December 15 - Last Post

Well folks, this is it.  Tomorrow I'll have my interview and dinner with President Monga, and Wednesday I'm outta here.  

This last week has been...different, to say the least.  It wasn't exactly what I was expecting out of my last full week in the mission.  Alas, I worked as hard as I could with my companion, and I'm satisfied with the work that we did.  President Nitch helped me in getting a new suit after writing home last week, and then in getting some cool trinkets to bring home.  He was such a big help, I'm super thankful for him.  He drove us around the city, so I got to see some of the quartiers that I normally wouldn't have gotten to see!  

On Tuesday we got to see Sandrine and Giselle with her husband Narcisse.  They're the cutest 60+ year old African couple I've met thus far.  

We were planning on dropping off Elder Rako for the new trainers meeting and then going out to our district meeting (where I was going to give the lesson) and then to work, but as we were leaving Elder Rako told me that President called and told him to tell me to be ready for anything.  I didn't know what to think...death in the family?!  I was trying to stay calm while we were walking to the office, and while we were walking we passed a trash man with a Darth Vader mask on, so that made me feel better.  Turns out that President asked my companion and me to accompany Elder Bills and Brother Santie to the airport to pick up the new missionaries, so we told the district leader we wouldn't make it, and then our whole day of teaching was cancelled.  It took over an hour for them to finally come out of the baggage claim, and even then some of their bags didn't come in.  It was awesome to see fresh, MTC missionaries again.  So ready to work!  One of them had shared a Book of Mormon with another guy on the plane and was talking to him while we were figuring out the baggage situation.  That will make an excellent missionary.  I hope I can keep that ferveur on the trip home.  We brought all of them back to the mission office where they had their entrance interviews with President and got to meet their trainers, and then we went with everyone to the Monga's home for dinner.  They put on 17 Miracles while we were waiting for everyone to show up, so that was good to watch again.  Tears, every time.  We started watching Ephraim's Rescue, which I hadn't seen yet, but now I want to finish it! What an amazing story.  Dinner was awesome - fufu, rice, chicken, fish, and sakasaka.  I love the Mongas.  I went outside and tossed a basketball around (I know, not exactly what you do with a basketball, but they don't have a court so we just passed it around haha) with two of their kids while the new missionaries, who hadn't had really any sleep in the last day's worth of travelling, caught a quick nap in the Monga's living room.  From there we brought all the teams home, which took another 3 hours.  We were whipped ourselves by the time we got home, but at least we were full and didn't have to make anything to eat!

There was another new missionary orientation meeting on Thursday morning, which we were assigned to teach on the missionary schedule and using Preach My Gospel, just like last time.  It was only supposed to last an hour and a half, but went for three hours.  So the rendezvous we had were missed, and then I did my very last weekly planning with my companion.  I did my best to pretend that I would be staying and try to help him figure out the different investigators for the week, but it was difficult, I admit.  Sister Bills was kind enough to take and hem my suit pants that night, which I fitted to the shoes that President Nitch offered me, which the missionaries call, in Lingala, "makoto," which I have no idea means what haha.  But they're fancy, so it probably has something to do with that.

On Friday we left really early to go split with the Guynemer Elders, and then Elder Rakotonindriana and I worked our sector.  Well, for an hour...we went straight to this member's niece's house to teach her, and then we went back to eat lunch before heading into Elder Rako's sector to work with the sisters.  There's a first time for everything, even at the very end of your mission!  We helped them teach a first contact they had, and then Elder Rako and I went to see someone who lives pretty close to us that he'd contacted the day before with Elder Bulendolo, one of the new missionaries who was just in passing to Pointe Noire.  We met my companion and Elder Mbuyi at the Makelekele building and then waited for Elder Mbuyi's companion to come get him.  We waited for over an hour because they others had accidentally gone to the Bacongo building, and then it started pouring rain, so of course that slows everyone down.  While we were waiting Elder Rako asked me to do a backflip, which was difficult in my boot/shoes, but I managed to still land on two feet!  It had been a long time...I'm just glad I didn't break my face. That night we taught our neighbors - a beautiful family of 6 kids, and everyone but dad was there.  They were happy to receive us, and we had a good chat with them before retiring for the night.

We had a couple responsabilities we needed to take care of Saturday morning, but we had to wait while 2 of the Bacongo elders came to our place to iron their shirts.  They've been without power for 4 weeks now.  Incredible.  I thought 5 days was bad!  They've been suffering, so we were happy to relieve a little of their stress.  We had to deliver soutien to the Kinsoundi elders, where we were planning on attending a marriage at the same time, but when we showed up there was hardly anyone there, and only 2 of the 6 missionaries.  We decided to just give them the money and go teach.  I love what Elder Oaks said - there are good choices, but better and best choices as well.  I think we made the best choice.  We got to see Chancel, Dorcia, and Loic before heading back home to meet the plumber.  We also got a small cone of 20 cents worth of the most delicious ice cream I've had in 2 years.  It was so smooth and thick, I don't know how to explain it.  Maybe I've just been deprived, but I was in heaven.  Only 100 CFA!  What a steal.  We were walking around the quartier when 3 little boys came out to pee in the street (yes, that's normal), when one of them turns to the one in the middle and totally starts peeing all over him, laughing hysterically.  The middle kid didn't think it was so funny - he turned, pants down, and smacked the other one right in the face.  It was SO funny.  

