testing

 is this still emailing out to people?

My Plan

 My Plan page

Homeward Bound

 Oddly enough, this will be the last time that I have to apologize for my very infrequent email updates. I've had a lot of time to think and reflect over what I would write here and what I would like to express. There isn't anything that I can say to fully convey the wonder, the joy, and the love that I've felt as I've done my best to serve the Lord. But, there's one thing that I can say. I will never be able to thank my Father in Heaven enough for this experience.

These last 6 weeks have been the spiritual climax of my mission. Elder Umoh and I got along incredibly well, and we accomplished many amazing things, even though we were there for roughly 4 weeks. He is such a kind and sweet guy, just wanting to do the right thing in the right way. I learned very much from him.

Lakota brought me a whole new perspective of Côte d'ivoire. Wherein Abidjan is often full of constant noise, obnoxious clubs, and endless cars, Lakota was a distinct and almost opposite difference in many aspects. Being a smaller village, it was always calm and quiet, essentially free of distractions. The people were also incredibly nice and welcome, no matter who they were.

These few factors, along with many others, allowed the Spirit to be completely unrestricted in our labor. This was something I had searched for my entire mission, but only found in Lakota. No matter what we were doing, whether it was teaching, finding, studying, or simply walking, the Spirit guided us and testified of the gospel time after time after time.

Even though there were many difficulties such as sicknesses, weather, the fact that over ⅔ of the village was gone on vacation, and various other challenges, we still were able to push forward, and the Lord opened our minds and hearts to how truly incredible work can be. I'm so grateful for the blessing that I had to serve in that wonderful area, even if it was for a short time. 

It often brings me to tears thinking about how much I've been blessed in my life, especially on my mission.

Fast forward a bit. Monday arrived, and it was a blur. We had lunch, interviews, and a testimony meeting with President and Sœur Lewis. It was wonderful. I was able to feel a love and joy very deeply during that time. Then, we left and went to the airport.

As the plane took off from Côte d'ivoire, I had a really strange feeling in my chest. I've left once before, and then I internally knew I was coming back. This time though, as we flew away, a piece of me stayed. Now I know that can be cheesy or cliche or whatever, but that's the most accurate way to describe what I felt. I've come to love the people on my mission so much, but especially the people in the Côte d'ivoire. I love them so much, and will miss them.

I'm currently on my last flight home as I finish writing this. After waiting in endless lines, sprinting from gate to gate, sleepless hours on long flights, and being a little bit sick (pretty sure one of the first inflight meals messed me up), I can finally focus more on what I want to say.

What I wrote is similar things to what I said in my last email, so pardon me please if some things are repeated.

The mission field is one of the greatest learning experiences that this life can offer, an opportunity to serve God by literally representing His Son. So many people have testified of the power of this experience, and how it changed their lives. I add my testimony to that. In most ways I don't know how it has changed me. I know that logically, I have changed, and when I'm home in a little bit here everyone's gonna think "wow, he's changed so much," even though I don't observe those changes in myself.

I do know one thing that has changed though, and will change my life forever. Before I left, I was a good person. I tried to help others, I tried to learn and progress in the gospel, and I had a small testimony of the church and that it was true. It wasn't much, but it was good. To have taken someone like me, who had such a small vision for what the gospel was, for how a mission would be, and understanding of what my purpose was, and have showed me what I've seen on my mission, I'll be forever grateful. My eyes have been opened to the joy of the gospel.

I have been so blessed, much, much more than I feel I deserve. I have seen people's lives change as a result of living the gospel. I have been blessed to be guided to people that I know have specifically needed me. I have learned a language, and I completely attribute that gift to be from God. My understanding of the scriptures has been enlightened, and I've been able to serve amongst the most wonderful saints and missionaries. I have been blessed with and grown a love for the people of Texas and Côte d'ivoire, this great work, and the Lord.

