Week 2 in Yaoundé: Collines and embouteillages

(translation: hills and traffic jams)

Bonjour amis et familles!

I had a really good second week here in Yaoundé - a lot of super awesome stuff happened so I won't waste any space and get right into it:

WHEN IN CAMEROON

Yaoundé is so darn hilly. Hillier than Seattle, or San Francisco, I'm sure of it. Our church building is at the bottom of one and it's so long and steep that I dreaded going to church for fear of having to climb it afterwards (not really tho).
Also every weekend night we get stuck in traffic. It's turned a 20-minute taxi ride into a 2-hour ride on multiple occasions.

MISSIONARY MOMENTS OF THE WEEK 

First off: We found 4 new people this week!
The first one was this lady we met on the street that we later set up a lesson with on Tuesday. We taught her the plan of salvation. At the end of the lesson, when we asked her if she had any questions, she thanked us for teaching her all these things she hadn't thought about before, like the premortal life. It was like she was remembering something she once knew. I have high hopes for Annette.
On Saturday, we had a lesson with this family that had been referred us by a member. We started the lesson by asking what their experiences with God have been like. It led to the grandma in a wheelchair sharing the most charming, inspiring story of faith through trials I've ever had the privilege of hearing. I related her story to faith, the power of family, and how we can grow closer to God through living the Gospel as  families. The Spirit was super strong and I can't wait to go back next week.
One last thing: We've gone over to this inactive member's house about 3 times, and we've been inviting her to come back to church. She didn't seem very up to it after our Saturday visit, but guess what happened? She came to church the next day! It was so awesome to see her there and it really strengthened my testimony of the importance of reactivation in missionary work. 

FUNNY QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

So, Elder Dion has one of the strongest, most confident personalities I've ever seen. What cognitive dissonance was felt when, while confidently making dinner and balancing 3 different tasks, he exclaimed, in English, "I do not know what I'm doing."

SCRIPTURE/SPIRITUAL THOUGHT OF THE WEEK 

D&C 6:22-23: 

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.
Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?"

One of my favorite adages that I've learned and developed on the mission is this: Spiritual truths can only be known by spiritual means. The only way we can gain a testimony is by going straight to the top, so to speak. We must ask God, and if we ask him, he will answer. He will speak peace to our minds. 

Passez une excellente semaine! Je vous aime tous!











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