For my last Sunday, I was hoping to see the bishop again, but he was still absent because of the death of his father.  Who could blame him.  Brother Batoumeni gave me a few minutes after sacrament to bear my testimony.  Since I'd already done that just a few weeks earlier, I decided last second to read a Proverb over the pulpit and apply it to the ward.  Proverbs 20:25, translated from the Louis Seconde version reads, "It's a snare for a man to take a sacred commitment lightly, and to reflect only after having made a vow."  I had everyone do some introspection while I went over a few topics and asked if we as members take them too lightly.  I talked about the sacrament, respecting the Sabbath and other commandments, repenting, family duties including FHE and daily prayer/scripture studies, the Priesthood and duties as a father/mother, following the counsel of modern day prophets and apostles, callings in the ward, including home and visiting teaching.  I felt like I had everyone's attention by the end, at least, and I felt really good the whole time I was talking.  Of course I bore my testimony in the end anyway, and didn't shed a single tear.  I don't know if that means I just control myself better or if I did something wrong haha, but I'm pretty sure that's what God wanted the members to hear at that time.  In any case, I got a lot of thank you's and congratulations afterwards, so at least some people appreciated it.  

Bishop Gaetan had invited us over to his house for dinner that night, but he lives forever away, so he came to pick us up at the Diata building to take us outside the city and into his quartier.  It was such a pretty drive.  We were on a well-paved road the whole time that went across huge, rolling hills covered in the greenest foliage, barely speckled with a few small tin huts where people were living.  When we got closer, however, to his house, there was a black and white difference in development.  First - an ENORMOUS Olympic football stadium that is right next to his house.  It is BEAUtiful.  I can't believe it's even there...it looks so out of place, haha, but it's awesome.  By the time I come back to visit, I plan on catching a Red Devils game!  While the food was being prepared we went out to see the largest university in Africa (under construction).  It was so vast, with thousands of little suburb-worthy homes on the other side of the street.  It is going to be an impressive institution and will provide an immense boost in their economy.  There was the new Presidential Palace that is being built not far from there, and that looks beautiful as well.  Then we went to Elonda, this hole in the hill, which from the road looks like nothing, but once you drive in it opens up into this incredible resort - 3 large pools with a sort of huge teletron screen for watching soccer, several sculptures and artsy landscaping, bridges and rivers and oh my.  It was so cool.  There's a big hotel right next door, and that was pretty cool too.  If I ever move to the Congo...I know where I'll be staying.  Bishop Gaetan welcomed us into his home, where his wife had made a huge dinner for us - chicken, fish, rice, sakasaka, salade, bread, and last but not least, kwanga!  It was great.  I was stuffed.  The Bishop brought us all the way back home, which was really nice of him, and we cashed out for the night.

That brings us to today...the next time I write will be from my own own.  It's gone by unbelievably fast.  I think surreal is the best way to put it!  I don't think I'll realize what's going on until I'm actually on American soil.  Maybe the sea of white people will wake me up in Paris.  I'm excited to come home, but at the same time...there are so many things that I'm leaving behind.  Missionary life has become so normal.  It will be an interesting adjustment...1st world, white country where people speak English.  I suppose that's life.  

I could go on about how thankful I am for these experiences, but that would take a whole letter in its own.  I could write about the different people, but that would take volumes.  I could write about the cultures, but that would take an encyclopedia!  

Something that is simple, however, is my testimony.  I know that the work I was called to do was of divine providence.  I've come to know of the cleansing effect of the Atonement, for which I have been the most thankful of all.  I've learned of the truthfulness of the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith and the divinity of the Book of Mormon.  My love and affection for the prophet Thomas S. Monson has only grown, as well for the apostles and other General Authorities, especially those with whom I've been able to speak with (Elders Cook and Hamilton, notably).  I know that God lives and loves each of us!  What a blessing it is to be counted among His children, with divine potential if only we'd embrace it.  My prayer is that I will be able to continue growing in my knowledge of these things through a righteous standard of living back home.  

You can take the missionary out of the mission, but you can't take the mission out of the missionary!

May God bless each of you.  

I love you, and I will continue to pray for you.      

Elder (for the last time) Garland

December 8

Time is ticking...

This week came and went.  We had some great experiences every day, as always.  Though sometimes it's difficult to stay efficient with our time, we do our best and work our hardest.  On Tuesday we had quite the load of lessons, and then on Wednesday we went on a split.  In the morning we all went over to the Kinsoundi elders' apartment (which is sooo shady and makes me grateful for my house!) to do companionship study with the elders who are training.  It was awesome - I went with Elder Ntambwe (who I know from Pointe-Noire from when I FIRST got there) and his trainee Elder Bakajika from Kinshasa.  After studying together Elder Ntambwe made fufu and make a sauce and cooked chicken for everyone (excpet Elder Tweneboah - he doesn't like fufu haha).  I realized that's what makes the elders leave so late, because it takes forever to prepare, so that gave me something to talk about during our zone conference a few days later.

Anyway, I followed the elders around their sector all day, which was a nice change of pace.  Well...actually, it was really hard haha.  They work across two big mountains, which of course we had to walk up and down and through to get to their appointments.  It made me grateful for my relatively flat sector.  The people we saw, however, were great.  We focused mostly on less-actives, one of them being a man whose belly was super bloated and whose legs were drying out as he suffered from liver cancer.  He was healthy enough to shuffle around a bit, but that's all.  He was really happy to have a visit.  Little did I know that it would be his last...we got word during church on Sunday that he died not long after.  It was really weird for me to hear that.  Like, one day he's there, and hup!  Gone.  We were all laughing and praying together and hup! Dead.  I was sad, but happy that he'd be ok in the spirit world.  No more itchy legs!  There is hope!

We also visited a really young couple (dont le mari est membre), and who had lost an infant about a year ago, resulting in the husbands inactivity.  He got mad at God and kindof rebelled.  But through our visit with him and his wife we helped them to realize why bad things happen to good people, and in the end he was saying the closing prayer, thanking God for his trials.  Incredible.  I also saw a man who looked totally normal and then BAM! HUGE big toes.  Like elephantitis toes.  He was walking pretty normally, barefoot, but dang...what a crazy disease.  At the end of the day I went to their ward building to interview one of their candidates, which went really well. 

