Light The World Service Project in Cocody

Light the World! 

All of the missionaries in Will's mission spent December 9 doing service projects 

throughout the entire mission! Will's zone did a clean up in a park in Cocody.

Elder MBuya (current companion)

Will and Elder Cameron

Elder Johnson (Will's MTC Companion), Will, and Elder MBuya (current companion) 

Cocody Zone plus President and Sister Binene and Elder and Sister Lewis

District and Zone Meetings in Bingerville/Cocody

Lots of pictures from the wonderful couple serving in Will's mission. 

Thank you Elder and Sister Lewis!!!

Will's Mission President and his wife

Lunch! Chicken and fried plantains

Heart and Mind in Africa

[Letter to his family] 

That is fun to just hear how everyone is doing! I feel myself becoming more and more disconnected from thinking about you guys...um...not to say that I don't love you guys, but I can feel myself thinking more in terms of, "Wow, today was an awesome day, the beans for breakfast were delicious and we had so many lessons!" Rather than, "uggh, I should be at Temple Square celebrating Christmas right now"

Thank you so much for the gratitude advice you gave me. It is such a small thing to reflect on the good things that happened at the end of each day, but I feel a level more happier by doing that.

I have met one or two times with most of our people, and we recently went out proselyting with two young men from the ward. At the end of the day, we ate out at a little restaurant together, and I felt awesome as us four were all laughing together and talking about stuff. A lot of the people that we teach are mother aged women who have a lot of free time, and it is a little difficult to help people to get past the initial discomfort of a new white guy coming in, but it is good.

My companion is awesome, and the past two weeks, it has been him who has led our companionship. I hope that as I get more familiar with the people and our area, I will take a larger role, but I find that my biggest obstacle is just having the confidence to do a lot of first time things in leading the companionship. But my companion is honestly so patient, loving, and mature, and I am very grateful for that. 

One of our people is being baptized this Saturday! He is a 16 year old who followed the lessons for a month or two. As we asked him to get baptized, with his brother present, each of us bore our testimony of the blessings we have received because of our baptism, and the Spirit was there. While I was there for all of his conversion process, it is always exciting to be there during a baptism.

I am doing well.

I love you guys!

Elder Elephant

Transfer to Bingerville

So yes, I am transferred to the area called Bingerville, in the zone of Cocody, which is very close to the city of Abidjan! My specific area is not a city, but there are a lot of hills, and trees, and even road construction on a massive road, so the terrain of our area is super varied and I feel like I am in a movie a lot (between the houses, the trees, the red dust massive road construction)

My companion, Elder MBuya, just finished his training. He is from Congo. In our apartment, which is nice and clean, of 4 missionaries, we are all relatively new in the mission. Our apartment has a really nice feeling of respect and just happiness.

So, i am really excited for this transfer. This week, we had a baptism, we did our apartment shopping, and were able to go out to our sector during two days. So I am still quite new, and I saw that Elder MBuya is actually a very capable and loving missionary already. He led the team for this first week, and starting tomorrow, it will be me who will be leading. I feel a little strange, because I know that my French, knowledge of scriptures, and even my ability to connect with the investigators is probably inferior to Elder MBuya's, but it will me that will be leading. I figure that this is just a super safe environment to be a senior companion in...my companion is humble and accomplished, so I really have a lot I can learn from him.

I have really loved the advice mom gave to list things that I should be grateful for. It is easy to get resentful about the sum of the circumstances we face here but I have really felt uplifted by taking time to reflect upon what I am grateful for each day.

We did a light the world service project, in the city, where we cleaned up this garden in the middle of a round a bout. The Lewis couple was there, and took pictures.

I got the package! It was crushed a little! And it looked like someone cut a fist sized hole in the corner while it was en route! But I have loved the mangoes, pop tarts, and Christmas tree. The others in the apartment have loved it too. 

Love you guys, 

Elder not so Chilly Willy

The people in my neighborhood

Hello! Short update!