There are so many more blessings than what I've listed above, but that does in no way mean that there weren't any difficulties. Hô, y'en avait plein même. Many times I've been really sick. Uncertainty and changes of plans have been a part of every period of my mission. I've had moments when I've thought "am I even making any difference in anyone's life right now?" or "is it possible that I can continue?"

Just as with the blessings, there have been so many trials and hardships that have made things difficult for me, and sometimes really pushed my limits. But, in every situation that has done so, the Lord has always been there, lifting me up, guiding my steps, and helping all along the way. Somehow, the Lord has blessed me through the good and the bad experiences. I have learned so much thanks to Him.

The most important thing that I learned and greatest takeaway for me is the knowledge and testimony of my Savior that I've developed. He really is the Son of God. He really did die for us, and take upon himself our sorrows, weaknesses, and afflictions. I have a personal testimony that through Him, we can change, and become like Him. We can receive the remission of our sins through Him and return to live with our Father in Heaven again.

All these blessings that He gives us freely came at an unspeakable price: the infinite suffering of an innocent and perfect Son. He who always did what was right and spent all of his days in the service of others, was the one that had to suffer for us. He sacrificed everything that He had and everything that He was for us. Us who make mistakes. Who sin. Who are fallen and carnal. If anyone deserved the blessings of a holy and infinite sacrifice, it wasn't us.

Yet, he did it. For everyone. For me and for you. It is a gift that we will never be able to repay and a blessing we will never be worthy of. He did it purely out of his love for us: something that I will never fully understand, or be able to thank my Father in Heaven for.

I stand all amazed.

I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I had to represent Him and learn of Him this closely. This experience has changed my life forever. I'm happy to come home, but sad to be released. Even though this moment in my life is at the end, my discipleship is not. The mission has set me on an incredible path that I will never leave. Although my time as a full time representative of Christ is up, I pray that my service to Him, and my future as one of His disciples is never ever over for me. I'm excited to see how I can serve Him and others after the mission.

I love this gospel, and I love the mission that I was able to serve in Côte d'ivoire, and in Texas. I testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ did appear to Joseph Smith, and revealed to him how to restore Christ's true church. The Lord leads it today through a living prophet. I testify that Christ does live, and because He does, we will too someday. He loves us.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Lyman

Les Yeux Ouverts

I thought that my last area in Koweït 1 was where I would be finishing my mission. With transfer news being so unexpected, I'm glad that the Lord let me work in Koweït for a few more days, just so I could say goodbye to people and share my testimony one last time. I guess that I kind of thought that since I was approaching the end of my mission, the blessings that the Lord had in store for me would plane out. But, as He has done time and time again, the Lord proved me wrong in that regard.

Elder Umoh arrived here on Thursday night. He is from Nigeria. Even just on the first day when trainees are usually still opening up, I learned very quickly what an incredible person he is. He was baptized in 2019, around the time that I got my mission call, and has a similar family situation to Elder Kouadio. From talking with him over the past few days, I've discovered his pure desire to preach the gospel and help others come into Christ. I am very excited to work with him and continue learning from him.

On Friday morning, we left for Lakota. Thankfully, Fr Gerard was going there as well and had some extra space in his car, so we got a ride with him. The next 4½ hours in the car were spent looking out the window at the scenery. It is so much prettier than Abidjan. Lush forests and open fields covered the areas that we drove past, as well as villages ranging from well established concrete buildings to mud huts. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see any exotic animals yet. Even so, it was a beautiful ride, with a light drizzle as we drove through Divo.

 

When we got to our apartment, it wasn't in as bad of disarray as I thought, but it still needed some work. Our 'apartment' is a 6 bed 4 bath house with a huge dining room, porch, and garage area. Because there aren't any actual apartments, the mission had to get a house. Over these past couple days, some very nice locals have been replacing rotten ceiling while Elder Umoh and I have been cleaning, sweeping, and mopping. It should be fully functional really soon. Except, oddly, there still aren't any doors. The only doors they have here are the front door and the bathroom doors. The rest were removed for some reason. We should hopefully have some doors later this week.

