Christian in Africa

Elder Oler, Elder Kikwati, and Elder Garcia The District tres cool Elder Kabemba, Elder Garcia, and Elder Kouado In the middle of taking a picture Zone Activity...somehow I was the only American they wanted in the picture 'I MADE A SALAD!!!'  

Today was earlier than ever. Like holy cow early. I was done visiting with Elder Garcia before Brooklyn was even out of bed this morning! He was traveling for a Zone Pday activity today so in order to be able to have a call I needed to be sure to snag him early. I was up and sort of awake by 4:30am (which makes it 11:30am in Africa) and we were able to catch up for just about an hour or so.  Elder Garcia is still doing well in Africa. He is loving his companionship and the area he is in along with the members and those he is working with. He had Stake Conference this last Sunday and said he surprised himself with how much of the French he understood. :) I love to hear this but I love watching him smile as he acknowledges it.  Some key points he had for me this week were: - He saw a shirt with a design that he recalls printing at work. It is a Christmas one that has 3 trees and one of them is cheetah print. I knew exactly what he was talking about and it is hilarious that it en...

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Monday, November 29, 2021 Subject: I promise I don't forget BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE!!! It's been a minute everyone. How are you guys doing?? For those of you wondering... no I'm not dead thank you for worrying. Now for an update on the life of Elder Garcia here in Anfame, Lomé, Togo. Yeah that's a mouthful.  So I got transfered, rip Kpalimé. But that's okay I know that the Lord needs me here. My companion is Elder Kikwati and he's from Congo too, but the other Congo. Not Brazzaville. Kinshasa I think is how you spell it. Anyways he's awesome! We have the same amount of time on the mission so we are both still learning but we have been teaching and are like best buds now. It's gonna be sad next week when transfers happen. He cooks too so I haven't had to do that in the past 5 weeks. Its been kinda nice not gonna lie haha.  So the first thing that I noticed coming down here to Lomé is that it's...

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Sunday, November 28, 2021 **Reply to Mom's Email** So you kinda got a rest this week it sounds like from the go go go of the past few weeks?? That's good. And anything with COVID... yeah I haven't heard a thing. It's news to me that there is even something that is doing that in Africa.  My week was alright. Pretty slow to be honest and that's kinda sad because I know that we have potential to have a crap ton of people to teach... but they don't progress so we can go by and say hey and stuff like that but not teach. I did an exchange this week with Elder Neuenschwander (New-in-sch-wander) and that was an interesting experience because he's a yovo too. Weirdly enough though there weren't many kids shouting at us or people looking at us like they do when we're with Africans. From him I learned to trust God and have more patience with myself. He has 8 months left out but he seems like he has a lot l...

1st Counselor of the Bishopric in the Anfame ward and all the yovos Not really sure what is going on here but we got somewhat of a group photo Sr Errbertra and Sr Gracia...not 100% what this was but I was laughing pretty hard Sr Alice felt left out haha Sr Delphine wanted one too  

To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Saturday, November 27, 2021 Subject: Big Projects Happy end of the week finally! How are you? How was your week? What are you hearing, if anything, about this new Covid variant that is coming from South Africa? The week here was blah....a lot of work but blah. I had an appointment for some botox earlier and then knew that I needed to pick up pies from Kneaders and B also had a dermatologist appointment so she could start her Accutane prescription. Other than that it was kind of up in the air as far as what else could fill in the blanks. I knew going into the weekend that we would have to tackle the basement and empty everything and pull carpet out but I wasn't entirely sure when the plan to do that was. Haul the stuff out of the two bedrooms started on Tuesday. Tyler pulled carpet and pad up on Wednesday and then we tackled the living room on Friday. It is going to be so freaking nice to not hear the crinkle under your feet whe...

We saw a cool canoe in a lagoon Transfers with Elder Neueschwander  

From: Mom Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2021 Subject: Happy Thanksgiving Hey! I know Africa doesn’t do Thanksgiving like we do at home but they sure doesn’t stop me from celebrating with you on my mind. This year looks super different with just 3 of us that will be around our dinner table but if I am being honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The experiences that are taking place each day in your life continues to give me reasons to be grateful for you on a level that I never saw. You continue day in and day out to prove to not just yourself but to the rest of us that all of us can do exceptionally hard things. I love every second of my life that I am blessed to be your Mom. I am so grateful for you and for the place you hold in our family. I am grateful for your smile and your personality that make you uniquely you. I am so proud of you and the spot you are in this very instance. Thanks for your example and for allowing us all a piece of this with you. I love you f...

Just a quick goodbye at the school drop off! Don't say cheese, say spaghetti! Hey! I remembered. :) This kid makes Mondays the best day of the week It was another bright and early wake up kind of day so that I could be sure to talk with Elder Garcia! 4:30am hurts but what is even more crazy is that he is getting ready for lunch as my eyes open. Wild. Elder Garcia was up and going this morning and he said he felt a little chill in the air so he decided he was going to try and get a pair of jeans on. Well, he said he got them to his knees and then they hit ... his thunder thighs. He said he had to jump up and down in order to even get them on and then when he finally got them on he said his legs started to go numb because they were way too tight. Needless to say, Elder Garcia is wearing shorts today and is going to give away one of the two pairs of pants he took with him to Africa. I was laughing so hard right along with him as he shared that he was seriously worried that he was goin...