THE EVERYDAY PEOPLE:

One of the things I love the most about the mission is the people that you see and greet on a regular basis everyday. You know that every time you pass by them, they will be happy, smile, and you will be happy too. It's so small, but once you leave your area, you miss those people.  One of our neighbors, Soeur Mirée, is like that. Every night, we buy this delicious purple juice from her, "bisap," and she always throws in 4 rolls for free in a separate bag. 

Today, she gave us 4 mangoes for free! Wahoooo!

Love,

Elder Evans

The People Are My Joy

Hello!

WHAT IS MY JOY ON MY MISSION?

I loved reading 1 Thessalonians 2 this week. It talks about diligent, tireless missionary work, and ends with, "So what is our joy, (as missionaries), our crown of glory?"

That is a great question, because the mission is very hard. Where is the relief? What is the highlight of the week? What makes it all worth it? Honestly, at the beginning of the mission, my joy was watching the Gmail icon load as I anticipated my few precious hours to communicate with friends and family on p-days.

The last verse says, "You are our joy," meaning the people, the converts. I love that. The people are my joy.

Love, 

Elder Evans

Funny notes from our email chat today:

mom:

Will your hair is so short!

Will:

Mom, when I walk into the barber here the African barbers laugh and tell me they don't really know how to cut my hair. It's hilarious. So they just did their best and shaved it!

mom: 

Do you still have the hair clippers that we sent with you?

Will:

Yes, but when I plug them in they heat up really fast. I think there is a voltage problem. 

mom:

yea, probably don't use those then!

Elder Evans in his new apartment

Elder Evans and Elder Freedman (serving in the Abidjan West mission) got to say hi at a combined mission conference. 

Quick Update

Hello!

HARDWORKING MEMBERS

The members in our Branch, Yaou, have really been supportive of us missionaries. What has really impressed me is the Youth here are really willing to go out teaching with the missionaries.

I catch myself thinking often, "I can't wait until it's me calling the shots, and I'll feel competent, etc. etc.," but I recently thought that it is so nice to always have a companion to turn to for missionary advice, doctrinal knowledge, etc. If I can be humble, this is a time where I can learn a lot. 

Know that I am well fed and learning a lot every day!

Elder Evans

Happy Halloween from the Ivory Ghost!

Hello! Credit goes to my little sister Julia for the Halloween pun in the subject line. Thanksgiving and Halloween are not celebrated here. I will probably have some delicious attieke and fruit for Thanksgiving! Who could ask for anything more??

PLAYING PIANO FOR YAOU

Yaou is good, I haven't really had a hard last couple of weeks. Our branch made a commitment to work with the missionaries more during a recent Sunday school lesson. I was able to play the piano for the hymns this Sunday, which felt good because the branch of Yaou has never had a piano player.  There is a member of the high council who is really nice and likes talking with my companion and I. 

A LIBRARY BURNS DOWN

A member in our ward is involved in this partnership the church has with FamilySearch. He travels to smaller African villages and interviews the elderly to retrieve names, family stories, dates...because there are many people who are born in these villages, and then finish their lives without their names being registered anywhere. All of this information is kept in the memories of the people in the village.

 A great quote that sums up his work, "Every time an elderly person dies (in these villages), it is as if an entire library burns down."

The pictures for this week include a baptism in our district, Elder Secinga and I, and last night's burnt offering. I am out of time. I am doing well, just trying to pray and find out how Heavenly Father wants me to do this work. Love you guys. 

Love, 

Elder Evans

Language flowing, missionary skills growing!

Hello!

NO LONGER A BACKSEAT DRIVER

If the mission is a long road trip, being a trainee felt a little similar to being in the backseat of the car, buckled up in a car seat, being driven around and introduced to everyone. As the junior companion, I have really loved feeling more needed and competent. 

