Not Much, But a Great Sunday

Dear Friends and Family,

As you can see, not much went down this week, but I will do my best to tell you a little bit about it.

Well, today (being Monday) I started my fifth transfer on the mission! That is exciting stuff when you top off the old planner and you start the new one; none as exciting as the last one on the mission like Elder Hopkins finds himself within. Mr. Ghana will be finding himself back home at the start of next year, straight from the heat of West Africa to the bitter cold of Provo.

Next on the list of awesome things going down, CONGRATULATIONS Sister Aubrey Phillips on your mission date! Hopefully next week we can both know where you are going! ;)

So there were transfers, and so we lost Elder Soanantenaina and replaced him with Elder Imoukhuede from Benin City, Nigeria! He is a nice fellow, but I feel terrible that I can understand his French better than his English... It has also become a natural reflex to respond to anyone talking to me in French rather than English. So, good news is that my French has come along quite nicely in the SIX MONTHS that I have been here. C'est bon!

Something wonderful happened this Sunday! IT WAS THE PRIMARY PROGRAM!!! I tried to upload the film of all these children doing their thing in French, but African internet connections don't like bigger files like that... :( It was really the most spiritual moment that I have had in Church in a long while. There is so much power in those little children. "Book of Mormon Stories" and "Follow the Prophet" were amazing! If you saw the video you would hear me and Elder Ringle get a little giddy over it. I love the children's hymns, they are straight to the point and there is poetic justice in simplicity. I guess there is always that primary child within each of us, and it is great!

I love the wonderful experiences that I get to have on this mission! There is so many exciting events that go with the growing Church as it is so new into these peoples' lives. I have taken for granted the blessing of being born into the Church, and I hope that I never make that mistake again.

C'est une grande experience d'être une missionnaire, et je suis toujours content que je suis ici! J'aime ma vie que mon Père céleste m'a donné!

-- 

Sincerely,

Elder Robert Haggard

Mission Bénin Cotonou

Cadjehoun Lot°1158 Bloc F

01 BP 3323 

Cotonou, Bénin

Guess Who I Saw at Church in Be-Kpota...

Dearest World,

Sadly, I didn't note many things in my agenda this past week as reminders of what I wanted to speak about today. It is a habit of mine to forget the moments that happen, but the feelings are things that are often well-imprinted on my heart. If I were to give a summary of the week in words of emotions, I would say simply that it was a week of self-reflection.
My nose has never been in the Book of Mormon for so many hours. I absolutely love the Book of Mormon!! To be honest, I think that was a testimony that I lacked before this mission. I don't feel bad in saying that because it has been corrected now. I can say with every fiber of my being that this book, is so much more than a book, it is the word and will and absolute testament of Jesus Christ, and it is my aspiration to have it become mine as well.
That reminds me of a powerful statement by Bruce R. McConkie where he is bearing his testimony and he says:
 "I shall use my own words, though you may think they are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and prophets. True it is they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine, for the Holy Spirit of God has borne witness to me that they are true, and it is now as though the Lord had revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word." -Bruce R. McConkie The Purifying Power of Gethsemane, April 1985.
It is that! I want that to be my testimony, and I am working towards it each and every day. Though, this week has made me feel a bit more like Alma, Amulek, and the Sons of Mosiah in all of their journeys; for it was the sadness of the world that filled my mind due to experiences.
One night as we were at a member's home, with the hope to teach his brother, who has accepted to meet with us but was in the village for a few weeks. The story doesn't revolve around him though, but their other brother. I thought that people weren't this crazy, but this man was CRAZY/drunk. The second half we didn't realize as soon as we should have, especially based on how he acted as he saw that we were the MORMON MISSIONARIES.
I felt a little like a vampire as a foolish man crossed himself and told his brothers not to make eye contact with the "devils incarnate." He kept yelling at the member brother to not sit face to face with us and that he was an idiot for inviting us into his home. It was slightly entertaining, until things got bad. Though, the bad wasn't directed towards us...