On Thursday we went out to see one of my favorite investigators, Sandrine, and her family, and ended up doing her dishes!  It'd been a while since we got to do any service, so I was once again thankful for that.  Then we had a blast teaching the Plan of Salvation to another girl who just ate it up.

President called a zone conference on Friday, which ended up lasting a lot longer than we'd planned - from 9-3 we were at the stake center/mission office talking about things we can work on as missionaries and we mostly talked about extending more boldly invitations.  I also got a birthday present from Elder Wright - a Cameroon jersey and Cameroonian bottle caps that I'd regretted not picking up when I was there (I've collected the ones I've found in the Congo).  Needless to say, I was wicked happy.  I love that guy. 

We had a sandwich and then left to see President Yengo, the stake president, at the ward to talk about things that he thinks the wards can work on that we can transmit to the elders.  He's a very wise man, and I loved meeting with him.  He knows that without them our work is really difficult, so he's doing his best to help us!

On Saturday we got to see some new people before heading out to a marriage in Kinsoundi, which ended up being your typical African wedding - long talks about marriage, break outside and everyone dances as they walk presents to the married couple and to take a picture with them, then food was served (rice, beans, chicken, fish, bread, salade, kwanga, juice), and then we all went home!  I got to see some old friends from Pointe-Noire again, and we got to take some pictures and speak Munukutuba and everyone laughed, which is your average reaction from an African listening to a white guy speak his own language haha. 

Sunday was both great and rough.  First, we started off our fast for one of our investigators who's having a problem getting out of financial difficulty.  Then, it was SUPER hot all day, which made it hard to walk around.  Then, we heard that our bishop's dad passed away, so that was sad.  He wasn't there for us to console, but we plan on passing by sometime during the week.  Frere Bath (pronounced Bat) gave my companion and me a tie, which was really nice.  We got to confer him the Priesthood after church, and then we accompanied him to his house to talk about his responsabilities, after which we headed down 45 minutes the other direction to see another sister.  We went home to study, where we were so whipped.  We've been without power since Friday, and now we have no more water again.  It's been...rough haha.  My companion made fufu up the heezy, and we ate it with an awesome tomatoe sauce with beef AND chicken, and then I devoured a huge mango afterwards, sooo I slept like a champ, even without power.

And so begins my last week in the field...it will go by super fast - we have a lot of meetings with the new missionaries and President.  So there might not be much to write next week.  Not that it matters - it will be my last letter home and then hup!  I'll BE home! 

Scary.

Love you all, see you soon!!!!

December 1

Howdy from Brazza!

This has been a pretty dramatic week.  On Monday night my companion and I went to an FHE with the first counselor in the ward, and what did he have for us to eat?  Steamed catipillars and fufu, which I'd requested last week!  It was actually super good...I wish I could explain it with words, but just know that once it's in your mouth you don't really know that you're eating little critters :)

Tuesday was pretty busy.  We got to see some of the recent converts in the ward, and we met this guy who had met the missionaries in France and got married to a Japanese woman and came back with his kids (who are beautiful, by the way) to the Congo.  He's quite the character.  We only saw him that once, but hopefully I'll have some more news on his progression this next week.  

On our way to district meeting on Wednesday I was getting into the front seat of the bus when my companion, who was behind me, calls out to me that he'd just got a phone call from the landlord that he didn't have a key to the house and needed one to let the plumber and electrician install the pump for the water.  So, though I was frustrated, I got out of the bus and called the Kinsoundi elders to tell them that we'd be late.  Only then did they tell us that the meeting had been cancelled because Elder Ntambwe had to go to the hospital for a rash under his arm.  I don't know why they didn't call us before, but God does!  And he stopped us from wasting our time going all the way out there for nothing.  Instead, we just continued with our normal morning schedule and then went to the Bacongo district meeting, which was great.  We got a coordonnee from the sister missionaries, but didn't know if it was in our sector or not.  After some asking around and getting directions, we decided to go see the girl even though she was outside or sector.  We just wanted to get a first contact with her and then pass her off to the other elders.  She turned out to be really cool, and she speaks Kituba!  Her mom was so excited she gave us a little of this really bitter papaya-looking fruit called "Tchiya" which means "hot" or "fire" in Kituba, but no relation between the two apparently.  She said the closing prayer in Lari, the dominant language in my sector, and I actually understood most of it with my Lingala knowledge combined with the kikongo.  It was sweet.  

Elder Leavitt had some bad news...he'd been to the hospital for some more tests and found out that he'd accumulated 2 liters of fluid around his chest cavity surrounding his lungs, so they decided that they would send him to Seattle to be treated, and that he'd leave Friday.  I was shocked.  I'm leaving pretty soon, but the thought of going home Friday made me kinda freak out.  Plus I feel really bad for Elder Leavitt.  On the outside he seems ok, other than he wasn't eating much, but he was suffering pretty bad on the inside.  So we sat down and chatted for the next hour or so about how that would be, going home and all.  He was really bummed, but he got the promise that he'd get to come back to this mission, so that was good.