This area is so calm. It's such a pleasant change from the bruit (noise) of Abidjan. Each night we go to bed to the sound of crickets and frogs, and we wake up to sparrows and rooster crows. Since it's more of the rainy season now, it stays at a cool temperature throughout the day. There aren't any mosquitoes (at least, not any that I've seen). I'm the only one that will understand this, but this place feels like a mix between the Costa Rica village that I stayed at once, and my area back in Vridi. Such a beautiful area.

On Sunday, we went to the ward building, and were given the task of preparing and blessing the sacrament. Even though Elder Umoh is learning French, he said the prayer almost perfectly. It's been really cool to see how much trust the members already put in us. They've accepted us in a very happy and loving way. I'm so excited to be able to work with them and serve them.

I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and for how generous He is on my behalf. I have tried to list out all the ways He has blessed my life up until now. It's an impossible task. I can never thank Him enough for what I've been given and blessed with. I am so grateful for the blessings He has given me time and time again on my mission. For someone who is as shortsighted as I am, makes as many mistakes as I do, and is as forgetful as I am, it makes me  think in wonder how loving and merciful my Father in Heaven is to me. And I can never thank Him enough.

Especially, and above all else, for the life of His Son, who prepared the way for us, through his perfect example, the shedding of his blood, and the sacrifice of his life. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the greatest blessing that I've been given, and that all of us have been given. It is the lifeblood of all good things. Without it, we would have all been inevitably and eternally doomed. But, because of the love, and the humility, and the long suffering of One, we can all be saved, and have lasting happiness. Our sins can be forgiven, and we can be together as a family after this life. Finally, we can return to our Heavenly Father, and become like Him. All because of One.

The words of Elder Holland come into my mind "and I will be forever grateful." Forever grateful. I am so grateful for my mission, which has permitted me to grow closer and learn more of my Savior Jesus Christ. I love Him, and will be forever grateful for the life and the light of the Son of God.

I'm so happy to be here and serve in Lakota. For whoever is still reading these, I hope you are doing well and I love you. Have a great week

Elder Lyman

Dawn of the Final Transfer (6 weeks remain)

It's been a fat minute. A lot has happened since I last wrote. I've still been with the same comp, Elder Kouadio in the same area, Koweït 1, up until this point. We've been teaching lots of people and helping them become converted. We've had so many lessons where the Spirit has filled our hearts to the point where we feel like we're on fire, and we've gotten to know so many wonderful people. It has been a huge blessing to come back here to Africa and serve here.

The past few weeks here have been spent under either blazing heat or pouring rain. It hasn't rained too much, but when it has, it's a complete downpour. It's kind of nice when it does rain, because it cools things down, most of the time at least. Or, if it drizzles a little bit and then the sun comes out, I swear it jumps to 120⁰ because of the bonus humidity. Elder Kouadio and I often get stuck in the bad weather, but it's fine, we're both always smiling.

I really love Elder Kouadio and his faith, strength, and example to me. He has been a member for only 3 years, and yet he worked to pay for the mission by himself, and is now here serving the Lord. He is the only member in his family. Obviously very admirable to see someone who has just joined the church serving like he is.

I'll add something here a little more tender. Last tuesday he shared with me some insight on his family. He said that normally on pdays, he's a little more calm because he doesn't really have family to call. He has an older brother and an older sister, but all three of them come from different fathers. His mom has been a big part of his life, but she was never married, and the three fathers of her kids were never actively involved in the family life. Basically he said that his father hasn't cared about him his whole life. His father doesn't know that he's on a mission, and supposedly hasn't talked to him for years. 

When he shared that, it made me so sad, and I cry whenever I think about it too much. I could not imagine what my life would be like without my dad, much less to have a father, and then to have him not care about you or what you do. It makes me so sad to think about. Yet, it also makes me feel so grateful for the family that I've been blessed with. So infinitely grateful.

It also humbles me that even despite all the problems that he faced, he is still on a mission, serving the Lord to the best of his abilities. He is such an incredible example of faith and strength. 