This foolish and drunken selfish man came to visit the mother of his child that the member and the other brother took in, but it wasn't a friendly visit. In his drunken rage he came to teach her how she needs to raise their child, and so the meeting with the brother was postponed as the "teaching" was taking place. This brother (drunk) was bigger than the other two and so they weren't able to fight him off as he smacked the helpless woman. It was a moment that I wished I wasn't wearing a badge so that I could give him and good “whatfor!”
This is where I felt very much like Alma and Amulek in the city of Ammonihah.
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were
consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma:
How can we witness this awful scene?
Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and
exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.

11 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.

12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold,
perhaps they will burn us also.
(Alma 14:10-12)

I couldn't sit there and watch as he abused this woman, but we tried our best to provide spiritual support for the member that was having a hard time listening to the blows as they landed. There are two things people should NEVER do, the first is hit women and the second is hit children. If I weren't a missionary.... I am happy I am a missionary because of situations like that though. It goes to show how desperately the world needs this gospel. The beautiful thing that I saw within this travesty was the love of a mother. The man didn't hit the child, the mother each time stood in the way, and so eventually he just held the child knowing that if he laid a harmful hand on the baby that woman would stop at nothing until her baby was once again safe.
You learn a little about sacrifice, about the pains and torments of the flesh as someone stands against the lashes in the place of another. The physical anguish turns to devastating stabs at ones heart as they stand as helpless witnesses to the hardships of this life. I think of our Savior, the ultimate sacrifice each time I witness the innocent being torn asunder by the monstrosity of wickedness. The foolishness and craftiness of wickedness thinking that they have gained so much here in this mortal sphere and so they reject the reality that things are bigger and better for those that live humbly and are willing to sacrifice any and all mortal gains to enable the kingdom of God here upon the earth.
Brothers and sisters, friends, family, please rid yourself of the pride that hangs on each of us as we achieve things here during our probationary state. Don't fool yourselves into the idea that there are things more important than God, Jesus Christ, and their Gospel in this life. Center your lives on your family, on loving God with all of your heart, might, mind and strength, and upon helping those in need all around you. They are there, and if you think not, you are blind.
To answer the question of the title of this week’s email, I saw Frère Alex!!! Teehee! It was exciting, and when I told him that it has been almost six months since the first day my blonde head appeared in Kodjoviakopé he was taken aback. Fun seeing familiar faces as I progress down the long and winding road as a missionary. I have done a quarter of my mission, and I am kind of scared that the rest of it will go by too fast. There are yet many adventures that lay ahead of me, and even more after this period of life, so much to look forward to, but can't let the future take away from the present. I love this mission! I am excited for everything in store for me! Hardships, pains, joys, smiles and tears, send them my way!
I love you all! Have another fantastic week! Say your prayers, morning and night, and let the Spirit lead you throughout your day.
--
Sincerely,
Elder Robert Haggard
Mission Bénin Cotonou
Cadjehoun Lot°1158 Bloc F
01 BP 3323
Cotonou, Bénin

Not Creative Enough for a Cooler Title

Dearest World,

This week was slightly less productive than usual. I don't know what it is but my companion and I seem to be in a real pickle on the whole finding process of this missionary work. We talk and talk and talk to people until we are blue in the face, but ZILCH! ZIP! NADA!! It was hard back in Kodjoviakopé too, but we at least had members and investigators that were always progressing, but here nothing. In fact, I had my first investigator come to Church yesterday in the month that I have been here. I guess I have just hit one of those mission dry patches. Do those happen to other people?

I mean, I look at my mission and know that I am working hard, but work without results is hard to measure. Not that I need to be boasting or looking at numbers to make me an effective missionary. We have lessons, they are just rarely with the same people, and those that are with the same people are still with people that refuse to come to Church, not refuse, they are just cunning at creating reasons they were "unable" to make it. It gets a little discouraging, but I know that I can help them if I just continue to work faithfully and valiantly.

I have been spending a lot of time studying a "few" Bruce R. McConkie talks that I just happened to have in my suitcase as I flew across the Atlantic to this little Africa place, what a coincidence. ;) Anywho, he has enlightened my mind through the spirit that he was able to imprint upon the pages of many of his talks. A few of the topics consisted of giving more heed to the words spoken by prophets of this dispensation, and not lingering on those revelations of the past.

