Elder Lukonga - The Champion

Hey Everybody!

     Another week has come and gone and this one brought tons of very very welcomed changes. My old companion Elder Rakotoarison and Elder Seidl's old companion Elder Yamapia left for their new sectors. I'm now working with Elder Lukonga! He is a real champion. Elder Seidl is working with Elder Darou.

      These past couple of days have been more than enjoyable. Elder Lukonga is pretty much a miniature version of Elder Bulunga. He came into the mission ready to put his shoulder to the wheel. He is the kind of missionary that missionaries dream of training. He knows the scriptures, testifies with the spirit, and willing to listen to advice. The only thing that needs a little bit of work is experience, which will come in just a short amount of time.

      Words cannot describe the amounts of pure joy that I have been experiencing the very short five days that we've already been together. We've been able to find three new progressing investigators, and a family who are prepared to receive the restored gospel. We're being led by and teaching with the spirit and it's awesome!

      Story time!

      Once upon a time there was somebody, we still don't know who, in our building that didn't pay their water bill. Instead of shutting off whoever didn't pay their bill.... the landlord decided to just shut the water off for the whole building Tuesday night. Wednesday morning when Elder Yamapia and Elder Rakotoarison got taken away, Elder Seidl and I did a DEEP cleaning of our apartment and threw away everything that wasn't ours. The apartment was spick and spam spotless.... the only problem was we had no water to take showers. USUALLY we keep huge jugs of water for these very occasions... but our two very lovely companions that were leaving used them to do their laundry before they left.

      Everybody knows that first impressions are very important, right? Well put your imagination caps on and just picture walking into to your new missionary apartment to find two white guys soaked in their own sweat, the water is shut off, and the power is out. Gross, huh?

      Anyway. We prayed super super hard Tuesday night to get receive water from the heavens. God answered our prayers! Literally. When we woke up Wednesday morning to having our water still shut off it didn't take us experienced and still sweaty missionaries long t have anything that even remotely looked like it could work like a bowl lined up outside to catch the pouring rainwater. God has a cruel sense of humor... However, the rain water was enough for us to take very rationed bucket showers, wash our dishes, and cook food for the next couple of days. Thursday night rolled around and without water, power, or rain to replenish our depleting supply. Friday morning we used the rest of the rain water and we conjured up a desperate plan.

      With our heads held low and our pride beyond broken. Elder Gray and Elder Lukonga returned to the apartment just before nightfall, and dragged the empty water jugs all the way to the nearest neighboring parcel. I wish you all could have seen the looks on the faces when two very nicely dressed missionaries walked into their parcel to ask for permission to take water from their well. Priceless. We awkwardly filled our water jugs and then made the what seemed to be twice as far and twice as high trek back to our apartment.

      You guys ready for the punch line?

      The minute we walked through the front door the power AND the water kicked back into full gear. We put the jugs down, looked at each other, and just started laughing. There really wasn't much else that we could do.

      Normally not having water or electricity for nearly four days straight would be a very miserable and horrifying experience, but to be honest, because of how hard we've worked as missionaries and the success that we've been having made the silly matter of water/power obsolete. It really helped Elder Lukong and I come together as a companionship.

      I love you all so so so very very much! And I hope y'all have the best of weeks!

-Elder Gray

Another borrowed photo

Thanks to Elder Oliverson we were able to see a photo of Elder Gray (he is on the very back row and you can see just his big ol' head!)  with Elder and Sister Curtis when they visited the mission and held a conference with the Missionaries. 

THANKS Elder Oliverson!

Oh Yeah.....By the way I had Malaria

Dear Family,

      Things are going well and we're going to be running into a couple of changes here in Calavi. My companion Elder Rakotoarison is headed off to train Elder Jorgenson in Avotrou. Elder Yamapia is shipping off to Togo to train another missionary. Elder Gray will be training Elder Lukonga and Elder Seidl will be reunited with his trainee Elder Darou. That'll make two from America, one from the Ivory Coast, and one from the Congo.

     I guess I should at least mention the fact that the reason I wasn't able to come to the cyber last week was because of the fact that I was recovering from my first and hopefully last case of Malaria. Malaria = No Bueno. The Monday I mentioned I was sick was just the beginning. The next morning we went out to the sector and I got allll sorts of sick during a lesson. Luckily we were able to finish the lesson and hurry home before I lost my breakfast. That's when the fever kicked in and I was down for the count. Highest recorded temperature: 103.6 degrees.

     However, after a priesthood blessing and some good ol' malarial meds I was feeling lots better. Last Monday I was still feeling a little bit light headed, so we didn't make the trek to the cyber. This past week we went back into business and haven't had the slightest bit of a hiccup since. We were able to pound out a fair amount of lessons, and have Elder Rakotoarison visit/say goodbye to most of the members/recent converts in our branch.

     This week I don't really have tons of time here, all of the trainers have a meeting to go to later tonight. I hope y'all have the best of weeks!

-Elder Gray

 

**At least we know why we haven't heard from him this time - YIKES**

Thanks Elder Hawkins

Elder Gray currently doesn't have a card reader so he can't send pictures, I "borrowed" this picture from Elder Hawkins.  THANK- YOU!!!