Every time when we teach about temples and eternal families, my heart is still full of joy whenever I testify of the blessings that I have and feel as a result of being sealed, but at the same time, sadness enters my heart as well because my comp is the only member in his family, so he doesn't have those blessings yet, but also his family isn't complete. I am so humbled and grateful for the generosity that Heavenly Father has towards someone like me. So grateful.

Anyways, no more sad talk.

On the 29th of May, we had a baptism! It was a really sweet experience. Sr Loua is a young woman that we had been teaching, and she was baptized. Also, the wife and daughter of our stake clerk, Fr Yao, were also baptized, and their family was united. This baptismal service was one of my favorite ones, if not my favorite. Fr Yao baptized his wife and daughter, and then I was able to baptize Sr Loua, as well as 4 kids that another companionship had prepared. It was such a blessing to be able to participate in that way. I was filled with joy.

The next day though, when I grabbed my wallet before leaving the apartment, it felt oddly thinner and lighter than before. When I opened it, I found my wallet ripped in some pockets, and completely void of any money. One thing lead to another, and I realized that while we were at the baptism, someone went through my wallet and stole the money. I was told to change into baptismal clothes very abruptly, so in my rush to change and go take pictures, I left my clothes unattended in the bathroom. It was around 50000f, which is just a little under $100. It was really shocking.

I found that out right before we went to church, which made it really hard for me to concentrate on the sacrament. In the terms here, 'mon cœur était chaud.' It wasn't too hard for me to accept that money was stolen, money isn't very important, but what really hurt was to know that a member here that I probably know had it in their mind to steal from a missionary during a baptismal service at the stake center. It was the loss of trust in the members that hurt, not the loss of money.

Two good things came from this event. 1. I learned not to carry large amounts of my money on my person at a time, and to be more cautious of my wallet. 2. It gave me an opportunity to forgive. Even though it was upsetting, I was able to quickly forgive and move on, thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Overall, it was a good learning experience.

On Tuesday last week, Elder Kouadio and I went to a choir practice for a conference that we would have on Friday. We sang a musical arrangement of Lord I Would Follow Thee and Love One Another. It was really good. As I practiced singing it and thinking about what the lyrics meant in English, a strong feeling of peace and the Spirit filled my heart. It was a really cool feeling. Those feelings were in surprising contrast to what I saw outside as we practiced. It was stormy, papaya trees shaking violently in the wind and a dark sky. But, despite that image in front of me, I felt peace. It was really cool.

Thursday last week, President Gbagbo came back to Côte d'ivoire. He's one of the presidents that kinda caused the civil war here back in 2010 or whenever it was. Anyways, he came back. There was a huge buildup, and we had to stay in our apartments just in case some bad stuff broke out. Thankfully, nothing bad happened near us. Over in Koumassi, there were huge crowds with some people getting shot or shanked, but it only lasted a couple hours and then it was done. Super glad it didn't turn into another war. Yet, at least.

That night, I started something called MyPlans. Basically it's a course you take at the end of the mission to prepare yourself for la vie après. It's so crazy that it's already here. It was really good, I really felt the spirit while I went through it.

The next day, we went to the conference with Elder Vinson, one of the seventy in the presidency of the seventy. It was a wonderful spiritual experience. I was fasting while I was there just to be as spiritually prepared as I could be, and my heart felt like fire the whole time. I learned so much and felt so much love and peace, I'll never forget that.

I felt Christ's love especially as we sang the musical number, chills running up my spine and tears brimming my eyes as we sang the phrase "Apprend-moi Jésus à t'aimer," or in English, 'Teach me, Jesus, to love thee.' That saying has a deep meaning, and it really touched my heart as we sang.

I also learned many things while at that conference, but just overall, it was a wonderful spiritual experience. I also got to see Elder Sanders, the Elder whose training I started in the states right before heading out here. He's in the Abidjan East mission and is loving it. It was so good to see him.

