A Boyscout Is...

A Boy Scout is trustworthy, he is loyal, he is courteous and kind...wait, what is a Boy Scout anyway? Here in Africa, it is a concept so unusual, that most people will just never understand.

You see, most people here do not generally live in the lap of luxury. Many have no indoor plumbing, so the drainage ditch in the back yard suffices. Some of the more fortunate have a room with a hole in the floor. A kitchen is frequently nothing more that a hut in the back yard with a fire pit in the corner. Electricity is for people who live in the big cities like Acrra, and even then its hit or miss. So the concept of anyone (even the young men) who would want to willingly go out and 'rough it', is just a ridiculous notion. Its absurd that anyone would think of something like that to do--what a time waster! Why not just stay home.

I stole this picture from Elder Dalton, as our photo of this same kitchen didn't turn out--from Abomosu

Its a tough concept to teach when you are trying to make a point. Just ask any of the Sister's in the Jamestown relief society this last Sunday. The lesson happen to be covering a conference talk where Elder Oaks, talked of his days as a Boy Scout. The lesson went something like this:

"So this twelve year old boy who walked out into into the wilds away from his village to spend the night. I don't really know why he  had to do this, but I think it is something boys have to do to prove their courage. . Some boys sleep in tents, which are like tarps to keep the rain off, but this boy had to sleep by himself without a covering so that he could prove that he was a man. These are the things that boys must do in America."

Later in the lesson, they talked about hiking the canyons in Utah. "You see people over there will do things like walking  with no particular destination and without any reason other than just for the fun of it.  I don't know why anyone would choose to do this, but it is done in America." This coming from people that walk everywhere for everything. They may walk an our every morning to the farms, and back home again at nigt--carrying everything on their head.

Its just a different way of life.

Most of the missionaries (at least those from the United States) that are called into the Sierra Leone mission here in this wonderful Africa West Area are not only tried and true Boy Scouts, but are in fact eagle scouts. Their years of training and outstanding "camping" skills are just a basic survival skill set that any 'normal' native acquires at a young age. We look forward to our upcoming trips to Sierra Leone and Liberia--in my opinion one of (if not THE) toughest mission in the world, as far as living conditions etc. We sent another group out from the MTC today, and spent last week with the mission president and his wife (the Roggia's) both true to the core Montanans  and they are a perfect match (plus he is a recently retired army Chaplin which doesn't hurt at all either).

We love Africa. We love the people.

...Elder and Sister Fife