Week 30 Transfers! Trainer & now in Koutè

Monday morning call❤️

He got a pineapple, he said it was delicious! 

One of the many things he’s learned to cook.

All of the missionaries met together to find out about transfers. He got to hang out with his good buddy from the MTC Elder Christensen and eat pizza! 

Caleb got the news that he is now going to train a new missionary and is now in the sector Kouté! That was news to him he thought he was staying with Elder Mayele in Ghandi. Him and his companion were surprised to say the least! He is still in the same apartment though and so is Elder Mayele just with different companions. Elder Mayele and his companion are the missionaries for Ghandi now. The mission presidents wife had a post on Facebook saying, “ And we begin again!  This mutation brought us 27 new missionaries from 3 MTCs. We received missionaries from Tahiti, Australia, USA, Central Republic of Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Imagine all the trainers we needed (See the photo at the stake center) we had 49 missionaries in the air over a two day period!  There were vans, trucks and cars going to and from the airport. A hotel was needed. Visas and entry fees were plentiful. There were even two missionaries we didn’t find out about until the morning of their flight. Thanks to old and new office elders and our Senior couples in three countries! We are in awe and grateful in every way. The Lord is with us always. He has watched over this unique and special transfer.”❤️Amen, I am in awe as well! Mission presidents and their wives are AMAZING! So, all these missionaries that have been out in the field for 6 months are now training new missionaries! Wow! 

All the missionaries with their new companions. 

This is Caleb’s new companion Elder Motingoe from South Africa and he doesn’t speak French but speaks English so Caleb is all on his own, no one to turn to for help in speaking to and understanding people! He is now the translator!

This is at a members house, it was nice! 

Check out this nice restaurant in his area.

He is now in the room with a non working AC so they ordered a new one, now it just needs to get installed, poor kid non stop sweating! 

This is Ezekiel a member whose sister is taking the lessons. Caleb is doing so great as he now has taken the reigns to make all the appointments and set things up. We are just so proud of him. ❤️ 

This is the view from atop Ezekiel’s house. 

So this is Caleb’s new area the one in pink and the yellow one was his old one! Just a little bit of size difference! The blue dot is his apartment. 

Broken water faucet.

His email for the week:

Salut

This week was crazy and now I have a son (if you haven't served a mission you'll understand in a second). Monday we had a good p-day and helped Elder Jenkins pack up his things. We visited Frere Koko who is the tie guy which was fun.

Tuesday morning we got ready and then headed to the Selmer Stake Center for transfers. Once President and Sister Litchfield showed up we got started. We started with a prayer and then they started telling everyone where they were going to go. After doing one companionship President Litchfield says, “We are going to start with the zone Yopougon Attie.” That is our zone. He then said, “Okay you three Elders raise your hands.” Me, Elder Mayele and one other Elder raised our hands. I was confused because me and Elder Mayele got told we were staying together. President Litchfield then looks at us three and says, “You three, you guys are going to train!” Wait what?! 

After we had some questions so we went and asked him. He said something like, “Yep Elder Mayele you will stay in Gandhi and train someone, and Elder Robinson you are transferred to Kouté and will train someone.” So not only was I training, but also white washing a sector. (white wash means two new missionaries get put into a sector at the same time so neither Elder knows anything about the sector.) It was crazy. About 25 other missionaries were also training because we had a mission record of 26 missionaries, I think. So we had a training for the new trainers and got some nice pizza. I got the sim card and WhatsApp set up, and then headed back to the apartment with Elder Mayele.

Wednesday me and Elder Mayele went to sector together while we waited for our companions to show up. Wednesday night we went back to the stake center to pick up our companions. We went in and got started. What happens is we all get together and then they call up a new missionary, and then call up their trainer. After a while they said, “Elder Motingoe, your trainer will be Elder Robinson!” Elder Motingoe comes from South Africa and speaks no French. There were a ton of anglophones so I had a feeling it could happen, but I was also expecting to get a francophone since it's my first time training. But nope.

Elder Mayele is also training an anglophone, which means three anglophones in the apartment. That night and to this day I switch from French and English a ton. Sometimes it hurts my head, but it is a fun challenge. Thursday we had district council. Our whole zone is training except for the zone leaders which is pretty crazy.

Thursday afternoon we went out to sector. Kouté is way better than Gandhi which has been nice. It has been fun and definitely a challenge leading the sector that I don’t know, but I have seen the hand of the Lord in our work. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were really good days. It was definitely a little challenging teaching everything in lessons, especially because there is no one else to turn to help you out when you've run out of stuff to say. 

Kouté is a really nice sector. It is way bigger than Gandhi and the members are really cool and love to work with the missionaries. We got one sister that we will try to baptize this week. We also have 2 or 3 more that are progressing well that we can hopefully baptize soon as well. 

This week Elder Morrison from the 70 is doing a mission tour. We will have a nice conference with them and I will be playing the piano which should be fun. 

Spiritual Thought:

This week I was studying the New Testament and Come Follow Me, and I found a connection between two verses that I liked. The first scripture is D&C 18:15-16:

And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

The second scripture is Matthew 25:21 which says: 

Well done, thou good and faithful servant

I like the two scriptures because we are all responsible for helping others to come unto Christ. Even though some of us are set apart to go to different parts of the world, all of us are members of the church which means we all need to help others. I then love the thought that IF we tried our best, when we get to the judgement bar and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ saying, “well done.” It has helped me keep working hard even though missionary work is not easy. 

Thanks everyone for your prayers and emails, I hope you guys have a great week!

Elder Robinson