Last thing. Transfers came on Saturday, and I'm leaving Koweït. I wasn't expecting any change, but for my last transfer I'll be going somewhere different. My area will be Lakota. It's a village in our mission, the farthest you can get away from the city. It'll be about 5 hours from the city, and an hour from any other missionaries. No missionaries have been there since covid hit, and I'll be whitewash training. 

It's kinda funny to me, because in my last weekly email to president, I said 'I don't know what'll happen this transfer, but I think some amount of change could be beneficial for me.' Well, I got change. 100% change. I'm going from the city straight to the bush. Not at all what I expected, but I'm excited. It'll be an adventure for sure. I couldn't think of a better way to end my last 6 weeks in the mission than out in the actual boonies. Once again, so excited to be able to serve the Lord over there.

I have so many feelings about the gospel and about Christ that I've felt over this past period of time since I've last sent an email, there would be no way to express everything here in this email. But I do want you to know that I know that Christ lives. He is the Son of God and did live a flawless, perfect life full of long suffering, selfless service, and love. He did sacrifice himself for us, taking upon himself all of our sins, sorrows, sicknesses, so that we could be saved. I know that because of Him, we can have joy, and that only through Him, can we have eternal life. He is our Savior and Redeemer, the sacrificial Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace and the Well Beloved of the Father. He is Jesus Christ, and He loves you. He always will.

Have a great week

Elder Lyman

Long Time No See

Hey 好久不见. Sorry it's been a while.
Time here flies by so quick. The days and the weeks go by so quick. So so so fast.
After everything we’ve done during the day, we get back to the apartment and it is crazy to see how much time has passed. The days are over.

I was able to watch the Saturday afternoon session, and the last 3 speakers of the Priesthood session. And President Nelson’s talk in the Sunday morning session. That was all I was able to watch with how they were distributing it. I’ve been going through talks when we have time. It was a really good conference. The talks have been awesome. One of the talks that probably touched me the most was President Eyring’s talk in the Saturday morning session about temples. There was a phrase in there that really hit me. He said something about how he wants to prepare us, to remind us of the importance of temples to prepare us for the temple experiences that are coming for us. When I heard that it reminded me of some things I’d been counseled about, and it got me thinking that I need to make temple worship a consistent part of my life after my mission. I haven’t thought much about after the mission. I’m pretty laid back and feel that whatever comes comes, but now I am thinking about how am I going to continue my discipleship after my mission. What is going to be most important. How I am going to continue with my goals and spirituality, and stuff like that.

Now, I'll try to give some insight on this place.

Transfers came on Saturday and I'm staying here in Koweït 1 with Elder Kouadio. I kind of wanted to leave so that I could see some different parts of the mission, but after giving it some thought, there's no way I'd want to leave. This ward and sector are the absolute best. I love the members and the amis here so much.

I'll try to give you an idea of how life is here. We live on the 4th floor of a pretty nice apartment building. Our apartment is small, but it's pretty nice. Because we live on the 4th floor, it does mean that we have to frequently walk up and down a couple flights of stairs, but there's a really nice constant breeze that comes. Also. There are no rats. No cockroach armies. HUGE plus. I'm so glad that we don't have to wage war here like I had to in Vridi.

The view from the apartment

 

Our power cuts out once every couple days, ranging from 15 minutes to 48 hours. It kind of really sucks when that happens, but it's manageable.

Each morning, we go downstairs and buy a baguette with chopped hardboiled eggs, beans, cow liver, and sauteed onions in it, along with this juice called menthe au lait (I know it's wack, but that's the best option we have here haha).

baguette with chopped hardboiled eggs, beans, cow liver, and sauteed onions in it, along with this juice called menthe au lait

For the other meals, sometimes Elder Kouadio makes some sauces like arachide (peanut sauce) or djumbilé (some dried okra sauce). When we don't cook at the apartment, we usually have garba or porc au four (pork head. kind of the actual worst. I could go on about it for a while). The food is pretty alright, although I do have times where I want some food from home.

That's as far as living conditions go really. I could explain more, but I hope that gives some insight.

