Finding my footing

Hello!

During the first couple weeks of the mission, I often thought, "Can I do this for two years?" I am finding my footing in the missionary routine. The things that have kept me going have been capably teaching lessons and feeling the spirit during the lessons, feeling a connection of with investigators, increasing my understanding of a completely different culture of people, developing relationships with the members, and especially doing as much as I can to have a loving, trusting relationship with my companion, Elder Kanyesa.

Having some fun with kids and eating delicious and extremely inexpensive fruit have also helped.

THE LOVING IVORIENS:

The work here is progressing. What strikes me is the desire of the Ivorien people to hear "the word of God." Most people we talk to on the street agree to setting up a time to meet and discuss God. Most people have a firm belief in the Bible, which allows many of our first lessons to go smoothly, without many objections. The Ivoriens are very hospitable to us missionaries, and respectful to us as messengers of the word of God. They always offer water when we are in their homes. 

SUGAR CANE:

As an apartment, we have been snacking on this fibrous, bamboo-looking sugar cane that an investigator gave us! You peel the skin, chew on the tough sugar cane fiber, and the really sweet sugar juice comes out. 

INEXPENSIVE FRUIT:

The pineapples and papayas here sell for the equivalent of 20 cents each, and they just taste so sweet and nourished by the real earth.

EFFICIENT FOOD:

I'm constantly trying new Ivorien foods. An Elder explained to me, "Ivoriens eat to be filled." A lot of Ivorien food consists of some form of large, mellow tasting mass, with an added sauce on top that provides the flavor (and, of course, you eat it with your hands). I think that is a really cool, efficient way to look at food...make a lot of food that is inexpensive to make, and then add a bit of more "expensive to make" sauce on top so that you enjoy the food.

Maybe that wasn't the most appetizing portrayal of Ivorien food, but I declare that I love it. 

I pray every day to receive strength to love others, have the energy to walk and stay attentive during the day, and to be a vessel of the Holy Ghost during our lessons. I know that I have received divine help every day of my mission. Heavenly Father loves us, and He listens to our prayers. We can show our love for Him by loving others. If nothing else, love others.

Love you all,

Elder Evans

Pure and simple gospel

In this beginning part of the mission, it has really struck me that the mission is a 2 year experience of becoming someone better than you were at the beginning. This is the longest time commitment I have ever made to do one thing, every day. So, naturally, the period of adaptation and getting used to things is the longest I have ever experienced. The mission has not been a 24/7 spiritual joyride, but instead a 12-hour workday, 7 days a week work experience with opportunities of growth and moments of true joy included. It has been hard, but I have loved the highs.

100% CORRELATION:

On the mission, I am responsible for obtaining my own food, and I have learned that I really do need to ensure that I eat 3 meals a day. Haha...as my companion can attest, I become a "different person" if it is 3:00 in the afternoon and I haven't eaten.

THE PURE SIMPLE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST:

I have loved the sensation of all the points and principles of the gospel coming together into a cohesive whole. A very sincere investigator told my companion and I, "Something about your understanding of the Bible truly touches me. You are very calm and simple as you explain things."

That is of course thanks to the Book of Mormon. One can interpret a specific Bible verse in so many different directions, and the need for another witness of Jesus Christ seems so apparent.

During my evening personal study, I felt such a joy as I came to a more complete understanding of the Apostasy, that I had to get up and walk around to relieve my excitement. It's all there, in the Bible! Jesus Christ was a real person, who walked the earth, taught, established His church and atoned for our sins. And then all of that was taken from the earth. 

As soon as conditions were right, the same church that Christ established was restored through Joseph Smith. The same principles and organization that Christ taught.

BAPTISM:

I was given the opportunity to baptise Soeur Melaine, who we have been teaching for the past month, and 4 other converts who have been taught by missionaries in our district. In terms of baptisms, missionary work is really acclerating in the Ivory Coast.

I felt so happy as my companion, Elder Kanyesa, and I were walking to the church building to the baptismal service. Baptism really is the first step to returning to live with our Heavenly Father.

I have loved the wild, totally-not-what-I-expected mission experience in the Ivory Coast. I'm adjusting to the culture, the language is always a bit tough but I'm managing, and I am loving eating with my hands. 

Heavenly Father loves each of us, and we can show Him our love by loving others. As President Nelson said at an NAACP meeting recently, we don't have to look alike, think alike, or even agree with each other to love each other.

Love you all,

Elder Evans

What greater love

Hello!

I am settling in. I have been surprised with how much calmer I am as I become familiar with my surroundings, create friendships with other missionaries, members, and locals, and get used to the missionary routine by sheer repetition. I guess we truly do have other needs, emotional and social, besides food and sleep.

