Si tu le desirs‏

Was that a little misleading? Don’t worry your little heads about me, everything is just fine and dandy over here in AFRICA!! You know, sometimes I forget that I am in Africa, not quite sure how that happens but it does. It was funny, the other day a funeral procession was coming in front of our house, all the people with their best somber faces, the band playing its best… I really don’t know what kind of music… and then a thought popped into my mind, and I will say it exactly how it came out of my mouth, “That’s a lot of black people!” *slaps myself in the forehead* (figuratively) because I am stupid and forgot that I only see one other white person on a daily basis.

Yes, sometimes I am stupid, and yes.

So today I wanted to just share with you an entry in the wonderful study journal that I so entitled “Si tu le desires” and it is from the 15^th of this month. It says:

 “… Il faut que vous ayez le désir vif d’apprendre’ (PME p.17)

“You see often missionaries that are here only because they know a mission is what’s expected of them and because it gives them the chance to see the world, in other words, you see the mission being taken for granted. This is something that I feel I know quite intimately because of my past experience with a mission. Though I avoid dwindling on my past it is something that I have learned many things from.

I listened to a talk this morning called “Ears to Hear” by Henry B. Eyring back in April of 1985. In this talk he speaks about the fear that sometimes envelopes us or the doubts we acquire because we don’t really know what we are hearing, missionaries and investigators alike. That starts the question, what are we hearing as we teach and as we study?

“This is the word of God! We are preaching the word of God each and every day! We are talking to His children, we are His children. We are talking about His miracles and His blessings, His promises to the world. We aren’t just saying useless and meaningless words; we are carrying the Lord’s banner throughout the world.

I fall into the category of missionary that often forgets the true purpose and reason that I am here. I feel as though in some lessons I am just going through the motions, answering questions with my own knowledge and not with the power and authority of my call, which all comes from the Spirit, and at times I chase Him away because of the distractions that I place in my head.

"C’est surtout lorsque le Saint-Esprit vous instruit que votre etude de l’Evangile est efficace. Commencez toujours votre etude de l’Evangile par une priere pour que le Saint-Esprit vous aide a apprendre. Il vous apportera une connaissance et une conviction qui seront une benediction pour vous et qui vous permettront d’apporter desx benedictions a d’autres personnes. Votre foi en Jesus-Christ augmentera. Votre desir de vous repentir et de vous ameliorer grandira." (PME p. 18)

Often it is just that simple, but it is so hard to do. Within ourselves rages a war against carnal desire and spiritual desire. WE allow the carnal to win so many of the battles that it is hard to give way for that spiritual side to grow. We need to give all of our heart and body to the spiritual.

“Eveille-toi, mon ame! Ne languis plus dans le peche. Rejouis-toi, o mon cœur, et n’accorde plus de place a l’ennemi de mon ame !’ (2 Nephi 4v28)

 I need to place all of myself into this work. I cannot waste time in laziness or in my own selfish desires. I have two years, two years only, to be in this wonderful spot of the world and work with these amazing children of God. I have been chosen to come here by my Heavenly Father and called by His prophet to go forth with faith and do the things that I KNOW to be right.

Despite the challenges I may face with language or companions or members or investigators, I know that this work is true. I have heard the word of God, and I know that is why I am here. I am bringing light to a dark place and allowing the word of God to echo through me to their hearts by the power of the Holy Ghost. I have that desire, now it is time to put that desire into faith and action. 

I have been blessed by the Lord in my life, even in times when I don’t feel I deserved blessings, so why on earth would I doubt He would bless me when I am doing the things He has asked of me. Doubt comes from selfishness. A worry that things won’t go the way YOU planned, but it is God’s plan that will always bring the most pure joy and happiness. I want my mission to be bursting at the seams with joy and happiness.

 My week has been a really spiritual week. There have been ups and downs as there always will be, but like Monty Python has wisely instructed us, “always look on the bright side of life!” Optimism is a marvelous thing, and what helps a soul in need is hearing the word of God spoken through His prophets and apostles. I encourage all to read or listen to a conference talk each week. You will feel the Spirit of the Lord if you are searching for that peace that is promised through this Comforter.