In our sector, there are 3 different areas. The area that our apartment is in is called Agbayate, the area that's across the ravine is called Koweït,  and the last one is called Santé, which is the area kinda down next to the lagoon. They're all in our sector and are in a mile radius to our apartment, but the people are very different in each area.

- Santé is a nicer area with bigger churches. Most of the people that we've interacted with so far there are bashers.
- Agbayate is full of bigger apartment buildings and at least 20 different churches. Most people in that area haven't been very interested.
- Koweït is the poorer section of our sector, and is where the majority of our amis are. They are a lot more receptive there.

I saw the same results in my comparison between Flower Mound and Dallas back in Texas. I won't talk about it too much, but I just think that the correlation between income and humility is really interesting.

We have a lot of really awesome amis here right now. La famille Soya is still wonderful. The parents are still working towards marriage, but are already firm in attending church and participating in church activities. Their 2 youngest kids were baptized on the 24th last month. It was a great experience. We're continuing to work with the other kids, but they're hard to catch. I love that family so much.

Prunelle and Emmanuelle soya

Some other people that are preparing for baptism:
- Sr & Sephora Yao. Sr Yao is the wife of the stake clerk. I don't know why she hasn't joined the church yet, she is very prepared and ready to hear the gospel. Her 9 year old daughter, Séphora, is also very prepared, and sometimes is really funny. Their baptism is scheduled for the 29th this month.
- Sr Kahi. She is the wife of a recent convert, and has recently started to become more interested in the church. We've put a lot of effort into teaching her and helping her understand. Her baptism is scheduled for June 5th.
- Sr Loua. She is someone we found 3 weeks ago. She has a really simple faith and understands really easily when we talk about the gospel. She is awesome. She should be reached for the 29th.
- Aurelia & Ange. They are two 13 year old girls that live in the same building as Sr Kahi. They progress really well, and understand easily the things that we teach. They're set for the 29th as well.

There are so many wonderful examples of faith, love, and devotion here. Those are just a few people that are progressing well. This place is the best place on earth.

Me personally, I'm just trying to do my best to serve the Lord these last couple months. It gets harder every day to stay focused, but I do my best to work as hard as I can. I'm so grateful that the Lord gave me the blessing to return here. There is no place I'd rather be right now.

The people here continue to amaze me every day. They have such a simple faith in the gospel, as well as a firm determination to live it. One time, one of our amis was coming to the church for a lesson when her sandals broke. She walked on the hot asphalt all the rest of the way. A couple Sundays ago, one of our recent converts had an extremely swollen ankle, which made it difficult and painful to walk. Yet, she made it to church on time, a couple minutes before 7. Yes. Church starts at 7:00 am. Multiple families have given us meals when they barely had any food to feed themselves. There's so many other experiences like that that happen from day to day.

I love the people here so much. It's kind of weird to me that someone love a people and culture in general more than individuals found within. Often, I find myself at our balcony watching people walking, just going about their daily activities. Then, I have a certain feeling in my heart as I remember that each one of those people is a daughter or son of God, and that He loves them so so much. I really do love the people here with all my heart. It's going to be really hard to leave.

As I wrote that, I was reminded of a scripture:

"He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him" (2 Nephi 26:24).

Christ is the absolute greatest example of love. It's impossible for me to understand, but I imagine Him right before coming down to start His life on earth. I imagine Him looking at the people on the earth, who He was about to sacrifice himself for. I'm sure He saw the scope of sins, hate, despair, sufferings, and fallen state of the people at that time, and of humankind in general, that He was about to take upon Himself.

Yet, when He looked down, He didn't turn back. He came down and pushed through the torture, suffering, and agony that came with being the Savior of the world. He went through all that He did because His divine love for us outweighs the ocean of our mistakes and sins. We can't ever completely understand Him and how He atoned for us. All that we can do is repent, try and help others, and stand in wondering awe of the Son of God.

I love Him, and I love the people here. I'm so grateful that I can continue to walk with my Savior in doing His work. I will never be able to repay him for the experiences that I've had, for the things that I've learned, or the love that I've felt. I love you guys as well. Have a great week!