It is interesting too as I look back on my time with my trainer, and think about how I can be a better companion to my current companion. I have consciously decided that I want there to be no doubt in my companion's mind that we are on the same team, and that I have his well-being in mind.

Really, a lot of things are going well. From the beginning, I am trying to create a good relationship with Elder Secinga, and really trying to learn from him. He is a good missionary, and he has this cool, humble, quiet, funny and kind of slightly cynical but not negative sense of humor. I am enjoying our time together. Our apartment is just him and me and it is small, clean, and very new. So it was easy to clean it well this morning.

The language is flowing better, and I felt I was really able to show competency in French as we meet with the leaders in our new branch, Yaou. We were able to walk with the first counselor after church to meet and know the houses of the members.

Know that I am well fed, and I love the solid doctrine of the church.

Love

Elder Evans

I'm being transferred--Yaou

Hello all,

I have finished my training! And am being transferred...

New area: Yaou, which is a little further away from civilization than my current area. I will be the junior companion to Elder Cisinga, from Congo.

NATURAL GROWTH 

When we want others to change some habit, we often think that the fastest way to get them to change is to constantly remind them to change their habit. Hans T. Boom, in the most recent general conference, explained that there is a more natural and result-yielding method to help others to change,

"To me, ministering is exercising divine love. In that way, we create AN ENVIRONMENT where both the giver and receiver obtain a desire to repent...

"For instance, there is no need to constantly tell our spouse or children how they can improve; they know that already. It is in CREATING THIS ENVIRONMENT of love that they will be empowered to make the necessary changes in their lives and become better people."

TITHING AND FAST OFFERINGS

...were the subject of our Stake Conference this weekend in Grand Bassam. A lot of examples from the Book of Mormon where the Nephites and Lamanites became prosperous as they turned outward and served each other as their own basic needs were met. The Stake President made the points, "The Lord doesn't ask for tithing because the Church needs money. He asks for tithing to turn our hearts towards Him." and also, "When we pay tithing, we put ourselves on the side of the Lord."

Our Stake of Grand Bassam has a lot of faith when they pay tithing. I know that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God!

Love,

Elder Evans

It Is Time

Hello all,

YOU WASH MINE, I DRY YOURS

During our preparation day, I had a little extra time in the morning, so after I had finished with the scrubbing portion of washing my clothes, I scrubbed Elder Kanyesa's clothes also. I left to mop our apartment floor, and when I returned, Elder Kanyesa had not only rinsed both of our clothes, but set them out to dry too. 

Even though we both did the same amount of work we would usually do, it was a good, "I've got your back,"

companionship unity moment.

COOL HANDSHAKES

Something funny that happens here is men will often greet each other with multi-step, complicated handshakes, usually including a snap at the end, and as hard as I try, I never really pull it off smoothly. It's a funny moment after I don't get it right, I laugh, the other guy laughs, and he usually responds with something like "Welcome to Cote d'Ivoire" 

THE HOLY GHOST

I recently studied how the Holy Ghost will often teach us line upon line, and oftentimes how much we learn depends upon how willing we are to follow little promptings.

The Church is true, it is the same church with the same organization that Christ established, and I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

IT IS TIME 

This week, as I was walking to an investigators house to teach about how the gospel blesses families, I had the thought, "Ugg, I feel that there isn't a lot of new news with this lesson. Everyone knows you need to respect your family." Then, as we were teaching, I had the thought, "Did you enjoy having a father in your home as you were growing up?" That truly is something that I take for granted, and the teachings of the gospel really will help families here, as there are so many children who grow up without the emotional support of a loving father.

I love the advice mom gave me a week or two ago, "It is time for these people to receive the blessings of gospel, the temple, and the priesthood." Those are all things I take for granted, but are huge supports in life.

Love,

Elder Evans

Chicken frying and leaving the nest

Hello!

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks. 

The Koffi's wedding lunch

Elder Mensah, draped in the Tahitian flag, to protect himself as he fries chicken in oil for us. He is by far the best cook in our apartment.

