Close Encounter with a Bat

Hello Everyone!

This week was pretty normal, but some cool stuff happened, pretty much like every other week.

On Tuesday, I bought a ton of super cool pagne, African material. I gave some to the the tailor today to make some scriptures covers, and I'll use the others to make ties, shirts and other stuff. Super excited for that. 

Also on Tuesday, I got super sick. Again. I don't know what it is, but lately I've been getting more sick, and more often, and it's super frustrating. Its also tough being with Elder Mazunzu, a new missionary, and getting sick, because when I'm sick, we both have to stay in. I hate staying in more because it keeps him from going out to sector. So, we came back early on Tuesday, to find the power out. While the power was out, a bat flew into our house, and started getting a little to close. My companion chased it into the kitchen, where he hit it with a pack of spaghetti. It wasn't dead, but also not moving, so we got some dope pictures with it. Don't worry, I didn't eat it, and we washed our hands really well after.

We fixed the baptism date this week for Sr Victoire for the 25th of June. I'm super excited, and she is super ready. We're hoping to get some more candidates, but we'll see. Today we're heading down to Lomé for Zone Conference tomorrow. All 4 of us are staying at Agoe's Appartment, so that'll make 8 for one night. Should be pretty fun.

This last week, we were looking for a scripture to share with a friend that wasn't progressing at all. I'll be honest, I was frustrated, and I was looking for a good chastisement. I was searching in Alma 5, and if you know that chapter, you know what I was looking for haha. Anyways, I decided that wasn't the best, and so I searched the chapter for one that would work, and came across a scripture I really like, found in Alma 5:33:

33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

What a wonderful promise! We read this a lot, but it is so true. Our Prophet has invited us numerous times to partake in daily repentance, and to be clean. Sin makes us dirty, and pulls us away from our Heavenly Father. We all make mistakes, that's what makes us human. That doesn't mean we have to rest in the guilt of these errors, but we can have these burdens lifted from us. Repentance is a joyful process. It can be hard, and we can feel shame for the things we've done, but the moment we get on our knees, and open our mouths, the words will flow out, I promise. And the promise that follows, "I will receive you." His arms of mercy are extended towards us, we just have to repent, and be cleansed, and we will receive his embrace.

I know these things are true, I've come to love daily repentance. I make tons of mistakes, but I know that God will always forgive me, and he will forgive you as well.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Know that God loves you.

Elder Orchard

African Cuts

Hello Everyone!

Today I got a haircut. It's pretty bad, especially on top, but that's alright. The top is really short, so hopefully I can go the rest of my time without cutting the top.

Everything else is going good. The work is starting to progress, and the members are actually starting to help us a lot. We are still finding a lot of people on our own, although not a lot progress, we sometimes find a diamond in the rough.

Like this last week, when we found Fr Stan. We actually found him a couple of weeks ago, and he stopped us in the road to ask what we did. We set up an appointment with him, but he didn't keep it. In fact, we would try to call him, but the call would never go through. We almost let him go, but last week we tried again, and he finally set up an actual appointment with him. He was super receptive, and was basically teaching us the Restoration, from what he learned in the pamphlet. It was a great lesson, and he even came to church yesterday. He is super cool, and I'm excited to see his progression. 

We got a new missionary in our apartment, Elder Kasongo. He is from the Congo, and super cool. He is being trained by Elder Rogers. We have been cracking jokes, and having a good week.

I love the scripture found in Mormon 9:28

"Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God"

I love this reminder, as one of the last words of the Book of Mormon prophet, Mormon. We need to remember where our priorities are, and never let our guard down. We are put on this earth to serve our Heavenly Father, as our biggest goal should be to return in his presence. 

I love all of you, and hope you have a great week.

Elder Orchard

Food Poisoning .2

Hello Everyone!

This was a very long week. To start out, we went to the waterfall last P-Day, and it was amazing. Coolest thing I've seen so far in Togo. Luckily, we got transfer calls, and we're both staying, so we can go again sometime this next transfer. I'll attach some pictures.

