Happy Pioneer Day

Hey guys! I am so excited for today's pioneer day!  We got all the Nairobi elders together and made a bunch of food, and played football ( both types). I totally one the outfit competition, picture will be included.  So as for my week it has been really really nice, we had a baptism and taught some people. But man I have been in a matatu half of the time! Here are some highlights:

Story one: "WOAH WHAT THE?!?! O

h its dead phew"-Elder Odhiambo

This is a quote by Elder Odhiambo after seeing a hyena on the road.  So for those of you who only know hyenas from the "Lion King" and "Madagascar", they are not little and most of the time a lion can not hurt a hyena very bad. In fact it is the other way around, hyenas kill the lions.  And MAN these things are big, like size of a ten year old kid in height and the length of a St. Bernard.  Not small creatures.  Luckily it was hit by a car so it was no Shyda.(Per mom if you know what this word means message me.)

Story number 2: "Looks like we will have to cancel" "No Elder I got this."

 So this quote comes from a discussion me and Elder S. had.  This week we got to go on exchanges so whilst in Athi river ( "At the River" kenyans are so creative with their town names). We were going to teach this mama who only speaks Kikamba and Kiswahili. Elder S. can't speak much of the language yet so hence the quote.  He did not know that I can teach, so we end up going to teach her. The whole lesson Elder S.  just sat there and stared at me in awe.  It sounds like I am bragging (and I am a little). My grandpa always told me "it is not bragging if it is true". Mostly I am just providing background for the following statement Elder S. said.  Quote " Elder Tucker you are the blackest white guy I have ever met!" I thought it was quite a compliment but the best was the look of the neighbor that heard him shout this at me.

Story number 3: You want a DA? Here's the jiko

This was from our branch mission leader.  While we were doing a correlation meeting, and he said "hey do you guys want a dinner appointment?"  We were starving so we happily agreed.  Then he left for about five minutes got ingredients and said, "here's the jiko" ( stove-ish thing). Then told me that he wasn't cooking but I was. Luckily my ugali game has gotten fantastic so I owned it, and I cooked for the branch mission leader.

That is some of the fun times for my week, marvin is still doing great btw. 

Have a great time, drive fast take chances

Elder T

Music, Mataus and MONKEYS!

Why hello there, and welcome to this weeks edition of  'Adventures with Elder Tucker: The story of a real live Tarzan'.  Now no further evidence is required to prove once again that out of all of the Tucker brothers. I am the real Tarzan. Now while I can't run around in a loin cloth or grow out my hair. I still propose that I am the most Tarzan of all my brothers.  I have been to and lived in the african jungles. I speak african languages. The final and most important reason, I NOW HAVE A MONKEY FRIEND!!!! ( I know not a gorilla, but there aren't wild gorillas in Kenya, only in the congo so it is the best I got.)

Story one: Reason number three.

Last Tuesday while we were leaving Naivasha I walked outside to find a monkey on the water tower.  So I did what any normal man would have done and grabbed the closest fruit to me to give it as an offering. Which happened to be a mchungua, swahili for greenish fruit that tastes similar to an orange.  I went out to give it to him as I was speaking to him. Then I set down the mchungua and he came down and started eating it, but he had a gimp arm so I helped him peel it. Then I went back inside and got him a banana.  Sadly I didn't have my camera but my companion can testify, as well as three fundis(craftsman) that were fixing our roof. If you need proof I will refer you to them. I named him Marvin, he is super chill monkey. I promised him when I got back to Naivasha I would get bananas and we would eat them on top of the water tower.  He nodded in agreement. I have a wild monkey friend now; I am the real Tarzan.

Story number 2: Rain storms are so fun.

We had zone conference this week which was awesome, mostly because they bought us all KFC ( yeah authentic Kentucky Fried Chicken) it was awesome. I got pizza and I got to see most of my transfer group again after eight months! I bought some proselyting mini scriptures because the rain is destroying my scriptures and a bunch of Bible videos of Jesus Christ which are awesome.

After the conference it starts to down pour, not just rain, down pour.  So while all the Africans are staying in the church. I decide to live life to the fullest and go jump in puddles. ( Mission President was slightly displeased with this decision, but I didn't mind cause I had to walk home in the rain anyways.)  So whilst going to jump into a huge puddle, I trip on the uneven cement and not only jumped into it but flopped into this puddle. I just sat on the ground and laughed my head off, while everyone else decided I was nutz. ( They aren't wrong though.) Then I walked back to the upper hill apartment ( where we were staying) singing at the top of my lungs. The only other mzungu and I had a contest to see who could find the deepest puddle. It was so fun I had a blast, the Africans however did not have a great time. 

