June 24th update

Lisele everyone! (Bafang)

This marks the official commencement of the rainy season in Douala.  We’ve had 4 or 5 days of just solid, African rain, which is pretty much exactly what you would imagine it is—unpaved dirt roads flooding with rivers of mud and trash, complete with a downpour unlike anything you’ve experienced (unless you’ve lived in the Midwest a.k.a. Chicago).  So that’s been an interesting change of pace.  It makes running in the morning a lot more enjoyable because it’s not squelching heat.  Otherwise, I just throw my Ninja Turtle shell on my backpack and then my companion and I trek out into the storm with a smile on! 

Other than that, nothing’s really changed here.  I still have amazing experiences every day, and I will forever be grateful for them.  For example, we went to teach this inactive member and right before we leave Elder Zurcher pulls out this random scripture from D&C and the woman says “well you always hear about people reading you scriptures that are meant for you, but this is the first time it’s ever happened to me, thank you!” which was a result of my companion praying to know what to study in the morning and having that thought come to mind.  It was a huge testimony of me of inspired studying, how I shouldn’t just going through random books and whatnot to find something cool to share, but should be studying for my investigators, which makes the experience so much more fulfilling.  I just love Elder Zurcher basically. He me teaches something new every day.

On Tuesday we were standing on the side of the road, calling people after a rendez-vous fell through, and this guy comes over to us and says “hey! I met the missionaries in Manchester and got baptized and I’ve been back home for a year and have never seen you before.  Where’s the nearest church?!”  So that was just another amazing thing that happened.

I got to go on splits again with Elder Morin, this time in Bonapriso, so I had no idea where I was pretty much the whole day, but it was still great.  It rained all day, but we just walked around and waved to people hiding on the side of the street waiting for the rain to pass.  We spent two hours getting talked to by a man and his two minions about this new religion he’s preaching about the law of Moses and how Jesus only got baptized so everyone would know He was the Christ (because the dove came down afterwards) and that all we need to do to be saved is hear “the word,” and that everyone who existed before Moses went straight to hell.  Oh but Adam was an exception.  And Noah.  And Abraham.  But that’s it. So that was really interesting! 

On Thursday we had a district meeting that we thought would be our last one all together, so I gave a quick spiritual thought/lesson on what we would want our blessing for Douala or the branch to be when we left, and everyone agreed that we wanted the branch to just keep growing in love not only for the new members, but for one another.  Also, we would want to bring that same blessing/example with us to our next sector.

We went out to teach that drunk guy who wanted to change his life last week, but he wasn’t there and didn’t ever come the whole rest of the day, so we were pretty disappointed.  On our way out, however, this guard stopped us and asked us to sit down with him for a while, and it turned out to be a great lesson.  We got to see him again on Friday, and since it was at 7 we stopped by this little food stand on the way back to the apartment to grab some beans and beignets, which, unfortunately, turned out to be hot banana dough balls. At least the beans were good!

Later in the day, we got a call from this lady who wanted to meet us at the church to talk.  We had met her in a taxi a week ago when she got in with her 2 year old daughter, and I chatted it up with the little girl the whole ride home; she was so funny.  Before I got out I gave her a “Proclamation to the World : Family” brochure and told her to give it to her mom (who was sitting right there) because I knew it would bless them.  As it happens, the mom had had a dream just 3 days earlier about a white guy giving her an envelope, and when she got back to her house she explained what happened to her neighbor, to whom she had already explained the dream previously, and the neighbor said they had to come to church next Sunday.  We had a great lesson with her, but because of rain and her daughter falling sick they weren’t able to come.  But we’re praying for next week!

One of our recent converts, Marcelle, celebrated her birthday with her daughter on Friday, but we felt like she treated us better than her.  We showed up, got fed really spicy spaghetti and beans and Coke and crepes, and then we left.  Mangez-vous are the best because you get to experience new foods and it’s always really good.  And I don’t think I need to explain that any more. Ok.

Despite the continuous rain throughout the week, we went out to Bonabéri to play soccer on a half mud, half pond field with the missionaries and members over there, branch against branch.  We were up 3-0 at half, and then they came back and won 4-3.  I had a shot on goal—about 4 inches to the right of the right post, and a sweet header flick thing that the guy who was supposed to be there didn’t run to the ball. It was a great game, and I was the only white guy who they didn’t pull out, so I felt pretty good about not scoring. Again.  Anyway, we were really dirty and soaking wet because it started to rain again while we were playing, and traffic was horrible so we didn’t get to see our last rendez-vous, but it was a great day overall. 