"It seems easy to believe in the prophets who have passed on and to suppose that we believe and follow the counsel they gave under different circumstances and to other people. But the great test that confronts us, as in every age when the Lord has a people on earth, is whether we will give heed to the words of his living oracles and follow the counsel and direction they give for our day and time.


“We be Abraham’s children, the Jews said to Jove;
We shall follow our Father, inherit his trove.
But from Jesus our Lord, came the stinging rebuke:
Ye are children of him, whom ye list to obey;
Were ye Abraham’s seed, ye would walk in his path,
And escape the strong chains of the father of wrath.
“We have Moses the seer, and the prophets of old;
All their words we shall treasure as silver and gold.
But from Jesus our Lord, came the sobering voice:
If to Moses ye turn, then give heed to his word;
Only then can ye hope for rewards of great worth,
For he spake of my coming and labors on earth.
“We have Peter and Paul, in their steps let us trod;

So religionists say, as they worship their God.
But speaks He who is Lord of the living and dead:
In the hands of those prophets, those teachers and seers,
Who abide in your day have I given the keys;
Unto them ye must turn, the Eternal to please.”

 -"God Foreordains His Prophets and His People", Bruce R. McConkie

That is a smart man that Bruce R. McConkie! It is sad that he had to pass from this life due to cancer, which seems to be a painful process that, if I have my way, I never have to fully understand through firsthand experiences. Pain is a sad experience that we all experience in one manner or another, and if it not be for us, it is in the manifestation of those that we love most dearly. The bright side to all pain is that God has a plan! There will never be a moment spent in vain if we are faithful and obedient to the end.

That is the moral of a mission, be obedient until the end.

"Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow. Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony of the things which are to come;" -Doctrine and Covenants 58:5-6

We had a really good Zone Conference this Thursday. It was topped off with a very delicious Burger/Charwarma mix to seal in the spirituality with the sign of a satisfied belly. The message that helped me from President Weed was something to this effect:

We are not on our missions for the blessings, for the baptisms, for improving our lives, we MUST be here because we love the Lord, and that we KNOW that we have been called of Him to WORK. If you aren't seeing the blessings it doesn't mean that they aren't there. You should rejoice in the blessing of your own personal witness and testimony of the Saviour Jesus Christ, the Restored Gospel and the verity of LIVING Prophets and Apostles! (Paraphrased, and used my own personal sentiments that I took from the meeting).

Yes, sometimes this work is hard, and sometimes I don't have great experiences and stories to share with all of you dear friends and family, but if there is one thing that I have above all the hardships that await me on this mission it is my testimony. I know that I have been called by He that I serve to stand as His representative to this people. I have been called and given the authority to invite others unto Christ. I am not here to simply share with people a message, but I am here to call people to act upon this true message.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the World. I know that God, the one true and living God, is the Father of us all, and more specifically MY Heavenly Father. My whole heart and soul leaps at the promise of celestial glory in the kingdom of my Father. Here I am preparing others to inherit this great promise, and in a few short months it will be my responsibility to live in such a way to have me and my family inherit these glories beyond comprehension. It is a little ways off, but the thought of it is a very lovely picture.

This Church is true! I love you all! I will talk to you all next week, but if anyone feels inclined to send me a letter for Christmas or something like that:

Elder Robert Haggard
Benin Cotonou Mission
Cadjehoun Lot 1158 Bloc F
01 BP 3323
Cotonou, Bénin

With Love and Faith,
Elder Haggard

The Week of Halloween/End of October and Start of November‏

Heya Everybody!

Sometimes Africa plays games as U walk down the streets and songs, as they drift from the rattling speakers of bars, bring back memories. Regardless that the speakers themselves being in their last leg of life the music is being played at full volume, but overlooking the noise that isn't the music, the familiar words come through. It is funny, the words of Celine Dion, words that I haven't heard in years, carry me back to my childhood.

I can see our little family driving down the highways of southern California, or in gas stations, parking lots to Vons or Food4Less, or just any time in our little white station wagon listening to, when it wasn't Radio Disney, our mother's extensive collection of Celine Dion. I can't remember what we were doing at those places, or where we were going, but I can remember us being happy. It is oftentimes nice to walk down memory lane, especially with those memories that you never thought you'd remember.