Recent baptism

WADING THROUGH LAGOON WATER

A neighborhood in our area, "Quartier Petit Paris," is this mile-by-mile concrete maze, with probably hundreds of seperate homes hidden inside. It is situated next to a lagoon, and the lagoon flooded into the neighborhood this week. So, this Wednesday, to make it to our afternoon lesson in Quartier Petit Paris, Elder Kanyesa and I took off our shoes and socks and waded through the neighborhood to Frere Agoh's home! I felt very cool, and scrubbed my feet really hard with soap that night.

IT'S TIME TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

I loved reading Alma 42 this week, which talks about the Plan of Salvation. Just like an earthly father who tells his children, "It's time to get out of the house," Heavenly Father lovingly and omnisciently sent us to the earth to learn and grow. 

Parents want their children to grow and become like them, maybe even a little better. Most of all, parents want their children to be happy. Sometimes they cry and complain, but everything parents do for them is for their good. 

I know that Heavenly Father loves us, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

Love,

Elder Evans

Love and Service

Hello!

MARRIAGE AND BAPTISM - Israel and Josiane Koffi, a couple we have been teaching for the past couple weeks, were married Thursday and baptized this Saturday. 

I was touched to see the sacrifices they made to get married and be baptized. They had to have made these arrangements to be married and baptized because they felt something. Our mission president recently emphasized in a multi-zone conference that missionary work can only be accomplished by relying on the Spirit.

Not by doing things "our way."

DAILY SERVICE - I recently saw a video on churchofjesuschrist.org that really touched me. It showed all the little daily things a certain elderly man did for his wife, who appeared to have suffered from some mental sickness. 

With his arms shaking, he would feed her breakfast. With his hands trembling, he wrote her a note (that she would not be able to read) for her birthday. He wheeled her around town and took her out to dinner and live music that she may not have even fully processed. His wife may not have fully appreciated everything he did in the moment, but he did it all because he loved her. 

I was so struck by how noble these tiny acts of service are. This man had probably lived a very full life, but these tiny acts of love he did every day seemed to me one of his greatest accomplishments.

I have had the thought that, looking back, I will be the most proud of the genuine connections I make here in Cote d'Ivoire and how I serve them. 

Love,

Elder Evans

"The love of fruit is a connection that transcends all languages"

Hello!

Two Tahitian missionaries stayed in our apartment for the last three days of their mission, and they were both so good humored, polite, and they bought and shared a lot of pineapple and watermelon with the other members of our apartment. One of the Elders left his baptismal pants in our apartment, and I attached a picture of me wearing them.

LEARNING ABOUT MY COMPANION

I had several long conversations with my companion where I learned a lot about the completely different culture that he grew up in. While Elder Kanyesa and I have very different personalities, I loved it as we were laughing about stories of what mischief he and his friends did when they were in elementary school.

We discussed the history of Africa, specifically with colonization and religion, and it struck me how the African people have a history that makes them who they are, and it is very different from the history of the United States, that makes Americans how they are. Me, Elder Evans came over to the Ivory Coast, knowing only the way of life of the people of Provo, Utah and Frankfort, Illinois...which is so tiny. A lot of my mission has been learning to respect and even love the quick, heated style of talking, love of their food, relaxed schedule, and other ways of life here.

Anyways, I felt a greater love and respect for my companion as we talked about how he grew up and about African culture.

CRITICISM AND NEGATIVITY

A member of our Stake Presidency recently shared advice that came from an Area Seventy,

"If you want to distance yourself from Satan, avoid two things:

Criticism and Negativity."

Criticism usually feels pretty validating in the moment, but people who make mistakes still deserve our love. Because we are people that make mistakes too. Criticism feels like the opposite of trying to understand someone.

FRUIT

Because I am a loyal and constant customer, I am becoming friends with a woman who sells fruit near our apartment.

"The love of fruit is a connection that transcends all languages."

Love you all,

Elder Evans