Also!  Before we started playing we all opened our transfer letters together.  Elder Zurcher is going to Yaoundé :( and I’m staying to work with Elder Lundberg, who I met that time I went up to Bastos a couple months ago.  He’s an awesome missionary, and I know we’ll get along famously, so I’m actually really excited.  Elder Gélinas is leaving to be in the same apartment as Elder Zurcher, so Elder Morin will work with Elder Stephens, who I haven’t met yet.  I’ll be sad because our apartment was so great, but I’m sure we’ll all get along well.  We’re were even more bummed though because the huge wedding/baptism we planned for this Saturday would be the day after transfers, so Elder Zurcher would miss it after working with this family for the last 9 months.

The next day would prove to be a miracle though.  All of the family members had their interviews, and when we got home from church Elder Gailey called us right after we started companionship study and told us that he had talked to President Jameson and they agreed that Elder Zurcher could leave Sunday after confirmations, so he’s staying for the wedding!  We were euphoric.  We got up and had a big hug and I may have cried a little; we were just so happy.  God is so funny about answering prayers.

At church, we welcomed this really, really old man who was in a tux and fedora who we had met next to our apartment the other day and said he was going to come but we didn’t really believe him because EVERYone says they’ll come and never do.  We were surprised to see him there, but not surprised that he was still wielding this big black wand, which serves as…well we have no idea.  He’s just the nicest old man that ever existed, and walks about as fast as I eat couscous de manioc in gumbo sauce (reeaalllll sllooowwww).

Then the Anglophone teacher gave us an example of a motorcycle taxi driver who flips you off (about 18 times) and how you just need to forgive him anyway.  The lesson at the beginning was on the Word of Wisdom, by the way.  Then I remembered that I had stood at the corner of a street one day and counted over a hundred motorcycles pass by in about 40 seconds.  It was incredible. 

That night we were given a plate of toasted termites, which taste pretty good actually. 

Finally, this morning, we went out to Bonabéri again to play soccer but this time missionaries vs. Cameroonians.  We played 8 v 5, then 7 v 6, and we still lost 4-2.  I hit the post again, and missed to the right or left by about an inch about 5 times.  It was a great day.  It rained the whole time, and the field was just mud and water, but we loved it.  It’s a lot more fun with just us because it’s a lot more relaxed and we can just have fun and laugh about stupid plays and whatnot.  I’m so glad I brought my cleats, but everyone always asks me to give them away.  I do feel bad because most of the people who come to play are just wearing socks or Vans, but come on…

We finally got home 4 hours later, only to find that our water didn’t work.  Elder Gailey, who was a plumber back home, came over and worked under the rain (the problem was that the pump wasn’t pumping water to us) for probably an hour banging stuff around with a wrench (which was so stereotypical I just had to laugh) until finally it started working and we could shower off, THUS the delay in writing home today. 

Anyway, I love you all so much! I just can’t even explain how much.  I would use a billion analogies with Cameroonian food but you’d just have to come here to understand.  Basically, just know that I love you and we will share great memories in the future.  You always have someone counting on you, so don’t let me down! :)

A la semaine prochaine !

Elder Garland

July 25

Hello everyone!

Sorry about the wait...for two hours I was writing letters to everyone in the cyber cafe, and during my LAST letter BOOM, the power goes out and I lost everything. I screamed "NO!" and put my hands on my head, but it didn't work.  All gone.  I'll do my best to rewrite it all, but no guarentees that the witty lines will still be there.

Ok so!  We got to have a zone conference with President Cook, and him and Sister Cook are just awesome.  We love them already.  We're excited to keep working with them.

On Tuesday we slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a car, and as we swerved out of the way we either hit a motorcycle or the motoguy rear ended us.  Either way, he went flying off his bike with his passenger, and the taxi driver says "his fault, not mine!" and keeps driving.  Well, a few minutes later the motoman comes screaming up in front of us and slows down until we were forced to stop, and then he comes up to the window screaming at the driver to get out of the car.  Within about 30 seconds, FIFTEEN other motorcycles have stopped to join sides with either the taxi guy or the moto guy.  We had people selling peanuts off the top of their heads joining the fight.  So now we have two people who weren't even in the accident fighting against each other, and it was just too good to leave the scene.  Meanwhile we were just sitting in the back waiting for it to be over so we could go.  It wasn't until we decided to get out and find another taxi that everyone says, "oh, the whites are leaving," and our driver says, "where are you going?! we're leaving!" so finally we got on the road again. It was just hilarious.

