Monday, March 13, 2017

Good News

​Hey guys!

Yeah thank you guys so much for the money that you guys sent so I could help out the missionary! He was so grateful and now hell be able to go serve a mission in Ivory Coast so that's going to be awesome for him! And concerning whether you should fly or drive I would definitely say fly because flying is always cool! Oh and thank you so much for the package it is really super awesome! Also the glasses are pretty sweet I really like the tints on them so thank you very much. However I'm pretty sure I've gotten used to African food now because when I started eating the stuff, I got some major diarrhea but I'm going to fight through it! ;) Oh I hope that everything is going well with the wedding and that there wont be any problems for the happy couple ;) That's crazy to think that Miles turns one soon! Uh I don't exactly like that all that much.

So this week was a very good week and we had the opportunity to work really well, however on Tuesday it was a little bit scary. We were in the middle of teaching a lesson later at night and we got a call from our recent convert her name is Natacha and she said that we should come over to see her because she wasn't feeling that well so we finished our lesson and decided to head over. We walked in the house and we saw her just propped up against the couch and the problem was something with her respiratory system because it was super hard for her to breath and she told us that she had a problem in the morning because she was working at a hospital and ended up passing out and woke up in the hospital with needles and stuff already in her arm. Anyway she came home and just slept until we came over and then some other members ended up coming over and we thought it would be a good idea to try and give her a blessing so my companion asked her if we could do it but right as he finished asking she starting going in to some sort of like seizure type thing and it was super hard for her to breath so we had to get her out of the house and onto a moto so she could go to the hospital and we ended up sitting her on a stool outside the house and there were several times where she stopped breathing entirely. While my companion and a member were holding her up. It was super scary because after my companion told me that really she was close to dying several times while he was holding her up and it was pretty simple to see that she was pretty close to dying several times but we were able to keep her awake and get her onto a moto. We followed on foot to the hospital because missionaries can't take the motos and when we saw her at the hospital she wasn't doing much better and some other members came and we waited for maybe a good 30 minutes. Really from what I saw I was rather convinced that she wasn't going to make it but after the wait she was able to sit up and we were able to give her a blessing but after we finished the blessing we left because it was super late. That night, I don't think I've ever prayed so hard for anyone in my entire life because really what I saw made me think she wasn't going to make it, it was probably the most scared I've been as well because I've never seen anything like that. I wish I don't again but the next day she started showing improvement and was able to go home. She had some little attacks throughout the week but nothing like Tuesday and shes doing a lot better now but really it was pretty messed up. I don't think I'll be forgetting that anytime soon but I'm glad shes doing a lot better. But when we were just at her house all I could really do was just kinda sit there and watch and it literally was the worst thing cause I couldn't do anything and I said so many prayers in my heart that day just asking that she could make it. Its an experience I don't think I'll have again anytime soon and really I hope I don't get to see it again because it really was not the funnest thing. However I'm super glad that shes doing a lot better and that things seem to be turning around for her.

Um so that's pretty much what happened during the week and we also had 7 of our investigators show up to church this Sunday which is super cool and we're lining up 3 baptisms for this following week of Frere Amouzou, Chabel, and Laurent. Frere Amouzou is a little crazy and he believes he can heal people with the laying on of hands but hes understood our teachings and has stopped healing people cause we told him the importance of authority and he already is calling the church his church so what could go wrong with baptizing him right??? I still don't know but unless he can't pass the interview we haven't been given a reason that we cant baptize him so that will be somewhat interesting. Chabel is cool! His problem is the law of chastity a little bit because he didn't really know any better before but after he learned it wasn't good hes pretty determined to stop that type of behavior because he really wants to do what's right and so well see how that goes as well! Laurent is pretty normal and he's the brother of the missionary that we gave money to so the family tie is good and hopefully the missionary can get him motivated! Also I went to the beach today so I'll have to send you all some pictures! I didn't go swimming but I got a little bit wet because the waves caught me by surprise but it was a good day! Anyway this was a long email and I hope that you guys have a good week! Also if its been a while since you've read the teachings of Jesus I would recommend that you look at them again cause really they're absolutely amazing. anyway that's it for the week and I hope that you all have a great week!







Monday, March 6, 2017

In Like a Lion

Hey guys!

Yeah sorry, I took some time last time but I'm just glad I was able to get a message sent off! I'm glad that everything is going on the upslope now! and That dad is getting back to his normal! It's weird to think that when I'll see him again he'll be a lot skinnier but if what you say is true it will be the same story for me! Yeah the apartment is a little messy but we just cleaned it today and it's looking pretty good so that's a little better! I'm also glad you're spending some good time with the kids they really are awesome!

So this week went by a little bit differently. We didn't get out to see as many people as at the beginning of the week the temperature was nice and we were able to work fairly well but in the second of the week it got super super hot and it was hard to get a good amount of work in. Because of all the work, we did last week that second half of the week slowed us down quite a bit but we were still able to get a good amount of work in and overall it was a good day. Also, I went to my first wedding!! It wasn't for our investigators but it was for the other companionship and were able to go. The couple is super cool and super ready to be baptized. There a beloved family of Thsileu and Raveneau so we get to see them pretty often. Well, the first thing about it is that it was super different! It's pretty much just in a tiny room and its pretty much no big deal and it was interesting to see the translate the languages because there were a lot of different races in the room. There was a random old lady from Switzerland the investigators from Ivory Coast and Congo. 2 Americans and 1 French person and of course people from Benin. It was just kinda interesting. Also while we were there we went down to a lake and passed a crazy weird village!! It wasn't weird as like Voodoo and stuff like that even though there was a little bit but it was almost like we were in a different country. It was so stinking clean and the whole 20 minutes I was there I wasn't called yovo. It was very very very weird. Hopefully, I can send some pictures so you can see what I'm talking about.

Well, that's pretty much a lot of it. I'm really enjoying teaching and figuring out how to become a better teacher. Sometimes it's kinda hard because teaching here is a little different but its really cool. The French is coming a long a ton easier and I'm able to speak and understand like it's almost nothing. I'm very grateful for that because really it was miserable not being able to speak but now it's all good and my companion is awesome! Also, we had a zone activity. We played soccer and ate food and listened to some Rihanna and some rap so yeah. Never thought I would have a zone activity like that but it happened. Only in Benin but I'm liking my mission even though disobedience is rather high. You just gotta do as much work as possible and be patient. I'm just glad I've had pretty good companions! Anyway, it wasn't all that interesting but that's pretty much it! I love you guys a ton and hope that you have a good week!  OH, and for a package just some nice highlighters! I don't have anymore and marking my scriptures is becoming a little difficult. But thanks for everything you guys do for me and I will talk to you soon! Love you all!