LOCKDOWN: Days 1-7/42

Ogamba ki mukwanos ne makka!
(What's up friends and family!)
Locked Down, but I'm not down...most of the time. This has been an interesting first week of 6 to be locked down. It was fast and slow at the same time which is pretty funny honestly. Not many pictures so I'm sorry about that, but I still got some, so enjoy em!
Togende! (Let's go!)

June 7, 2021 Mon
Today was P-Day! Talked to makka, got dressed, and walked to the Kabowa to get a haircut from my barber, an old friend, Elder Pulu! He just got transferred to Kabowa and it was good to see him and talk to him. After my haircut, Elder Langi and I went to Freedom City to shop and played some pool on the way back to the apartment.
I relaxed, got my souvenir shirt exchanged to a short sleeve (I like it so much more now), worked out, emails, all that good ol' P-Day stuff! All things considered about these next six weeks, while it may be VERY difficult, I think there's a chance for some good to happen.

June 8, 2021 Tues
Today was quite an indoorsy day. As with lockdown we are stuck in the apartment, I tried to make some good use of my time. Key word "tried."
I did my morning studies (as always) listened to a few devotionals, and did some "funner" stuff to mix things up. I had lunch, did some other things, then accidentally passed out from exhaustion.
No joke, I laid down for a minute because my legs are sore and then I'm gone. When I woke up I had to do some Tech Spec stuff, studied, worked out.
Pretty menial day, could've been better, but also could've been worse.

June 9, 2021 Weds
Round 3/42. It was alright. No District Council Meeting because Zone Conference is this week. So again my morning was full of studies, devotionals, and "funner" stuff. Also I worked on increasing my scripture knowledge and I worked out.
Even with all this stuff my mind started to go places. Where? I may sound crazy and you may not believe me when I say this . . . Sandwiches. I miss Sandwiches. I miss Subs, Cheesesteaks, Burgers, Patty Melts, Hot Dogs, Pulled Pork, or just a home made Salami Sandwich. Out of everything, that was the big thing that was bothering me, kinda interesting.

June 10, 2021 Thurs
Today we had Zone Conference . . . over zoom, so it was Zoom Conference . . . budum chh! Anyways, it was alright, I still enjoyed it, I would've enjoyed it more if it was in person, but whatevs.
After Zone Conference I tried to satisfy my craving for a sandwich by ordering one from a place and having a Boda Boda deliver it. Uber eats? Naw, Boda Eats. I got the sandwich and. IT. WAS. TRASH. 4/10. Not good at all. It wasn't a Sandwich, it was a Sadwich. I was very disappointed to say the least.
Other than that, I studied a fair amount, finished Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor (that's now the 4th one I've finished), relaxed, did some thinking, and tried to stay busy.
I also gave Elder Woods a call. Ended up talking to him for a few hours. He just got transferred to the Bush up North so I wanted to check on him. We had a fun conversation about just stupid stuff and that's always just the best.

June 11, 2021 Fri
Today was TOUGH. Studies in the morning were great as always, but once lunch hit my day took a bad turn. I tried to make myself a nice sandwich for lunch, but something you should know about most bread in Uganda it's as soft and as brittle as wet paper, so to try to negate this I tried toasting it on a pan (cause we don't have a toaster) and it didn't work at all. My sandwich looked mangled and sad. That was a Shot of Depresso.
I was not a very happy boy today. I was angry so I decided to run laps. I ran for a while and it helped. I also saw some butterflies flying around the compound, no pics I know I'm dumb. Also Raykil and Rema showed up randomly. We talked, I told them our situation because of the bigger situation, and encouraged them to study on their own.
Not much else than that, just trying to stay strong, which is harder than you'd think.

June 12, 2021 Sat
Today was actually pretty great. I studied, started reading Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith (who was Joseph Smith's nephew and also went on a 4 year mission when he was 15!), also got on a Church History kick so I watched some stuff about that.
So today I accidentally shaved a part of my eyebrow . . . let me explain. My brows are thick and I like to keep 'em neat and as a part of that I take a comb and my electric razor and do a little trim. I have done this dozens of times with no issues, but today I guess I was really sweaty cause the comb didn't keep sliding and my razor did then "oopsy." I laughed it off, which I thought was kinda impressive, but then again its not like I'm going anywhere. To hide my mistake I did put on my bucket hat haha.

June 13, 2021 Sun
Today we had Sacrament at the apartment. It was just our District and our Guard, Sam, who's also a member. Our Sacrament meeting was to the point, "Short and Sharp" President Chatora would say. We began with a prayer, had the Sacrament Hymn, had the Sacrament, I said a few thoughts, we had a closing hymn and prayer. Brief, but I felt the Spirit, and it was strong. All I could think about was Njeru March of 2020, a week before our "Evacuation", when my District had the Sacrament in the apartment . . . that was so long ago.
Other than that, I enjoyed the Sabbath. We ended up going to the Chapel to use wifi for uploading pictures, downloading and listening to Devotionals. I actually really enjoyed today, which is and isn't weird. Normality is thrown out the window, as tends to happen in my life, and I am happy. Guess that means I'm doing something right . . . sweeet.

Throughout this week one of my favorite quotes from probably my favorite Prophet (is it sacrilegious to have a favorite?), Gordon B. Hinckley, was running through my mind pretty often;
"In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."

Gosh I wish I were more like President Hinckley haha!
These are words that I learned and made an effort to remember the very first transfer of my mission, and they are as true then as they are now.
How often do we JUST endure our trials. For myself its more often than I'd care to admit.
In my studies this week I read about Patience in Preach My Gospel and PMG defines Patience as, "the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious." It later says, "When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully."
Alma 34:40-41;
-And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;
-But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.

To be Patient is to be Positive, and to be Positive is to have fun, to laugh, to Enjoy.
It has taken me WAY TOO LONG to learn that. I've had to relearn that so much and I'll probably have to relearn it more in the future, but at this time I'm going to do my best to remember it, and remember that "[I] shall one day rest from all [my] afflictions," as we all shall. Mbyogedde mulinya lya Yesu Kristo, amiina.

Thank you for all the emails this week! They made my day and my week! I hope y'all are doing good, let me know if you are or not, I WANNA KNOW!
Qwagala mukwanos era makka gwange!
(I love you my friends and family!)
Elder Bradford