We didn't get a lot of teaching done on Wednesday because we got on a 4 hour long bus ride to go to Yaounde to take care of those tricky carte de sejours that we were refused here in Douala last week *refer to the ridiculous story on my blog*.  For 40 minutes we listened to one song with the same melody and beat about Nebuchadnezzar in pidgin English, so they say things like "where you people be going now?! We be go fo chop at mahket!"  It's incomprehensible, I assure you.  Imagine that in song form.  About the King of Babylone.  And his statues. Anyway, for the next several hours the two young women in front of me kept turning around and staring at me at random intervals.  The one in front of me was in a permanent recline, and the guy behind me wouldn't let me lean back.  Poor Elder Lundberg was squished between 4 giants in the back seat.  Eventually we made it, and it was a pretty calm evening.  The Whitesides, the missionary couple over there, gave us some money to buy chawarmas and a Coke, with a key to the missionaries' apartment.  We were able to just unwind (you'd be surprised how stressful those bus rides are), and I had a funny realization that I was just chilling in an apartment in Central Africa enjoying a small sandwich and a Coke.  No big deal.  I feel like I'll  never get over that. Elder Zurcher came home after an hour or so and we shared a brotherly embrace (more like a jumping, twirling bear hug).  It was so good to see him again.  We made pancakes and chatted all evening about investigators and other members and friends back in Douala and how he was getting used to people in Yaounde.  He seems to be doing great.

On Thursday we got up, did our carte de sejours (I even got the girl there to smile) without a hassle, and were back in a bus home before I knew it.  This time, however, we got to watch 4 hours of horrible African sitcoms with the volume up way too loud.  I just stared out the window at the incredible sea of green that stretched all the way until we got into Douala.  I spent the whole time thinking of ideas for a book idea, and the time went by pretty fast.  At least it was more comfortable than the bus ride up.  We got back and didn't have time to go out, so we just made a nice dinner for the elders who were still gone and had a nice night together.

Friday went by quick as well, without much incident.  We got to see a bunch of people we hadn't seen in a while, but nothing really interesting happened.  

We found out on Saturday that there are going to be big changes here in Douala next transfer!  We're getting two more missionaries in our apartment, so we'll be six instead of four.  It will make things tight, but it's a direct result of a little sit down I had with the mission president on Monday when I urged him to send more missionaries here to make up for the enormous sector that we have to take care of ourselves.  I am so excited.  Did I mention the two missionaries will be greenies?! So two people from here are training as well! I just can't get over it.  Maybe it's a weirdo missionary thing, but I'm pumped.  

Sunday was great.  More less actives coming every week. Then Marius chastized everyone for coming late and leaving right after taking the sacrament.  I love that man.  He's so inspiring.

That's about it! Sorry for the lack of details on certain days, but like I said, I had already written everything out and my memory is rapidly deteriorating and being replaced by more recent memories. Thank goodness I keep a daily journal.  

Did you know you are the most incredible thing on the planet?! I just think about the potential each one of us has and I get to excited to meet and get to know everyone and their talents and dreams.  Please keep on fighting the good fight - you'll be eternally grateful you did in the end!  I love you for who you are and what you can become.  I know you can be better than what you were and I know you'll do your best to stay better if you put your trust in He who knows everything!

Have an amazing week, go do something nice for your neighbor, and say hi to your friends who don't know me for me.  Tell them there's some guy in Central Africa who knows how to make their life infinitely better than it is, no matter what situation they're living in.

Elder Garland

July 15th Update from Casey!

Na kandan wa !

Well.  Another crazy week has come and gone, and I’m still in Africa.  Let’s get down to business (you know the rest)!

On Tuesday we went to teach this one lady who has these two crazy grandkids.  One of them went out on to the balcony, shut the sliding door and stripped naked, dancing as he took a bucket shower.  The dancing included doing pushups, jumping jacks, and other moves that crescendoed into a grand finale of running into the glass door with his face.  It was quite possibly the most difficult time I’ve ever had staying concentrated. 

Later, we were walking into the church to meet another friend of ours when we heard voices behind us.  Two girls who we didn’t know were following us through the gate, and kept walking until they passed us in an effort to walk inside.  The doors were locked and the lights were off, but they just kept walking.  Finally we had to call out to them and ask if we could help them, and they said they were just looking for somewhere to repent.  We explained that they should probably go down the street to the Catholic cathedral, but they started asking questions about church and about us, so we gave them brochures and sent them on their way.  And on their way out they blew kisses to us.  So.