Elder Lyman

MLC

The zone visited St. Paul's Cathedral

Le Blanc

Le Blanc. Cute kids. 

Elder Lyman says kids play with trash in the streets, like the kid running up to him. And they are so happy.

Oh it is Wonderful!

 So, not much has changed since the last time I wrote. And a lot has as well. As far as the constant grind, nah that's still the exact same. Working hard, all day, every day. Awesomeness.

Then, of course a lot has changed, in the sense that our amis continue to progress. There's so many people here that are ready and prepared to hear the gospel. Right now, we currently have 6 people on date for baptism, and we're planning (hoping) to have more this week as well. Prunelle and Emmanuel, 2 of the kids from the famille Soya are being baptized this Saturday. Things are going good.

Just a quick addition. The past couple weeks with Easter and general conference having happened, I've been thinking a lot about the resurrection and the Savior's Atonement. I had written out a long explanation of how I felt, but I realized that there was a really easy way to express my thoughts and feelings. Hymn #193

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
                    
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
                    
I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
                    
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
                    
I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.
                    
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I love this hymn. It expresses perfectly my thoughts and feelings. How would the Son of God descend from heaven to suffer, bleed, and die for someone as lost, weak, and unworthy as me? It blows me away. I'll never completely understand it. But, it does give me reason to always, always thank Heavenly Father for His Son and what he has done for me.

Have a great week!
Elder Lyman

 

Climbing a tree to pick oranges.

oranges...

Elder Lyman has been eating a lot of pork. But not pork like we eat in the States. It is a chopped up pig head. Skin, teeth, bones, ears and all. He says it is like eating Beanboozled or Bertie Bott's beans, but it's all bad. He doesn't love biting down on pig teeth or ears. Or jaw bones. Or most of it.

Caught in a rainstorm while tracting.

 

Lost in the Work

 Okay I actually have less time to write this week than last week.

 It's going to be hard to not repeat myself, but honestly it's amazing to be back here. Last week passed in the blink of an eye. Lost in the work is such a good feeling.

 

From 6:00-9:30 each day we do all of our daily preparation. Pray, exercise, personal and companionship study, and daily planning. Then, from 9:30-19:00, we have lessons. The entire day. Some days we don't have time for lunch, we just keep going on teaching and finding. Then after 19h00, after we've done all of our planning and cleaning and dinner, it's usually bedtime au même temps. It's so crazy, we have no time to se reposer. I love it though.

Sorry if I use French words. Sometimes it just makes more sense that way.

We had zone conference this week (it feels like ages ago). It was really good. It had been a long time since I'd had zone conference in person, and even longer since it'd been here with President and Sœur Lewis. The Spirit was really strong there. 

Some of our amis that are progressing the best is la famille Soya. It's a family that has 9 kids I'm pretty sure. I love them so much. The parents and a few of their kids have been pretty consistently attending church each week, and tonight we taught a wonderful lesson with them. We taught l'évangile de Jésus Christ, or the Doctrine of Jesus Christ (I think) and read Mosiah 5. When we asked them to be baptized, they were happy and excited to. The Spirit was so strong as we talked with them. One thing though, Fr and Sr Soya aren't legally married yet. They'll be married in June, so they'll have to wait. I hope I'll still be here to see that happen, but we'll see. Either way, as long as they are firm in their knowledge and testimony of the gospel, that's what matters most.

La famille Soya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... 

Now I want to talk about someone that I love very very much.

 Elder Assale told me that this ward was amazing and that they work really well with missionnaires. I quickly found out why. Our ward mission leader, Fr Oulaï, is one of the most Christlike people I've ever met. I've been working with him for just a month, and I've already learned a lot and grown just from his example. I don't know all of his story as well as I'd like, partially because of français, but here's what I know.