On Saturday we had the awesome opportunity to help with the “Mormon Helping Hands” here in Lomé. All the members of the Church gathered at TogoTV or Television Togolaise where we cleaned their whole campus. Essentially that means that we gathered together all of the weeds and set it on fire! :) There was lots of smoke, lots of fire, and Miss Togo, though she only drove by in her Citroen and gave us all a wave.

Lessons are going well, investigators are progressing. We have a good bunch of members and investigators, and things are truly looking up for Kodjoviakope!

Thanks for all of your mighty prayers! The Lord blesses all of His children, and those that seek the best for others will be rewarded tenfold as well. Selflessness, love, charity, and hope. Lots and lots of prayer is included in that as well. :)

 Love you all! Have another great week throughout the world and in whatever you may be doing!

  Lovingly.

Elder Robert Eugene Haggard II

Kodjoviakopé: A New Chapter‏

Dear people of the United Followers of Elder Haggard,

 In brief, I hope to be more spiritual today. I want to share with each of you the great blessings that I am receiving each day here on my mission, and so with that I will begin by telling you about a few of our members and investigators.

I’d like to first talk about Peniel, perhaps I have mentioned him before; he is a charming and loving and amazing little fella. He is a recent convert to the church, having joined at the end of March. He is essentially the boss of Kodjoviakopé. He is twenty years old, like yours truly, and he has friends all over the place, in fact my only baptism in this area is because Peniel referred him to the missionaries. He helps us out with everything and he loves going out with the missionaries and participating in the lessons that we give to our investigators. He is what you would call “super black” and I don’t find that racist when other people here say that he is “tros noir” (too black). He is awesome!

He brought over one of his friends this week, who happens to be a tailor, and I was able to place an order for a pine suit. It isn’t really a suit but that is what they call the matching set of clothes. I will get those later tonight and so I am stoked for that!

Onto another member, he is named Lawson, or Frere Lawson for short. ;) He is a BOSS! He has been a member for just over a year and he knows the gospel extremely well. Each time we go to visit him he has questions and he understands our teachings and can restate it clearly to show that he actually does.  He is a divorced man, he looks old but I am not really sure. He is the older gentleman in one of the pictures that I have sent.

The only family in our group here is Marcelin, Inés, and Morgan. Morgan is the cute little girl with the sunglasses in one of the pictures. They are a cute family, though they never sit with one another in church… They are really close at home watching movies and singing les cantiques together. That is the doing of Soeur Inés, she wanted to learn the cantiques better and so they are all learning together. It is fun, and funny. The Togolais are not famous for having the most beautiful voices, but that doesn’t detract from the spirit that is present as they put their hearts into singing. Morgan still doesn’t know how to speak or read French being so young, she remains purely Ewe.

I will now talk about two investigators, the first one is Melanie. She is the mother of two children, and she is married to a Swiss man. Her children are white, well white-ish. I don’t know the proper way of saying that. They are called Coreen and Charlie, a boy and a girl. Both are really young, Coreen is still being breastfed… don’t ask how I know that.

The problem is that I feel as though she smokes, not that I have seen her actually indulging in such a reckless habit, but a fresh cigarette smell and her husband having been at work for hours points to one thing…. Santa Clause vacations in Togo and smokes in random people’s houses and blames the woman that has recently given birth! How rude!

She is a young woman, I would say around 24, and she lives in a really nice (Africa nice) house with a working washing machine! I am jealous, though I shouldn’t be. All she wants is for God to be in her life and that she can spend forever with her family… PERFECT!!! :D I don’t know what more we can ask for when our whole message is about how families are meant to be Eternal and that through the gospel that can happen. Our first lesson I was smiling the whole time.

The next investigator I can call mine solely for my companion cannot teach him because he doesn’t speak French. His name is Precious and he is Nigerian. He, oh boy, he is awesome! He came to church on the first invitation, he has started reading the Book of Mormon and has lots of questions and he understands the necessity for a living prophet. He is going to be meeting with us each Wednesday and Saturday, and hopefully coming to church each Sunday with us. He lives right next door to Edem.

I say next door but in reality the people live in what are called “parsols” or quelque chose comme ça. I will liken it unto a gated community. You see, you have to pass through the same gate to get to their houses, but all the houses are connected and are the same building and about the same size of a regular house/yard back in the states. So, crammed into this little area are about 10 families each of them having about four kids. It is a party!

