Africa (Missionary Heaven)!

Hello!

I had a lot of new experiences at the MTC this week. 90% of the MTC left to go on mission, and a new 90% of missionaries came in. The feeling of being a 6-week missionary, watching all the new 3-week missionaries come in, is comparable to being a senior in high school after you've already been accepted to college, and you just want to move on to the next exciting stage of life. 

PROSELYTING IN ACCRA, GHANA:

For 4 hours this last Wednesday, us MTC missionaries were thrown out into the mission field! Speaking English. Holy cow, the field is white and ready to harvest in Africa. I was so nervous about people being too busy to talk, or avoiding us completely, but out of the 21 people we met, 17 gave us their numbers, seemed very interested, and wanted to talk to the missionaries again. WHAT??!!

When I would ask simple questions like, "Do you have a belief in God?" or, "Do you believe that God loves you?" almost everyone would respond with a sincere, heartfelt response of their life experiences with God. Almost no one acted like they did not have time for us. I was assigned to teach with a French Elder learning English, so I did a lot of the talking. However, at the end of every lesson, my french companion Elder Lenge would bear an English testimony, "I know if you read this brochure, every day, every day, God will bless you, your work, your family." 

Proselyting wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, though. But a lot of it was. There was a 50 minute stretch at 1:00 in the afternoon when we talked to almost nobody. Just hiking through Accra, not a lot of people interested. I was getting pretty discouraged, it was hot, I was hungry, and as more and more time passed, I felt more and more guilty that we weren't getting work done. 

Then, in the last thirty minutes of our proselyting time, a man actually called us over to his shop on the side of the dirt road and actively asked us questions about the gospel. He had a lot of questions, and I loved being able to bear my testimony and was amazed by the love I had for this man who wanted to know more about our church.

I felt that this conversation we had with this man was a small reminder from Heavenly Father that He still loved us, and was thinking about us. I'm sure going 50 minutes in the hot sun without talking to someone is something that I will have to deal with more often, but I am glad that Heavenly Father gave me the little bit of encouragement that I, a fresh, hopeful missionary, needed. I loved this trial-by-fire proselyting experience in Africa (missionary heaven).

HAPPY, BOLD, SUPPORTIVE FRENCH BRANCH:

I am now in the French Branch for Sunday meetings in the MTC, which is 80% native French speakers. Every week, we prepare talks in French, and this last Sunday I got to give a talk in French! At the beginning of the talk, I thanked all the francophones (French speakers) for their patience with our accents.

I have had the humbling experience to have been called as a zone leader in the French branch. Holy cow, the members of our zone are encouraging, patient, faithful, and so happy!

This Sunday, I led the discussion in our French Priesthood meeting about the Holy Ghost. While it wasn't perfect, several members in our priesthood quorum were so positive and thanked me for my efforts after the lesson! 

I was so impressed with the faith of the African elders during the lesson about the Holy Ghost. They made comments during the lesson with so much sincerity, and there were no hidden agendas, and there was no feeling that they were trying to impress anyone with their comments. 

I don't know what I am bringing to the table in this leadership position. The members of our zone are so obedient and happy and faithful, I look up to them all. 

I figure that if I am praying to know what I can do to help the other Elders and if I just give myself freely to them, whatever their needs may be, I'll be guided to do what needs to be accomplished in the French Branch. Heavenly Father works through brute materials. It's not a confidence in myself that I need to develop, but a confidence in Christ and Heavenly Father. 

INJURY:

I rolled my ankle playing basketball. Nowadays, I just kind of Tiny-Tim style hop around the MTC. 

TESTIMONY:

I love King Benjamin's speech in Mosiah 4 in the Book of Mormon. We are so indebted to our Heavenly Father. The air we breathe in our nostrils is because of Heavenly Father. How great a need we have to just serve each other, and give of ourselves freely. 

We all have our own struggles. "Are we not all beggars?" I have developed a greater testimony while in the MTC that if we want to develop greater charity for others, we have to serve them. If we feel spited or bitter, respond with understanding. Although it's more natural to wallow in gossip and bitterness, we need to take the higher road and love.

Know that I am happy, well fed, and trying to be more Christlike.

Love you all,

Elder Evans