Phone Call Home: January 2, 2023

I was so looking forward to today and being able to talk with Elder Garcia! After missing last week being so under the weather it feels like it has been forever since I have seen his face. I loved getting to catch up, introduce Fendi to him, and listen to him talk mission. Some highlights this week:

- He has Zone Conference and Interviews this week. He is in the Northern most part of his mission which puts him about 4 hours away so since he will be in for Conference, they will do interviews as well. I love when he gets to do interviews because he always comes out edified and built up and excited again.

- This new area, Dassa, is so hard! He loves it so much though. He just laughs as he talks about being rejected or told off by someone they approach to talk to. 

- They are currently working with 6 new ami's, had 2 of those ami's at church this week, and they had a baptism this weekend too!

- The baptism was for a lady named Audrey. She has had a rough start to life with a rape that took place when she was just 11 years old. Elder Garcia was handed her from previous Elders who had worked with her. She said that when she met the missionaries, she KNEW that this was what she had been praying for her whole life. She has a young 5 year old daughter who she is excited about bringing up in the Gospel.

- This area is full of Catholics, Muslims, and of course Voodoo

- There are a total of 7 members. 3 of them live in Dassa while the other 4 (who are the Branch President and his wife and another couple) live in a different sector.

- Elder Garcia shared that this past week the Branch President, his wife, and their daughter were all sealed in the temple along with the other couple who are also expecting a baby. Elder Garcia was just so happy to talk about how awesome it is that they got to go and be in the temple and have that ordinance take place

- Elder Garcia is TIRED. He has been biking the majority of his mission but being in Dassa has given him a new appreciation of tired legs. :) He says his legs have never been so sore. I love that must mean he is out working hard

- Elder Garcia had a moment to talk with Sister Proudfoot and brought up a conversation he and I had while he was in the home MTC. I told him all I wanted was for him to be himself and to go to Africa and be just that. He shared that with Sister Proudfoot and he said that she asked him what it is that he needs in order to be that? Elder Garcia admitted that it was confidence within himself that he lacks and he is aware of that enough that he is working to change some things. As he shared this he was emotional but the pure joy and happy that emulated through the phone screen will be something I will never forget. It is like watching him mature and grow up right before my eyes every single week.

Elder Garcia is so happy. He laughs and he smiles the whole time we talk. He has 155 days left of this mission and I am so sad for him. Stoked for myself (ha!) but he is going to miss Africa. I can feel that today more than I ever have in any other call. I am so grateful that the Lord knew what it was that Elder Garcia would need in life. 

Keep working hard and never forget you have your biggest cheerleader in me! I love you for forever

Mom