We swung by the Dime’s to drop off a Tupperware and pick up the guitar, and before we could leave Romeo asked us if we would stay with him for dinner, which meant going to this really nice restaurant and buying us a plate of ribs, fried plantains and a drink.  Basically it wasn’t real life for about an hour.  We chatted with him about dreams and goals, and we concluded that Romeo is just an awesome guy with an awesome vision for his country.  He just wants to help his brothers become autonomous by providing them with jobs and training them to start their own little businesses, which is what 95% of all Cameroonians are currently doing.  Entrepreneuriship is huge here.  It inspired me to think about what I could do to make money on my own back home.  I would share my ideas with you but I’m afraid you’ll steal them and make millions of dollars, so let’s just say I have big ideas.

I stepped on carpet for the first time in 5 months on Wednesday when we met with Randy (the guy baptized in India), and I miss it so bad.  It was like heaven on my poor little toes.

I had African escargot at Marcelle’s, which…was gross. Haha.  The escargot I know from France is really good, but this was something else.  I think they were slugs and I think some of them were still alive.  Just kidding, but, it tasted like they weren’t exactly cooked. All the way. 

Anyway, we made up for it that night when we pooled together some money and went out to eat American style: burgers, fries, and milkshakes.  They got pretty close to the real meal, but the burgers were topped with coleslaw and french fries, and the milkshake was a glass of cold Nesquik mixed with powdered milk and stirred with a spoon into a small glass.  Disappointment overload, but I should’ve expected as much. 

We got to see an old investigator of ours who we haven’t seen for a long time because of difficulties with his wife.  He told us he wants to get baptized but that she won’t let him, and so he thinks he’s just gonna go back to being Muslim so he can marry another woman because Christianity doesn’t allow him to be polygamist.  When we saw him on Thursday he said he still says his Muslim prayers but his heart is with us.  I didn’t really understand his logic, but I hope he comes around eventually.  It was just good to see him and talk with him. 

I saw someone wearing a BYU Men’s Volleyball shirt on Friday, but when I told the guy I went to that school and asked him if I could take a picture he goes, “No you can’t take a picture, is that normal?! IS THAT NORMAL?!” and stormed away, yelling over his shoulder, “IS THAT NORMAL?!”  So I felt really bad for offending him, but I didn’t mean to.  This other guy standing a few feet away just looks at us and says, “Ohh you understand,” which of course we didn’t. So just imagine an Cameroonian selling shoes off the top of his head wearing a BYU shirt and be excited for me.

Later we met with a member who bought us grilled oysters on a shishkebab dipped in some thick yellow sauce.  I loved it.  Grilled oysters.  Yellow sauce.  Who would’ve known?

Elder Lundberg’s visa is expired soon, and so is mine, so we went to the immigration center here in Douala to take care of it instead of going all the way to Yaoundé, because we didn’t know you could do it here.  We found out soon enough why they started sending missionaries 4 hours away to take care of it.  As soon as we walked in, there was no organization in the room, just a few small desks haphazardly placed around with people sitting behind them looking around, bored out of their minds.  There’s one desk with a lady dressed in uniform helping a line of people.  So I asked if the other people could help us, and one says, “I’m sitting here behind a desk.”  You could not haveve cut the sass that came out of her mouth with a chain saw.  We did our best to talk to her and get her to help us, but in the end she just shakes her head at every paper we give her and gives us some nasty, sarcastic remark about how we don’t have the right things.  Then she just starts ignoring us.  So we go to the “chef de poste” who yells out the door, “Hey! Take care of these people!” and shuts the door on us.  She keeps ignoring us, so when the lady who he was with leaves, we knock on the door and poke our heads in and oh. my. lanta.  I’d never eve seen a child throw the fit he did.  It was just incredible.  He gets out of his chair and walks circles around the room, throwing his hands in the air saying “C’est domage!” like, “it’s just too bad!” and pulls out this fat stack of legal documents and says, “Do you know how to read? Read all this! This is what you need!” slamming the papers with his hand at every word. And every time we opened our mouth to ask what exactly we needed he just says “c’est dommage” again and shakes his head without even listening.  Eventually, after about the 5^th time of slamming the papers in our face, he walks out the door into the rest of the office and brings the scene out there, waving the papers in the air and screaming “c’est dommage” and just making a mockery of the whole thing.  We’re there trying to be legal, and he’s gone absolutely crazy.  Poor Elder Gailey is there and doesn’t understand a word.  Elder Lundberg is getting really frustrated and my legs started sweating which I took as a bad sign.  I wish you could’ve seen it (pun intended).  The man was a blabbering concoction of incomprehensible, venomous spit and teeth.  Eventually, we take our things and just walk out, trying to apologize for ruining everyone’s lives as he continues making a fool of himself.  It was the most frustrating thing of my mission.  Even Elder Gailey said he was ready to hit the guy.  But.  Gotta love ‘em :)

