Christmas in Africa

From Elder and Sister Black's Blog:
Saturday evening, December 20th, was the branch Christmas party. For some time now the Primary and the Youth have been practicing up to present some drama productions and songs for Christmas. It was wonderful. The chapel was filled to overflowing. The primary kids sang songs and presented some readings about Christmas, then the youth took over with drama and more songs and the branch choir also helped out. It was a program that would be a credit to any ward we have at home.

Tuesday, December 23rd, we prepared all day to have the missionaries over for our Christmas Eve dinner and party. Soeur Black had the tables decorated up nicely and we had a wonderful dinner of chicken and rice. I think it was a first for many of the African elders. The elders played the keyboard and sang Christmas carols while we were finishing the dinner. Afterwards we had some little gifts for everyone and played the gift game where you can either open a present or steal one from someone else in which case they get to open another. Everyone including us enjoyed the evening.

Christmas card

This card was hand painted.

Journey is the destination

Elder Phillips, my first companion, talked about a phrase, ''The journey is the destination.'' For example, most of the time when you go backpacking, you don't actually go someplace, you just walk around with a backpack on for a few days. It is the same with a mission, or kind of, it isn't the perfect analogy. But, the idea is that the mission is the destination, and it is important to enjoy the journey. The goal of a mission is not just to finish the two years. The mission is the goal, if that makes sense. The idea was really good, and it was something that I really needed to learn. Sometimes I just feel like the mission is too hard, and like I am just trying to endure until the two years are over. But, the mission is the destination, and it took a long time (19 years) to get here. I need to enjoy it while it lasts. Thanks to my Aunt Rae, who in a letter said something about how after her mission she remembers the good more that the hard, and that it is the hard memories that help make good memories.

Not one, not two, but three

First off, for the church here in Benin, yesterday (Sunday) was an incredibly important day. The news...(drum roll).... the branch here was divided into three separate branches. I don't know if just saying that captures how important that really is. There has been only one branch here for 6 years or so, so this is the first division ever here. There are only around 200 or so members, so the branches will be small, but it is really awesome. Really, it was great, and I'm not really sure what to say to help you understand how important and how awesome it was. (Michael said that the Gbedjromede branch he will be in, has about 150 members. The other two branches (Akpakpa and Menontin) are further out and probably will have 30-50 people. It will be a lot easier for them to get to church having it closer to their home.)

It will be very difficult, especially for the first little while, but will help the church here so much in the long run. So, missionary work will be a little different because of the change, but not too much. This last week, and especially in a training meeting for the new leaders of the branches that the missionaries went to, I have really realized how much we have to build the church here. We do all of the stuff that all missionaries do as well, but here our real goal is to build the church, basically from the ground up. I think that I had realized that before, but it hit me again this last week.

Okay, so something else that I've been thinking about lately is how nice it is to have church buildings. Here, church meets in a house, which has been made into a building we can use for church. It works fine for the most part, but isn't ideal. (see attached picture, it is small, but will give you an idea about what he is talking about) But, we had a Christmas activity this last Saturday, and it would have been really nice to have a gym or something for that. We had it in the room we use as a chapel, and it felt kind of weird to me. The activity went okay, though it started like an hour late. Sometimes things are like that. We had an investigator come, but he had to leave before the activity even started. So, yeah, that was too bad. I could go into more details with this story of the Christmas activity, but I think I'll move onto other things.

I've heard people say that the church is the same everywhere you go. I don't think that is quite true. The gospel is the same. That doesn't change. But, the way that the church works is not exactly the same here. Not in a bad way or anything, or a lot different, just a little bit.

New Companion

We had thought that transfers were done when two missionaries got transfered to Cote d'Ivoire last week. But, 4 more missionaries went there this last week. I think that it was all of the district leaders in Togo and Benin. That is what I heard anyways. So that is a huge change. My new companion is Elder Gondo, from Cote d'Ivoire. So, that is a change. It is so much different with an African companion. The culture is just so much different here. That will take a lot of getting used to. It will be hard, but that is okay.

I will be speaking a lot more French now. In our apartment, I am the only one who speaks English. The last week, I have felt like my French has improved a lot. Both with Elder Phillips and with Elder Gondo. I have had to speak a lot more lately it seems like. But, for the most part I can get by. I need to learn a lot of stuff outside of teaching situations though. Understanding is still sometimes hard when it is fast. And my vocabulary is still small. But, like I said, I can get by for the most part.

Thankful and Testimony

December 1, 2008
"I am grateful for washing machines. I don't think that most people realize what a washing machine does, but I do now, after having done it by hand. Air conditioning is an amazing blessing, though I have learned to live without it. Having a fan is very nice though. I am grateful for power, since this last week the power stopped working a couple different days. It really helps me to be grateful. I remember the talk in conference where someone said that we shouldn't have to lose something to be grateful for it. I think it was Elder Hales in the Priesthood Session. I am grateful for hot water, which is something we don't have. But again, I have actually kind of gotten used to cold showers. Also this last week, when the power stopped working, we didn't have running water for a while. We got filtered water in bags, but no running water. so that was hard, but a good experience.

Above all else, I am grateful for the gospel, and for the love that my Heavenly Father, and my Savior Jesus Christ have for me, and the testimony that I have. It is just amazing to even think about. Sometimes as a missionary you just think that it is so obvious that the gospel is true, that everyone should just believe and get baptized. But, it doesn't work like that. I read the special issue of the Ensign about Jesus Christ the last couple days. It is amazing, and I highly recommend that you read it if you have the chance. I especially liked the article by President Packer about who Jesus Christ is. So, I really have a testimony of the love that God has for us. I see it every single day in my own life, and in the lives of others. I knew this before my mission as well, it just grows even stronger as a missionary. I know that we have the true church of Jesus Christ, and that if we pray and ask good, that we can receive a witness through the power of the Holy Ghost that the Church and Book of Mormon are true. God really does hear and respond to our prayers, it is not just something we do because it is a commandment, or it shouldn't be. We should pray to God because He is our Father, and He loves us with a perfect love. I know that the power of the priesthood is real, which is very humbling. It is God's power, yet He trusts us enough to act in His name to be able to serve His children on the earth. I could go on and on, but those are some of the things that I am grateful for, along with a testimony of some of the things that I know."