empty at this point.  So all of our three cups were dirty, and I was really thirsty, but couldn't wash one.  We had a little bit of drinking water left over from me making soya the night before, so I decided to put all the ice I had made into this little frying pan, and drank out of that, and it worked really well, Elder fuller was not impressed. I didn't help that I also was walking around the house hunting flies with my shoe, but hey we have a good time here in Kenya.

Anyways I am doing awesome, still having a whole lot of fun.  I will share some pictures with you guys.

Have a great week, y'all are awesome

Elder T Tucker, aka the goat whisperer

From Mom My oldest son and I had a conversation this morning about his kids and the effect of cartoons. He said "cartoons have little effect on kids". However my son explained to me who "Zuko" was. He is a character from Air bender. Teron proved mom's theory, animation/cartoons same thing. Mom for the win!

Can't go around it, can't go over it, don't want to go through it, welp we're screwed.

So it has been raining a ton which is great. The temperature is fantastic and everything is even more green than I could ever imagine and it is beautiful! However when working in a place with mostly dirt roads we have to walk in a ton of puddles and mud. This is the song I sing when we try to find a different route to get somewhere and just get flooded roads.

Hmm this week has been awesome.  I am now nineteen so that is fun and we made a cake, it was really good.  Weird though to have people sing to you and only say your name; it was uncomfortable./I had to add Jeron's name to feel nice haha. Not a ton of Crazy stories this week but lets see what I got, here we GOOOOOOO

1: How much you got? not enough-crap

So here in mombasa as I have said bargaining is everything, so Elder Fuller and I had to go to bamburi one day, we made a couple of unexpected purchases.  So to get home we had a total of Fourty-six BOB.  Which would be enough for a matatu but the matatus that were coming are all full.  So this tuk tuk driver comes and this is what the conversation went like (Translated)

"Tuk Tuk?"-driver

"Maybe"- us

" okay, enter"

"How much?"

"100"

"YOU are KIDDING ME?!?!?!?! We will pay 40 bob"

"That's not enough"

" WAIT!!! If you take us now  we will give you 46 bob!!!"

" 60 bob"

" 46 and a firm handshake!"

" No, bye" 

In the end we ended up walking about three miles home but it was fun haha.  Gotta love some interactions with drivers.

2: Spiritual experiences

So this week I got to do some baptismal interviews with people. It is so amazing what the gospel does for people.  I can't give a ton of details.  But in essence I was talking to this guy, who's house is literally four walls, and a shall(bed) on the ground.  Thats it that's all this man has. Two shirts and two pairs of pants. He was explaining to me how lucky he is to have heard this gospel and how much it has helped him and the blessings that come from it.  It really opened my eyes with how the spirit really changes peoples perspectives; and how christ can honestly change not only your life, but who you are and how you think.  IT was an amazing experience and I will never forget the joy in that man's eyes when he figured out that he could be baptized! This really is the lord's work.

Love you guys! Have a great week!

Till next time

mzee takataka