Our day went so much better after we left.  Elder Stephens came in from Congo, thus breaking up the little trio we had going on. Someone paid for our taxi ride, and we met the husband of an inactive member who was finally back from his month long fishing trip, and they fed us couscous and gumbo.  We quickly put the scenario at the immigration office behind us, and enjoyed the rest of our Friday.  Well, until 3 in the morning when Elder Lundberg’s bed started squeaking uncontrolably and we both woke up at the same time to fix it.  Half an hour later we were shoving stacks of brochures under the broken beam to fix it and finally went back to bed, only to find that the fatigue was gone and I didn’t fall asleep for another 45 minutes.  That was pretty awful, but nothing could’ve been worse than what had happened earlier in the day.

We went to visit one of our friends, and while we were sitting there chatting we started hearing noises from the room behind  us.  It was like aggressive speaking and then someone crying.   Then someone was shouting and the other was wailing.  We looked up desperately to our friend who gives us this look and says, “It’s a delivrance.”  Then we started hearing, “In the name of Jesus! In the name of Jesus! In the name of Jesus!”  and then this guy walks out breathing hard and he’s another friend of ours and we’re like, “how’d it go…?” He says “good, but she’s on the ground shaking.” So later the girl comes out and she says she feels better, see ya! like it was getting late and she needed to go do her homework or something.  It was pretty comical but…I’m not judging.  Apparently she was saved, so that’s good.

On Saturday we went and played basketball with these Africans who were actually good, and it was really fun.  Except they destroyed us.  Ehem…

The rest of the day was pretty normal.  We met some really cool people and taught people we already know who are amazing and who are all working towards baptism. 

SUNDAY.  So many people were at church.  Inactives were finding each other and rejoicing with the members who were there to welcome them, and for the first time since I left the MTC I witnessed some form of emotion other than anger at the pulpit as this sweet member gave a fantastic talk on love.  The Spirit was really strong, and I actually appreciated her heartfelt testimony and light stream of tears.  Afterwards, about 9 people came up to me and wanted to talk to me at the same time, but no one was willing to recognize that there was some order of who was there first.  They would just interrupt whoever was already there talking.  And those two girls who came randomly to confess at the beginning of the week?  They were there too! They explained that they kindof just put on a show for us before, and that they were actually Pentecostal sisters trying to experience other churches without judging them from what they heard or saw on TV.  I just think that’d be a sweet baptismal story ;)

After church we had to go straight home and deep clean because the Gaileys were going to pick up President and Sister Cook and bring them over to see our apartment.  We got to meet and visit with them for a little while, and the good news is that they’re super nice.  They’re just taking everything in stride, which would be so hard for first timers in Africa but it sounds like they’re doing wonderfully.    I’ll have more information on them later today when we get together for a zone conference, so I’ll fill you in next week.

Other than that, that’s about it! I miss my old companion, but Elder Lundberg is an incredible missionary and I’m really excited to continue working with him.  I loved being in a trio with Elder Morin, and I’ll miss being with him all day.  At least I get him for the evenings.

I LOVE YOU! Did I tell you that last week?  And every week before that? You are the most incredible creation of your Heavenly Father.  Of all the things He’s made, he made you unique among all of them!  Seven BILLION people on the planet and you are UNIQUE!  How amazing is that?! NO ONE is like you!  I want to get to know you if I don’t already, and I want to know your story! Everything testifies that there is a living God who lives and loves each of us.  I know that not everyone lives a peachy life, but I know that no matter the circumstances He knows your suffering and is conscious of your cries for help.  Listen closely, and He will tell you what to do.  If you’ve never looked to Him for help, maybe He’s just waiting for you to ask!  I promise and testify that if you do He will be there to comfort and bless you in abundance.  And you feel like it still isn’t working, well, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll do my best to help in whatever way I can :)

Elder Garland