Nigerian stalkers and all those fun things Sister Missionaries have to deal with!

Ok Amberly here it is - I really don't have anything to blog about, pretty dull picture week for us- an old letter from my apparent stalker during my mission in 1991. I laughed all over again at the phrases in this letter and little antidotes. So, here's the story: I started my mission off south of Hamburg in a town called Braunschweig and in our proselyting we would visit the auslander heim (foreigner holding station) that was populated with political refugees from all over Africa. I really enjoyed conversing with all of them and loved how humble most of them were in their dire situations. I especially fell in love with the Nigerian and Ghanan cultures. I became a fan of foofoo and eating out of the same pot with my fingers and learning traditional songs of worship from them. Unfortunately, there are always a few that taint your experiences. Austin was being taught by the Elders and when we were visiting a fellow occupant, Nora, Austin would engage us sisters in conversation after our lessons. I'm thinking harmless, friendly get togethers - always several pairs of missionaries in the same room, but Austin was apparently infatuated with me and we had to stop coming by because he would propose to me at least once a week! Then his brother would entreat me that he could not get married until Austin, the eldest, was married and blah blah blah how could I do that to him? CRAZY. The one thing I learned about Nigerians - they are persistent! Later on in different cities the elders would hand deliver letters from Austin and it became quite the joke amongst the elders..."another missive from Austin for Sister Sill." Anyways, I kept these two for some reason and even when I was at home he called our house. How he got one of my cards...I'll never know. If I had to guess it was some greenie elder - typical. So, there you have it- my own personal stalker. I do wonder sometimes what happened to him. I guess I'll never know. K Amberly, exciting enough for you?!


Part of his letter reads: "I consider it important and necessary to pen to you this letter...just to let you know that you are thought about more often than you can guess (creepy). You gave me a lot of pleasant memories during your short missionary visits that will take a long time to be eradicated from my memory (should I be flattered?). Since your transfer to Hamburg, I have been going around there with every hope of getting a glimpse of you, but all hopes to no avail. Hopefully, I will succeed one day, my religious conviction taught me to have hope and my mummy told me that existence without hope is moral suicide, so Sonya I have hope that we must meet somewhere (I don't know...letters with suicide in them really don't do it for me!).

Austin ends his letter to me: "Sorry I will cut the letter short for a bulky letter to a missionary will attract a lot of stares from fellow missionaries (too late was a joke for the elders). Please don't fail to reply, but don't write or say anything that might jeopardise your position as a missionary. Just bear in mind that somebody is longing for a good reply from you and that somebody is Austin (Wow...do you think I ever responded? NO)."