Christian in Africa

This week was a good week to catch up! Elder Garcia is so happy and he just lights up when he talks all things Africa. I still for the life of me cannot imagine living there and doing all he is doing but he seems to just love love it. Some of the things he was able to share with both me and Tyler this week are: - President Proudfoot came out to visit Dassa and go out with Elder Garcia and his companion. It ended up being a really good thing because they were visiting with an ami (who has had all of the missionary lessons but never committed to baptism) who lost his wife and just felt 'lost'. President Proudfoot was able to share the Plan of Salvation lesson with him. He invited him to join them at church on Sunday as well. For whatever reason, this resonated with this ami and he attended church. Church was all about the Plan of Salvation which not just helped him but all the other ami's they are working with as well - Elder Garcia is so excited to announce that they have 5 ...

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Monday, January 30, 2023 Subject: La Mutation...ca reste trois :'( Bonjour tout le monde!! It seriously feels like I wrote one of these just the other days I honestly don't know how come time decided to speed up here at the end. I don't like it but you have to accept it right? This week was a week of fun and sad.  So to start off last Monday we did a nice lil district activity. It wasn't a big activity though where we went and did this big thingm it was really just lil haha. The whole district got together and we put some money in for food and then Elder Trenum and I went and took it to a member and then proceeded to help them make it. I am going to say this now but I am going to miss some foods here for sure, that ignam peelé with arachides was way too good for what it should've been haha. Because I had gotten sick I sadly didn't get to play soccer but I was able to watch and be a "ref" of sorts....

From: Mom! Date: Sunday, January 29, 2023 Subject: January is Ending! Hey! Happy Sunday. I am sorry I didn't get to you yesterday. I thought for sure I would but then life just kept coming at me. :/ How was your week? How are things moving along in Dassa? What have you learned with transfers and companions? This week at home has been good. Busy but good as always. B had school and is still counting down the days until she is done. She is longing for golf cart days and sunshine and warm. I think we all are at this point! She has basketball games at the high school now and she loves having that added to her schedule. Kaitlyn and Eric had dinner with your Dad on Monday and well, lets just say it went as they expected and I am not 100% sure what role, if any, he will hold in a wedding. She was very upset and frustrated when they got to the house. Eric was great and thankfully deals with the exact same person in his Mom. I feel awful that they both have someone in their liv...

ELDER TRENUM!!!  

I am beginning to wonder if this is what it used to feel like being in the 'olden days' when missionaries weren't able to call home each week.....I am not enjoying the 'no phone call' weeks at all. This is now week 3. I could be mad or frustrated but that would be wrong and not fair either. I have been able to message with Elder Garcia on the Facebook Messenger but I just miss seeing his face and hearing his voice. This week his companion apparently had the phone much longer than he was supposed to so when Elder Garcia received it it was at a super low % of power so he was going to plug it in and hopefully get some juice in order to try and make a call. The tricky part in all of this besides waiting for a phone to charge and then prayers that a call would go through is that Elder Garcia is 8 hours ahead of us! That means that when it is noon here at home it is 8pm for him and he is gearing up to end his day. Just another speed bump on this missionary mom train. :)  ...

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 Subject: Been a Second...again Bonjour tout le monde!! Wow, I have been getting really slacking off lately with the weekly. So sorry about that but hopefully this'll make up for it.  So for the last little bit I think that the biggest highlight was when Presodent and Sister Proudfoot came and visited us up in Dassa! It was really cool because we were able to go out to sector with them and visit some of our amis and the families and new converts. We also had the cool opportunity to drive down to Cotonou with them, in thier nice air-conditioned car. We got to have a really nice conversation with them on the way down as well as eat some "real food." I loved it haha. And because we were in Cotonou last week I didn't have the time to properly wrote an email.  This week was an interesting week. We spent Monday night at Bohicon and I played soccer for the first time in probably a solid 6 maybe ...

**Reply to Mom's Email** Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 This week was alright. We didn't actually have a setback bc of his visa bc we did that on Monday but we did have one this weekend haha. Friday I woke up with a fever and bc it had been so long since I had one I was just like "eeh my body just hurts bc I slept weird" and "I'm hot bc it's Africa." So we were at the apartment Friday and Saturday which I feel sooooo bad about. We had people to visit but I seriously couldn't move and couldn't eat anything bc the minute it touched my mouth I felt like vomiting. Dassa is going good though. We did exchanges this week with the district here. I did one with the new missionary, he's really smart and can make phrases but when he is listening he says his mind tries to get every word. So we worked on focusing on the little things he understands and it seemed to help him out a lot. I didn't even know how many days I had left haha. T...