On Thursday, after 3 weeks of suffering, we finally got a small fridge and an oven.  Blessings.  We'd gotten a text from the Assistants that they were waiting for us at the office, so we huffed out there in a rush only to find out that they meant to text the other zone leaders.  Woops.  We decided to just do weekly planning at the office, and by the time we were done we were invited to go to the Bills' to help them start preparing dinner for Thanksgiving.  We helped skin, core, and cut apples for a crisp, and tear apart some homemade bread for stuffing.  We took everything to the Nelsons' where we sat down with our own apple and a handful of toothpicks and gumdrops to make apple turkeys haha, it was fun.  Then we loaded plates of chicken, rice and gravy, green bean casserole, and stuffing.  It was awesome.  For dessert we had the apple crisp and a vanilla custard with whipped cream.  Incredible.  I was so thankful for the opportunity to celebrate with a handful of Americans in the middle of Africa.  There are too many things to list for which I'm thankful for...but I'm infinitely greatful for this chance to serve a mission.  The blessings have been endless and often undeserved, but they keep coming!  

We said goodbye to Elder Leavitt early Friday morning, and sent him off with the Nelsons to their trip South Africa.  We found out on Saturday that Elder Leavitt had barely made the trip and that he had to stay there to be treated instead of taking the flight to Seattle.  We decided to fast for him on Sunday, and we continue to pray for him.  It might be tuberculosis, but we're still waiting for more news.  

Because of his leaving, we took on Elder Rakotonindriana as a third companion and had to adapt our program for him.  We picked him up at the office (he'd gone with the Nelsons to drop off his companion at the airport), and then we came back and at before leaving.  We only got to see one of our recent converts, but at least we know now where he lives!  

On Saturday we showed up to one of our rendezvous, but they weren't there.  We were standing in the road thinking about what we were going to do when this younger guy came up and was like, "When is the end of suffering?" So we just said...can we sit down with you for a minute? Haha it was classic.  We sat down, answered a few questions, gave him a brochure, took his phone number, and prayed.  Missionary work is easy when people have the courage to approach you!  We went from the sector to the stake conference, where a brother was playing hymns on a recorder.  The conference was great.  They talked about raising kids, traditions, justifications, home teaching, etc.  The members really needed to hear the messages that were given; I hope it went home to them!

I also found some old friends on Sunday - Floger and Odenelle from Mpaka!  I was so happy to see them.  We got to chat like old chums for a while before we went back home.  I was also really happy to break my fast over a steaming plate of mac n' cheese and drain a 1.5 liter of ice cold water.  It's always worth fasting, haha.

I love you all!  I will see you all in a little over 2 weeks...incredible.  Say your prayers, read your scriptures, go to church.  It'll be ok.

Elder Garland

November 24

Craziness week number 2 is over.

It started as soon as I finished writing last week.  We went home,
relaxed for about 5 minutes and then headed back out to the bishop's
house for FHE, which involved playing a scripture chase game (which I
won! :) ) and watching soccer as his wife prepared my favorite meal -
3 pieces!  It is basically a meat prepared with grass clippings and
peanut butter, but it's so good.  We ate it with manioc fufu and
chased it down with some bisap.  My companion told me later that the
meat may or may not have been monkey.  I couldn't remember, but I'm
still alive...so that's good!  I honestly think it was just beef.
But...

I had a pretty unique experience on Tuesday when we went out to meet a
family of 6 that had been left by the other missionaries.  While we
were talking, the mom suddenly stops and says, wait a minute...Elder
Garland, how many colors does the American flag have?  I said 3 - red,
white, and blue.  And she goes, "Glory to God! He is incredible!"  And
proceeds to explain this dream she had where the other missionaries
got mad at her and left the house, but her youngest daughter came back
inside holding a white duck that had red and blue stripes on it's
back.  Her daughter explained that the duck was well-trained and
wouldn't poop on the floor and could eat out of a bowl.  She said,
Elder Garland, I think that duck is you!  I said, Sister Sandrine,  I
promise I will never poop on your floor. *insert much laughing*
ANYway, I've always been secretly jealous of missionaries who've had
investigators dream about them (it's happened now 3 times), and have
always wanted my own experience.  Well, that wish was answered on
Tuesday.  Whatever it takes for her to be more attentive and come to
church and accept the Gospel, I went with it!  I really do love that
family though already.  It's the mom (Sandrine), and her 5 kids -
Messie, Vially, Laurna, Orchide, and Deo-Gracias.  They're all
adorable.  They remind me of the Tignyemb family from Douala.

While we were walking out of that parcelle we passed a group of cool
kids all in their late teens, and one of them was holding an untied
tie.  I said, "Hey!  Do you know how to tie that?"  He didn't even get
to respond because all his friends started accusing him of being
useless, so I invited them all over for a quick lesson.  I explained
while I tied it, put it over his head, told them all to come church,
and we peaced out.  It was great.

We had this incredible lesson with a less-active member who hadn't
been to church in over a year.  When we sat down he basically started
teaching himself - "I know why you're here.  I haven't been to church
and that's not good.  I need to be in communion with God and take the
Sacrament.  I will be there on Sunday!"  We were just like..."Yeah!
Can we say a closing prayer?" Haha it was really cool.  He was
sincerely humbled and really wanted to come to church.  We were
excited to see him Sunday.

As we were getting to know our sector, wandering the back alleys and
streets, we were stopped by a member who we figured was less-active
because we hadn't seen him at church either.  He was happy to tell us
where he lived and gave us his number, and that lead us to teaching
his whole family.  His 10 year old daughter isn't a member yet, so we
had another investigator!

District meetings here are interesting...we started surprisingly on
time, and it went pretty smooth.  The missionaries here love to
chastize one another through spiritual thoughts.  They take their
white handbooks, scriptures, and Preach My Gospel, call out another
Elder by name and ask them to read the particular paragraph that he
isn't obeying.  Then they talk about a time when that missionary
wasn't being obedient.  The other missionary then thanks him for the
thought, and proceeds to chastize the other missionary with another
scripture or passage.  It went on like that the whole meeting!  But at
the end everyone was just laughing and hugging and slapping fives.  It
was so funny...thankfully I didn't get a chastisement haha.