So, now onto the events of the week! Frere Alex has been released! He is no longer the boss of Kodjoviakopé. He has been replaced with Marcelin as the group leader and Frere Lawson as his assistant! It is the turning of a new page and lo and behold a chapter comes with it. 

Frere Alex

We are throwing a little party for Frere Alex on Wednesday and so that is where I hope to get my picture with him taken. Yes, that is my one hope, to take a picture with Frere Alex. Apparently prayers were answered. Haha, that reminds me of what Soeur Sonia said after she heard him be released by President Ah-me-gan-gee (phonetics), he is the President of the Lomé Togo District of the Mission Benin Cotonou. So listen to Frere Marcelin’s actual title… “Group Leader of the Group of Kodjoviakopé of the Branch of Souza-netimé of the District of Lomé Togo of the Benin Cotonou Mission.” It is a mouthful. :) 

A little quote that I will like to leave you all with, “Un grand indicateur de la conversion personnelle est le désir de faite connaître l’évangile aux autres . »  Howard W. Hunter.

I love you all! Thanks for your many prayers, and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

-- 

Elder Robert Eugene Haggard II

I'VE GOT JUNGLE(add italics) FEVER!!!!‏

Hello!!!!

 Well everyone, the inevitable has happened…. I caught jungle fever! No! It is not the kind you are thinking, that’s what Elder Hawkins has. ;)  You see, I have been sick for about five days… It isn’t malaria if that’s what popped to your mind. All I am suffering from is a medium strength head cold that consists of a fever, migraines, and constant stuffy/runny nose. I am still sick in case you were wondering, and slightly to unbearably miserable because of the said sickness. Pray it doesn’t turn into malaria, there are two things that I am scared of here, the first is malaria, and the second will be a running joke throughout my mission that I will let you all in on when I return chez moi in a few months… a little more than a few….

 On to the week!

 Perhaps I will just start from the most eventful event that event-ed this week and then go from there. I SAW THE MOST FAMOUS PERSON IN ALL OF TOGO!!! (I have to preface it like that because nobody will know who he is unless they are huge soccer fans or they have useless information bursting forth from their brains.) Il s’appele Emmanuel Adebayor and he is/was (not sure which) plays/played (again not sure which) for Arsenal! He grew up in our lovely little hamlet of Kodjoviakopé so he returned home for a visit! T’inquiète pas I got a picture of him and the riots that he caused, thought the reason he had returned is on the more eye-opening side of life. His brother Peter had passed away.

The reason that I was able to get a photo of him just below our apartment is because the Pasteur Baptiste did not allow him to enter his own brother’s funeral even when he was one of the pall-bearers (sp?). The pastor blamed him for the death of his brother for not sending money to help his brother in his suffering… The people here like using money as an excuse for the suffering and the solutions to all things… We have had many rants that white people shouldn’t being bringing God to Africa, there is too much God already, they “need” money. Money is sooooooooooooooooooo stupid! I’m learning more and more that some poverty increases humility, but for the majority it incites greed and excuses. Anyways, Adebayor (living), followed by nigh on a thousand people (if exaggerating it is only a little bit) marched in front of our apartment. It was quite the scene.

 Onto my discovery of the French Language, and it is a compelling argument that even the French themselves cannot counter (in relation to why it happens in Africa)! You see, what I have discovered is that there is no word for “awkward” in French. Do you want to know why? Every situation in French is awkward! There are few if any whose native language is French here in Togo, so everyone stammers over their French. It isn’t something that is used in the home because they use Ewe, so they (the French) make up for all the awkward things by making there be more “irregular” verbs than regular. Anywho, my rant, and yes, the French can probably rebuttal my complaint.

 Next rant! This one I like to give a shout out to Elder Hawkins for inspiring me to rant about this to him and the whole world. Clue! It is more than a board game, it is a very good movie, starred by a very good actor, Tim Curry. For those of you who have not seen Clue but are Muppets fans, he was in Muppet Treasure Island as Long John Silvers. Watch Clue! Don’t waste away your lives doing other things, go pop in a good movie and watch other people’s lives on the television! ;)

 So guess what is a good movie, Harry Potter. Guess what is a not as good movie in French! Harry Potter. No no, I didn’t sit there and watch Harry Potter, though I did want to. We just watched it for a few minutes as we awaited Marcelin to finish whatever chore he was doing. We then sat and sang the cantiques ensemble. It was fun, but it really reminded me of how long Harry Potter has been in my life. You see, that is the problem with my generation, we have grown up with so many wonderful things that they are ingrained in our lives. So I missed curling up on a nice comfy couch and watching a good series like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter or Star Wars. Good times, good times.

