Week 7 in Libreville: Zone Conference and a couple other things

 Subject line isn't very creative this week, I apologize.


Bonjour amis et familles!

This week was very, very long. It was very much a week of adjustment and figuring out how far I can or should push the envelope in learning how to work with my companion, and vice versa. But, here are some highlights from this week:

WHEN IN AFRICA

Sometimes the water just stops working for a couple hours. No idea why. Maybe someone drove over a pipe and punctured it (I use 'punctured' because you'll see just bunches and bunches of rubber water lines on the sides of the road.)
When it rains, it's so humid that the car windshields fog up and cannot get unfogged. It follows that being in a taxi on these roads here, where there's no sense of right-of-way, and you can only kind of see where you're going, is a very stressful experience. 

MISSIONARY MOMENTS OF THE WEEK

I had my 2nd zone conference of the mission this week (I would have normally had 4 or 5 at this point, but a variety of things have happened so that that's not the case). All 14 of us in the 'zone' (which is the 'Gabon' zone at this point) had an all-day spiritual feast - led by President and Sister Miner. A lot of great principles were shared - a big theme was obedience and how if we obey 'with exactness', we will be blessed and have the spirit with us as we testify of the truths of the Gospel. Considering it was all in French (with a few English 'recaps' of certain major points), I understood everything quite well.

We've found some cool people this week. For example, this lady who lives in the 'provinces' (inland, small villages, jungle) who seemed really excited to get a Book of Mormon. It's too bad she was only visiting the big city, but hopefully she'll bring the Book and the Gospel to her village!
We actually gave out 3 copies of the Book of Mormon this week! (my old misson president advised that 'Books of Mormon' is grammatically accurate but doctrinally iffy; 'Book of Mormons' is definitely wrong ;)) We found ourselves in this roundabout/plaza with these benches and decided to go up and start talking to people and were able to give out some brochures and 2 copies. It was cool. 
I'd like to give a cool update on Rafaël: We'd been getting the feeling that he liked our theological conversations but wasn't grapsing the importance of our message. But, on Saturday, we found out that he'd actually been reading the Book of Mormon! So we read some with him and I could tell his heart was touched by the message. Mine was as well. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Soutenir votre collègue!"

This isn't really a 'funny' quote, but it was the quote of the week, for sure. It means 'sustain/help your companion', and Elder Utshudi has been saying it constantly since the advice was given in Zone Conference. In fact, I asked him at one point after he said it, "Do you feel sustained?" He said "Oui."

SCRIPTURE/SPIRITUAL THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

Disclaimer: Credit for finding the scripture this week goes to my grandpa, Kent Granat. 

D&C 106:2-3, adapted:
"And [he] should preach my everlasting gospel, and lift up his voice and warn the people, not only in his own place, but in the [far] count[r]ies;*
And devote his whole time to this high and holy calling, which I now give unto him, seeking diligently the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness, and all things necessary shall be added thereunto; for the laborer is worthy of his hire."

I want to focus on the phrase 'devote his whole time to this high and holy calling'. I know that if I'm obedient and truly devote my whole time to following the Lord, I will be a successful missionary, and a successful member of the church in my 'own place' once my service is done. Missions can be hard, and that's something I'm figuring out trying to navigate this new companionship. But, if I devote my time to doing the work, all will work out in the end. I'm so blessed and thankful to have this amazing opportunity to preach the gospel in the 'far countries' of the world.

Je vous aime tous!

Elder May

*original verse says 'adjoining counties'

Pictures include homemade fufu, zone conference pic, a cool vista, and me in a mask looking angry (it's just the sun!)






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