Week 9

Talking to Caleb! Poor guy our connection was super bad so it was a shorter conversation and the call dropped a few times and then it just wouldn’t connect anymore. He tried like 40 times he said🤪! 

He is wearing the Côte d’Ivoire jersey that this sweet family that’s in our ward and from Abidjan got him before he left!❤️

This same sweet family that’s in our ward from Côte d’Ivoire knows Caleb’s branch president and Caleb was having family home evening with them Monday night so they got these pictures sent to them from the branch president and passed them on to me! I love getting pictures of him❤️!

Caleb ended up getting his companions cold, so they both weren’t feeling 100% so they did district meeting over the phone. 

Caleb’s room. 

Caleb said it takes two days for his clothes to dry! 

Getting down a papaya from a tree! 

Handsome guy! 

You have to look closely but there is a dog sleeping. It’s sad how many cute dogs are just wandering. 

The front of their place. 

More dogs. 

A line of houses. 

Rain! 

Caleb did exchanges with the zone leader Elder Okubalu. He had a great time with him super great elder! 

It rained and he got a little dirty! 

Heaven! 

Watching Saturday morning conference. 

Caleb looked at this picture of the Deseret Peak Utah Temple and drew it during conference. Conference for Caleb is all in French except for the singing! 

Caleb uploaded this picture when we were watching so I snapped a picture and uploaded it of us watching it too❤️! 

His notes in French! 

Sunday conference they watched last nights session because of the time difference. 

Caleb sang in the choir when he was 9, and he saw it and screen shot it. He is on the right side the very top by the body guard! 

Bryan served in Salta Argentina and Caleb chose to draw the temple that was just dedicated there. He wrote on the side in French, I’ll find a way to take you❤️.

Caleb said enjoy your couch because his bum is killing him! 

Futu de banane he said “it’s fine.”

His email from this week:

Bonjour tout le monde!

This week was a pretty good week. It went by quick, and I finished it off with General Conference which is always awesome. I'll start with last Monday. Monday's we have like family home evening with the members in our area, along with friends of the church. Our branch president was there, President Tie Bi, who happened to serve his mission with someone in my ward, which is a crazy connection.

Most days we study in the morning, and then go out after lunch. We will usually teach a couple people, do a little bit of contacting, and then head back to our apartment. I love it though because I get a lot of time to study. 

Friday we had an exchange with the zone leaders. I was with Elder Okubalu. He is from Nigera so he speaks English pretty well. We went out to our area and did contacting. My companion and the zone leader took our bikes, because our area is big, which means we walked everywhere. I was cool with it, but there is a reason we have bikes lol. We taught a member a lesson, and then did some contacting for a couple hours. It went really well. My favorite part was just talking to him as we were walking, because I could ask him questions and talk in English. 

Saturday and Sunday was General Conference. It was cool and also so different. First off the time zone difference. We only watched the Saturday and Sunday morning sessions, and then the Saturday afternoon session because we are 6 hours ahead. The second difference was it was in French. I can only understand a little bit, but I was able to read the speakers lips a little bit which was nice. The third difference is that we are watching this in the middle of Africa in these little homes. It is actually a really cool experience though. I was able to write some notes down so I'll take that as a win. It'll be cool to see how much I'll understand in April for the next Conference. 

My French is slowly coming still, but it's coming. There are times I don't think about translating something, and I'll just be able to say it in French. Sunday I was able to follow a lesson well enough to be able to add things that I knew my companion hadn't said. So that was a confidence booster. I still feel bad though when the kids come up to me and ask the most simple questions, and I got no idea what they said. It'll come though. 

Spiritual Thought: 

Alma 42:22-23

22: But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

23: But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice.

In this chapter Alma is talking to his son Shiblon. He is talking about how Christ came to fulfill God's plan of justice and mercy. I find it cool how justice and mercy are the opposite, but because God is perfect, we will be judged with a perfect balance of justice and mercy. I am grateful Christ performed the atonement, and that we can repent when we make mistakes. 

À tout à l'heure!

Elder Robinson