Bonjour to everyone !
It’s been another interesting week in Douala. We didn’t have a whole lot of eye opening experiences, but we had some pretty cool things happen to us, so no worries.
After a long, slow week last week we finally started off hot on Tuesday and got to teach a lot of people and contact a few others. One of the contacts was awesome, and inspired a lesson I gave for our district meeting. I was sitting in the front seat of a taxi on the way home from a failed rendez-vous, and Lundberg was behind me. A woman gets in next to him, and a few seconds later I hear Lundberg say, “Hey I like your shoes!” The woman was so excited, and for the next 20 minutes we just chatted with her about everything, and eventually she asked us about why were there, etc. and it opened up a door for us to talk to her about the Church. It just felt awesome.
On Wednesday I went on splits with Elder Stephens into my sector, which was sweet. He’s an awesome missionary. We were sitting down to eat chawarmas for lunch and I was telling him about how my pen bleeds through every paper, and seriously about 5 seconds later this little kid walked around the corner with a basket of pens on his head. I think I scared him with how fast I jumped out of my chair and ran at him. I’ve never been so excited to buy pens.
We had another really weird day on Thursday because of our district meeting, and consequently the next 3 rendez-vous we had planned all fell through. We did get to go to a member’s house that night to eat hare from the forest, so that was a pretty sweet end to a bitter day.
On Friday we got a call from a member asking us to meet him at the church, and when I got there I was surprised to see not him, but the first person we baptized back in March, Aldrich! We’d been talking on the phone every now and then since he left, but it was so joyous to finally see him again. I love surprises! I was so happy. We got to sit down and talk for a while, and then we walked him back to the Dim’s house and I had my crowning Douala speaking moment when I met their whole extended family and made them all 20 of them swoon with my Douala skills. I think I used every word I knew, and they died haha. I left that house a taller missionary. Annndd then God humbled me again. The next day we got transfer letters. I couldn’t sleep that whole night. It was like I was 10 years old again on Christmas Eve, just thinking about everything that was go down the next day. I even had a dream that I was leaving to Yaoundé. Well, turns out I AM leaving, but only across the bridge to Bonabéri. I was so disappointed, I could barely fake a happy face as I opened and read my transfer letter. All the people I’ve been working with, all the members I’ve gotten to know, my companions. I guess it was bound to happen eventually, but I was just really, really hoping it wouldn’t be this transfer. There’s two new missionaries coming in to the apartment, and I would’ve loved to have worked with them. The worst part is that they only gave me 3 days to say all my goodbyes, one of those days being Sunday, where we only ever have time to see the Tignyembs. So basically I was depressed all Saturday, but since then I’ve been praying that I will have a better attitude about going to the other side. I know I’ll still see my collegues, if only every other week or so. It’s the members and friends of the church that I’ll miss the most.
I got to say goodbye to most of my friends on Sunday, but not all of them. It was really hard. I tried to convince myself and them that I’ll be around, Bonabéri isn’t too far, so we’ll most likely see each other soon anyway, but I know it won’t be the case. SIGH. I’m sure I’ll love my new area and my new companion, Elder Massé.
Some other fun tidbits—I was talking to an old member when I see his eyes start to roll back, and I almost had a heart attack until I saw that he just fell asleep right in the middle of while I was talking. While looking me right in the eyes. And then suddenly he wakes right back up and says, “What were you saying? Sometimes I fall asleep like that, but don’t worry, just keep talking.” It was so funny. He didn’t do it again, but I couldn’t get over the fact that that’s the second time that someone’s fallen asleep while I was talking. Apparently I’m either really boring or I have a really soothing voice. Probably the former…
Anyway, we had an awesome Saturday despite the fact that all of our rendez-vous fell through again. We had a baptism that didn’t start until an hour and a half until after it was supposed to (not that that’s irregular). I love baptisms. This one was especially beautiful. A 60 some odd year old man getting into the water to make his covenants with God, with his 5 year old daughter on the stairs watching (I won’t talk about how she spent the hour and a half we waited spraying us with water and kicking and punching and smearing mud on my shirt). Then he bore his testimony and it was so awesome. I wish I had recorded it, because I’d show it to everyone! You just can’t deny something like that. It’s instant proof that this is the truth! Some day everyone will know what I’m talking about. Another quote someone said was, “the food that’s ready to eat now is smaller than what will come later,” talking about how baptism is only a taste of the blessings that are to come. I love food analogies, but they make me hungry. So afterwards we had some delicious meat balls (I think it was meat…) and rice and juice. African hosts are unlike any other.
