Phone Call Home - Monday, September 13, 2021

 Life on Monday's continue to be good and some of my most favorite times of all the weeks. Today was no different. I still do not love the six hour time zone difference that I face with Elder Garcia because I feel like our time on the phone and on the Facebook messenger gets cut shorter than I would like. But, I also need to sleep so it is a double edged sword indeed! Ha ha!!

Brooklyn was still home when Elder Garcia called today so she was able to jump in for a quick hello and I love you before she was headed out the door to school. I do love that as she walks out the door she hears an I love you from me and also one back from her older brother. Tender...seriously my Mom heart explodes with joy!

Elder Garcia has a great spirit today and smiled all of our call. Our call didn't even buffer today either! We seriously got a full hour and 28 minute call in and we were able to talk the ENTIRE TIME!!! It was seriously the best call we have had yet! Here are some bullet points from this weeks call:

- Togo is officially shut down. Nobody in and nobody out. Covid has taken over and cases are starting to rise. They are no longer going to in person church but they are still allowed to meet with friends and members, they just have to have masks again. (I hate this part for him).

- They  have 30 days of lock down. From there they will reevaluate where everything stands with relation to Covid. If it is still high and running rampant, they will send Americans home and Elder Garcia will be reassigned here in the states. Elder Garcia is falling in love with the people there and really does not want to come home. (You can imagine my elation when hearing this!).

- Elder Garcia has 6 friends on schedule for baptism this upcoming Saturday, September 18. He is so so excited about that. Due to Covid, they will not only baptize them on Saturday but they will also confirm them on Saturday as well. He is very much excited about this and cannot wait for Saturday. He isn't sure what role he will play but he can't wait for the members he has had a chance to meet and work with a little. 

- He mentioned Frer Tigi. This is one of the first people Elder Garcia met when he arrived in Kpalime. He was one of the first members in Kpalime and was baptized in a river. Elder Garcia is so impressed walking with him because Frer Tigi will just approach someone he doesn't know and start to talk with them. He wishes so much that Americans could put aside their constant comparison and bull headedness and be open and friendly to all of those around us. Elder Garcia also loves and appreciates the humility that Frer Tigi shows and says he wants to definitely remember these traits for when he comes home. He also mentioned that he has all of Frer Tigi's contact information to stay in touch when he is done with his mission.

- Elder Garcia and Elder Obeya did some service for a lady this last week by pulling her weeds in her garden area for her. As a token of her appreciation, she gave both Elders a baby rattle type thing that also resembles a maraca. It was pretty cool to see and Elder Garcia was all smiles when he showed it to me.

- Elder Garcia was also gifted a walking cane. Not because he looked like he was struggling but more that he was admiring it as they walked by the wood workers display. The gentleman talked with Elder Garcia, gave him a price on a walking cane that he had in his hands, and then Elder Garcia said he sadly didn't have any money. Well, this gentleman gave it to him! It is pretty gnarly looking with an eagle carved into it and in the eagles talons is a turtle. Crazy the things on the other side of the world right?

- Elder Garcia is getting used to women breastfeeding their babies wherever. Literally without a cover and he says he is getting used to it but clearly that is something here at home that is not 'normal' like it is there. He also says that bras are most definitely not a thing there either. I laughed a pretty good laugh when he shared this!

- Elder Garcia mentioned that he was with Elder Obeya teaching this last week and they were trying to explain the Holy Ghost. Elder Garcia drew on an experience from when he was much younger and a Family Home Evening lesson that Tyler gave. He remembers sitting in the basement in Magna and Tyler having a flashlight. We turned the lights off and he explained that the darkness is what life is like without the Gospel and baptism. He turned the flashlight on and explained that this is what life is like with the Gospel in our lives and us living the principles that lie within. He said that the flashlight was like the Holy Ghost but just that His presence is minimal until we have been baptized, confirmed, and given the fullness of that gift. Then he had me turn on the lights and Tyler explained that the full light we were in was what it was like to have the Gift of The Holy Ghost in our lives if we continue to do what is right and follow those things that the Lord wants us to do. Anyways...Elder Obeya asked Elder Garcia to take a part of this lesson and he was able to pull from this personal experience. He had Elder Obeya turn the phone light off and since it was already dark outside he was able to use his own personal flashlight and share the same message. Elder Garcia loved that this week and I totally loved watching as his face lit up and his smile emerged as genuine as I have seen. 

- Elder Obeya asked Elder Garcia why he was on a mission this week as well. Elder Garcia told him that he grew up with the church in his life and being a center focus in his home but he wasn't blessed to be a member from the time he was 8 years old. He shared that he could feel the difference between our home and his Dad's home and he knew that he wanted to always live a life that included the Church and the Savior in it. Elder Obeya then told Elder Garcia that the reason he is on a mission is because he wants to find a wife and become a Bishop. And he puts a ton of emphasis on the Bishop part. I guess in order to be a Bishop in the Congo (according to Elder Obeya of course) is to have served a mission. Elder Obeya pretty much is sold that because Elder Garcia is an American, from Utah (the central hub of the Church), and grew up with the Gospel in his life that he is going to be an Apostle or even the Prophet. Hilarious! But sad at the same time. Elder Garcia tried to convey the term foreordained but Elder Obeya didn't understand much so they moved on. 

- Elder Garcia was thrilled to learn that Sister Garcia is headed to Brazil in 10 short days! I am so glad she got to tell him herself! Their relationship deserved it coming from her for sure.

In all, this week was good. We laughed a lot, Elder Garcia smiled a lot, and there wasn't a single tear of sadness at all. He did let some tears well up in his eyes as he shared his memory of Tyler and his Family Home Evening lesson but that was it. I am hopeful that the Covid will remain low and that the borders will stay open. I feel like things are turning for the better right now for Elder Garcia and I would love to see what more could come from him being there. For now, we will add to our prayers that Togo does just that - stays open. I cannot wait to hear how his baptisms go this week and I pray that happy stays in his heart and on his soul.

Until next week. I love you for forever and for always,

Mom

Elder Garcia was all sorts of smiles and happy today.

I was able to share my sunrise with Elder Garcia today while I was on the front porch. Crazy that for me it was 7:10am yet for him it was already 1pm in the afternoon!