Baptism

There were 5 people getting baptized, so that was cool. Me and my companion, didn't have anyone we were teaching getting baptized. But, three people that I was teaching before I changed areas got baptized. Marium and Mireille, who both have family members who are members of the Church. And Lazario, and I guess his brother is a member of the Church as well. The first two are fairly young, around 16 or 17 years old, and Lazario is around 25 or so I think. So, that was cool. Those are the first people to get baptized that I have taught very much.

Fish Heads

I have had more ''opportunites'' to eat African food the last month or so, I think that I wrote that before. Last week we were at a member's home, and they were eating fishheads. Oh, we don't really have meal appointments, we just eat at people's houses when they offer us food sometimes. So, here, people eat the whole fishhead, and there isn't much meat there. It is mostly scales, and bone. But, they eat the bones too. I don't really understand how they do that. Oh, and it is with the eyeball too. I didn't really eat very much there. Everyone eats with their hands, and it is really hard to do without practice. I have gotten better, but it is hard.

Greetings in Fon

Fon is the Native language that people speak in the area that Michael is in. Here are some greetings that I found on the internet.

Good morning: AH-FON Ghan-Jee-Ah
Good evening: Kou Do Bah Dah
How are you: Ah-Doh Ghan-Jee-Ah
Thank you: Ah-Wah-Nou
Good bye: OH-Dah-Boh

Transfer of area

So, this week we found an awesome investigator, Cyprien. We found him on Friday, he wanted us to come back on Saturday, and he came to church on Sunday. We ended up teaching him on Sunday since anther rendez-vous fell through. He understands really well, and seems to already believe that it is true, even if he doesn't have a really strong testimony yet. I think that he used to be Catholic, but that he left because he felt like their teaching weren't in harmony with the Bible. I think he might have gone to several churches before. So, it is possible that it won't turn out quite as well as it first seems, since that happens often. But, it is very possible that he will be someone who is baptized two weeks after he met the missionaries, someone who was looking for the truth, but hadn't found it yet.

But, unfortunately, I won't be able to continue teaching him, since the change of areas will be happening today. So, I will now be in an area that I know nothing about. But, really the hardest part is just leaving all of the people that we were teaching. There are some that are getting close to baptism, which is cool, and I'm sad that I will miss out on that. There are others who are really good people, but that I have a feeling won't be taught nearly as often, or at all after the change. Some missionaries are more willing to stop teaching people if they don't come to church, or keep commitments, etc. Others are willing to give them more chances. I think that one of the missionaries who will be working in the area is one of the type that will stop teaching people if they aren't keeping commitments. Which is necessary sometimes. It is hard because I think that most missionaries have a tendency to want to teach the people that they find, and that they started teaching. That is normal, but hard sometimes.

Sorry, that all sounded kind of negative. I really don't think it will be that bad, but I am a little discouraged that it is possible that tons of people I started teaching won't get taught anymore. But, I also think that that is one reason for transfers in a mission, so that the missionaries teach the people who really need to be taught. It is easy for missionaries who have stayed in an area for a while to want to keep teaching people who really aren't that interested in learning, and waste time like that. By changing missionaries, there isn't that attachment there, and it can help things progress. But, there has to be a balance there. Too far to one side is bad, and too far to the other is bad.

So, yeah, hopefully that made sense. I just don't want people to miss out on the blessings of the gospel because the missionaries don't teach them. But, they have to be willing to act as well. Sometimes it just takes time, and it is hard to know how much time is the right amount. I am pretty sure that most of the feeling come every time that you are transfered. But, especially when you are just swapping areas with another set of missionaries, and you are in the same apartment with them, it is hard. I will just have to continue on in faith, and trust the Lord knows what He is doing.

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.