Dear family:
Thank you for the details about what's been going
on with the family!! I sincerely appreciate it!! I'm sorry to hear about Dad's
back!! I hope that he's doing better! It is super cool, though, that Dad had won
that smoker!! That's the way life seems to be at times, especially in the
mission -- whenever we have our high ups, they're eventually followed by our low
downs. However, the great thing about it all is that whenever we find ourselves
in the lowest of life's downs and then choose to turn to the Savior to lift us up
as we reach out our hands to his, we're brought up even higher than where we
were before we had fallen.
Well, as for what's going on my side of the world,
I was just recently transfered after having served in Togo for the last eighteen
and a half months to labor in the Calavi Secteur located in Bénin last Saturday. I am no longer Zone
Leader but I have been called to serve as the District Leader of my new
apartment, a change that I have genuinely come to appreciate.
As for the new area, well, there have been a few
changes and adjustments that I've had to adapt to as I've been plunged into yet
another, slightly different culture. The people of Bénin speak a different
native language, their behavior is a bit different than that of the Togolese,
not very many people speak French fluently, I moved from a big ward to a small
branch, I left behind a lot of converts and friends whom I love and genuinely
care for, the people aren't as accepting to the message of the Gospel as the
Togolese are, our living conditions aren't too great, the power goes out
frequently, we don't have a lot of water, and the apartment was a mess when I
arrived (but I cleaned it up today), I've been placed in a district that appartently has
need of my help, among a few other things.
I'm a little disappointed having to start from
ground zero all over again, but due to all the experience that I've had in this
mission, I'm adapting and getting used to everything quickly enough. I'm
enforcing myself to remain positive and to continue to serve and to teach as if
nothing had ever changed.
Well, I'm still getting to know the new area and
I'm still meeting the investigators, members and recent converts found through
out our secteur. It'll take a couple weeks to get fully adjusted, but I'm starting to get the hang of things and I've been
enjoying meeting the people whom we teach for the most part so far.
My new companion's name is Elder Kabuya from
Kinshasha, D.R. Congo. He's been in the mission for ten months, he lost his
mother while on the mission and yet, to my amazement, he is still here doing
what he should by serving the Lord in the best way that he knows how. His
teaching methods are a bit different and are in need of some touching up, but
it's nothing that fervent prayer and fasting, diligent studying, consistant
complimenting, continual encouraging, patience and charity, and a spirit of
unity and friendship can't fix. He has what I consider to be a strange behavior,
but he gets along really well with the people and so it all works for me.
Well, my family, that's all the time that I have
for today! I love you all so much
and I sincerely appreciate your love, support and prayers. God bless you and may
you have a wonderful upcoming week!!
Love, your brother and son,
Elder Gonzales
Dear family:
Wow, aren't my companion and I lucky? The power cut out a few minutes ago
and we left the Cyber before I could write to you. As we were on our way back to
the apartment, the power came back on and so we made our way back to the Cyber
so that we could write to our respective families.
So, here are the details of my life in Calavie, Bénin:
When I first arrived, the apartment was a complete and total wreck. So, what did I do? I cleaned it!! For three days!! Thanks to divine aide and a lot of loving chastizement, I got the other Elders to clean up as well.
Thankfully, getting them to clean wasn't too much
of a battle and they've been diligently cleaning the apartment ever since.
I'm the new district leader and my district
consists of Elders Nsengyova, Bailey, and Kabuya. We've been having fun
together, we're getting along well enough, the missionaries are a bit lazy in
certain aspects (one of which is lazy in all), but one can't force a person to
want to do work and so all one can do is be loving, encouraging, strict, just,
merciful, and a good example.
I love my new companion, we get along great, we've
been working hard, we're serious but we have fun, I've been applying everthing
that I've learned from my last companion with my new one, and the result of
which has enabled my new guy and I are becoming good friends. There are a few
rough edges that still need trimming around my guy's teaching methods, but he's
getting a lot better and it's nothing that fasting, prayer, study, friendship,
and unity can't fix!
As for the secteur, it's absolutely fantastic, for
it's only ten or so minutes away from the apartment. Not only that but the
church is only a couple minutes away by foot. Now I can finally die in peace.
There are a lot of people to teach and it's surprising really easy to find new
investigators. And there is also voodoo... everywhere.
I've figured out the basic lay out of the secteur,
I believe that I've now met each one of our investigators, some of which should
be getting baptized soon, along with our recent converts, and I've already
started becoming good friends with these people.
Last week, I had written that the people were a bit
harder to get along with than the Togolese, but I suppose I only had a rough
first impression. I'm happy to announce that I enjoy working with these people
and I've come to learn how to better interact with them.
As for the now new and improved, clean apartment,
we got cool neighbors and they made us awesome food the day I arrived, the
electricty cuts out every day and we seldom if ever have water and we've so far
killed three rats, one of which I killed myself by wacking it on the neck with a
stick.
Well, the power just died, so I'll have to send the message before my computer shuts off.
I love you all so much and I hope you have a wonderful week!!!
With love, Elder Gonzales
No comments:
Post a Comment