Phone Call Home: Monday, November 29, 2021

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 ended up in Africa for him to see as a reminder of home
- Christmas is a big deal in Africa much like it is here at home but they mostly really really love to celebrate the New Year instead. Elder Garcia says people are already planning or have plans to celebrate and party
- They are still planning on a District wide baptism on the 4th of December. Right now the two ami's that they were hoping to have there are not going to be able to due to the lack of being at church consecutively. Hopefully something else will come down the pipe line for them and they will be able to have an ami or two participate.
- Transfer texts will come in for him and Elder Kikwati on Saturday as well. Elder Garcia says he feels like he will be leaving but he also recognizes that he was wrong in his earlier feelings in Kpalime so he will just ride out the week and go to work (good call I think!)
- Elder Garcia's companion is teaching himself English and is pretty good apparently. This week he learned what a bidet is and that got Elder Garcia laughing pretty good. He also said that Elder Kikwati asked if he came to America would Elder Garcia's parents allow him to clean our home and would we pay him? Isn't that the craziest thing ever?
- Elder Garcia has interviews this week as well on Wednesday. I would imagine a lot of what comes from that will help President Proudfoot make a decision on what is in store next for Elder Garcia.
- Elder Garcia had an opportunity to teach a lesson in English this last week. He said that was pretty tricky. He had to really focus on the word in English and not translate it to French. That is just proof positive that as long as he keeps working hard, the language will continue to come more and more.
- Elder Garcia and I got to talking about the people around him. I mentioned that as poor as they are and as poor as he talks about the area that he is in, the people always have such happy smiles on their faces. They aren't fake. Their eyes are lit up and I love that. Elder Garcia said that for the most part, everyone is just really humble. Like here at home you have one or two that are sour but other than that, everyone really is genuinely happy. So many lessons we can all learn from this and I love even just talking about it with Elder Garcia.

This week was a quick call and as we were talking his taxi arrived to take him and Elder Kikwati to their Pday activity. I still love Monday's even when they start at 4:30am and I still love that Elder Garcia will call home and catch me up on all the things he is doing as his new "normal". Keep doing all the things you are doing, keep the Lord in the forefront of everything and He will bless you and those around you, and never forget how much I love you.

To the moon and back,

Mom