We walked a lot to get to the waterfall, so for the whole week we were all pretty sore. This week went by very slow, with anxiousness for the call, and preparing for our baptism, and everything else going on. We did have a baptism service this last Saturday, which went well! The water doesn't work in our building, so we had to get water out of the well, put it into buckets, and then carry it over to the font. We did most of the work, and it was pretty tiring, but everything was ready for the baptism. We got this done at 9ish am, and then went home, got ready, and got back to the branch building at 2 pm. I was not very happy to see that the water had gone down another 2 feet or so, and then we had to get water out of the well again. However, everything worked out, and we were able to have our baptism service. 

That night, a member bought us some food, just a little bag of what looked like chips. It turns out, they were banana chips, and I really liked them. So, I bought 5 more bags, because they were super cheap. I ate two on the way home, and the other three at the house, before going out to sector Sunday afternoon. We started going to our first appointment, and upon arrival my stomach was hurting really bad. It was hard to focus on the lesson, it hurt so bad. After that appointment, we walked to our second, and luckily the person wasn't there, and we booked it back to the apartment. I went straight to the bathroom. Without being too gross, from 5pm to about 8pm, I threw up 9 times. I was going for 10, double digits, but unfortunately that didn't come. I called the Jeffcoats, the couple missionaries, and they thought that it could be food poisoning, and everything that was coming out of me was yellow, like the banana chips. That's when I made the connection, that the banana chips gave me food poisoning. Its not super surprising, they weren't made in a factory or anything, but by someone on the side of the road. Street food, you win some, you lose some. This one I definitely lost.

Like I said before, Elder Mazunzu and I are staying together, to complete his training. Elder Rogers is staying as well, and training a new missionary. I'm super excited for this next transfer, and to see where I'll go the transfer after that, for my last area and last companion. Pretty crazy to think about.

Whelp, that's it for me this week. I hope everyone has a great week! Hopefully I don't get food poisoning again next week.

Elder Orchard

Elder Allison has lost 35 pounds

Bonjour!

So, I don't have a lot of time today, so I'll just give a quick recap of our week!

We had interviews on Thursday, and those went super well. It's really weird to think I only have 2 more interviews left with President. Times going quick! President Proudfoot is awesome, and I've loved working with him.

I saw Elder Allison at interviews. He's lost 35 pounds!

We had a good week in general. Did a lot of finding, and preparing those we have found. Good things in the works!

Today, we spent all day at the waterfall, and it was gorgeous! We took all the photos with the Zone Leaders' phone, which I don't have yet, so I'll attach those next week. Coolest thing I've seen in Togo for sure. 

Like I said, just a short little email. I hope everyone is doing well!

Elder Orchard

No, you cut the tomatoes!

Bonjour!

This was a pretty eventful week, so I'll get right into it.

On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to do some service. We helped Fr. Honoré, the first counselor, with his job, which is basically yardwork/landscaping. We got some machetes and cut down some weeds, and other plants. Tigi was there to help us as well. I've never done this before, so I asked where I could cut to make sure I was doing it right. I start hashing, and then not even 30 seconds later Tigi yells "no you cut the tomatoes!" And not too much longer after that, Honoré comes by to make sure we are doing the job right, and I heard him say under his breath, "he cut the tomatoes." Sorry to whoever owns that land, but I cut your tomatoes.

On Thursday the Jeffcoats came to Kpalime, and we had the opportunity to go with them to visit a Nigerian family. It was just me and Elder Rogers who went, since we speak English. The family lives about 30 minutes north of Kpalime, in a village called Adeta. We had the opportunity to teach the whole family, and the father, who is not a member. Then, they gave us some amazing rice, and some beef that, for once, wasn't cooked passed well done. We also came back to Kpalime to see Barnaby, a friend of the Jeffcoats, who works at the Artisinal. We got to visit the Artisinal and see all the cool hand-made wood products, and paintings. We finished our exchange by finding some new people to teach, as well as taking some pictures with some random children.

Saturday night I felt really sick, and it continued into Sunday morning. Luckily, the Jeffcoats were still here, so I told them about it at church. I was honestly scared that it was malaria again, because it felt like the same symptoms, and it's been a while since the last time I had it. However, I got a malaria test, and it came back as negative, so it's just some sort of virus. We stayed in the whole day yesterday.