On our way back into the sector we walked through a sort of open parc
area where students were outside playing badminton.  On sand, with
fingers to draw out the lines, and no nets.  So.  Then we took a taxi
who, pulling up to an intersection (where police were controlling the
traffic) put on his seatbelt, and then right when we passed he took it
off again.  It was the first time I'd ever even seen an African put on
his (or her) seatbelt haha.  I was surprised he even had one
accessible in the car!  Hilarious.

We had our Ward Mission Leader walk around with us to show us some
member homes, which proved super useful later in the week as we
struggled to find people to teach.

On Thursday we really needed to go out and find someone who could come
by every now and then to take out our trash.  You literally just have
to walk around the quartiers until you find someone who's out and
about, collecting trash in his...trash...mobile...which is exactly
what happened!  It only took us probably 5 minutes before we saw 2
guys pushing around a...trash mobile...and we ran after them,
explained where we lived, and took his phone number.  Blessings!

When I woke up on Friday morning I started walking out of the room
when I noticed that the bathroom was totally flooded - the pipe from
the wall to the toilet was leaking.  It took me 30 minutes to clean it
up by myself, and then I tried to fix the leak.  Well, turns out
there's 3 problems.  The threads are stripped on the valve, the float
in the tank doesn't close off the water entry like it's supposed to,
and the emergency drain that goes into the bowl is higher than a
random hole in the side of the tank.  Incredible.  I spent all morning
trying to figure it out, but eventually called the proprieter to have
him come look.  When he got there, the power cut off.  We spent the
next 3 days without electricity - preparing dinner and eating in the
dark, sleeping in our sweat, and overall just suffering.

That same morning we had to leave really early to be able to catch a
girl before she left for school, which turned out to be really great.
When we walked for another 3 hours, however, looking for other people
it became tiresome.  We happily took a scripture study and lunch break
at the church after making a copy of the key down the street.

Some drunk guy threw a beer can across our path and I didn't say a
word.  Progression!

Our last rendezvous wasn't at home, but I quickly found out that the
entire parcelle speaks kikongo!  So I jumped in and blew everyone's
mind and then a maman roasting peanuts congratulated me with a paper
cone filled with fresh, roasted, delicious peanuts which I enjoyed in
the dark as I wrote in my journal to lantern light.

And I saw someone wearing a Seussical shirt out on the street, which
made me laugh.

We didn't have much planned for Saturday, but we left anyway to go
find someone who lived in the same parcelle as some families we met.
The first stop was golden - a maman was sitting out with the Relief
Society President just chatting next to a burning trash pile.  We
asked if we could sit down, which we did as we played with her 3 year
old daughter and shared her a brochure on the Family.  It was great!
We sat down again with our 9 year-old investigator and explained to
her mom that she doesn't really need to wait until her birthday so
they can throw a dual party for her to be baptized, which her daughter
was ecstatic about, so that was nice.  Plus they bought us some
"juice" which is actually soda, which we shared with her other little
kids.

We intended on going to an activity at the church, but no one showed
up except one girl, Ana, who was actually just there to clean the
building.  Since not even the rest of the cleaning crew was there, we
decided to help Ana and got to sweep, mop, and dust the church.  I was
happy to serve.

We met a girl whose name is "Saira" which is pronounced "Sah-ee-rah,"
which in French means, "It'll be ok."  So.  Weclome to Congo.

Later we went to a stake activity at the Bakongo/Kinsoundi ward
building, where we met up with the other missionaries.  There was a
young man there, and when I asked his name he said he was a Yengo,
related to Juno and Grace from Pointe-Noire, who I knew really well!
It was great to meet another Yengo.  His older brother was even there,
the one I met back in Pointe-Noire who lived in Hawai'i!  What a
reunion.  We got to chat in kikongo and blow away the crowd.  Hoorah's
for everyone.

Sunday started off disappointing because we didn't get to welcome many
investigators to church, but by the time the primary program was over
(ADORABLE) we turned around and saw lots of people who we knew.  There
were even more people that we didn't know who came up and presented
themselves and asked us to meet their friends and to come over and
teach their families.  We were happy to fix rendezvous with all of
them!  So we went from having pretty much no one teach to having too
many.  It got even better when we were invited to go to an Elders
Quorum activity and meet probably 30 friends of the member who was
hosting the activity.  Unfortunately, we had to leave right as they
started serving food...the Bills helped us change out our empty gas
tank (which died right after I finished making mac an cheese -
blessings), fill up 40 liters of drinkable water, and drop us off at
home.  All the missionary couples are angels, I swear.  We had just
finished making chili and baking cornbread (in a pot that we put in
another pot filled with sand - which works great, by they way, as long
as your pot doesn't have holes in the side to let sand blow in on the
top...), when the power came back on!  You could hear screaming and
shouting and hollering across the whole quartier.  Most of it probably
was coming from our own house haha.

Anyway, there's much left to learn and to do before I go home.  I'm
trying my best not to think about it but it's really hard.
Bittersweet has never meant more to me.  It will get more bitter and
less sweet until I actually go home, but for now I'm enjoying every
minute I have left!

Love you all, pray for you all, see you all soon!

Elder Garland

November 17

Mbote na bino ! (Ok it didn't change much - Lingala and Munukutuba are kinda similar haha)

HOLY WHAT A WEEK.  I have so much to say about everything that's happened this week...I could literally write a book, but I'll try to keep it condensed.  

Here we go.

