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."

Haircut and Happiness

I got a haircut last Monday. Time is a lot different as a missionary. My companion cut it, with some clippers we have in our apartment. So, that was pretty interesting. He did a good job, it's not really that hard to cut my hair, since I don't care that much what it looks like. (I told Michael that he might have to cut his companions hair. I don't think that he believed me before he left)

So, there is a quote in the missionary call letter that says something to the effect that you will find your greatest happiness as a missionary. It really is true. I am not exactly sure how, but I really am happy most of the time. There are times that things are really hard, a lot of those times, but there are other times that are really good. But, it is not really me that is happy, it is more that I am happy to see other people's happiness, if that makes sense. We taught a family home evening the other night with a recent convert and a couple that has been members for a while. So, couple had a temple calender that hadn't even been opened, and they gave it to Matin, the recent convert. After words, just to see how happy he was, it was really awesome. And, to know that the happiness that the gospel brings is the only type of happiness that can last for eternity. So, yeah, the gospel is true, you should all share it with people. And go on missions when or if you have the chance. It is cool. Really hard, especially with learning a language, but really good.

And on December 8th he wrote: "Well, I have a ton of stuff that I have been thinking about lately, and it is really hard to be able to express myself in writing. Or in speaking for that matter. Basically if you could just feel the things I feel, that is the only way to completely understand. Basically right now, I just feel happy. I am not sure exactly why, but things are going good."

Gift of tongues-Magnify calling

The gift of tongues is real, I don't think I really realized that before my mission, I didn' think much of missionaries learning languages. But, it is real, because I have seen it in my life. So, yeah, have faith, and all things are possible.

The people here are mostly new members, so it is really cool to see them magnify their callings. SOme of them don't really know what they are doing, but they try really hard, and do a good job. It makes me wish that I had tried harder at my callings before my mission. Always do your best, even though that is really hard to do.

French

J'ai lu hier une citation de Elder Ballard. Il a dit la chose que il dit les personnes que avoir le désire de savoir de la veracité de notre église. Il les dit que ils doivent passer un jour comme un missionaire. Il a dit que rien ne peux faire ce que les missionaires de notre église faire sans une connaissance de la veracité de l'évangile. Je sais que ça c'est vrai.

Benin Apartment

View from the balcony

Kitchen

Living room (notice the clothes drying in the back left corner)

Bedroom

Today we went grocery shopping, zhich we do every two weeks, since it is kind of far away. Plus, laundry takes forever doing it by hand. I am getting better at it though. I have started wearing shirts and pants more days, since then I don't have to wash as much.

Oh, so our schedule here is much different than the normal missionary schedule. I don't remember if I have written about that before or not. It was also differnt the one week I was in Abidjan. We get up at 6 30 and start study at 8 00, but we only have an hour of stufy in the morning. Then we leave until noon, and eat lunch and have two more hours of study. We leave again, coming back at 20 00 which is 8 00 at night, they use the 24 time here. We plan, eat dinner, and go to bed at 10 30. We have very full days, but that is good. Sometimes I wish we had more time so we could do stuff like wash dishes, and clean, and write longer journal entries, but it works.

We had stake conference this Sunday, and watched a broadcast for a large part of Africa. It might have been all of Africa, I'm not sure. Elder Holland and PResident Uchtdorf and tzo others spoke. It was very good. One of them talked about this I think, and I have just been thinking about it too. Don't every take for granted anything that comes from the tithing money of the church. I know that I do this way too often. Manuals, tables, anything that comes from tithing money. I know my scholarship at college also came in part from tithing money. Really, think of the sacrifices that people are making to pay their tithing, and be grateful for all that the church can provide for free. It is a great blessing.