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2021 Reply to Mom's email Hey mom! This week was weird because now I only have 2 weeks left for the transfer and it just flew by. I'm not really sure how much I like that haha. We also had 2 baptisms this week!!! I don't think that I put those photos on the drive yet but I will today because it was cool. The girl was a muslim so that is a miracle in itself that we got her to commit. And then the boy has been taking lessons for about 6 months now and just kind blew it off everytime but for some reason this time was different I guess. My companion is out of money again but he hasn't asked me for any yet so that's progress. I seriously can't remember what really happened this week because it was just so fast. I know that it has 100% gotten hotter though. I am sweating like crazy even before we leave the appartement. Ummm ya I don't have much else haha. Oh! we did go to Baguida, another...

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org To: Mom Date: Sunday, November 21, 2021 Subject: Thankful Hey mom! So this week I have had a lot of time to kind of just sit and think and I just want to say thank you. I know that you have done so much for me in the past 18 years of my life. I don't feel like I have thanked you enough for that. I don't know if I ever will be able to haha. You have been one of the greatest examples to me when it comes to doing what is right. You say a lot that you didn't go on a mission and that you couldn't couldn't on a mission, and whole you didn't receive a physical call and get set apart, your mission has been your whole life. Because of your faith and your testimony and having the church be apart of my life I grew a testimony myself. I don't really know how to say/type how grateful I am for you and for what you have done. You've taught me how to have patience with me and with others. How to work hard and to realise ...

To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Sunday, November 21, 2021 Subject: It's Sunday Good morning! Well, it is well into your afternoon in Africa but it is 8:10am here at home. :) The time thing is crazy when I think about it really. I do most of that processing when I am climbing into bed realizing it is already the next day for you and you are about to get yourself up and going as I am closing my eyes. 7 hours ahead of us here is just wild. Almost as wild as the reality that you are in freaking Africa! Ha How was your week this week? I loved seeing new photos hit your drive. It always makes my entire day just to see your face. And I really really love that you are smiling in your photos. You can just see the change that has happened with this new companionship and that seriously makes my heart swell with joy. :) Were you able to get started on The Book of Mormon challenge Kaitlyn threw out? I wasn't 100% sure Brooklyn was going to be on board but it has been ...

Frere Crepin, Soeur Alice, DMP Elder Kikwati, Fr Crepin, Sr Alice, DMP - John Baptist Anfame and Adakpmae family converts and 'John Baptist'  

The sons of the Bishop of Adakpame  

Chapo Grand Sr Andrea is too nice to us...we can't porte this hahaha  

Brooklyn saying goodbye as she heads out the door to school Even blurry you can still see he is happy Mondays are the BEST days Elder Garcia is just plain happy. Happy. And this Mom could not love anything more than that! He is literally just beaming with smiles when he talks and he even has a sparkle in his eye. Pure joy.  Elder Garcia had Zone Conference this last week and it was awesome. He said that all of the missionaries from Togo were there. Roughly 60 is all because believe it or not, the majority of the missionaries are in Benin. This surprised me just in that that is Elder Garcia's call but the borders have been closed due to the Covid. It is all working out though and Elder Garcia is good in Togo. :) During Zone Conference, President Proudfoot shared a message about following rules. Obviously about mission rules and why they are important but also holding these missionaries in Togo accountable for themselves because he isn't there all the time. He also spoke a lot ab...

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Monday, November 15, 2021 Reply to Mom's Email It sounds like you guys had a really productive week? I am doin great though! Elder Kikwati and I are getting along really well still and I think that I am going to miss him when treansfers come up here in like 3 weeks... crazy to think that they are that close. Zone Confreence was a blast! Seriously every elder and sister in Togo was there and that made I think something like 60 of us. I forgot the number that I counted. But it was great. I had to listen to the last testimmony of Elder Fowers and that kinda made me sad because I'm gonna miss the guy. crazy how in only 5 months you can get to know someone and call them a friend. Especially when it is only over video calls haha. Elder Osieme is leaving too, he's pretty cool an reminds me of one of my friends back home. The Coes gave thier testimonies too and everyone is going to miss them... let's just say that. The the...

Everyone wants a picture with the yovo Chez l'évêque D'adakpame  

To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Saturday, November 13, 2021 Subject: Happy Saturday Hey! How are you? How was your zone conference this last week? Did you get to connect with all the other Elders you know and have a good time? Anything you learned or took away you want to share? I imagine they are all working through the transition of 'new' and definitely different from home too. Do they have any good insights for you that you can apply in your world to make your mission better? How is your companion this week? Do you guys do a weekly planning meeting? If so, what does that look like for you and how does that look with your ami's you are working with? Did you one ami accept the date for baptism that you guys put out or still waiting? I imagine that would be hard for me. Knowing the good of the Gospel and how easily attained it can be only to have someone question it (even though you know that they know). Probably just another reason that I didn't s...

Les elders de Togo (moins un peu de personnes) "We are so American...why did we get ready for that picture so quickly?" - Elder Oseme