My week has been filled with, once again, the picturesque missionary activity of porte-à-porte, tracting. You can just imagine for yourself two young men, okay, one young man and a young-ish mature adult, walking side by side. You can see our well-worn shirts losing their white, our once polished shoes now dirty (or if you are like me, completely thrashed and riddled with holes like a 20's gangster) and our shoulder bags bursting at the seams with brochures and scriptures, the bags as well being weather-worn and sun-faded while walking along dirt roads under the weight of the sun's rays; the sweat of our brow testifying of the work we are doing. It is the life!!!

Albeit that tracting is a lot of fun, I am being honest in that, I love talking to new people and sharing my testimony with them, but I much prefer having rendez-vous' during the day. It is great to see all of the souls that the Lord has entrusted me with but I am confident that He wants at least a few of them progressing. Perhaps I am being an ungrateful servant, nine of the ten lepers, Moses with his inability to speak eloquently, but two weeks of tombez-vous' is a little discouraging. We have our flecks of gold amongst the rocks though, and for them I am most humbly grateful.

It has taken a bit of time to see what everyone is saying by Africa is ripe and ready for the harvest, but like the mangoes on the tree at the apartment, the biggest and best looking are often very rotten on the inside, whether it be due to age, or some little beasties that have crawled in and ruined it for the rest of us. There is a very delicate and special stage within the hearts of men that the Lord has prepared many to be at. It may not be "perfect" but with the sunlight of faith and the water of hard work we can get these "mangoes" nice and ripe, inside and out!

Among those of our over ripened mangoes is a man, and for the sake of anonymity I shall call him "Aka-aka-akpo." Have you ever met those people that are humble, they have the desire, but they have made a mistake that has trapped them without a visible means of escape? Aka-aka-akpo is one of these unfortunates.

The missionaries found him at a very vital moment of his life. The missionaries have been meeting with him off and on for the past five months. Each of the missionaries never understood why he wouldn't get baptized, but he finally opened up to Elder Kouadio and I.

You see, Aka-aka-akpo had been unfaithful to his spouse, and for those of you a little confused, that is a BIG no no. Along with his infidelity, there are certain powers attached to sexual relations, these powers are those of procreation. This gives two people the capacity to work in creating life, for giving a temporal tabernacle to one of God's children; these powers took full effect. Aka-aka-akpo found himself with an unfortunately unwanted child. These events transpired a couple months before him meeting with the missionaries and so his, I don't know a good English word for it so I will use French, concubine, but I now realize it is the same in both languages, is seven months pregnant.

At first he thought of aborting the child, but he knew that killing his child was no way to make the situation better. He is now lost in the so many paths that this life places before us with a terrible guilt weighing upon his heart. We are trying to help him; we are doing all that we can to help him find the answer from our loving Heavenly Father through prayer and searching the scriptures. The words of the prophets and the consolation of the Holy Ghost will be his guide. He isn't always available to meet with us due to his work and travels over to the village; he is the second village chief. It hasn't been long since he broke this news to us, so it will be an interesting next couple of weeks. Adultery, as terrible as it is, is still so much easier to handle than when the precious life of an infant hangs in the balance.

That is the interesting story of the week. I was slightly, very sad due to Halloween not existing here, but they are huge about the Fête des Morts the day after. The cemetery was packed full of "mourners", candle vendors, and FanIce.

It was quite a spectacle to watch, I am not really sure why they flocked to the cemetery, but if it was to pay their respects to their ancestors they could have fooled me. The day after that there was nothing but trash littering the cemetery and upon every tomb, as well as the newly magnified scent of fire and smoke.  I love Africa, but it is traditions like that which make me realize how important the Gospel is for our ancestors.

Family history plug, momma'd be so proud! Do your family history so you can pay your respects at the temple and not by littering their resting spots with trash and urine. This work is true! 

Sincerely,

Elder Haggard

P.S. Here is reference to last week's blog: a picture of the newly dedicated chapel!