Don't they all look GREAT!!!

***Creative Title***

Hihi Everybody!

*sigh* Once again I apologize for the lack of power/connection that we
had last week. It's no fun to walk all the way over to the Cyber to
stare at a loading screen for a couple of hours and then loose power
altogether, but it makes things that much better when it works I
guess.

      Since the last time I was able to get a letter through we've
been busy little bees. We've been juggling tons of meetings, tons of
lessons, baptismal interviews, and getting up super early to tidy up
the church for the activities above for the past while. Yesterday
morning all the tiredness, stress, and lack of sleep finally caught up
to me and during the closing hymn of Sacrament meeting I checked
myself into the farthest away bathroom and lost my breakfast. I was
one week short of going nine-teen months without having to say "I just
threw up" in French. Nearly nine-teen months is a pretty good track
record though...

      Anyway. It hasn't been anything big, it's not ebola or malaria.
After the incident Elder Seidl took me home and we left our comps to
take care of the investigators for both companionships and I slept and
slept and slept and then slept some more. Today Elder Seidl
practically made me breakfast in bed and then I slept until we all
came out here for the cyber. I'm still just a lil' bit light headed,
but feeling tons better and we'll be fit for the field first thing
tomorrow.

      Other than the slight hiccup of yesterday's incident the past
two weeks have been fantastic. We've been teaching like crazy. We're
hoping the potential investigators that we've found these past two
weeks will come to church this upcoming Sunday, and that the one that
was there yesterday will be able to make some good progress.

      Last Saturday was a HUGE day for tons of missionaries. There
were tons of baptisms and a collective marriage all held in our branch
building. After a long struggle full of patience, prayer, and more
patience; Mama Claire and her grandaughter Jorén finally accepted to
be baptized. I really wish I could send you pictures, but I'm still
looking for another card-reader. After the baptisms we went upstairs
and watched eight, yes EIGHT, couples marry themselves so they could
get baptised either later that day or the following Saturday. Tons of
members and missionaries were there from all over Benin and it was a
super cool experience.

      This Friday we're all looking forward to a meeting with Elder
Curtis, from the Quroum of the 70. I've already got some questions in
mind that I hope he can answer with his message, but we'll see how all
of that plays out.

      I love you all so so very muchly and hope you have awesome weeks!

-Elder Gray

Hihi (A day late and we will take it!)

Last Monday the connection wasn't there so we weren't able to get anything sent home.  Last week was great!  We taught a lot of lessons and should have two more baptisms scheduled for this Saturday, hopefully I’ll have connection for more details on Monday. 

We've stopped by for a couple of minutes just to send off a quick “All is well” note. 

Yesterday Elder Seidl and I went on the lovely adventure to downtown Cotonou on the search for Mom’s nativity set and her spear throwing archer statue that the Semkens brought home.

Precious objects:  Acquired

I love y’all lots and lots! Talk to you next week!

-Cheston

**Finally after 18 months of serving this mission, Elder Gray has figured out that a letter from him no matter how short is like a life line, he sent this on Tuesday and we are so grateful, not to mention I am pretty excited that my nativity set and spear throwing archer has been acquired!!!

Hi hi ! ! !

Hey Family and Friends!

      Once again I have to start another letter off by apologizing about my inability to write home every week. Today's been the first time that the power and the connection have both been working at the same time in a while.

     
These past couple of weeks have been really solid. For starters we had a small hiccup in the district over a change in the sector limits, but things have calmed down now. Our companionship basically lost everything. Investigators, Recent Converts, and Members. When the dust settled we found ourselves basically opening up a new sector. So we rolled up the sleeves, girded up our loins and went to work. 

   
  I really have to bear a simple testimony that when two missionaries can set aside the little things, get over their pride, and put their shoulders to the wheel they WILL have success. The Lord smiled upon our efforts and took pity on his poor servants wandering around in the sun looking for people to teach and led us to the door of Papa Victor. (Saying Papa Victor is just a nice way of calling somebody old). 

   

  Papa Victor was prepared to receive the gospel. During our first visit he told us that he'd been watching missionaries pass near his house for months, but never actually had the courage to search them out. He said he felt like we had something important but he was a little hesitant about what he knew he was going to have to commit himself to. He told us that when he saw us walk into his yard he knew he needed to hear us out. 

 

      Because Papa Victor is retired and always home we were able to work with him multiple times a week. These past weeks have been some of the most testimony building moments of my mission.

 

      Papa Victor was one of the first converts for the new Branch of Calavi. It's been more than a rewarding experience to watch the light of the gospel enter into his life. It's people like him that make the mission worth it. It really is worth it. 

   
  I know that people, members of the church, and especially missionaries are far from perfect; but the gospel is. God knows what he's doing. 

     
I love you all! I want you to have the bestest of the best weeks ever! Happy happy happy birthdays to Cassidy and Camrie! Stop getting big!

   
 -Elder Gray

   
 P.s. Camrie; You can go ahead and drive Dad's car, but you can't drive Sheila until I teach you myself. Got it? :P