Last Monday after writing home we had an FHL - Family Home Leaving, which was basically dinner and a testimony meeting.  The testimony meeting turned into everyone saying something really nice about me, and then me trying to blubber something about everyone else through tears and sobs.  It was hardest to say goodbye to the Baileys...I have really, truly learned more from them than anyone else on my mission.  It has been a most special opportunity to leave in their attic, haha.  I could write a book on them alone!  I can't wait to meet back up with them in the States to share stories about Africa that no one will understand.  Jhostavie and Paco came as well on special invitation.  Jhostavie gave me a nice Bob Marley necklace and Paco wrote me a song on piano that was super touching.  I said my final goodbyes to the elders, which was hard.  The good news is that I'll probably see most of them back home, and Elder Nkulu will come to Brazza to join us in a last dinner together.

The next morning I spent packing while Sister Bailey came up and cleaned our apartment that has been suffering as Elder Sperry was sick and I was occupied writing letters to all our recent converts and others.  Soon enough we were leaving for the airport with my bags packed.  My carry-on was apparently too heavy, but they let me through anyway.  I said goodbye to my companion and hugged the Baileys.  Tears.  On the plane to Brazzaville I talked to this old man who's married, and that was pretty great.  I got his number and left him a brochure.  I especially appreciated his fedora.

When I got to the airport in Brazza, Elder Bills (one of the missionary couples here) and my companion Elder Mandefu (from the DRC, Lumbumbashi) were there to pick me up.  Elder Bills drove us to our house, which is pretty nice!  Getting out of the mini-bus there was a mamma with a huge pile of plantains that we helped her transport into the back of her parcelle before unloading my own bags.  The house has just about everything - but none of it works.  The water doesn't run, but there's a big resevoir underneath, so we have to pull our water from there to take bucket showers, wash the dishes and clothes, etc.  There's air conditioners that don't work, and we don't have fans.  There's 31 lightbulbs that don't work.  There's no fridge or oven, but there's a small deep freezer.   No microwave, but there's an iron!  

We didn't stay long; just enough to drop off my bags, and then we went to the mission office, which is found in a STAKE CENTER.  It's incredible.  I met the Bills and the Nelsons, and brother Santi who works for the missionary department here.  President was there, so I got to say hi to him too.  We had a missionary leader reunion in preparation for the 4 new missionaries who are training in Brazza.  The other missionaries are really nice!  It was weird being the only white guy.  They have their own sense of humor here, that everyone seems to be in on, but that I don't understand at all.  It's all pretty much based on scripture jokes and whatnot, but they all think it's the funniest thing.  Anyway, I'm trying to fit in and make the same kinds of jokes...it's not rolling quite yet haha.  Then I met the sister missionaries...weird.  They're really nice.  But it was weird.  I was really uncomfortable the whole time haha. 

Turns out my companion was moving into the house as well, and that means we're white washing! Unfortunately, the area book and the phone were both gone.  So.  We planned on getting that the next day for an orientation meeting for the new missionaries who were arriving from the MTC.  White washing also means that we had no food in the apartment, and by the time we left the mission office it would've been too late to buy anything.  The Bills were kind enough to invite us to come to their house to eat Moroccan soupe, which was delicious.  I had apple slices for the first time in forever.  When we got back, I laid down in my bed and sweat until I was knocked out by fatigue.  

Our meeting was for 9 o'clock, but it turned out to just be a meeting for the new missionaries to have interviews with the President.  In the meantime, I just got to know the other missionaries some more.  One of them, Elder Kabasele, actually speaks Kikongo, so we got to chat for a while and that was fun.  When all the interviews were done, President Monga invited everyone to his own house, the Mission Home, to welcome all the new missionaries for lunch.  Sister Monga had made sakasaka, rice, and beef and I watched as one of the sister missionaries prepared corn fufu, the specialty here that the African missionaries can't live without.  It was fun to sit around and eat like they do, talk like they do, joke like they do.  I found out from the sisters who used to live in our house that water does sometimes run through the faucets, but usually at 1-3 in the morning.  So...there's that.  From the Mongas we drove home all the missionaries all across the city.  It took like 4 hours.  We stopped at a boutique and grabbed a 10 liter bottle of water, because we don't have filters at our house yet. We were also so full from the Mongas that we didn't have to make dinner, which was nice because we still didn't have any food. We took home with us Elder Rakotonindriana, my good friend from Pointe-Noire, who's the assistant here and who'll be working with Elder Leavitt, who I worked with on his very first day in Africa back in Douala with Elder Zurcher.  His plane didn't come in until Friday though, so we were a trio for a couple days.

The real orientation meeting was on Thursday morning, set for 10h00.  We were the first to get there, a ten minute walk from the house, and we waited for another 30 minutes before any other missionaries got there.  Even then, some didn't show up until around 11.  President didn't seem too surprised haha; I guess that's just how it is here...anyway, we had a nice time introducing ourselves to the newbies and my companion and I shared a thought about the Missionary Handbook and Preach My Gospel.  After the meeting was over, we had to figure out our money situation, because they weren't planning on giving out any until Monday (today), but since we didn't have any food at the apartment they gave us a small stipend so we could so some shopping.  We had to wait around the office though as Elder Rako took care of business as a single Assistant.  He looked really busy, and we didn't end up going home until the end of the day.  

On Friday my companions and I went out to the market - not far from Fond Tie-Tie!  There were some new items though - bats, catipillars, maggots, giant crickets, among other things.  I started learning a little Lingala, so I'm excited for that.  When we were done we dropped off our veggies and came back to the office.  Elder Mandefu and I did weekly planning while Elder Rako was doing his assistant stuff, and he eventually left to go pick up Elder Leavitt from the airport.  His flight got delayed, but eventually he came in and we got to see him.  He looks good!  The same as when we met him a year and a half ago in Cameroon haha.  On our return to the apartment we had a lower power input, which basically means that only the 2 light bulbs in our bedroom were on.  That was it.  The rest of the house was dark.  We were all starving, so Elder Leavitt threw together some veggies and Elder Rako made rice, which we ate on the porch in the light of the neighborhood.  

