Cyber Monday/First Fruits. Week 15

Bonjour from Côte d’Iviore! Week 15 was great! To start, I’ll talk a bit about how people say hi here. There’s proper greetings, like bonjour (good morning), but the one most commonly used is “ça va”, which, directly translated, means “it’s going”. So someone will say “ça va?” Is it going? Then you respond with the same words “ça va.” It’s going. Then after that, usually people say “et la place” or “et la sainte” which means “how’s the home?” or “how’s the health?” Anyways, this past week, people asked “ça va?” I’d always say “ça va.” But then after that, they’d ask “et le solei?” How’s the sun? This question was often due to the fact that throughout this week, I was almost always red-faced, and completely drenched in sweat. This is because of the hours of walking in our two sectors in constant 90 degree weather with negligible shade. Ça ne va pas. Issall good though haha.

Okay because it’s cyber monday (I think), here’s a bit of information about our cyber. It’s really different from the cyber’s back home. Our computers are in these dirty wooden booths in a dark cement building. Often, the mouses don’t work, and the power or internet goes out sometimes. All of those things are tolerable. The bad part is that we (the missionaries) are the only ones in there doing something morally correct. With few exceptions, the customers that frequent the cybers spend their time using google translate to establish fake relationships and take the money of trusting people living thousands of miles away. Every lundi, when we walk in, there’s 4 or 5 people translating their french into Arabic, English, or German, talking to strangers, with the sole objective of pirating their money. One time, I turned around to ask my companion a question about the missionary portal. Behind me, a 13 or 14 year old boy was looking at pornography. It’s not just our cyber that’s like that, all of them are. It’s honestly the worst. If I listen to church music and try to focus on my computer, I can ignore those things. The things I’ve seen in there make me sick to my stomach and to my soul. I hope that I wasn’t too negative with that, I just wanted to let you know that the mission isn’t a piece of cake. There’s opposition everywhere. 

Anyways. Let’s go to a happier note.

Frére Daniel was baptized on samedi! It was such a cool experience. I was so happy for him throughout the whole program. On dimanche, he received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and bore his testimony. He shared his conversion story. He said something about one of the sisters in the ward visiting him, and then one day, the elders (us). I only understood 45% of what he said, but I remember distinctly at the end, he said that God has changed his life and he will forever be grateful. I can’t explain the happiness that I felt there. I had to put my head down on the bench in front of me because my eyes were starting to water. It is so amazing to me to be able to participate in this work. There’s no better feeling than to save a lost soul. I can’t explain to you in words how awesome it feels.

Elder Kalala and Frére Daniel

Elder Lyman, Frére Daniel, Elder Kalala and Elder David

 

 

Anyways, now to the spiritual thought of this week.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when Jesus casts an evil spirit out of a little boy. It’s a very touching story, and there’s much we can learn from it. I’m going to focus on a different aspect of that story. In Mark 9:18, the grieved father says that he came to Jesus’s disciples for help, but they couldn’t cast the spirit out. This experience was troubling and probably humiliating for the disciples, as they had cast out evil spirits in the past. After Jesus cured the little boy, they asked the Lord why they couldn’t cure him. 

“And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)

The Savior said that with a challenge like that one, his disciples had to fast and pray, thus growing their faith. Cultivating faith is no easy task, it’s a long process that takes much time and effort on our part, along with help from God. I came across this story in the bible as I was reading in Jesus the Christ, and I love this insight on it:

“Individual application of this principle may be made with profit. Have you some besetting weakness, some sinful indulgence that you have vainly tried to overcome? Like the malignant demon that Christ rebuked in the boy, your sin may be of a kind that goeth out only through prayer and fasting.” (Jesus the Christ, Ch 24, note 2, pg 395)

As I was reading, this section caught my attention. As I read and reread this part, the Spirit filled my chest and I pondered. In our world today, instant gratification is a big problem. Some things though, such as growing faith, or overcoming a weakness, require time and constant, diligent effort to become where we want them to be. Whatever it may be that we try to overcome or improve, we need to have patience. By prayer and fasting, along with other things, our faith will grow and we will be able to overcome our challenges. Perfection and conversion are both lifelong processes. Have patience with yourself, your Heavenly Father knows your struggles and desires, and will help you.

I can’t express to you the joy and love that I feel here. Yes, every day is physically and emotionally exhausting, not to mention worldly distractions, occasional homesickness, and the same daily meal. But overall, I have never been happier. With the Christmas season starting, I hope you find happiness in serving others and find joy with the light of Christ. I know that He lives and He loves us. He gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice so that we can return to live with our Father in Heaven. We are all eternally indebted to Him. Let’s try to give back what we can this Christmas season and spread His love. Until next week.

Love you all.

-Elder Lyman