That is Frère Oulaï in the forefront

 

 I don't know how many years it's been, but he converted to the church a while ago. From what I understand, there was a point in his life where he started to search for truth. He went to many different churches, and even tried Islam and Buddhism. He spent a couple years in search of truth. Eventually, he found the missionaries, and discovered the truth he was looking for.

 A couple years after that, he was living with a woman (now his wife) and they were working towards marriage. They saved up enough money for la dote(similar to a required dowry), but then he was paralyzed. I'm not sure what situation he was in medically, but from what I understand, for a year he couldn't move or talk. After a year, he slowly rehabilitated, and was able to function properly again.

 They had to get ready for marriage again by saving up money. It was then that Fr Oulaï found out that living together before marriage wasn't in compliance with God's commandments. So, for the next year, he slept outside. Basically, he chose to be homeless to keep that commandment. The amount of devotion and love he had is really amazing to see.

 Now, they're married and sealed together. They live in the poorest section of our area, with a house similar to the ones I described next to the lagoon in Vridi. Dirt floor, black trash bags for walls, and sheet metal roofing. Their home is 1/2 the size of my bathroom back home. They basically have nothing. Fr Oulaï doesn't have a job anymore, and I don't think Sr Oulaï does either, at least they don't have consistent incomes at all. They actually live from day to day. 

 And yet, despite their complete lack of money and possessions, they're always happy, always smiling. Fr Oulaï works with us 2 or 3 days a week, for 10 hours a day. And even then, when he isn't working with us, he's street contacting people all the time. He's someone who truly loves the Lord.

 After we talked with them and they recounted their history, Sr Oulaï fed us dinner. They're scraping by as it is, and they chose to feed us. 

 On Saturday, Elder Kouadio and I were going back to the apartment after a meeting for lunch, Fr Oulaï tagged along with us. Our apartment didn't have water for a while, so the dishes had really piled up in the kitchen. I was planning on washing the dishes, but Fr Oulaï just started doing them himself. He did a couple days worth of dirty dishes just because.

 He never ceases to amaze me. I love him so so much. And his wife too, she's amazing as well. But especially Fr Oulaï. People like that deserve so much more than they deal with. It breaks my heart. But it also makes them be such an incredible example for me. I love them so much.

I almost forgot to mention it, but next week we'll be having a baptism. Sr Martine Lida was someone that Elder Assale taught for a long time and she's finally ready. I'm excited for her to be baptized.

Soeur Martine Lida

 

 Yeah I don't know what else to say. I'm happy to serve, learn, and help. When you lose yourself in the service of others is when you truly find yourself. Love you guys. Have a great week!

Elder Lyman

La Terre Promis

 

Okay, I don't have too much time to write this week. But I'll write what I can.

This week was just like the last, nonstop work. It feels so good to be back and always have somebody to help. There's always an ami, a missionary, or a member that I can be thinking about and wondering how we can serve them, what will help them progress, or what way we can bless their life. This place is the terre promis. 

Elder Assale finishes with his mission tomorrow right after zone conference, so I have another companion with me right now. His name is Elder Kouadio. He's from Yamoussoukro (no idea how that's spelled), Côte d'Ivoire. He's been out for about 4 months now, and seems awesome so far. I'm excited to work with him. 

Departing companion (Elder Assale) is next to Elder Lyman, new companion (Elder Kouadio) is on the far left.

 

We went on exchanges with the assistants this week. It was so wonderful to work with Elder Diaz again. The entire day went so smoothly, and I really felt the Spirit as we worked. It was good to see him again.

Elder's Lyman and Diaz working together again

 

There have been tons of other experiences that I was intending to share, but can't right now. Maybe I'll save them for next week.

I'm just so happy to be back with my people and be serving le Seigneur. Despite all the difficulties and struggles, this has been and continues to be the best experience I've ever had in my life up until now. I've come to know so many things that I didn't before, or at least didn't have a clear testimony of before. Foremost of those being that God does exist, and that Jesus is the Christ, he sacrificed himself for us in the ultimate expression of love, and that in following his council, we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. 

Love you guys

 

Elder Lyman

Thank goodness for water filters.