It has been another great week. The Thomas’s left last night so we are on our own. Hopefully we can get our apartment better organized the next few days. Yesterday was our Pday but we had very little time for the getting personal things done. We were asked to attend a Stake Missionary Open House that was being held at the church. They wanted us to be there by 1:30 so Elder Moon could set up some equipment they asked us to bring. We arrived and were very impressed with all they had set up. It looked very nice with 7 foot tall displays lining the halls and the cultural hall of Church beliefs. Bill got things set up but then realized the people organizing the event had not brought any speakers or microphones. They had the cultural hall filled with chairs so they could have a meeting in there and show a DVD about Heavenly Father’s Play. We scrambled around looking for anything Elder Moon could use to create the sound in the room. We finally took off the microphone that was hooked to the pulpit in the chapel, and with a really small piece of wire someone had found, Elder Moon poked two little wires into the microphone outlet and two into the end of the microphone and set it next to the computer and voila! There was sound!!! We were set up and ready to go by 2:00, the starting time, only to be told that 2:00 in the Congo means 3:00. So we waited with about 15 people there until close to 3:00 only to learn that a lot of people had been told 3:00 so that means even a later start time. They finally started around 3:30. After a song, prayer, lesson, and the DVD, it was time for a little African Culture. One of the men in the ward walked in dressed in African garb from a small village and told a story. He really had the people laughing. At the end he even did a little dance. Then they set up a fun game. It was after five o’clock and our ride had come to pick us up so we had to leave before the event finished.
Today as we were walking into Sacrament meeting, we were asked to share our testimonies. Elder Moon was not very excited but I convinced him we really could do it. Before the meeting started, they actually sent a man up that is the Ward Mission leader(he’s in the English class we teach) to translate for us. We told him we were going to say it in French. He was very surprised but very excited. I told him I wasn’t sure they would be able to understand us, but he assured us that they would through the Spirit. It was a very humbling experience but we are glad that we did it.
Teaching our English class this week was really interesting. One man wanted us to kick anyone out that had not completed the second level. That started a very heated discussion. I finally had to stand up and demand everyone’s attention and explain that any one was invited to attend the class regardless of whether they had passed level two or not. However, they might get more out of the beginning level that is held on two different days of the week. Everyone seemed satisfied and we were able to move on. They love to sing as part of our class. It is really interesting what things they seem to get a kick out of. I also teach a Stake President and his wife at the office once a week. They are a really neat couple .
Elder Kola, an Area Seventy, comes into the office twice a week to check his email. It takes him 90 minutes each way. He is a very sweet man that is so kind and humble. He has no electricity where he lives so he makes the trek twice a week to stay on top of things.
We have had dinner at the Livinstones twice this week. She is a great cook and always trying new wonderful recipes. I will need to get more daring as Sister Thomas was doing the cooking before she left and now it will be up to me. We are really enjoying the different fruits and vegetables that are available here and especially the French bread baguettes. Washing everything in a solution of filtered water, soap and bleach takes alittle extra time but hopefully it will keep us healthy.
The Catholic school next door to our apartment is always having interesting events, especially on the weekends. They have all night parties with loud music from 6:00 at night until about 6:00 in the morning almost every weekend. It can make it a little difficult to get to sleep but we are usually so tired that it doesn’t keep us awake.
So until next week, au revoir