When we got up to get breakfast at the boutique on Saturday morning it started raining a little.  When we got to the boutique it was pouring.  The boutique lady speaks Kikongo also, and she loves me, which means we get good prices on stuff.  My companion wanted to wait the rain out at the boutique, but I convinced him to run home with me.  It was a good thing we left when we did, because the street was rapidly becoming a river, and the quartier street was already impassable.  We had to take off our sandals and run barefoot up to our knees in the biggest storm I've been in since last year, laughing hysterically the whole way home.  From head to toe we were soaking wet, and as we were drying off inside the thunder and lighting kicked on full blast, and we took a bolt either directly on the house or nearby, because the electric box right next to me exploded and scared the bejeebees out of me.  The assistants left in the rain to drop off soutien to all the apartments, and my companion and I waited out the rain to go back into the market for the things we couldn't get the day before, a.k.a. fufu powder and rice.  They have a special lady who makes corn fufu for all the missionaries, so we had to cross the whole city once the rain was died down.  

All this city crossing has allowed me to see a good part of Brazzaville.  It is beautiful here.  It's hilly and so green everywhere.  I love it.  There's really cool infrastructure, and almost all the streets are paved, complete with sidewalks.  I've seen some huge university complexes and even a giant library.  The biggest surprise was the 6 lane road we drove on.  It's been...2 years since I've seen that.  There's two rivers here - the Djoué and the Congo, both of which are really impressive.  Basically I'm going to love being here.  It's extremely hot, but I'm thankful for the rain.  

When we got back we dropped off our groceries and left to go see our WARD building, which is along a busy road in town.  There happened to be a Relief Society activity there, so we got to meet some of the sisters and the BISHOP, who is a young, return missionary who is on top of everything.  He had already scheduled a meeting with the ward mission leader and missionaries for after church the next day.  I was baffled.  Organization?! Here?!  Nah...it makes everything so much easier.  My companion is also so easy to work with.  His name literally means Elder Hope Beard, so that's cool.  He's experienced and works hard, and knows how to work with the leaders.  I can't say enough about how awesome he is and how thankful I am to have a diligent companion.

The water happened to be running Saturday night, so I filled up 10, 25-liter bidons of water while the others went to bed.  I also spent an hour and a half making spaghetti with this beef we bought from a local buchery.  May I emphasize local.  As I sat outside filling up the bidons I looked up into the heavens and was caught up in the moment.  Despite all my studies I couldn't figure out where in the sky I was looking at, and at the same time I was like, "What the heck am I even doing here in the middle of Africa?!  I'm worried about stars and I'm overwhelmed in a sector I don't know, in a city of missionaries I don't know, passing millions of people and comparatively few of them actually GET IT."  So there I am, begging God to show me something in the sky to show me He's there and He cares.  I filled up bidon after bidon, always coming back to stare at the stars.  Eventually they were all full, and I disparingly got up, shut off the water, and started locking the doors.  When I was standing in the last doorway, I looked up one last time at a spot of the sky that had been behind my head and I couldn't see from where I was sitting.  I squinted and recognized a small cluster of stars - the Pleiades !!! And next door, Orion !!  I couldn't help but smile.  At last, I knew where I was in the sky.  And I knew that God was the Creator of all of these things, I am His son, and that He let me look around the rest of the sky to find myself, but only after considering the whole picture could I recognize where I belong in the moment.  And where I belong is here in Brazzaville, preaching His eternel Gospel to His children.  How thankful I was in that small moment, filling bidons off the porch of my electricty-less house.

I learned a lot again on Sunday.  We went to church at 9 (in a taxi that had to hotwire his car to start it) and met many members.  The church is about a quarter of the size of the one in Pointe-Noire, but the members are great.  The ward mission leader wasn't able to make it, so we pushed back our meeting with the bishop to Monday night at FHE.  He invited us to bare our testimonies during sacrament meeting, and that's always fun.  We left with the first counselor and a branch missionary (who ended up being a recent convert from the Mpaka branch and knew Elder Brockbank?!?!) and the Bills to go visit some less-active members in our sector.  It was really cool!  My first time in my sector, haha.  We pulled out on to that busy road and almost got blind sided on my side by a speeding 4x4 who almost drove off the road and into the sidewalk, but thankfull swerved back on to the road.  I was surprisingly passive about the whole thing...like, oh well, I'm about to die.  That was comforting haha.

Our sector is beautiful, and we already met some prospective investigators.  The Bills offered to drive our branch missionary home - we didn't know he lived in the bush.  But it was a really pretty drive!  We crossed a bridge over the Djoué, alongside the Congo river (SO impressive), and up this small mountain where, looking behind us, we could see Kinshasa on the other side of the river.  It took 30 minutes to get there, but we were really impressed with his diligence in coming to church every week.  Awesome member.  The Bills took us home, I washed my clothes by hand (raw knuckles...so thankful for a washer now...) and my companion fried some chicken and made rice for us.  It was delicious.  We ate it in the light of our bedroom.

SO that's been my week.  I left out the more gruesome details, but know that everything is going according to the will of He who knows all.  I'm proud to be in the service of the army of the Lord, for however much longer I have.  Time is precious.  I probably won't have that much to write next week, but hey.  Why limit adventure?!  

I have so much to pray for and to be thankful for.  I pray for you.  I love you.  Have a wonderful, uplifting week.  Remember to read your scriptures and say please and thank you.          

Elder Garland

November 10

Salutations from my last day in Pointe-Noire !