 So there is this couple here in the mission, they typically reside yonder in Benin but they are here temporarily as the mission transitions between the old couple here in Togo that went home and the new couple that is due to arrive in Septembre. They are the Eastmonds. They came to church with us on Sunday and they were a lovely addition to our Fast and Testimony meeting. Life is going great in the jungles of Lomé, and I call then jungles because if New York can get away with the “concrete jungle” Lomé is definitely more able to get away with being an actual jungle filled with animals that are homo-erectus…

 I gained a new perspective and a love for life, and it was because of the inspiring and spiritually profound words of encouragement that Sister Eastmond shared with me as she observed our little group here. So that leads me into my weekly subject of Frere Alex. Yes, he has no idea what he is doing, and he goes about leading this church, but it falls on the shoulders of those that know better to rein him in and show him how he needs to do things, but do it in a loving and corrective manner that is spiritually edifying and creates an atmosphere were Telly-tubbies spontaneously sprout up out of the ground with the Wiggles on their stomachs and everyone singing kumbiyah (sp?) and hugging each other and saying nothing but lovely words to one another. So if that isn’t happening I need to keep working harder. It will begin with me loving more and then the members, and then the leader. I shall call it “LE MANIFESTATION D’AMOUR!!!!” It will be catchy because the Togolais love rioting.

 Frere Alex is difficult, and I hope that you are not sad because I will no longer speak unfriendly of my “Telly-tubby sprouting machine,” I shall love him as if he were… I don’t know… I’m not a very loving person… Use your imagination and figure out how to love something in a strictly platonic manner. It will be good! Life is going on its merry little way, and each and every day brings blessings, whether they are clear as day or hidden like the Nigerian’s hand in your pocket there are many blessings! Continue to love the life you live! There are those people that bring you down, those scenarios that are so predictable you are angry in the monotony of it, but we all just need to fake a smile until it becomes real. I am not saying that you should fake life, but sooner or later you will realize behind that fake smile there was something that really gave you joy. Don’t waste those small moments, they add up like the change in your couch. Love you all! Have great lives where e’er thou mayest be!

-- 

Elder Robert Eugene Haggard II

Kodjo-Lome-Togo, it's all the same to me!‏

Hiya  World!

 Okay, this is attempt number two of writing this email! The computers that randomly flash a warning in Arabic and then restart are not friendly! If to begin in the same manner as I did the last I will say….

 So, I was posed a very important question by one Elder Hale of the Berlin Germany Mission and it goes something like this, “what do you do for your P-days?” Welll Sweetcheeks let me answer in a way that the whole world can understand. “Oh Babylon, oh Babylon! We welcome thee!” ;)

 We start our P-days off like every other missionary out there in the world. We clean our apartment and we do a thorough job! We clean our rooms and the living room and the kitchen and our three balconies and a spare room outside of our apartment that we don’t use but is technically part of our apartment and I wouldn’t mind using it, and our bathrooms. It takes us a good part of an hour to do all of that! Can you believe that we would waste one WHOLE hour on cleaning up after ourselves!?!?! It is unheard of! ;) Our apartment is one of the nicest in the whole mission, so we count our blessings by keeping it clean as well.

 After that, depending on if we have money or not, we go into the main part of Lomé where the grand marché is. I don’t know the exact spelling, but I feel it is something along the lines of Asegamé. One would hope that I could spell it correctly, but sadly I was born into a first world country and I have been taught English which has thoroughly embedded itself into my mind and then I was asked to learn this French language which is coming along, but then I was thrown into a country where the literacy rate is pretty low, their native language isn’t French and everything in the country is in Ewe, their actual native tongue.

 All the cool places are over in Asegamé like Festival de Glace, and cool little boutiques of really cool little knick-knacks that are really cheap… unless you are a yovo! Sometimes I hate being white here in Togo, but then I remember how I have a nice first world country to return to at the end of my two-ish years here and they will remain. They think that we are made out of money and so if you don’t know how to haggle they will take you for everything that you have! Good thing is that if you are firm in your price that you are willing to pay, they tend to back down really easily. 

