Phone Call Home: Monday, March 7, 2022

Elder Garcia is happy and well this week! I think the early Monday mornings are starting to *maybe* become a normal thing for my body. I giggle each week when I sit down to type up this overview and look at how 7 hours can change how a human looks. Elder Garcia has always been up for some time and been productive where I wake up, throw on some clothes, and jump on a call. :) I am grateful for the opportunity to talk each week and I am even more grateful that Elder Garcia isn't judgemental on what it is I arrive to those calls looking like. HA!

Things seem to continue to be going well in Africa for Elder Garcia. Elder Meline is doing really really well on the language and is even leading lessons. Elder Garcia is so proud he says of the hard work that Elder Meline puts into the language study and loves that it is a good example for him to do the same thing too.

Elder Garcia and Elder Meline have decided that during companionship study they wanted to set a goal. So...they have decided to dive into Christ Attributes from Preach My Gospel. He has absolutely LOVED this and says that this small book that he has had has so much  more meaning in life than he realized it could. Yet again, another great example in a companion of Elder Meline. 

Elder Garcia and Elder Meline have two (2) baptisms now scheduled for March 12th. Frere Raymond's brother and a teenage girl who is roughly 13 or 14. Elder Garcia says that the teenage girl reminds him so much of Brooklyn. He didn't go into detail as to why but I guess I will just appreciate that he can be reminded of those of us here at home who love and miss him in any way. :) 

After such a great week of having 13 ami's at church, Elder Garcia said that this week the attendance at church was low. That is frustrating to him but he knows that he just needs to be persistent and a good example and hopefully one day it will be important to those there and they will have a spot waiting for them to sit in on Sundays. 

I imagine as a missionary one of the greater struggles would be that you want these friends you come across and work with to embrace and hold tight to every single word you teach and say. And you pray like mad that they can feel the truthfulness of all of it too. But when they have their own agency and can still be influenced by those around them who aren't learning, the culture, the Adversary, the whatever...and they don't fall into line that easily? Yeah, I imagine that would be hard for me. I imagine that is hard for Elder Garcia too.

This week we pray for open hearts and minds on behalf of those in Africa that Elder Garcia and Elder Meline have the opportunity to come into contact with. All the hard work and effort is paying off. Keep up the good. I love you.