We've had an eventful last week together, Elder Sperry and I.  Mostly full of goodbyes and whatnot.  Some missionaries kindof just leave their sectors without telling their investigators or recent converts...but after a year I've come really close to these people.  I had to say something!  It was never my intention to solicit gifts, but that seems to be inevitable.  I'll get to that later!

We filled our whole day Tuesday with people to see, and for once we actually saw all of them.  Belna, Elvis, Stany, Leslye, Becho, Desty, Loïc, Euraste, Nathanaël (who welcomed us with a bowl of spinach, mushrooms, and fruit fly-infested, boiled plantains that were in the end delicious), Binta, Héléna, Didier, and Cédric.  Weird to think that I'd never go back to any of their homes again...we met a new guy on our way home, too.  Marcus - who tried speaking English with us, ended the conversation with something that sounded like, "Oobledigogglebogglediggi,"  to which I responded, "Ok!" which seemed to be an acceptable response because he nodded and turned away.  We started back home, looked at each other and busted up laughing.  There are things no one will understand...I think that's in that category. 

We were inspired by our odd lunch to make an odd smoothie.  Well, it wasn't intended to be odd at first.  We blended bananas and tropical fruit juice, but there was just something missing.  I added honey, Elder Sperry added cinnamon.  Then I added mapeltine thinking it was vanilla, and then we threw in chocolate chunks.  It wasn't good, but for the sake of boosting my potassium levels I drank my share.  

We had a special district meeting when, after a great lesson from Elder Tripp, we went outside to toss around a baseball with a ball and mitts that he got in the mail from his mom.  I never even really played baseball (except for 2 years in elementary school - I was the worst player on the best team and quit because I was afraid to move to Minor A where kids would now be throwing the ball themselves in imperfect paths towards my head.  No thanks), but playing intramural softball in college left enough of a good taste in my mouth to love throwing the ball around that day.  Just a little slice of America in the middle of nowhere, Africa.  All we were missing was some apple pie.

I got to say goodbye to some more people afterwards - Josna, Danièle, Cécile, and Maman Jeannette (who cried - that poor, sweet, old woman just about broke my heart).

On Thursday we stayed at the apartment in the morning to do weekly planning instead of coming back later so we could see our friends who go to school in the morning and don't come back till the afternoon anyway.  I got to say goodbye to Willvie, but after that we had a series of ratez-vous that ended in us walking around KM4 until we ended up at Paco's house (who'd been walking with us all day) to sit down with his sister Nabou to wish her a happy birthday and talk about how her fast and asking her dad to be baptized went.  She told us that when she asked, her dad said, "I want to talk to those who gave you the courage to ask me to be baptized."  That was kindof intimidating, but I was excited for the opportunity to finally talk to him.  He even showed up while we were talking, but when I stood up to shake his hand he just went inside.  So.  

Friday was sad as I said more goodbyes - Marcus (the one born in Jamaica but grew up in Liberia, not the oobledagglebamadingdong), Darcyne and her kids Maya, Giorgio, and Laura.  We had a classic African experience while we were there.  Giorgio had been sick, and was sitting at the kitchen table while we were talking, and from the table he rips the longest, loudest fart ever.  "Sorry," he says rather passively.  Darcyne turned to him and says, "Don't poop your pants!" turns back to us and says, "That happened to me once.  I wanted to fart, but it wasn't a fart! Surprise!"  We just about died laughing.  It was so funny, so classic no-filtered African.  I love it.  That's how I want my house to be.  Maybe.  ANYway, Loïc wasn't home, and neither was Lovely, so I was counting on seeing them at least at church for Conference.  We walked to Josèphe's and said goodbye to Maman Nadège and Mémé Odette, who gave us a big sack of bananas and mangos, and gave me a new African name of "Mavungu," which is in Vili but I have no idea what it means...they were really sad though.  

We started Conference on Saturday, and during the first session I got a call from Elder Rakotonindriana, so he could tell me, "I told you so!" and then pass me off to my new companion, Elder Mandefu!  He seems like a really nice guy, really excited to work with me.  Talking to me reminded of Elder Ndayizeye, so if he's anything like him then I'll have an excellent last transfer.  Anyway, the rest of Conference was incredible.  I learned a handful of new words, which was always great.  I wish I could list off all the different things that I learned, but I definitely noticed a pattern in the Saturday sessions of families and protecting the home, etc., and then the Sunday sessions were about following and sustaining the prophet.  Makes me wonder what's going to happen in the near future...after the sessions the Loandjili elders had a baptism for Maïck Spider Whisper and for Kiminou (Faith) Krishna.  Welcome to Congo.

Sunday was hard...we left early in the morning to meet Paco's dad in the pouring rain, but when we got to his house he was still sleeping...so we went all the way back home and ate chocolate banana shakes for breakfast.  Then at church, after the sessions were over I took advantage while I was thanking everyone for coming to bare my testimony for the last time.  It was perfect because both the Mpaka and Aéroport branches were there!  Then my crowning moment of Munukutuba learning - I got to bare my testimony in Kikongo.  It was well-received, complete with several rounds of laughs.  I got lots of congratulations afterwards and shook probably 500 hands and took a million pictures.  It was sad.  Turns out I even cry in tribal tongues.  Dangit...there's no hope.  

While there Darcyne and her family gave me a package, and then Maman Nadège gave me another package, both of them with a full set of African pagne.  It was all so quick, I didn't really get to say goodbye to a lot of people, and people I did say goodbye to came and went so fast, but maybe it was best like that.  After all was said and done I got to do a baptismal interview, and then we went home to make giant cheeseburgers.    

And now we're having a last FHE with all the elders so I can say goodbye to them.  Count on more tears.

Next week I'll write from Brazzaville!  So, look forward to that.  I'm anxious but excited.  Proud to represent the mundeles in a city where there aren't any haha.

I love you all.

Elder Garland