Week 33 in Douala: "Tchombé!"

Bonjour amis et familles!


WHEN IN AFRICA

If you're in Cameroon, and you want someone to give you a fist bump, this^ is what you can say. Fun fact. 

Also for another when in Africa story, my watch snapped and my awesome tan line on my wrist is slowly fading. I'm devastated. 

MISSIONARY MOMENTS OF THE WEEK 

Elder Ntumba, my district leader for this transfer, came and did baptismal interviews for those 3 kids on Tuesday before coming and working with me on exchanges on Wednesday. We had a hole in our schedule so Elder Ntumba asked if we could visit them again, because, as he said, "Les enfants là sont trop formidable!" 
So we did. We had a great day together and I was impressed and inspired by his dedication to the work. He also couldn't stop saying 'Tchombé' to everyone he met. 

We've found a very promising new person whom we hope to progress with named Alain. We've been teaching him for a couple weeks now and it's been exciting. Anyone who stays true to their commitment to read the Book of Mormon is a keeper. We had a lesson with him this week about the Plan of Salvation. He loves his family a ton and I was happy to tell him that he could live with them in the Celestial Kingdom! We'll get into the specifics of how that can happen as we progress with him.

Ramelle, Manu, and Parisse got baptized on Saturday like we had planned. I again had the privilege of performing their baptism. These kids are the best; I don't know which set of 3 I like better, the kids I baptized last transfer or these angels. I can't choose. Why should I? They are all precious children of God who understand their identity vis-a-vis Him and His Son Jesus Christ. After the ordinance, all 3 of them went up and testified of a different principle of the Gospel; it was so cute! Ramelle, the youngest, came up and hugged me afterward and her mom said that she was very happy. I responded that I was too. 

FUNNY QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

Ramelle: (talking about getting baptized) "Can we open our eyes in the water?"
Elder May: "No, the water's going to be too dirty!"
Manu: "Yeah, because of all the sins that'll be washed away in it!"

SCRIPTURE/SPIRITUAL THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

Alma 34:11-15 (paraphrased only slightly)

"Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.
But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.
Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be...
And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance."

Big long scripture today. 5 whole verses. I invite you to read it all and think about what it means to you, but here's my explanation.  Justice is an eternal law of the universe that God cannot break. We would be punished according to our sins and this eternal law of justice except if someone else was willing to suffer that punishment. The whole meaning of the Gospel, or the law and all the commandments, is to develop faith in Jesus Christ, the great and last Sacrifice. We need faith that He did actually pay the price for our sins. Once this faith has produced repentance, we can be saved through the power of the Atonement. Jesus Christ is that someone else that has borne the punishment of all the sins of mankind. He is truly our Savior. 

Je vous aime tous,

Elder May














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