September 22

Hello to all!

This time next week we'll know what's going on for transfers, which is
crazy because I'm pretty sure it was just 5 minutes ago that I was
writing about starting this transfer.  Such is the mission life.  14
down, 2 to go...

With the end of my mission coming scarily soon, this last week I've
been really stressed with BYU stuff (ecclesiastical endorsement to be
signed, loans to pay, tuition to pay, room and board to find, a job to
find, FAFSA and other scholarship stuff to fill out, classes to
register for, etc.) to the point that I started weighing the option of
not going back to school, but coming home and staying.  When I brought
it up with the Baileys during FHE, they gave me some great advice, and
basically just told me to pray about it.  I remember praying and
instead of telling God that I was going to go home and wait for some
confirming feeling of comfort, I just asked that His will be done and
manifest so that I would know what was the right choice, even though
in my heart I was pretty set on going home.  Well, that's just the
setting for the stage of the whole rest of the week, as all these
things weighed down on me.

Meanwhile, we had a really great week as far as lessons go.  We now
have almost 10 people preparing for baptism within the next month, and
they're all progressing super well and coming to church.

Elder Massé gave me the assignment to teach the district meeting
lesson on Wednesday, so I decided to talk about how Christ-like
attributes will be the deciding factor on whether or not the mission
will have been a success.  Because whether or not you baptize 100
people or have 1000 lessons or whatever, if you don't go home having
been converted yourself to the Gospel of Jesus Christ then you didn't
really succeed.  You missed the mark.  So!  We talked about that and
talked about the Christ-like attributes that we appreciate in our
companions.  I talked about how patient Elder Sperry is with me, with
the people, and with the language.  He's really brought a new attitude
into my daily routine.  Instead of getting frustrated with all the
hee-haws that we get in the sector I learned to laugh about it and
instead of making the children run away screaming I learned to invite
them to shake my hand and send them off laughing and smiling.  So.  I
love my companion.  I wouldn't object to him being my last companion!

Thursday was long, but for a good reason.  We went on splits, and I
went over to work with Elder Johnston in his sector.  He had 7
baptismal interviews set up across the day.  It was a really long day,
but so rewarding.  My favorite part was doing the interviews for
Parfait's children.  They're so great, and they all have their own
testimony.  His wife would've had her own interview if they'd been
married, but I'm sure that will be coming up in the near future!

We went out to see Maman Jeannette on Friday, but when we showed up
she had this big bucket of sakasaka leaves that she was about to start
taking off the stems.  We pulled up a couple chairs and started
helping her.  "Oh !! Men can't do that !!!"  But we just kept on
pulling off leaves and she laughed and consented to us helping, and as
we worked we talked about missionary work and how big of a blessing it
is.  Then we got to see Charlie, a less-active member who has been
working towards being able to come back to church.  His job had him
working on Sundays, but he finally quit one of them and moved all the
way across town to be closer to the church.  When we saw him he gave
us a Fanta and some little African cake bites, and as we snacked we
talked about the importance of the Sabbath, and for the first time in
10 months he finally came!!!  It was wonderful to see him strolling up
the path with a huge smile on his face.

We went to see our third rendezvous of the day, but when we showed up,
he wasn't there.  There were some kids making fun of us in Munukutuba
as they filled up some 25 liter jugs of water while we were standing
around our investigator's house trying to call him.  Well, as we
turned around to leave, we decided to help them transport all of their
"bidons" across the quartier to their house.  They stopped making fun
of us when Elder Sperry took a bidon in each hand and I took their
skinny wheelbarrow and we started trekking through the beach sand.  It
was really hard actually, haha, but it was so worth it!  People were
hollering across the way to encourage us and thank us and whatnot, but
it just felt good to serve in spite of the mocking kids.  They were
grateful in the end, and I think we gave them a better idea of why we
were in their neighborhood.

As we saw our last investigator we convinced them to talk with the
whole parcelle, the whole family to get them all to fast this next
fast Sunday for their grandpa who is sick.  I think it will be a great
success, if only to get the whole family united in a fast together.