Nakuru is also really cool and pretty. I got to give a talk this week to a congregation of a whole 8 people. Nakuru is only a group and most of the members live far away. I wasn't scared because most of the members couldn't understand me anyway. I learned some more of their language. I can now have a basic conversation in three African languages and greet in about eleven.

We were in a Matatu for about six hours on Thursday, not super comfy, but hey it's what we got. I met this concert cellist lady who was super awesome on our way to Nairobi. Talked to her about music and all this fun stuff. It was a good week. 

Have a great week guys,

Elmer Tarzan

"Everything the light touches...is my new area". Paraphrased Mufasa

Why the Mufusa quote you might ask? 1. Because I can, but more importantly it is true... dun dun duuuuuuuuunn.  Yeah so I got transferred to Naivasha/Nakuru. Which is the basis for the Disney animated feature "Lion King".  We are going to "Pride Rock" in a couple weeks, cause I accidentally left my camera in Nairobi at the assistants flat. Next week we will be in Nakuru, but I will go to "Pride Rock" and it will be legend! * wait for it* Daniel.  Since I couldn't email you last week I will include a few more stories this week.  However before we get to that I would like a moment of silence for Jasmine(bike)  who I left in Bamburi. ......................... thank you.

Story 1: Betrayal!!

Backstory: me and a few other Elders have been dying to get some root beer and we cannot find it anywhere!  Monday we show up to the assistants cause we were staying the night there since traveling takes 2 days.  Elder W. who have been leading the effort were just chilling and talking when one of the assistants, named Elder E. calls us into the kitchen.  Holding a can of A&W. after collapsing on the ground ( I was not prepared) I call in Elder W. and he does the same thing.  So we stand up and take the can get some cups and divide it. Now when we poured it out it was clear, but sometimes soda is different colors ( for instance cream soda is green in SA). We can smell the root beer and we do a little cheers and take a drink, and it is.... water, plain water. We have no clue how E. did it but words cannot describe the amount of disappointment and rage felt by me at this time.  But we have a new hope because the can was an A&W can, so it is out there and I will find it.

Story 2: Singing invites the spirit, unless you go to church

I had my first Sunday in N. yesterday.  Before the meeting I was just messing around on the piano playing the like four simplified hymns I could remember and some other pretty pieces; when my comp says " Elder did you bring earplugs". "no, why?". "You will see" I am a little confused, then I found out why. At the beginning of the meeting they start by "singing a hymn" needless to say the piano went one way, four people sang in one key, four people sang in another and some went fast some went slow, it sounded like this 'SK>FGIKUSDGFLJKESFUSDHFSDHLHSD:KFVHLESFHOLSDHF" 

Story 3: "Kiss from a rose".

My brothers and I enjoy the show "Community", and the song "Kiss from a Rose" is a very funny joke in the show. While we were driving back from Nairobi for the second time this week; I wake up from my like third nap. I hear an all too familiar "there used to be a  great tower alone by the sea" and all that went through my mind was me and my brothers mock singing this to each other as a quote from the show Whilst in my tired state my as you say "wait don't do that thing" part of my brain was switched off.  Well without realizing it I started belting this song with as much feeling as I could in this Matatu,which is about the size of a Volkswagen hippie van. The other fifteen people in the van just look at me while I butcher this song and start laughing my head off.  The girl next to me was like "Dang! this mzungu has got lungs!" it was really fun. A mission does weird stuff to you man, its a party!  

My new companion is Kenyan His name is Odhiambo is a sick dude, we are having fun. He said my mom could put his name in. I have liked working with all my companions,now I get to see lots of Elders.       

That's all for today folks, have fun. Hippos are scary, God is Great, Root beer is good, and people are crazy.

Elder Tucker (still upset about the root beer)

From My letter: I am currently in Naivasha/Nakuru.  One week I stay at our house in Naivasha, then we travel to Nairobi for district meeting, then to Nakuru and live there for a week, the Nairobi to Naivasha, etc.  All in All every week we travel about 6 hours. Ready for the best part, a couple's flat is next door and they have an OVEN! I need mixes mom.

Thank you for sending me with crayons. I love to draw and some of the other Elders like me to draw them pictures. I know I may have told you this before, but in Swahili "wangu; ni malaika anetoka mbenguni", or my mother is an angel from heaven.