Anyway, another of our appointments told us that she was actually on the other side of the country, so that was normal too. And we met an apostle! There’s a lot of them here, actually. He said he’s been in the ministry for 53 years, and was very proud of it. He has churches all over Cameroon apparently. He wasn’t as proud of the last apostle we met, and even accepted a brochure. We’ll see where that leads. Who knows, maybe he’ll be a real apostle some day!
Saturday night was very special. The same member who fell asleep on me invited us to come to the beginning of his dowery process, which meant going to the wife’s parents’ house to present himself and take the list of everything he needs to buy for her in order to officially marry her traditionally. When we got there, the whole family was there. They split into two groups—we went with Randy (the member) and his two friends, and the fiancée and her family sat on the other side of the room. We huddled into groups and one friend on our side was saying, “it’s not our move, we have to wait for them to start.” Eventually the dad from the other side stands up and says, “So! You’ve come into my home. I’d like to know why!” and then Randy’s friend was going to stand up and present Randy to the family because the man doesn’t do it himself. But his friend only speaks English, so he turns to me and says, “I need you to translate everything for me.” So on the spot I stood up with this other friend and translated for the whole family and told them that we were there because our friend wanted to ask for Kiki’s (the woman) hand in marriage. So they huddle together for a few minutes and so do we until our guys go, “Ok, the ball is in their court!” until their side says, “well who’s your friend?” And then everyone on their side goes, “it’s the white guy!” and everyone starts laughing. It was hilarious. But Randy stands up and presents himself, and then he gave them a gift of wine and whiskey, and then they welcomed us with a huge dinner as they went over the list with Randy. It didn’t look too expensive! Four goats, wine, salt, blankets, new shoes, and a thousand dollars. The cool thing is that they don’t actually have to complete the list to marry the daughter, but they just do what they can. They’ll end up paying everything, but over time. It was really exciting for me to be a part of it, and I was honored that he asked me to help. Plus, we ate really well afterwards.
Sunday was great. It was hard saying bye to everyone, but they were all really encouraging. I got to take a few pictures, and the Tignyembs made us Irish potatoes (cooked potatoes with tomatoes, onions, and green beans) that night and it was delicious.
And now I’m here and it’s already Monday again. I’m so sad to be leaving, but I’m really happy that I’m at least staying in Douala. I love this city so much, and the people even more. I’m excited to move out into the country where you walk everywhere and rarely hear any motorcycles or taxis. I’m excited to have air conditioning, although we’re working with an African so most likely we won’t be using it very much. They can’t put up with the cold at all, haha.
I would love your prayers right now. We’re going into an area that neither I nor my companion know at all, so it’ll be really difficult to locate all the people that the other Elders were working with. In either case, I will do my best to adapt to my new surroundings and keep my head up. It’ll be a rough couple of weeks, but I’m sure that by the end of the month I’ll love it. I will get to see the Tignyembs get married and baptized, for which I’m eternally grateful. I’ll still see the other Elders from time to time, as well as the Gailey’s who I love dearly. It’s a change, but I’ll take it on with open arms!
I love and care about you all so much, please keep in touch! Tell me about your lives! I know you’re having your own difficulties. I will keep you in my prayers, but you can always look to your Heavenly Father for guidance. I know He is there and that He loves and knows you more than anyone else on the planet! He may just be waiting for you to ask Him for help. Sometimes we need to show a little faith. The blessings are there—we just need to ask for them!
Have an awesome week,
Elder Garland
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