April 28

Mbote a benooo!!!

Well.  This week was once again nothing short of miraculous and
absolutely wild.  Welcome to Africa!  We started off hot with a day
where we saw everyone we planned on seeing, and even got to work with
one of our favorite branch missionaries Jhostavie.  He's this awesome
18 year old (as of today, actually!) kid who loves the Gospel and
basketball and English, which he speaks super well.  Great kid.  Love him.  Anyway he teaches me a lot of
munukutuba, so I'm getting better and better every week.  I can bare
my testimony, so that's a good start!

While we were waiting for Jhostavie in front of this enormous mosque
we had two different people come up to us at two different times to
tell us how they had seen or worked with missionaries before and
wanted to meet us again.  And they both spoke English.  No meat, nice
and clean.  It was just funny because we're there every week and no
one's ever come up to us before.  Well, at least not in English.

Otherwise, we're also working with a ton of people who are preparing
for baptism this month.  At least 14...One guy, a breakdancer named
Josué, even wanted to move up his date because he realized the Church
is true and doesn't need to wait anymore!  I love that.  It reminded
me of this scripture in D&C 6 I think that says "what greater witness
can you have from God?!" Awesome.

Since we were phoneless all day, after we were done we walked over to
the Baileys who had bought us a phone during the day and while we were
over there invited us to stay for dinner of sloppy joes and might as
well stay for cake and ice cream just because.  God bless them.  The
new phone is perfect, too.  Simple, easy to use.  Now we just need all
our numbers back...good thing I got Elder Etherington to take
everyone's number at church for French practice.  He's doing great -
little to no corrections on the numbers he took!

On Wednesday we got ratéd by a member, but got to see another guy who
lives across the street.  His name is Mylife.  Sweet kid.  Huge
underbite, but has a great testimony.  We just need to get him out of
his polygamous dad's house...

Anyway, we also heard the sweetest prayer by a 9 year old girl who
asked God to bless her single mother to find a man and to bless
herself that she would live to be 100 years old.  It was so hard not
to laugh.  Adorable.

We went on splits on Thursday.  I left my son with Elder Ndayizeye to
go work with Elder VanAusdal in Mpaka.  That's always a good time.  I
hadn't been back in over 6 weeks!  When I walked in and took a deep
breath I smelled Christmas and Thanksgiving.  One of those fun sensory
experiences that take you waayyy back.  We ate a delicious beef
stroganoff and I slept like a baby in my airconditioned room.
Unfortunately, I hadn't brought any of my sleepover stuff (razor,
change of clothes, deodorant, toothpaste) so I was pretty nasty the
next day.  I did get to shave with a blade, which I hadn't done in
forever.  I think the last time I shaved with anything other than an
electric razor was when I checked into BYU and before I took my
picture they asked me to shave the 8 hours of stubble I had from the
last night.  Good times.  Anyway, I know some of VanAusdal's
investigators and recent converts really well because I got to work
with them a couple times on splits during the last couple transfers.
Great people are scattered all over this city.  I'm glad I get to talk
with so many of them.  We rode in a bus from Ngoyo back to Fond Tie
Tie and I got to talk with these two mamans and the driver in
munikituba the whole time.  It's funny because as soon as you say
something like, "mbote!" or "afaso!" or "ba mundele me kwizawa!"
everyone just busts up laughing and I know I say that every week but I
can't get enough of it.

One of his investigators (to be baptized on Saturday!!!) is this
awesome 19 year old kid who moved from France.  He's wicked smart,
loves to read, and speaks the most beautiful French you ever heard.
Incredible.  Such a breath of fresh air haha.

On Friday I got to give the district meeting lesson on adjusting our
lessons to the needs of our investigators.  It was a great experience.
 I cried, of course, so I think that means the Spirit was there at
some point.  We went out teaching with Jhostavie again, and then we
came back and Elder Hatch had sent me a number from Cameroon because
someone tried to call me.  I called the number, and as soon as the
picked up I knew exactly who it was.  It was my friend Landry who is
one of the coolest guys I've ever met.  I worked with him with Elder
Zurcher.  He wanted to tell me some really good news, but wanted to
tell me in person so he asked when I was coming back to Cameroon so he
could tell me.  I didn't know what to tell him, but I really hope I
get to go back so I know what the heck happened with him!!!

Also we forced an 11 year old girl to let us help her do dishes haha,
so that was fun.  We basically just walked over and started doing them
without asking.  If you ask, they'll always say no.  So we just help!
They laugh and try to get you to stop but they'll eventually let you
do it if you just keep going.

It was Elder Ndayizeye's birthday on Saturday, and to celebrate that
night, we in Foucks ate ice cream and Oreos in his honor! He wasn't
there to enjoy the ice cream, but we told him all about it.  Earlier
that day I got to the baptism of an old investigator of mine,
Chaldrey.  She was great.  I'm so happy for all these people who are
taking on them the name of their Savior.  I always tell them it's like
they're wearing a soccer jersey with Jesus' name on the back for the
rest of their life and that everyone who sees them should know which
team they're representing.  That usually strikes home!  She's excited,
I'm excited, we're all excited.

I contacted our taximan on the way home in Munikituba also.  He was so
razzled.  He kept telling me it's the first time a white guy's ever
talked to him in his own language, and he wanted to know all about us
and asked us all these questions about our church and says he's gonna
come to the Mvoumvou branch.  His name was Dubernet...so...Africa.

On Sunday we had TWENTY FOUR investigators at church.  A million
people wanted to talk to us afterwards, including a member who wanted
a blessing, and then finally we got to talk with Parfait who is
getting ready for his own baptism, came back and were surprised by the
other elders with a delicious brinner of fatty pancakes and a pan of
eggs and fried bacon (bits).  We played catch phrase and had more ice
cream.  Life is good in the Congo.

I discovered some chaismus writing in Isaiah 2, which I couldn't find
in any other manual so I was pretty proud of that!  I'm sure someone's
found it before, but I was as stoked as a missionary can get.  It's
like the only thing I have to be excited about haha.  Cool scriptures,
cute prayers, baptisms, people coming to church...after all, what else
is there in life?

Well hey - I love and miss you all tons.  Mother's Day is coming up,
and that will be the last Skype session I have before I go home.
Crazy...less than 8 months now.  That's how long I was in France!  It
will fly by, then I will fly home, and I hope you will come to say
hello!  Anyway, that's a long ways away.  For now - I'm sold into this
work!!!

Have an awesome week.  Don't be down on life, because Christ is risen
and He's got something so much bigger in store for you if you give Him
a chance!  So, keep your head up, tackle your problems head on.  Put
on the armor of God and there's nothing that can stop you!!! And if
all that fails, for whatever it's worth know I love you and I'm
praying for you.