A lot of memorizing, attempted French conversations, and prayer is going on here at the MTC. I love it. The initial excitement of the newness of being in the MTC has worn off. However, everyday we learn about Jesus Christ and his Atonement, and I have had a lot of sweet experiences feeling the Spirit.
WEEPING:
Holy cow, I love singing hymns here. When the whole MTC gathers together to sing hymns, all 120 of us, half of the crowd is singing French, the other half English. The African elders sing extremely boldly, some of them more in tune than others. I have not made it through singing a lot of hymns here without crying. I just love the combination of unintelligible lyrics, proud loud singing, and varying levels of vocal proficiency all coming together to reflect the undeterred courage of all the Elders in the MTC.
AFRICAN ELDERS:
But seriously, a lot of the African Elders here have sacrificed a lot to come to the MTC. A good portion of them have been members for only a couple years. It has been eye opening to talk with the African Elders about their life before the mission. One Elder, Elder Ilunga from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is one of 15 children in his family, and is the only member of the church. He met with the missionaries just two years ago, was baptized, and has now put forth the faith to come on a two year mission. HOLY COW!
My companion, Elder Johnson, introduced our roommates (who are from Cote d'Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo) to cinnamon gummy bears. Elder N'Cho tried one, loved it, and then asked if the bag of cinnamon gummy bears was for everyone to eat whenever they wanted. Of course they are!
THE GHANA MTC CROSS COUNTRY TEAM:
During our hour of "sports time" this week, I have started running around this little sidewalk that runs around the soccer field outside the MTC. The first time we ran, it was just me and my companion who would run, but we have amassed followers into our running group and have 6-8 guys that come running with us! It's a good opportunity to practice speaking French.
DEVOTIONAL FROM A MEMBER OF THE SEVENTY:
Elder Martinez, a church authority from the Seventy, came and spoke to us this week. A couple points I loved:
-Preach My Gospel is not a sales manual. As missionaries, we are not becoming shrewd salesmen. Preach My Gospel is a manual for how to become the tool that Heavenly Father needs.
-When we are obedient, we learn. When we are disobedient, we are just trusting our own knowledge...think of some parent reprimanding their child, "Why did you do that?"...the response is almost always, "I don't know."
-My mission is a tithing for my life. I am devoting 2 years of service to Heavenly Father, despite difficulties, and will see blessings throughout the rest of my life.
MY TESTIMONY:
The devotional was great. Also this week, I've thought a lot about how personal the Atonement was.
Jesus Christ took upon Himself the sins of the world for us.
I've often thought, "Oh, well He knew that everything was going to turn out fine, He would resurrect after being crucified, He knew everything was going to go according to God's plan.
But in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked that if it was possible, that this burden could be taken from Him.
I think of how when people go out of their way to be kind, or they do something nice for me, I am always really touched, and appreciate that a lot. This week, I have come to feel that the Atonement was a similar intentional, personal act of service, but could have only been done by someone with an infinite capacity to love.
It was like having someone genuinely complement you...but times infinity
Like someone carrying one of your heavy bags when you're walking to the car from the grocery store..but times infinity.
Like someone talking to you when you are struggling...but times infinity.
I feel so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Despite my imperfections, God loves me. I am able to repent and become better everyday. I want so badly to become the best missionary I can to help others in the Ivory Coast find the same joy that I have.
Ghana MTC July 2019
Ghana Temple right next to the MTC
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