Hey Mom!

America is treating me well. This morning we went to Brother Vela's house who is very into crossfit and knows a lot about the Military and the SEALs so he is helping me out with that. Right now we are dead though because it was a great workout. So not only am I eating good food but im getting back into shape! He also said I look like "Garrett Fisher" who is a famous crossfitter. 

There are 196 missionaries in this mission so its a little bigger than I am used to. The Mission President is great and full of knowledge and fun. Teaching this week went pretty well. I went on an exchange with Elder Swapp and had a great lesson with him and an older lady that has been studying with the missionaries for over 1 year!! She was great and loves us like a grandma and im happy she knew the Bible. Ever since I got here I have been holding back all the scriptures I learned in the Bible but for that lesson I just said and read what came to my mind and it was an amazing lesson. She ended up coming to church! 

So yesterday we ate dinner with the Clark's. They are a really great couple that love to be healthy too. So I have something for you to look up. There is a fungus called Scoby that when you let it grow and put it in water it will make a healthy drink. The drink is called Kombucha. You should look it up! They are giving us a scoby so we can make our own so we are going super healthy!

Well I hope the week goes well and good luck with Seminary! 

Love,

Elder Elias Dahlin

Hello,

Yeah I told Hunter he shouldnt visit but im glad he has shown so much concern for me! I miss that man like crazy. My Address is "11320 Station West Drive, Suite 101  Knoxville TN 37934" It is super cold here so I dont know if you could send me something warm or money so that I can buy the right proselyting clothes to keep warm. My release date is still December 26th and I dont even know how many baptisms I had in Liberia. . . I know it slowed way down when I was in the office thats for sure. 

To be honest when I came back to America I felt really strange and out of place. My companions said I had an accent but I will not lose my Koloqua skills so Im pretty sure Ill still be able to talk like it when I get home. I teach Liberians here anyway. I have enjoyed being able to drink milk since I have been here though! Not too much teaching gets done here but we were able to get a baptismal date this week. He's black and not Liberian. 

Elder Roberts left so now it is just Elder Russo and Me working hard. Im loving the members and learning how to be even more effective with working with the ward. It is very different here but im trying to learn how to work hard and get to know my zone members and their areas. I have a lot of ways stuck in my head about how to go about the work but im learning how to do the work here and incorporate what I know without trying to override whats here is Tennessee. We try to do more service around here to get people involved and let people know that we are normal and willing to talk with everyone. I am used to just going up to someone and saying your life needs to improve but I think here we have to take a different way to find. I will always be firm in teaching the Doctrine but I need to improve on finding so that we can have a bigger teaching pool. The work is awesome everywhere.

 I only have a hard time when I think about Liberia and what they are going through. Or when I take a shower and think of all the Elders I left behind. I always pray for them and their success and I hope that the work will always continue even though we are not in Liberia or Sierra Leone. I love you guys and am healthy and learning the gospel. 

Have a great week.

Love, 

Elder Elias Dahlin

Liberian alligator, evacuation (eli in background) Mission President and Sister Kirkham

Alligator by the mission office

The Kirkham's went with some of the missionaries from Liberia to Brussels to London and back to Ghana ... Ghana wouldn't let them come in from Liberia

Tennessee has tornados .... last week there was one.

New Companions and New Suit

A piece of Eli's heart will always be in Liberia

Evacuation

Ebola and Liberia and ... new area

After watching an interview of the Liberian President and hearing her say "Bodies everywhere" I began to get even more nervous about Eli in Liberia with the Ebola outbreak.  That was on Thursday.  Friday afternoon I called the Missionary Headquarters and was told the Brethren had been in meetings all day concerning this.  So, we were told not to worry if we didn't hear from Eli last week ... Ugh!

On Tuesday we got an evening call from the Mission President in Knoxville Tennessee saying that he was looking at a handsome Elder ..... YAY!  The missionaries got out!  He put Eli on the phone and we all gathered around it just like Christmas!!!   He was exhausted but sounded good.  First thing he said was that there are a lot of white people.  The Mission President knew he was an AP so he showed Eli his charts and things which was great.

Eli was one of 7 missionaries that returned to the U.S.A.  probably because he has less than 6 months to go on his mission.  

We are so thankful that the missionaries were able to get away from the epidemic safely and pray that West Africa will conquer ebola so that they may return.

Here's our first letter from Tennessee:

Hello Mom and Everyone!!

Thank you all for your prayers. They were much needed and its truly been a crazy adventure. I wouldnt know really where to begin with explaining how the past two weeks have been. In Liberia there was a lot going on. We were being held inside for a while to make sure the missionaries were safe and out of the way. It was crazy to have the meeting with all the couples and President to figure out the best way to get us out of there. We left so much behind and I will always pray for the people in Liberia and hope that they will be protected in the Lord. 

When I was told I was going to Tennessee it was pretty shocking. No clue how to communicate or teach with white people. I got here to find out that there are some Liberian communities to teach!! So teaching is really slow here and the missionaries have a different attitude of the work. When I had my interview with President Griffin I thought I was going to be assigned as a junior companion to finish my mission like that. We talked and he told me I was being assigned as a Zone Leader! He said he knows who I am and what influence I can have on others. He also stated that he didnt know who it was but he knew he was receiving an Assistant from Liberia. It was great to feel welcomed and Its great to have the assignment of a Zone Leader. Otherwise I would have been super annoying to my companion. 

I have two companions right now, Elder Roberts and Elder Russo. We also have a car. . . and hot showers. I dont have a bed yet but I get one tomorrow! 

Tomorrow is Zone Conference and we are giving our instruction there. I am trying to give all my knowledge of missionary work to others so it is exciting to give an instruction in a different mission. Because you can get so involved in missionary work in Liberia I did gain a lot of skills in working with the Ward and teaching lessons. 

I also think because I was involved so much I have had a weird time adjusting to America. I feel like im wasting so much water, there are too many things to eat, nothing has mold on it, no mosquito nets, and no Koloqua which is sad. Everyone is saying I have a thick accent. The good thing is that we have one Liberian member in our ward that speaks it! So we are gaining investigators off of him which is nice. I feel as if I have a connection with every black person here so we are gaining a teaching pool of black people. I miss them like crazy so its still hard for me to want to find a white person to teach. I will learn! 

Anyway, I love you and am thankful for the prayers and for the life that I have. A lot less stress on this side of the world but I will try to make missionary work on this side busy. Tell everyone I love them and am safe! Pray for the Liberians and the Church.

Love, 

Elder Elias Dahlin