Charwamas

Morgan

 I am a wee scatter-brained/forgetful as to if I have told you what Festival de Glace is so I will explique un peu. You see, it is a restaurant, and those aren’t too common here in the world’s largest flea market, especially not those that you have a desire to sit down and eat in. It sells such wonders as hamburgers and fries, and my personal favorite ICE CREAM!!! MY favorite combination here is something they call “tropical” with vanilla and chocolate, yum yum! SO that is that, if any of you visit this little spot of earth in your adventures, there is a Festival in both Cotonou and Lomé so fear not! It’s worth eating at, but it is no In-n-out.

 We then waste our allotted 45-60 minutes a week at the Cyber… We write these things that you are currently reading and then we go on our merry little way. The days like today come and go faster than any other day here in the mission, and so the few moments that we have here to write to those that we love are very precious to us.

 Well now I will explain a little about the week that has passed, though again not much of note has happened. Aside from on Thursday we had to stay in our apartment the whole day due to the legislative elections that were going on. So the thing about that is there are chances of manifestations when they announce the winners… those should be announced either today or tomorrow, so I hope next week’s letter will have more of a story to it. :)

 There is something that happened this week that I am not very proud of, I got into an argument with my companion over doctrine. :( An argument broke out as I told him not to teach people that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ wife… He said that she was his wife and I said it is something that is assumed and isn’t doctrine… He used the argument that doctrine is dependent upon faith because nobody has a perfect knowledge and so if one believes that Mary is the wife of Jesus it is therefore doctrine… My annoyance and inevitable rage on this subject ensued as he gains his information from sources that are less than reputable. There is one of his books that tells of Jesus’ life from his birth in Pakistan to his death in India. I don’t mean to get upset at things like that, but when he teaches other people these things it makes it harder to teach the truth.

 I got into a rage the rest of the day with hating an attitude of “ignorance is bliss” that has been developed by a lot of the missionaries (American) that just feel it is hopeless to try and correct some of the foolish traditions that have sunk in here amongst the members and the African missionaries. This was renewed on Sunday as well, and this one included everyone’s favorite character Frere Alex.

 Now, I would like to give a disclaimer as well as an apology for making things sound horrendous when he is included, though they may be, it is not my place to belittle another of God’s wonderful children. I like to look at him as one that is loved by our loving Heavenly Father, though being his sibling I still don’t like him very much! I think that a healthy battle amongst siblings is good for the soul, though the missionary in me is saying to be nicer to him and endure the things that get under my skin. He is loved by someone, it may not be me or anyone in the group here, but he deserves to be loved like the hobo that people will give money to but won’t let them near their children…

 Well on Sunday, it being the day of youth talks, Frere Alex decides to ask a missionary to give a talk in the middle of it all… I guess that wasn’t a smart idea, so it was his fault there, but what followed is the missionary’s fault. He spoke for THIRTY MINUTES!! First off, nobody should ever talk for thirty minutes in church, and secondly, a missionary should know better than that! So that ate up all the time for the following four speakers, the youth and their instructor, so Frere Alex let one more speak cancelled the others and then spoke for ten minutes himself! (Back on him being annoying.) I don’t like his talks, honestly they are more whispers than talks. He “corrected” what the youth said and always explains how he knows every aspects of the gospel with all of his heart and that is why he is their leader… I wish I didn’t complain so much. :( Anyways, I made it a new goal to just do everything possible to be an example to those members here and try to be positive and uplifting, but like all things, I will start tomorrow! ;)

 Okay, I will wrap up my email with some profound response to the hardest question in life. Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day. (Alma 14v11)

The cruelties of this world are the remnants of the pride and selfish desires of men, and there are those that suffer in its wake. Yeah, God does have the power to bless each and all of his children, but he also has the means of giving them an eternal supply of those blessings which are incomprehensible here in mortality, but that amazing and wonderful God has asked up to do the basic thing and have faith in all His promises! How can people say no to such an amazing opportunity? Honestly, whining and moaning over the situations we are placed in here in mortality gets us nowhere, but there is a light and a hope of the everlasting gospel that will bring riches and glory beyond our wildest imagination! Amen! (Who would have thunk I could say something like that?)

 Anywho, this is Hipster Haggard signing off and wishing you all the best in this next week!

-- 

Elder Robert Eugene Haggard II