WHAT GREATER LOVE

What greater love can one manifest for Elder Evans than to leave some of your food for him? There is none greater. My companion will often insist that I have some of his food, especially during our luches out in our sector during the middle of the day. I know he's also hungry, and I insist that he eat it, but he has this sense, and can tell that I'm really famished. It's a small gesture, but it means a lot to me.

COMMUNICATING

I can understand most of what is said to me, and I have most of the vocabulary I need to respond to communicate our message to others. But even initiating a conversation in English is hard! I worry about how clearly and concisely I can convey our message. But I have found that I never regret putting myself out there and trying to share the greatest news on the earth with others.

COOKING 

The first week or two of my mission could be a TV show called "Elder Evans learns missionary skills." This week's episode features a foot tall grease fire as Elder Evans tries to cook chicken!! ("Companion!! VENEZ VENEZ!") 

MY 19TH BIRTHDAY

My birthday fell on a preparation day! I celebrated by eating some dried mangoes I brought in my suitcase, and throwing the frisbee around outside our apartment with another elder. Several kids gathered around, probably seeing a frisbee for the first time, and a couple of them had a fun time trying to throw it.

THE PEOPLE

There is an Elder in our apartment, from America, who also went to a year of BYU before leaving on his mission, and it is really validating to talk with him (not too often) about the Creamery, BYU sporting events, Helaman Halls, etc. He gave me great advice for the mission. He said, 

"If you look at the mission from the perspective of what you do on pen and paper, it is pretty monotonous. We wear and wash the same white shirts every week, we eat the same chicken and rice when we cook for ourselves everyday, and we go out and teach everyday. It seems like that would get pretty boring, right? This is cliché, but what I have loved most about the mission is the people."

This is true. If serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was not a true, divinely inspired work, there would not be tens of thousands of missionaries out right now. It's hard. Why do missionaries stay out in the field? What a crazy idea, sending out a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds to go teach religion to the world.

The hardest parts of the mission usually all involve me focusing on myself, and the best parts involve loving and serving others. It is not natural at all to forget yourself, and that is apparent in this adjusting period at the beginning of the mission. But this is the greatest work on the face of the earth.

TESTIMONY

Heavenly Father loves us, and we show that we love Him by loving others. It is not natural and it is hard to love everyone. But it is a sure way to accomplish that which Heavenly Father needs us to do.

Love you all,

Elder Evans

Arrived!

I am no longer within the air conditioned, deliciously catered, closely supervised walls of the MTC!

NO WAY:

There were many instances where, before I had to do something, I thought to myself, NO WAY, Such as...

As I stood in our aparment bathroom. quaking a little bit, staring at a bucket full of water that I needed to pour on myself. Turns out, bucket showering is actually awesome! Much like missionary work, it just feels right as you are doing it,

As I sat staring at a plate of rice-like attieke, with a full on fish with it's eyeballs still in it on top of the attieke, being told I need to use my hands to squeeze the rice-like attieke and fish flesh into a ball with my hands and eat it, I love the food here, and oftentimes in our apartment, between 6 elders, we eat with our hands from a communal dish. I love the food here.

I washed my clothes by hand for the first time! Just like how the dinosaurs did when they roamed the earth. And wore t-shirts.

OTHER QUICK HIGHLIGHTS

Went to the beach today!

Eating a lot of rice!

Walking in the streets, and little kids crying out 'le blanc!' (white guy!)

(((I have been tying this email at about 15 words per minute, This keyboard has about 10 of the letters and symbols switched, and oftentimes, what a key says it will type is not what it will type. So I have tried to be effective with relatively few words)))

I will close by saying that my first couple days have contained all the extremes of all the emotions. Yes, I have had hungry and tired moments, culture shock moments, moments of feeling inadequate, a lot of unique and crazy experiences. But I also feel that sticking it out for this harder, earlier period is going to tremendously make me a better person. This is just the crazy beginning. I can make it, 10 minutes at a time.

I have felt the Spirit as I have tried to bear ,y testimony in my humble French, Like bucket showering, I have been impressed with the overwhelming feeling that what I am doing is right, and true,

I love you all. As does Heavenly Father. He will never ask us to do anything we cannot do. He gives us our experiences to shape us into the people He needs us to be.

Love you.

Elder Evans

Missionary mother's blessing

My heart has been especially achy missing Will these last few days. I haven't heard from him since he's arrived in the Ivory Coast and I've been just wanting to hear how and where he is. This morning I received this tender mercy in the form of a text from a former Ivory Coast missionary.

"Hi. I'm good friends with the stake president in Grand Bassam but live in Utah. He sent me this pic. I thought you'd enjoy. I served there 17 years ago."

Even strong and brave missionary moms need to know where on the planet their missionaries are:)