Hello again!
We had another slowish week because of work that they’ve been doing on the apartment and requiring us to stay there to make sure they didn’t steal anything. We would split up the afternoon and the evening so we could each teach at least some people, but either way it made things pretty difficult for us. I did get to trade a tie with a member though, so now I have a really sweet African tie that I’ve been dying to have since I got here.
Fidelis, the Anglophone who’s been showing us around Bonabéri for the last couple of weeks brought us more fabric, so I made him a skinny tie and I’ll make another one for my companion. We got lost on Saturday just looking for a shortcut home and it brought us straight to the river at a point where trash had been flowing into the water, and sitting on top of everything were a couple sacks full of different dresses and shirts that some big mamas had thrown away but made for some sick ties, so I’m currently wearing a really sweet blue and orange and white butterfly pattern.
I keep getting calls from my converts in Akwa and it makes me so happy to hear from them everytime. I finally took an hour or so to call all my friends and it gave me a sort of spiritual high haha. I couldn’t get over how happy I was talking to them, and it’s only been like 3 weeks since I left. I can only imagine how it will be in 18 months when I’m home and get a hold of them.
The guardian of our apartment is from the north and speaks this cool pateois that’s related to Toupuri, that kindof sounds like Arabic, and he’s been teaching a little of that to us. It’s awesome, but not as cool as Douala.
We had another great district meeting with the Gaileys and talked about the origins of Preach My Gospel and we went over a lot of different quotes from the different prophets and Sister Gailey shared these toffees that she found who knows where that were delicious.
Elder Massé and I walked an hour to get to a member’s house, which was crazy. I love those walks though because it allows us to just talk and get to know each other better. You really to get to know someone when you’re with them 24 hours a day haha.
One of the most fun days of the week was Friday when we got to work with Dekoumé, a 12 year old member who loves going out to teach with us. He’s such a funny kid, but he’s also a great teacher. He answers questions correctly and clearly. We barely have to say anything! Plus people yell at us less, so that’s nice.
It’s been raining all week. Some of the shortcuts that we take were completely flooded, so we would have to turn all the way around and come back another way, which was still usually covered in water. Basically I was soaked every day, and some kids broke my umbrella sooo yeah. Haven’t bought a new one yet, but the rain is actually kindof nice. It’s a change from the 290 degree weather that’s coming up in the next couple of months. Hooray!
That day that we got lost we ended up contacting a table of drunk guys who at first condemned us for being polygamists, but after we explained that we weren’t they started saying, “well why not? The Bible says nothing against polygamy!” and went on to defend it. Some people just want to fight for no reason haha.
They replaced the light bulbs in our apartment, so now we don’t have to cook with a headlamp or read at night with a flashlight!
Fidelis gave me an Andrea Boccelli CD, so that took me back to being in 5th grade when my teacher would play that to us as we read and did other quiet stuff. Mi piace bene.
We had a pretty great Sunday, but a lot of people were missing from church for whatever reason. We came home and made tacos, and then Elder Massé surprised us with a pack of Taco Bell hot sauce that came in a package from his mom, so we feasted on those all night, accompanied by watermelon Sour Patch Kids. SO. GOOD. Then Elder Thibault was joking about putting a mattress around himself and letting me kick him as he taught me kickboxing, but I made him do it, and it was awesome. He taught me different combos and stuff and after an hour or so I decided I now want to be a kickboxer/pilot/author/
That’s about all the news from this week. I realize my letters are getting a little shorter, but you know that the work is still progressing and the stories are still amazing and they are never ending and I just want you to come be a part of it with me! I dream of showing all my friends and family around the different quartiers here, walking through the shortcuts and meeting all the people we see every day. I promise it would change your life! I know that the missionaries all over the world are going through similar experiences, even in the States. No matter who you are or where you are, the work of God is the same and it will one day cover the entire earth! I love missionaries and I love missionary work. God has prepared so many people to accept this message, but sometimes they don’t know what they’re looking for—that’s where you come in! Open your mouth! Bear your testimony to anyone and everyone, because what do you have to lose? True friends won’t reject you for what you believe in, even if they don’t buy it. You don’t have to force your opinion on anyone, but a simple testimony of the plain and precious truths you know might flip someone’s world upside down.
I love you and I know God loves you.
Have a great week!
Elder Garland
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