Hello Everyone!
So
another week has swiftly passed here in the wondrous part of the forgotten
world. Days in Kodjoviakope have some of the biggest mood swings, that is in
terms of the missionaries’ feelings throughout the days here. You see, there
are so many ups and downs to the life of a missionary. You have your
rendez-vous that go through, then you have the tomber-vous (ones that fall
through). You get your days with an ocean breeze, and then you get the sun
beating down upon your weary body. You find yourself being subject to these
things that you have absolutely no control over, and it can severely impact the
days and weeks here.
I’ll
start off by saying, Africa is hot! Not to mention that a boy like me has
always lived in climates that did not consist of humidity… I walk through a lot
of these streets and I feel like I am at a scout camp once again: the dirt
roads, doing our best to stay in the shade and the feeling of being dirty
constantly. You just can’t beat the grime that builds up on you through the
sweat and the humidity. It’s not very fun to be gross feeling, then to top it
all off, the way we get clean is through a FREEZING cold shower. I hope it
doesn’t sound like I am complaining. ;)
Despite ALL of that, I am loving it here. For some reason I can’t hate
this place. As much as I miss certain things from back in the US, I feel like I
belong here in this little lonely spot of the world. It’s like the song from
one of those old claymation movies about Christmas, “The Island of Misfit
Toys.” Nothing seems to fit, yet for some bizarre reason, it works. So yes, I
love being here in Africa despite all of the things I can complain about. I
mean, what is life without a little complaining?
I
guess I can tell you a little about my week… Where to begin…? I got a new
companion! Elder Ramananjanahary has been mutated (transferred) over to Benin
due to his VISA expiring. Here in Africa they are rather serious about their
VISAs, which makes no sense whatsoever. The ones that have to abide by the
actual VISA regulations are the French, Belgian, the Malagasy, the Congolé.
They don’t like people not paying to be in their countries here in West Africa,
but for some odd reason, they think Americans are full of money, like bursting
out of the seams with money, so they don’t kick them out upon the expiration of
their VISA for fear that it will hurt their chances of having other Americans
come to this little gem of a country.
Anywhosit, my new companion is Elder Digbe, and he is Ivorian. For those
of you who don’t know what that means, that means Cote D’Ivoire, and for those
that don’t speak French that means Ivory Coast, and for those that don’t know
what that means, he is African… :P
He is
an awesome fella already! We have fun times talking about how Togo is one of
the worst parts of Africa, which is funny hearing it from another African. It
is sooooo poor here! In so facto, we had an incident with a Muslim this past
week. He spoke English “small small,” which is a sign that he learned it either
on the streets or from Nigeria. He wouldn’t let my companion speak because he
wanted me to speak about how I don’t need to bring God to Africa I need to
bring money. As I gave him one of our brochures about Le Retablissement
(Restoration) he told me that was as good as toilet paper tp the people of
Africa. He also went into a conversation
that made me very uncomfortable about how humans are mammals and we are just on
the earth to fornicate, and though he only knew English “small small” he used
the profane way of expressing fornication.
On a
more uplifting note… One of our progressing investigators, Valentine, told us
all about how Benin got its true name. For those of you that may know a little
about Benin, it was originally named “Dahomey” until so many of those beloved
European countries claimed it and exchanged it and left it behind. Well,
Dahomey is in the native dialect of Fan, and the translation of that is “Maison
du Serpent” or “House of the Serpent.” Then, to add into the mix, it is the
birthplace of Voodoo. Alright, Blue’s Clues moment! Sit down in your thinking
chairs and put the clues together. J What is Benin? … I’m glad you asked! It is
the House of Satan! I was literally called to serve in Hell! Take that how you
may. Sadly, I am only serving in the take-out line where everything is served
to go. ;)
Yes
yes, you may question how that was more uplifting… It wasn’t! It was just so
that I could grab your attention for a little while longer.
Oui,
oui ma petite sauterelle, I will tell you about the beloved Frere Alex again.
This week, due to his preoccupations in life, he cancelled our coordination
meeting, the one where Elder Hawkins and I were going to tell him what needs to
change for this group to grow. The members are only getting more on edge with
him, and he keeps overstepping his bounds with our new investigators. He wanted
to have a meeting with our new family of investigators, but the parents weren’t
there, just the children. He also made them go to our investigator class rather
than primary for the younger ones… Luckily, I was the one assigned to teach the
class that day. Que segway to next histoire! (story…)
The
teacher of the Salle des Amis didn’t show up! Nor did anybody know what the
lesson was meant to be on, so who was asked to teach this lesson? (Sadly I
already told you and it ruined the suspense of it all… L ME! “Nevertheless, not
knowing beforehand the things which I should do” I taught an hour long class in
French! Yes, I have been here 5 weeks, it is still a feat for me to have been
able to do that! Put that in your juice box! :P
Turn
back the clock to when I had that one Elder… what’s his face? Oh yeah, Elder
Ramananjanahary! Well on his last day, and my new companion’s first day… We
were in a four-comp for a day as well… I had two legitimate companions assigned
to me and Elder Hawkins was all by him’s lonesome. ;) We had a MANGEZ-VOUS! It
was Pate! (Which is pad, from before I knew how to actually spell Pate.)
Yay!!!!!!.....!!...!!...!..... L :’( It was great!! (excuse my fake optimism)
You know what Africa!? How did you know that I love sharing food that is
boiling hot and disgusting with six other people who are all licking their
fingers and putting it into where I am eating? Oh wait! I don’t! But because I
can suck it up and still enjoy my life I ate it!
A more
pensive note, and this time I am being more serious. As I sat there and
actually listened to Frere Alex, not that I agreed with what he was saying, I
started to think that he was once just like all of our amis de l’eglise. He
once was sitting there and listening to the missionaries, building a testimony,
figuring out what was true for himself. The thought crossed my mind, at what
point does one stray? At what point did the one leave the ninety and nine?
I feel
like we each have walked different roads to get to where we are in life. Some of
us have walked through a well-lit corridor, others through jungles, crossing
rivers and oceans. At times the water was shallow and we could walk it, but at
other times the water was rushing and we needed to swim and the current drained
us and the water came over our heads. It is sad to say that some of us drown in
the rivers of life, but I know that if we just push on a little bit longer, the
water once again becomes shallow and the Savior is there as our life-jacket.
For those of you struggling in life know that there is land ahead.
Think
of the Apostles on the boat. The storm was thrashing their boat, the water and
wind making it feel as though they would capsize at any moment. In a desperate
and frantic manner they turn to the Savior who lay calm in the storm. He slept,
and His Apostles say, Master, the tempest is raging. He was there with them, He
knew it was raging. He didn’t need someone to tell Him, but He waited for the
call of help. Our Savior is there, and He is waiting to help you. Sometimes we
feel as though our Heavenly Father doesn’t answer our prayers, or things don’t
turn out how we want them to. He knows how to help, and He willingly lends His
hand (literally to the brother of Jared), He just knows the precise moment to
help, we need only to endure until that point.
It may have been a tangent, and it
may not have made perfect sense, but I know that the Savior is there for each
of us. I have felt His gentle hand lead me on my way, and I know it is there
for you all as well! I love you all! I pray for you! I hope that you have a
great week!
Scripture that I like from this week is Marc 12 v1-9.
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