Another week down, mission is really moving! Next week I will officially be at 6 months! A fourth of the way done.
This week was pretty good, we had exchanges and taught some good lessons which was really nice! We finally had an investigator show up to church, and he's a father so we are so excited to go teach him more.
Don't eat these chilies or you will die cause they are so hot. I did and died... almost.
It's super hot still, I'm serving in one of the hottest places in the country! And it has rained quite a bit! But the rain is about to stop! And it's going towards winter. The hottest times are in October and November, right when I came!
Coming in after being drenched in a rainstorm and wearing my tie Zimbabwe style.
Showing off my incredible tan line.
I have been offered caterpillars but refuse hahah!
"I'm Elder Cazier from USA"
We made a hammock, it lasted about 5 minutes.... back to the drawing boards!!
I work out hard everyday. I've always been a light weight guy as far as lifting, but Elder Barrus, wants to be a body builder and so we get each other to lift really hard. We lift every morning, for about an hour, and he really pushes me and doesn't let me do light weight, so I will get strong pretty fast I think! I enjoy it, I am super sore every day which is good.
This little girl who is so nice!! She kept smiling at me and giving me a thumbs up!
I had to take a pic!
And the blister I got from helping a family chop wood!!
There's not much to write about this week, so I'll just share some funny experiences plus some things about Zim!
So the perception of America is so bad here. People think that their country, Zim, is the only one struggling. People always tell me, Elder Cazier your life back home is so easy. You get things just handed to you. If I lived there I would have such an easy life. I hear that on a daily basis from people all over Zim. I was talking to an investigator, and she is a 45 year old mom! She was talking about how life is just so easy in America and that we get everything given to us. She asked how much people get payed, and I said that the minimum wage is like 10 dollars. She started going so crazy and was like "Wow!! See life is so easy!! I get payed 10 dollars a day if I am lucky! Wow, Americans have the easiest life!" I tried to explain to her that we don't have super easy lives, so I just started asking questions. I asked her how much rent is here, and she said about 40 dollars a month! I laughed, and was like yeah you couldn't get it that low in America. Then I asked her how much she thought bread costs in America. She was like "Oh, easily 20 or 30 cents a loaf, no higher then that!" I thought that was funny. It just shows that people don't understand life in America, and honestly people in America don't understand life in Africa! People in Africa think that everything is super cheap in America, and that we are given money, and everyone in America thinks Africa is all huts and bush! Both are not true. But people here will argue with me about what America is like, and I just ask them if they have ever lived there. They always respond no, I've lived in Zim my whole life but I know what America is like! Which they don't, they just see movies and think it's all real. If I had a dollar for how many times people ask me if James Bond is real, and then when I say no they are shocked, I would be rich! Anyway I just am kinda venting cause I hate people telling me my life is super easy, and that life is only hard in Zim.
All teenagers do is play soccer! Like every person can dribble a soccer ball and all that!
I eat like yogurt and these wheat bars in the morning, normally rice and chicken for lunch, and pasta for dinner! My weight is increasing slowly, I was at 160 and now am pushing 164! I'm really pushing it hard in the gym, and have been for over a month now, 4 weeks! So I don't know if I just am eating too much or am gaining muscle! I can tell you I feel fat all the time cause I am always bloated because my stomach hurts! It sucks!! But I don't know, I am still eating pretty healthy I feel. Like the other guys eat pancakes every morning with a ton of sugar, and I eat granola and Greek yogurt and wheat!
Moving on, Africa clouds are so fast!! They move like speedy across the sky. I saw some rain clouds way far in the distance, and told my companion that we will get rained on in about 2 hours. Then 15 minutes later we were getting dumped on. The weather changes so fast as well.
The roads we walk down!!
And our shoes after walking them...
We noticed a homeless guy burning garbage by this tree every day, and thought it was kind of weird. So when me and Elder Barrus were on exchanges, we saw the guy there at the tree again. We didn't think much of it until I turned around and saw him pull out the BIGGEST doobie I have ever seen. No joke it was the size and thickness of a subway foot long sandwich. I then watched him smoke from it. It was pretty funny, the guy is sitting there 24/7, and now we know what he is always burning haha. He's starting a fire to light his massive joint. Being teenagers we thought that was hilarious.
Got to teeter-totter with some kids in my area! They loved it!!
So about my stomach issues, I talked to the mission doctor and they are sending me to Harare for testing on Wednesday! Harare is about 2-4 hours from where I am serving, depending on what transportation I take! So we use what is called bravo, its a busing system that takes the missionaries all around. My stomach isn't too bad, it just hurts to push on and after I eat I get pains pretty often! So the mission doctor said if things don't work out, he will just have me take the bomb, which is the pill used to kill all creatures in your body! Just to make sure I don't have worms or anything. It's nothing to worry about, they are sure I don't have a bladder stone or anything like that! I will let you know what the doctors say next Monday when I email!!
Have an awesome week, Elder Cazier
