Week 78 Email: Eyzande Togo...Hallo Dasa?!?

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Monday, December 12, 2022
Subject: Eyzande Togo...Hallo Dasa?!?

Bonjour tout le monde! This week was HYPE! Let's explain a little bit...

So we started off this past week with interviews with the President. It's so crazy to think that the last time was 6 weeks ago. I seriously feel like there was maybe 2 weeks MAXIMUM between them but that's not the case at all. It was good to talk to him as always and I also got to talk to Sister Proudfoot and so it was safe to say that out of interviews I wasn't just super encouraged but I was also on Cloud9 because of what I was able to learn with my discussions. I seriously love my mission president and his wife, they are 100% what I have needed throughout my whole mission. When we got back up to Tabligbo we had some rendez-vous that we had cancelled because we had a long drive ahead of us so we called se people and passed by some recent ci vets and then had an amazing lesson with Fr Jophran and Fr Philippe. And then we got some news that a member had lost his wife to a sickness. So if you could all keep Fr Stan and his family in your prayers they would be immensely appreciated. They are going through a rough time right now :/

Wednesday started off with out last district council of the 5 week transfer. And that was a little bizzare because we are all used to 6 weeks in a transfer and so having 5 was throwing us off a little bit. We had a great lesson about the Spirit and how we can tell ourselves if we can feel His presence. We had a great day out in sector after visiting some new converts. Then we made the trip down to Lomé to do an exchange with the Zone Leaders in Agoé.

Fun fact: Lomé can get hotter than the village at night. Even with a fan I was sweating so much haha. 

Thursday was probably one of my most favorite exchanges that I have done on my mission. I spent the day with Elder Gbangbo and we worked the sector hard! I was definitely tired at the end of the day haha. My legs wanted to give out towards the beginning of the day but that's okay. I think bikes have broken me a little bit and the way that I walk haha. In the morning Elder Gbangbo and I didn't have a rendez-vous that went through so we went walking to visit some people and then we had some inspiration to go and knock on this door. And it worked! We found 3 people and taught them the Restoration and they accepted to come to church next week!!! We finished out the day talking to some members that remembered me and then we took the long trip back up to Tabligbo. We got back to the apartment (not having eaten) at 9pm. We made the wise decision to just sleep without food haha. Kinda regretted that later.

Friday we had our last weekly planning of the transfer and it was really good to look back at what we were able to do the past 5(ish) weeks. We had some visits that didn't go through but we were able to talk to and contact new members and some other amis. Then I got to call President Proudfoot and I got some awesome news! I got the transfer news for me a day before haha. 

So to explain the title of today's email we have to look at the call with President Proudfoot. I was asked to go to a sector that has a total of 5 members and that has been open for 2 transfers. I am leaving Togo and am headed to Benin!! The sector is called Dasa and it is supposed to be absolutely beautiful and hilly . I am sad to be leaving Togo after having spent the past 15 ½ months here but I am also excited to get to see and know Benin before my mission is over. 

This past Saturday we started off by visiting some new converts and getting some red beans. Elder Mbowa has been looking for then since the beginning of his mission and he finally found them! He goes home in April too, so I'm not sure why it was so hard to find them but we finally did and he was very happy. We spent the afternoon a little bit like last week where we went and helped teach the hymns. We did a Chrisrmas song and a reverent song this week. They went really well except they kind of sound the same so we had a little difficulty remembering them haha. It went well nonetheless. We had our coordination meeting and talked a lot about our amis and I realised just how many people we are teaching. Let's just say that we needed more than the hour that we had programmed haha. We went and visited Maman Marguerite for my last mangez-vous in Tabligbo to end our night. 

Sunday was a really bitter-sweet day for me. I absolutely love Togo and the people here and especially in Tabligbo. But I am also excited to be headed to Benin. We had quite a few amis at church and we were able to do some really great lesson safeguards as well. We were accompanied by a young man from the branch named Manasseh. He's like my best friend here in Tabligbo and I am going to miss him, but thankfully telephones are a things haha. 

This week I have been thinking a lot about the Savior and what it is that He has done for us in our lives. And a part of His life that stood out to me the most was His Atonement. When Christ walked into the garden he asked if there was another way to save the children of God, but then He said something that has touched my heart a lot this week "Not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42) Christ gave everything to the Father and was the example for us as well. I have found myself telling Heavenly Father this past week "I'll let you guide me" or "thy will be done" and I have felt the presence of His hand in my life so much more. I have seen the blessings and felt His love for me and I know that you can as well. He is there and He listens. I know that and I love that. 

Thank you all for reading this week's email if you got this far haha. It's definitely a longer one but a lot happened this week. I'll catch yall next week!

Beaucoup d'amour,

Elder Garcia

Photos! 

There are some this week wooooo