Zero Electricity, Zero Baptisms(Almost) Week #22

Note: I almost named the email "How Many Missionaries does it take to baptize a Maman Aké"... Answer? 10

DISCLAIMER: sorry this is a mega long email. I don't know why. But it is. I'll title all the sections feel free to jump around.

INTRO: Welcome back I hope you're not too sick of reading these yet. Also I really am curious how many of you actually read these. Cause i've got a decent chunk of people on this list but im sure only like 20% of you read them. So if you're in that 20% congrats and I love you and I hope you're excited. 

LYDIE IS ON DATE: This week started great. We got one of our friends on date for baptism. Her name is Lydie, she lives with members and we were confident she wanted to join the church. However, she learns very slowly. Wtih her we're teaching about 1 priniciple per lesson. each lesson is about 45 minutes. You missionaries out there know how unproductive that is. Very. But in the long run itll matter way more than i could imagine. She's getting there and were very excited for her. she's on date for january 28th. 

EXCHANGE: I had an exchange with elder hunt. Man that guys so funny he loves messing with everyone but he does it in such a loving way where people really know he cares. It's important not to be too focused on teachings and baptisms and also focused on becoming these peoples friends like he does because really the people here are soooooo sooooo awesome and theyll trust us more if we really show them who we are. He taught me a lot, He's a goat.

LOTS OF BAPTISM PREP: This week was also just a lot of baptism prep. From Putting someone on date to having an interview to having a follow up interview and then for having another girl have a last second interview, and then needing a last second follow up interview and then cleaning the font for the baptism and then making sure there even was a baptism. I hope you got lost cause that's how i felt. It was pretty confusing. 

MAMAN AKE AND HER TESTIMONY: First Maman Aké. She's the best and she's so so ready to join the church she knows that it's true and im so happy for her. However, she hates church. I'm not saying i do too BUT i will say i understand why. She says she doesnt like it because

1. Theres Trash everywhere (True, despite anyones efforts to clean the church)

2. The Kids are so Loud and Irreverant (True)

3. The People dont speak loud enough to here (True)

4.It's too loud with the neighboring churches and the fact that we're outside(True)

5. It's HOT (True) 

I think there was other reasons but that's just the start of it. She shared that a couple weeks before her baptism. The fear started to set in. 

However after some explaining. saying that yes what shes saying is true but first, this is an undeveloped area in terms of the church, everyone is still learning and we have to give them time, next the actually service itself isnt what is most important but the sacrament and the opportunity to remember Jesus Christ is very important and also she stated that although she knows church is difficult. She will continue to fight through it BECAUSE she knows the church is true. That was pretty cool. Her testimony of the true church on the earth helped her get through some trials right in front of our eyes.

Maman Ake then this week had two baptismal interviews and a couple rendez-vous just to make sure she was ready. we spent a lot of time with her. 

NADEGE GNIZAKOS BAPTISM PREP(GONE WRONG): Also we spent some good time with a members wife named nadege gnizako. She expressed the desire to get baptized. Wow that's great, however she didnt give us the time to meet enough and we grinded through lessons and we couldnt finish till friday morning. She then CONTINUED to tell us how important it is that she's baptized on saturday. we got and interview with her and she was in need of a second interview and.... it couldnt happen. Despite our efforts we ended the day with a disapointing call saying the baptism couldnt happen and she's mad at us now. We hope itll get better and she can progress towards this week. 

This is short just read it: We  cleaned the font cause that thing was a mess, i have pictures, ill send.

ACTUAL BAPTISM:Maman Ake's baptism ended up working out despite some last second adjustments and it went super well, Elder Miller came back, my last companion, and baptized her because that was the missionary she was with for the longest. That was fun to see him again. Also the service itself was great, despite her fear of water she killed it and it was spiritual.

AFTER BAPTISM CELEBRATION + SOEUR COMFORT:After she took us all out to eat breakfast. That was awesome, and we got to say goodbye... Soeur Comfort came too, which was a huge blessing cause maman ake really wanted her to be there but she also had typhoid and malaria. Soeur Comfort just beasted through that thing. Legend. 

ALSO AFTER THE BAPTISM ON SATURDAY WE GOT PIZZA AND ICE CREAM AGAIN! WOOHOO, While the game was going we got to watch the end of the first half of the USA world cup game. SUPER SAD NEWS, USA lost which i was obviously supporting, also, SENEGAL lost!!! for those of you who dont know senegal is a country in my mission. Yes i have multiple missions in my country. It was very sad news. now im rooting for france i guess.

Yesterday was fast sunday and it went really well. We got to go to a great church meeting. Testimony meeting was funny, here in ivory coast everyone and their dog is trying to learn english so testimony meeting is just a great time to go up there and practice your english with a translater on their side. It's less TESTIMONY meeting and more english practice but i love it nonetheless. 

After fast sunday about mid day i was feeling like crap cause the last thing i ate was pizza at 4 the day before. I was almost aproaching 24  hours. stairs were getting hard all of it haha. Our final rendezvous was frere aimé who looks like khalid its awesome. He's a genius and he likes our message a lot. they fed us SOOOOO GOOOD wow. Exactly what i needed. It was so much food and we pounded that thing and i felt SOOOO much better after. God really loves us, knows us, and does bless us. 

This was very Long im sorry. Finally i have to talk about the electricity then im done.

OK, after that meal i was feeling great, ready to go drink some cold water sit in front of a fan listen to some mu- .. No. whoever is incharge of paying for our electricity just decided not to. That means no power. No fans at night. fridge isnt working, nothings cold. It was tragic. also the phone was low. We used the phone very sparingly at night shared some stories and then, tried going to bed. It was hot hot without a fan but i fell asleep and actually slept really well. Next morning called my family and then went to another missonaries apartment to charge the phone cause it was dead and we couldnt charge it at our house. Now, we still have no electricity. Except for the fact that it is very hot, we're chillin. Love yall. Hope you read at least 50% of this email i know it was way too long i apologize. I like writing and this is like my form of journaling. 

Email me

See ya next week, 

also im not sending songs anymore it might continue again after december we will see. 

Maman Aké and Pélagie giving us food!!

LOVE YOU MOM

Baptism 

My new dress, gotta rep the holiday season

Cleaning the font