Dearest Family and Friends,
I am in a happier mood today, and I am not sure what has
done it! It may have been the baptism that capped off last week, or it could
just be that I wanted to be happy. So in all honesty I don't know where to
start this email off!
I will talk to you a little about the wonderful little
old lady that we had the opportunity to teach and to baptize to begin with. We
call her Maman Awaté, and she is one of the nicest, and sweetest, littlest old
ladies ever! We found her by "accident" one day as we were knocking
doors. She has another old lady that lives with her, but she doesn't speak
anything other than Ewe, and so she didn't understand who we were when she went
to get Maman Awaté.
So our little Maman has a daughter that lives over in
Washington, (I asked state or DC and she didn't understand so I don't know
which either) but she figured that she sent us over since the other lady was
saying there is an American at the door. Yes, she was a little let down that we
were not sent by her daughter, but it was nevertheless love at first sight
between us! She warmly welcomed us in and treated us to the prime chairs here
in Togo, PLASTIC! They are so much more comfortable than a wooden bench or
stool, so I am quite happy when I get a plastic chair.
She started on asking many questions about who we were,
and she just couldn't grasp it that there was a white young man sitting on her
porch laughing and talking and walking all over Togo. She has much respect for
white people because it was they who taught her to speak French. She was
orphaned at a young age and it was the Catholic nuns that took her in, (at that
time being all white French folk). She was born into wealth, but due to the
death of her parents and the political corruption at the time, she lost it all.
Later in life she married a French man (black not white
this time) and he also was a wealthy man, but following the pattern in her life
he left her a widow to raise four children. He died young back in 1980, and so she
provided for her children all by herself over many years. The husband was a
government worker so she was able to have a government provided pension which
has helped her through it all, but it still isn't a lot of money.
She is a sweet woman that has experimented with different
churches all of her life because she could never feel Jesus in these other
churches. After one visit to sacrament meeting she said, "Jésus est
là!!" She was super happy each and every time that she has visited, and
she is looking forward to going to the Temple in March! She is amazing!!!
Converts like that are the true reason that we are here, those that appreciate
and recognize the eternal blessings that await those that hold firm to the
gospel of Jesus Christ. My mission has been worth it with her baptism alone! I
LOVE IT HERE!!
The funniest story with her was when we were teaching the
Law of Chastity. She looked at me, then my companion, and she kept going back
and forth between the two of us, then she timidly looked at the ground. She
stared there for a little bit, she said, "I don't want to upset you in
asking this.... but do you really live this commandment?" She had fear in
her eyes as she anxiously awaited the response. We smiled, "Yes, it is a
commandment." She was absolutely astonished and her next question was the
funny one! "How do young people like you find yourselves able to support
that burden?!"
There are so many awesome people out there in the world,
and it is such a blessing when Heavenly Father gives you one of these precious
souls. It is such a testament to the truthfulness of this work as you witness
the change and growing desire in my investigators. I love my mission!
I hope you all have an amazing week! I love you all!
Thanks for your prayers and the love that you send to the missionary force all
over the world!
Sincerely,
Elder
Robert Haggard
Mission
Bénin Cotonou
Cadjehoun
Lot°1158 Bloc F
01 BP
3323
Cotonou,
Bénin
