Riley said he didn't have time to write a weekly email, but I could piece together the short emails he sent to Scott, Davis, Owen and myself. I hesitated doing that because it isn't the usual up-beat Riley, but this is how it is going. He got to Africa Wednesday evening (October 5). The email we got today was the FIRST we have heard from him. It was great to hear from him. That was a LONG 10 days not hearing from him!
Here is what he wrote to his family:
Africa is alright, to be honest it is really hard I have had diarrhea all day the food just hates me. My first meal I had in Africa was a some what normal breakfast at a hotel and then I had shwarma, you know the stuff that the avengers eat at the end of avengers 1 and the first meal my companion cooked me was a red sauce with an entire fish in it, head and all. It is really humid but I have yet to see the sun. I am to allowed to drink the bags of water they are dangerous but when ever you go over to someones house to teach you give them water to drink as a social custom and if you don't drink you are considered super rude so I have had my fair share of weird water. My appartent is pretty dirty but it is alright, I have pictures but I can't send them which stinks.
My p-day is Monday and it was so great making all those friends at the MTC and it was rewarding with food I know and everyone could speak English and I made amazing friends but here all that is gone and it is so hard. Both Linderman and Segal went to Togo and I might never see them again the whole mission, because there are no entire mission conferences just country ones: however knowing there are 16 of us in the same situation makes it a little better. My trainer is Elder Mukendi he is from the Democratic Republic of Congo he speaks a bunch of tribal Congo languges and he speaks French, but no English. He is super nice: He calls me "companion" I don't think he knows my real name. or if he does he never uses it. The sector I am assigned to is the Zogbo sector (in Cotonou) and I am in a district of 4, the elders in our apartment it is me, Elder Warr, Olela, Mukendi we are in the menonten district I think I don't really know what any one is really saying I get the gist most of the time but It is hard to know exactly what is going on.
-Elder Larson
My p-day is Monday and it was so great making all those friends at the MTC and it was rewarding with food I know and everyone could speak English and I made amazing friends but here all that is gone and it is so hard. Both Linderman and Segal went to Togo and I might never see them again the whole mission, because there are no entire mission conferences just country ones: however knowing there are 16 of us in the same situation makes it a little better. My trainer is Elder Mukendi he is from the Democratic Republic of Congo he speaks a bunch of tribal Congo languges and he speaks French, but no English. He is super nice: He calls me "companion" I don't think he knows my real name. or if he does he never uses it. The sector I am assigned to is the Zogbo sector (in Cotonou) and I am in a district of 4, the elders in our apartment it is me, Elder Warr, Olela, Mukendi we are in the menonten district I think I don't really know what any one is really saying I get the gist most of the time but It is hard to know exactly what is going on.
-Elder Larson
A picture we got today from President and Sister Morin
(Riley's Mission "parents")
Before Riley flew to Africa he got to sing in the choir for LDS General Conference
I (Kaelyn) tracked his flights
I didn't sleep well that night, this check in was at 3:13 am
His second flight - straight south from Paris