From: Mom To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 Subject: Swapsies? Hey! Happy Saturday to you. How are you this week? How are things going? I know that you must have had a small setback with having to travel for your companions Visa but how was the week with your ami's? How are things in your Dassa? This week has hit my heart pretty hard with how quickly time is going by. I get up every morning and I see the countdown on my phone of your mission. I knew Kaitlyn was going to get engaged this week and on top of all of it, we finish Middle School this year and we NEVER have to go back!! I don't know, just lots of thoughts with how I can bottle up the moments I do have right now, cherish those that we have shared, and trying to compile ideas of things to do in the future in order to bottle up even more memories. Can you believe you only have 136 days left? I would love to hear your thoughts on what kind of goals (if you have any) you have ...

 

Yeah...we play soccer ha ha  

Elder Garcia is traveling to Cotonou today with President Proudfoot because his companion needed to renew his Visa. We chatted just briefly on the Facebook Messenger but just about what his plan was this week. They will stay in Cotonou for District Council and then head back to Dassa. I long to just catch up with him but it will have to wait until next week. I love you for forever. Never doubt or forget it. Mom

Calavi Find the Australian in the back...hahaha  

To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Sunday, January 15, 2023 Subject: Middle of January? How in the heck did we already get 15 days into the New Year of 2023 and how it is already half way through January?! Holy cow...I think the whole 'slow down time' thing is becoming more and more real with every blink of my eye. :) How are you? How was your week? I know we chatted on Messenger but it feels like forever since I have 'talked' to you. Maybe because I didn't get to face to face talk? I dont' know but it feels like forever and I can't wait to hopefully have technology work out in favor tomorrow. (Fingers crossed) I loved seeing the new photos you put on your drive. I love love that you and Elder Meline were able to reconnect and get to go on an Exchange too. I know how much you look up to him and how much he has taught you. I love that as a missionary you are constantly learning and that opportunities come into play where you get to be with someone like...

Voodoo...bad picture because they don't like it Just the outfit itself y'all. Freaking bizarre  

Ou...Elder Meline I found the outstretched arm...apparently it is in Dassa! Face Do I understand...not one bit nope! Voodoo or Hunger Games The all seeing Bob Marley!! Elder Meline and Bob Marley (Ha ha ha) Art Exchange with Elder Meline!! Whoo!! Dassa Hill (Hill Cumorah)  

Well...it has happened. Technology at its finest. Today we were unable to actually connect a call in order to talk face to face. I am so glad I had a quick thought to capture this image though! We take so for granted all the things we use on a daily basis and then we are faced with wanting to talk to Elder Garcia and actually see his face only to find out that something we do all day every day just isn't going to actually happen. We chatted over the Messenger and some of the highlights are: - Today was a day of cleaning and studying. His companion had the phone for a bit so he took advantage of some extra studying. I am going to copy and paste the stuff Elder Garcia sent. That way it will be his words and not me trying to put them all into something that might not make sense. HA! - Let's see, the drives are sooooo long. Haha. Like from here to the office is over 4 hours. We left Dassa at 2pm on Tuesday and then did a little like break in Bohicon which is 1 ½ hours kinda south f...

From: Christian.garcia@missionary.org Date: Monday, January 9, 2022 Subject: You can drive all night Bonjour y'all!!!  Wow how have you guys been?? Its been a hot second. Last week I was mentally preparing myself and slept rather than write an email haha. This week I'm hoping to make up for it. So 2 weeks ago was the end of the year whoooo!!! Welcome 2023. Its super crazy and weird to me to be in 2023 now. I rambert starting my mission and being like "wow that's so far away" but it feels like I just started my mission. And that's kinda sad. The people here are absolutely amazing and I feel so lucky and so blessed to be here to get to know them and their culture.  On the 31 we had a baptism for Sœur Audrey!!! It was amazing. Minus the fact that the river we use to baptise here was all dried up so we had to drive down to Bohicon to do the baptism in thier new font. The drive was long and we had an awesome detour going cross-country because there wa...