Phone Call Home: Monday, May 23, 2022

Each week I wonder what my call will entail when it comes to talking with missionaries. And each week I am always surprised by something. This week was no different. Not in a bad way or a good way but just surprised. Here are some key moments from this week with Elder Garcia

- Transfer news has come and gone. Elder Garcia will be staying in his same apartment, with the same group of  Elders, and will have Elder Mulamingo as his companion. No news and no change is good news in my eyes! Elder Garcia seems happy with this and is looking forward to the next 6 weeks.

- Elder Garcia has ami's that are progressing and would love a chance to be baptized but paying a marriage dowry holds up SO many of them. It is this that intrigues me so much. There isn't a set price but one that the family itself chooses. Even if it isn't paid the guy can take the girl out of the house and essentially live as though they are married, have a family, etc. Seriously...blows my mind

- This last week was the week of the 'collective baptism'. There was supposed to be a total of 10 ami's but there ended up only being 4. This was a bit of a fiasco for Elder Garcia and a huge learning lesson as well. It all started mid week when the taxi was arranged to take the Elders to the baptism on Saturday. Well, turns out that nobody followed up and there was no taxi driver when they thought they had one. Trying to get one was not working and the original driver just decided he didn't want to drive them so they were stuck. In the end they found 2 small taxi's to haul all of them but they arrived to the baptism late and Elder Garcia had to remind himself not to get into this predicament again. He will forever follow up with the taxi driver so as not to be late again. 

- Because of the unknown when it comes to the ami's showing up, the missionaries arriving on time, the time and effort it takes to get a baptism together, and so forth; Elder Garcia has said that they have agreed to no longer hold collective baptisms but rather they will do them as they normally do and just schedule their ami's when they are ready and can  make a day work. I think that this sounds like a healthy approach and one that can be a bit more intimate for the ami who will be baptized that day.

- This week looks to be busy and one that will allow Elder Garcia to check in with those who were baptized over the weekend. He is also hoping to find some new ami's along the way.

Overall today Elder Garcia was happy and appears to be healthy as well. :) I love that I can see him each week and that I can get caught up on what he has going on in life. Africa is treating him well enough and he continues to have a smile on his face. 

Keep up the good work. I love you for forever,
Mom