We didn't have any baptisms on Saturday, but there was a series of
unfortunate turned fortunate events.  First, when we went out to see
our investigator Hermeland, we ran into him in the middle of the path
through the quartier and he told us, "ohhh yeah I'm sorry, I have to
go to the hospital!"  So we didn't get to see him, but while we were
standing there there was this other man, Frank, who walked passed us
and calls back, "are you the Mormons?" So of course we walked over and
got to talk to him and take his phone number so we could chat with him
in the future.  Blessing!  Then, right as we were getting off the bus
to see our second friend, we got a text from them saying sorry, but
they wouldn't be available either.  Well, we decided to move another
appointment up earlier, and got to see them instead, which resulted in
us getting a brochette of divine chicken gizzards which, when grilled
over charcoal and dipped in mayonnaise become quite delicious,
especially when accompanied by a stick of kwanga, or cooked manioc.
Dorcia came and met us at the church with her boyfriend, and we blew
her mind talking about the Plan of Salvation and using the Bible and
Book of Mormon to teach together.  Her reaction was awesome.  One of
those things you can't just describe...but it was awesome! :)  One of
our English class friends actually came to church on Sunday, so we sat
down with her after class on Saturday, and she talked to us about
certain problems she's been having at home.  Of course, we're not to
counsel people as to their personal issues, but we were able to give
her spiritual advice and how she could know what she was supposed to
do through prayer and scripture study.  Classic.  Another person came
to the church by himself just to check up on how everyone was doing.
He hadn't been there in over a year, but he said this time he was
there to stay!  So that was a huge blessing.

The biggest blessing came to me in the morning, when, after having
personal study, Elder Sperry and I came together to confirm plans for
the day and talk about what we'd learned that morning.  He's been
reading through the Doctrine and Covenants, and came across some
verses that he found in the short section 111 that for me was an
answer to the prayers I'd been offering every day since last Monday.
They say in verses 5 and 8, "Concern not yourselves about your debts,
for I will give you power to pay them." and "...the place where it is
my will that you should tarry, for the main, shall be signalized unto
you by the peace and power of my Spirit, that shall flow unto you."  I
haven't had many overwhelmingly clear inspirations in my life.  I will
always remember the first time I felt it, praying to know if the
Church was true and whether Joseph Smith was really a prophet.  I
remember feeling it when President Monson spoke during General
Conference in October 2012 and knew in that moment that I needed to
serve a mission.  I remember feeling cleansing power of the Spirit
when I read myself the opening verses in D&C 112 at the close of a
rough patch in my mission.  And in that second with Elder Sperry I
felt it again.  Distinct, unmistakable, clear as day revelation.  I
knew I was supposed to go back to BYU!  What a relief.  Funnily
enough, all those burdens were still there, but I'm at total ease that
it will all work out, because I am certain of God's will in my life,
and I know nothing will stand against!  Time to put my feet one in
front of the other and keep an eye out for the increasingly
illuminated path before me.

We had 8 new faces in church on Sunday, and 6 of them were brought by
members.  They're doing a great work, and now were overwhelmed with
investigators.  I've said it a hundred times : it's the best problem a
missionary could have.  One of them was Gerlène's friend who, when he
saw her last week in the city said, "oh, you're beautiful.  I love
you." and she said, "well then you have to come with me to church." so
there he came! haha, Africans...others were, unfortunately, not in our
sector, but we gladly gave them to the other missionaries because in
the end we're all on the same team, and we're all looking to the glory
of God!

We were waiting to start our coordination meeting with the branch
missionary leader, Paco, when the branch choir started its first
practice ever.  I couldn't help but make several remarks as an
innocent bystander, and they just happened to come out.  Well, I ended
up directing the choir instead for the next 20 minutes or so, helping
them figure some stuff out, and it was actually really fun!

Otherwise, that's about all the craziness for the week.  I'm looking
forward to another fun-filled week in the Congo.  I don't know if it
will be my last...next week we get transfer letters, and if I'm outta
here then I'll leave on Tuesday or Wednesday.  If all goes as
President made it seem like it would go the last time we met, then
I'll probably be here until the end of my mission.  I guess I'll find
out on Thursday when he gets here, and if not then, till next Monday!

I love you, I pray for you.

Elder Garland