I love the Book of Mormon, especially when it talks about the atonement of Jesus Christ. I'll share one of my favorite scriptures on this subject:

"Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more." (2 Nephi 9:7)

The atonement is such an incredible and complex topic that it often appears incomprehensible. Often, we cannot understand how one man could do all of this for us. However, we know that it was done, and because of this, we are no longer subject to an endless and eternal torment. It is something I have grown more and more grateful for.

I hope that you are all doing well! Have a great week!

Elder Orchard

Where has the time gone?

Bonjour tout le monde!!

Well, today is 20 months on the mission. I can't believe it has gone by this fast. Not a lot of time left, but still a lot of work to do. This week was pretty normal, but I'll give a quick summary.

This past week, we tried to continue finding new people to teach, and helping those we have to teach already. We worked a lot with Fr Tigi, an awesome member. It's much easier when we have someone to translate the language for us. I'm not quite fluent yet in Ewe, but it's coming. That's a joke, I don't know that much. 

Last night, we broke our fast by eating Congelese FouFou, prepared by my companion Elder Mazunzu. He prepares a ton of FouFou, and then divides it into these giant FouFou balls. They are huge, and even at a very hungry state, I ate 2.5. My companion also ate 2.5, and another missionary, Elder Kouadio ate almost 4. Well, we all get done eating, and the last one left is the other American, Elder Rogers. He is the slowest eater I've ever seen, by the time we're all done, he's finishing his 2nd ball. There are 2 left, and his companion jokes and says, "companion, these 2 are for you." To which Elder Rogers accepts the challenge. Slowly but surely, he finishes the 4, and his companion was more than surprised. He held his head up high for the rest of the night. 

This last week, I've been reading a lot from the Book of Mormon. I've always been impressed with the faith of Nephi, even when things are not going good for him. For example, when his brothers tie him up on the ship for multiple days, instead of ever complaining about his state, he prays and thanks God.  And at the end, when his brother finally releases his, he says the following:

"Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions."

Everything that God does is for our well being, even the things that are hard in life. Sometimes we just need a trial, or a struggle to make us stronger, or to bring a new opportunity into our lives. We should accept these things, and praise our Heavenly Father for loving us enough to direct us in the right path.

God loves you, and wants what's best for you. Never forget that you are the son or daughter of a loving Father in Heaven.

Elder Orchard

I got bit by a dog!

Yep, that really happened. So, here's the story. On Wednesday, we were going to meet with someone new to teach, Daniel. He seemed interested the day before, and even indicated where his house was. He told us, "the house that makes bread just just the road." We didn't have an exact location, but we went looking anyways. We found a house that we believe to be his, so we knocked. They told us to come in, so we did. I stood right next to a dog, who was sleeping. The dog woke up, growled, and then bit my lower left calf. I kinda jumped away, and the owner pushed the dog away. I then saw that the dog was a mother, and had 3 small puppies. So, I made the conclusion that she bit me out of protection.

We went down to Lome on Thursday for Zone Conference, so we stopped by the clinic. We weren't really worried about rabies because the dog was tame, a house dog, and I hadn't yet had a reaction. But, the doctor totally flipped out haha. He was telling me how I needed a rabies shot right away, and more for the coming month. I said that I had to go back to Kpalime the next day, and he then forbid to go back to Kpalime. I called our mission president, and he said I would be fine. I'm back in Kpalime haha. I already checked off getting malaria, and now I can also check off getting bit by a dog. I'm not sure what's left haha. 

On a more spiritual note, I have a cool experience to share. Yesterday, we just happened to meet a non active member of our branch, and so we shared a spiritual message with her. She was requesting that we shared a passage from the Book of Mormon, so while I searched for a passage, my companion talked. I decided to share Mosiah 4:1-10, where King Benjamin finishes his sermon. While we were reading, I just felt the most calming spirit wash over me, and such a great love for the Book of Mormon. I especially love verse 10, when King Benjamin exhorts:

"10 And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them"

What a powerful statement! President Nelson recently invited us all the find the joy in repenting. It doesn't have to be something shameful, but joyful. We should have joy in becoming more pure, and becoming more like our Savoir, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. I know the Book of Mormon is true, and the word of God.

If you ever have any questions, always feel free to reach out. I love you all.

Until next time,

Elder Orchard