Happy 8 months everyone!
I’ve officially been on my mission longer than I was in France, which means I’ve completed a third of my mission. How crazy is that?! Time is no longer something I am even trying to understand. Transfer letters come on Saturday already. How the…I don’t even know anymore.
We had a great week. All of our lessons went through without a hitch for 3 days in a row. During one lesson on Tuesday a baby started crying hysterically across the little dirt path that separates the two house/shacks. My companion was trying to read a passage in the Book of Mormon, so I bent my head and closed my eyes and started saying one of the most fervent, sincere prayers of my life that the Lord would comfort this poor baby. Almost immediately, the screaming slowed to a whimper, and then was completely silent within maybe 10 seconds. It was a huge testimony to me of the power of prayer, and that God does hear and answer us (sometimes immediately, sometimes on His own time ;) ).
Wednesday was incredible. We had the opportunity to meet with President Cook and Elder Cook of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy ! We talked a lot about the importance of building a firm foundation of members here in countries where the Church is still in its infancy, and worked a lot through Preach My Gospel. It was a great experience, and we ate homemade mac n’ cheese, fruit salad, 5 layer bean dip, and had fried ice cream for dessert. When I’m at the Gailey’s I forget I’m in Africa. We talked about how we can make our teaching more effective, which was great. Six hours later we were meeting again for a little fireside among the two branches of Douala, which meant that I got to see the members of Akwa for the first time in about a month. I was so happy to see everyone. It meant so much to me to see my recent converts there participating actively in church activities. That’s the most important thing for us missionaries—knowing that we can leave converts strong enough that they don’t need constant visits like before. I was very proud that evening to see nearly all my converts there.
The rest of the week went by pretty uneventfully until Saturday, where we had two baptisms, one in Bonabéri and one in Akwa! Ortance, the Congolese woman who had an incredible conversion through the power of forgiveness, was baptized in the morning, and many members were there to support and also eat sandwiches and drink folléré afterwards. We left to Akwa, where Elder Massé and I helped clean the church before the next baptism for an investigator of mine since April named Lolita, and then a woman and her grandson were baptized at the same time. It was a beautiful thing. We ate right after, so we had a double mangez-vous on Saturday which is also beautiful. Throughout the whole day we had nothing but pure sunshine for the first time in months, and I got a wicked tan. How many beautiful things can happen in one day?! Lemme tell ya. Lots. God is wonderful.
On Sunday I confirmed Ortance a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and we had an awesome lesson with her after church before she went back to her home in Tiko, this city about an hour away by bus. I may or may not have taken a two hour nap after we got home while my companions prepared dinner. I am a living witness that miracles DO happen.
Every day I am whipped to near death with fatigue, and if I didn’t pray to have strength to make it through the week I know I would just fall day at the end of every day. It’s so hard sometimes, but God lifts me up and uses me as an instrument in His own hands to do things I could never do on my own. I’ll be a sad soul when I come back into the real world and take off my badge. You’ve known some weird return missionaries? Wait till I get back. Oh my hecky, I will rock your world.
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! If you’re on the right path, stay on it! If you’re not, get back on! Life seems easier on the escalator, but if you always take the stairs you won’t have problem when the power goes out ;)
Elder Garland
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