Salut ma famille!
I tell you what, this mission certainly has been quite the adventure and it's already almost half way complete. Ten more days and I will have hit my eleven month mark.
Well, let me hook you up with that which has been going down over here.
1. First of all, we bought a duck some time during the week and killed it on Friday, which just so happened to be Elder Whitt's year mark. We ate the duck Sunday evening and it actually tasted really great.
2. Bro. Frank, the father of the Nigerian family that we've been teaching, had a dream about us after having prayed about our message one night. He said that him, his son Daniel, my companion and I,
were in an appointment-like setting in his house. There was a lady with us who had a problem with her eyes to the point that she couldn't see and she apparently had some sort of mental illness as well. I
told this woman to write her problems onto a piece of paper. She did what I told her to do and then handed me that which she had written on the paper. I then took an eraser and then presumed to erase everything that she wrote. Shortly thereafter, once all that she had written was erased, I wiped off the paper shavings and then blew away the rest. The lady then screamed and shouted due to what I would imagine to be joy because she had regained her sight and was healed. This was without a doubt the strangest response to a prayer that I've heard yet. At least he said he felt the "fruits of the Spirit" while experiencing this vision (Galatians 5:22), making him feel that everything that we've taught so far is good.
3. We were thankfully able to find, meet up with and teach more investigators to teach during the week. Despite difficulties, we've thankfully had a better week as far as productivity goes and we
were able to work with more members which was really nice.
4. Bro. Franc and his family (save for his wife) came to church again for what would now be I believe the fifth time which is really great. We've attempted to fix a baptismal date with them but they haven't quite yet accepted due to wanting more time to reflect upon said decision. I'm sure though once we teach them more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ along with the Plan of Salvation they'll come around and at last be willing to accept to be baptized.
5. Our friend Fr. Daniel, the brother of a recent convert named Sr. Eugenie, came to church as well, but ended up leaving after Sacrament out of either fatigue, boredom, or both. We tried to convince him in just about any way we could to stay, but in the end he still left. This is actually not the first time that he has done this since we've been teaching him and since he has started coming to church. Well, at least he came. Can't complain for that. Although, now we're just going to work on helping him stay for the remaining two hours. Working with a member and then finding him a friend to be with during church ought to do the trick (I hope). Prays for this one will certainly be appreciated.
6. Unfortunately, I don't have any news concerning Sr. Reine. As far as I know her husband has still refused that she be baptized and has even told her to no longer come to church anymore as well.
This has been quite unfortunate because Elder Tapusoa and I spoke face to face with her husband and he said that he will have to reflect upon that which we had informed him about, that is, the baptism of his wife Sr. Reine. He said that in the end it all comes down to that which his wife wants to do, but I don't think that what he said was in all actuality how he felt. Well, we'll try to talk to him again and maybe try to explain as to why Sr. Reine wants to be baptized again after having already done so in the Catholic Church. We need to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by one holding the authority of the Priesthood by immersion for remission of sins, thereby rendering
ourselves eligible through the purification and sanctification that comes from the Atonement to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. All of which is essential for salvation. Hopefully it will all turn out okay.
7. Stress is killer. Power naps are awesome.
8. 2 Nephi 2:27 says it all. After all we can do, it's up to the investigators to make up the rest and then choose for themselves to do that which they want to do.
9. I played basketball with the other missionaries in our zone and then went to a small restaurant thereafter to buy hamburgers and liquidy milkshakes for lunch today which was pretty fun.
10. This week is the last week of the transfer!!!
Wow, the time sure passes by quick. I'll sure miss working with Elder Tapusoa.
He has been the best to work with since I've been here and I'll actually miss him.
Thankfully he lives in Kearns, Utah so I'll be able to meet up with
and see him after the mission.
Sooo, Elder Tapusoa and I received our transfer calls last Saturday while we were having a rendez-vous with Bro. Frank and his family.
I have been transferred and called, after having worked in the Kégué secteur for three months as a trainer for E. Tapusoa (who has been called to continue to serve in the Kégueé secteur to work with a member as the senior companion), to be the new Zone Leader in the Bèkpota Zone. I was transferred yesterday afternoon and I am now working in the Bèkpota secteur with Elder Adjei from Ghana who only has one more transfer (six weeks) left until he goes home. I was in all honesty not at all expecting to be called as a Zone Leader, let alone be transferred from Kégué. I was hoping to not receive more responsibility than that of what I previously had, but it'll be a great opportunity to render service and to help others accomplish that which we've been called to do. As far as responsibilities go, it's in all reality not that much. All I have to do is keep track of all that which a number of companionships are doing, make certain reports, among other things, help take care of zone funds and transportation, lead out zone meetings with my guy, perform baptismal interviews on behalf of the district leaders in the zone, and then there's not much else to it.
Well, this calling has more than likely determined all that which is going to happen to me for the next six to seven months of my life in the mission. So I'll probably be at my 3/4 mark by the time I'm called to do something else.
I suppose a new chapter in the book has been opened and we'll see how it all turns out in the end. At least my new guy is really cool. He's super nice, really considerate, has a great rep for being a great missionary, and I can see us working together quite fine.
Those who are in my district apartment consist of an Elder from Hawaii along with another Elder from the Congo. They are also really awesome and I can see us all having a fun time together.
Well, working with E. Tapusoa has been the best experience that I've had
since I've been here and has certainly been the best three months of my mission
life thus far. He and I worked very hard to come up with investigators to teach
by doing a lot of door-to-door proselyting. Our labor consisted of a lot
searching, finding, teaching, and seed planting. We managed to find certain
people who will potentially be baptized while I'm gone, which would consist of
Bro. Frank, who wants to be baptized, along with his family, Sr. Reine, who
would have been baptized by now if her husband had accepted that she be
baptized, and Fr. Daniel who we hope will be ready to be baptized by the end of
October, along with Fr. Jean, the younger brother of a member named Fr. Ekoué,
and his son Beaugard who will hopefully be ready to be baptized by the end of
October as well.
Elder Tapusoa taught me something during our last companionship study that
really touched my heart and inspired me to change and improve the manner of which
or the quality of how I do this mission. He showed to me a picture that had been
sent to him by a friend that had a quote on the back saying something along the
lines of, <<The measure of success is not in the amount of numbers
accomplished but in how happy one is to serve the Lord.>> This helped me
realize that this is indeed the Lord's work and that I should do my part by
acquiring more charity towards the people that I teach, by not relying so much
on my own capabilities but more so on the Spirit, and then by being a worthy,
happy and cheerful instrument through which the Lord may accomplish the work that
He has called me to do.
Well family,
I love you all so much, take good care of
yourselves, have a fantastic week, and I look forward to hearing from you next
week!
Je vous aime tous beaucoup et que Dieu vous bénisse!!Sincèrement,
Elder Gonzales
