Week 24 Email: I promise I don't forget

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 actually hot. Kpalimé is hot but there's also the rain and cloud coverage so you aren't dying. Lomé is the exact opposite of freeze. You melt. I have sweat more in the past 5 weeks than probably in my entire life its so hot here. But hey, its the work of the Lord so we keep going we keep grinding. The second thing I noticed is that I actually get to talk to people on the streets because there are NO BIKES!!! And I seriously love that. No bikes means I can talk and try and speak the natives language with everyone as often as I want. It doesn't go over very well most of the time because I can't say much but that's okay. I also got straight up sunburt through my clothes the first weekend that I was here. How you may ask? I couldn't tell you other than the fact that the sun here is on a whole new level.

When I got here I got to give a testimony in the Adakpame ward and that was super cool because I actually know enough French now to really get that across. I still haven't done that in the Anfame ward though... maybe soon haha. This sector is actually 2 sectors but it's still smaller than Kpalimé so I don't die when we have to walk 15 minutes east to get to the other part of the sector after leaving the appartement.

Just some bullets that we did (email me if you want some explanation

• we taught the young women about marriage in the temple (kinda hard when you aren't married)

• I got introduced to a really yummy food from Congo Congo is basically just the dough from tamales

• we sang himself in French for 45 minutes with a non-active member and she came to church the next day!

• I had an amazing Zone Conference but had to say goodbye to Elder Fowers and Elder Osime

• I guess I hit 5 months out on my mission?! How does time do that

• we did am exchange and I was with another yovo

• I ate so much spice my head was buzzing like a bee... probably not good for health reasons

• HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I am so grateful for you all. Each one of you has made an impact on my life and taught me something and I am so grateful for that

Over the past few weeks I had another day of baptism for our amis and we got to help 2 people make the everlasting covenant with our Father in Heaven. That was a really cool experience even though I didn't get tk baptise them myself. Being a witness was a small blessing as if I was doing it. We also have another baptism thus Saturday for one of our amis so if you guys could keep her in your prayers so that she can keep work off

This Sunday we had the opportunity to listen to an area 70 speak to us at Stake Conference and it was AMAZING. He really focused on the importance of having a temple recommend. Even if you can't go to the temple. So for my invitation this week I would invite all of you, who are able to, go and renew your temple recommend and make sure that you are worthy to hold that. I know that each of us will receive blessings from our Heavenly Father if we have that with us.

Sorry for the long email this week. I promise I don't try and wait for a lot of things to happen before I send one of these out, it just happens.

Beaucoup d'amour,
Elder Garcia