Phone Call Home: Monday, November 22, 2021
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| Just a quick goodbye at the school drop off! |
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| Don't say cheese, say spaghetti! Hey! I remembered. :) |
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| This kid makes Mondays the best day of the week |
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 going to have to ask his companion to help him get out of his pants! Like the episode of Friends when Ross wears the leather pants and sweats in them and can't get them off. He was hilarious as he was talking to me. He says he notices how big his thighs are getting and I am sure they are. He is walking a lot every single day and muscles that he rarely used here at home are getting plenty of time to be used now.
After he was ready for the day he said someone rang his doorbell. And I guess in Africa you keep ringing it until someone answers. Can you imagine how annoying? Ugh. Anyways, President Blayse was there and asked if he was Elder Garcia? Elder Garcia said yeah and then started to wonder what in the heck he was doing there. President asked him to go outside with him and he took down the pickup truck tailgate and asked if Elder Garcia had their water jugs that he could swap out. Elder Garcia said he did but before he headed in to get them, President handed him a package. He said he saw his name and his mission on it but then he saw my name and was super confused. He hurried into his apartment to get the water bottles to swap out and dropped the package on the table. He said his adrenaline was going and he was caught off guard with the visit. Once gone, Elder Garcia retreated back inside and looked at his package he had just been handed. It was then that it registered that it was a Christmas package from HOME! He was so sweet and just kept saying thank you and that he knows that it wasn't cheap. I would have absolutely loved being there when it was given to him and when he realized what it was. :) He is going to hold off on opening it for now because they have transfers coming up in December and he doesn't want Elder Kikwate feeling bad if they don't stay together. I did fill him in on the big green thing (a felt Christmas tree to hang on the wall) and also let him know that there is a gift inside for whoever is his companion on Christmas morning too.
Elder Garcia had two baptisms this last week. He failed to even mention that when we talked last week so that was a HUGE fat surprise! :) The first one is Crepin. He had been taking lessons for well over 6 months and something just never clicked. Elder Garcia said he was super ready and it was a great day for him. The second one was a 16 year old girl named Alice. The missionaries found her through a member and Elder Garcia has worked with her from the beginning. Elder Garcia did say how grateful he is for members and the support they give when one of their referrals is baptized. Another interesting is that members perform the baptism not the missionaries. But a funny?? Elder Garcia was in a meeting making plans for the baptism and one of the members asked "Who is going to be John the Baptist?" instead of asking "Who will be performing the baptism?". Well, Elder Garcia said he about died laughing out loud but he was able to thankfully compose himself and let out a good laugh after the meeting was done. He said it was so funny how they asked the question and that they compared the one baptizing to John the Baptist.
Elder Garcia says it is getting hotter by the minute where he is in Togo. He says he has never sweat so much and pretty much said it is 'fire and brimstone or what I envision Hell will be like". He said that although his time in Kpalime was tricky with a companion, it really is paradise up there. The rain and cooler temps he would be more than happy to welcome back. He said that where he is in Togo is relatively close to the beach/ocean so he figured the weather would be similar to that when we go to Hawaii. He said this "boy was I ever wrong". :) He said the heat is so much hotter and the humidity just adds to that ten fold. I let him know to embrace this because we woke up today with frost on our lawn outside. The temps here at home are dropping and Winter is going to be knocking on our doorstep anytime now.
On December 4th, Elder Garcia and his companion are pairing up with 4 other Elders in their District for a District wide Baptism day. Right now Elder Garcia and Elder Kikwate have 2 on schedule to be able to participate. One is Delphine. Elder Garcia says she is so so ready. She has a son and his Father is not present in life so nothing that holds her back there. She was open with the missionaries however and admitted that she has had an abortion. Elder Garcia said they usually don't ask that question but during the lesson, Elder Kikwati had a strong impression to do so. At first she said no but immediately changed that to yes. Elder Garcia said she hung her head and you could just feel how sad that choice was still making her. Delphine will have to talk with the Mission President's counselor as part of her baptism interview but Elder Garcia says that she is ready to move on and keep pressing forward in the Gospel.. The next one on schedule is Fr Patience. His younger brother is a member and served a mission in Nigeria. He also has an older brother who was a member but sadly passed away. Elder Garcia doesn't know the details on that. Fr Patience has a wife and 2 kids and at this time is just him that is taking the lessons from the missionaries. That's how it all starts right? One seed planted at a time. Lead by example. Others will soon follow.
Elder Kikwati received his Patriarchal Blessing while he has been on his mission. I guess in the Congo it is quite expensive to get one with the travel to get to the Patriarch's home so he got it in Togo. Totally rad if you ask me. Anyways, they went in and picked up the typed up transcript and Elder Garcia was able to see and visit with Elder Simon for a little bit. (Btw...all but 3 of the American missionaries in Togo are from Utah! Crazy right?!) After talking with Elder Simon and on their way back to their apartment, Elder Garcia began to wonder if he is truly giving it his all like it says in his own Patriarchal Blessing. He is wondering if at the end of every night, did he leave it all out there in the sector that he is serving in or could he have done a little bit more. He said he has been very mindful of this and the rest of his week was out doing missionary work very very intentionally. What a grown up moment as his Mom to listen to. On top of it, as he was sharing this with me you could just see the light of Christ in his eyes! He is embracing his role of missionary more and more each day.
As our call was ending Elder Garcia touched briefly on his super sweet email he sent me last night. He got emotional and tears welled up in his eyes right along with mine. He apologized for not saying thank you enough, for not realizing what he had in me as his Mom, and that it was the hardest thing for him to write. He said "How do you write thank you to the person who has done the most for you in your whole life?". I was letting the tears fall out of my eyes. I reminded him that there are many out in life that are doing things always on his behalf and that having a grateful heart in all things will continue to make life that much sweeter. I let Elder Garcia know how much I love him and how grateful I am for him allowing me along on his time as he serves his mission.
I am so so proud of all the things that Elder Garcia is working through and on each and every single day. He is growing up into an amazing adult and you can just sense the strength of his testimony as he talks to you. He is happy and he is thriving alongside his companion, Elder Kikwati. He is hopeful that they can stay together on this upcoming transfer but he isn't going to speculate anything and will continue to go out and do his all until he hears word from President Proudfoot.
Keep doing all the really rad things you are doing. Know you are in my every thought and prayers. I love and miss you but holy cow this life you are living is fun to watch you do. I love you for forever and for always. To the moon and back,
Mom
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