Week 19

Bryan was on a work trip in Florida and so he talked to Caleb at 5 am our time then I talked to him at 6 am our time. It was fun to have a little more personal phone call. I should have had him pose for a picture like Bryan but I just snapped a real time photo! 

I had asked him if anyone had Christmas trees and he said the only Christmas decorations he’s seen have been at the Boulangerie, so he snapped a picture for me. 

I really need to try and balance my groceries on my head, it’s so so impressive! 

Birthday celebration! Yay for cake! 🎉

This was sent in an email from his mission president and he knew I would love it so he shared. I love that the Savior is trudging through the waist deep water arm and arm helping her through. He will help us through all our trials❤️ . 

If anyone is looking for a missionary opportunity and wants to serve by my Caleb he found an office specialist available in Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 !

He made the pancakes I sent him! I may have ran through the house yelling he ate pancakes, he ate pancakes! I was so happy to see this picture! Poor kid had to do them without a spatula, theirs broke a long time ago! His comment on the picture was 4th try! These are the Kodiak protein pancakes. His stomach likes the American food! He will try making the syrup I sent him soon. 

This is his teaching schedule one day! Wow, so many people! Amazing, it is such a blessing! ❤️

His companion is a super funny guy! 

This is a member Seour Marlene coming along to teach these kids. Their mom takes lessons too but she wasn’t there that day. 

Caleb had fun making a collage of all his companions awesome faces he pulled in the pictures! 

This lady there makes these cool bead ties Caleb’s companion is wearing in these photos. Caleb ordered three from her. I’m so excited to see him get them! They are so cool! His first companion had one too. Here’s a fun photo shoot. One of the rules in Caleb’s mission is you can’t take any photos of just you someone else always has to be in them. Makes for fun shots like these! 

Caleb is really liking his companion Elder Kalem from the Congo. He is really fun and it looks like Caleb succeeded at getting him to like the village! ❤️

Nice shot Caleb! 

He has such a good eye for a pretty picture. 

These chickens came in while teaching a lesson and were all over his companions crocs!😆

Again such a cool shot! I asked him if it’s scary walking in the dark like that and he said no. Must be the “missionary bubble”! 

The moon was orange he said the phone didn’t capture it well, it was so orange. He said there must be a fire or something somewhere. He said it was so cool! 

His email from this week:

Salut!

This week went well. Our part of N'Douci has less people to teach so this week we spent some time contacting. We usually just contacted as we walked between lessons. It ended up working really well because Saturday we had 11 teaching appointments. We didn't end up teaching all of them though because a lot of people were shopping when we would show up at their house. And when we tried to call them, most of them didn't answer because their phones here aren't always good.

Last email I said my companion wasn't really excited to be in a village, but this week he's gotten used to it. He is also pretty funny with the people we teach, and while we're at the apartment. I've grown to enjoy being with him a lot. Having four in the apartment also helps a little bit. We have fun talking together, even though it is all in French. My companion also loves to go around saying “il fume” or “elle fume.” It's probably not great but it's so funny. 

Tuesday we had district council. The Elders from Tiasselé came to our apartment again because their apartment still doesn't have water. I always enjoy when I can talk in English, because it's basically never. Unless my companion starts saying “I'm feeling you” which is what a lot of the congolese say here which is funny, but I don't know why because it means nothing.

This week we walked a lot. There was one Nigerian that we taught. I mean I taught because she doesn't speak French and my companion doesn't speak English. She was asking why the church was so far away. For her it's like a 15 minute walk or a 300f (50 cent) taxi ride. Both are too much for her. I explained that we had just walked a half hour just for her, and that she could do the same. She didn't on Sunday which was a yakoo. 

Although on Sunday Mama Yao finally came to church. She started taking the lessons like 6 months ago, and accepted to be baptized, but had never come to church. She finally came Sunday which was awesome. 

Next week we have zone conference and interviews with the President so we'll spend a couple days in Abidjan which will be fun. 

Spiritual Thought:

I was reading the Saints book, which I recommend reading it if you haven't, and they quoted this scripture. It is D&C 130:18-19: 

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. 

19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

For me I find it interesting how we will have an advantage in the world to come. When we teach the Plan of Salvation, one of the things we teach is that we came to this earth to learn. Heavenly Father knows everything and is perfect, and it is our responsibility to learn on this earth. Both things spiritual and temporal. As we learn, we are becoming more like our Heavenly Father. Learning is a never ending process, and it's our responsibility to learn everything possible. 

Bonne journée !!

Elder Robinson