Week 19 - November 18, 2019 "I Love Praccali!"

This week has been super good! Not gonna lie I was super uncomfortable switching companions, just because I was pretty comfortable with Elder Ayinde but I have been LOVING my new companion. I was really nervous or unsure about how things would go with Elder Solofoharimana at first just because of some rumors that I heard about him but I put those out of my head and it has been great! Working with Elder Solofoharimanana has been a major blessing. The Lord really knows what I need and what the people here need as well. Elder Solofo has been helping me everyday with language study which has been SO helpful. 

Getting Elder Solofo wasn't the only awesome thing that happened this week, we also had a multi mission conference that was so fun. We had missionaries from the Benin Cotonou mission, Abidjan East, Abidjan West and the Yamoussoukro mission there. It was seriously super fun seeing all the different missionaries from everywhere. President Kearon from the presidency of the 70 came and spoke to us. His message he shared with us I felt was just for me. Seriously I had a notebook full of notes I wish I could share them all but I'll just share one that I really loved. The message he shared with us was based on the fact that God created us to be happy. Nothing else but to be happy. But he's given us specific instructions on how we can be happy and that's by keeping his commandments. While I've been out here I have found that obedience really does bring the most happiness. And hearing that God created us to be happy was a good reminder to me that really I just need to be happy. God wouldn't have sent me here unless he knew I could be happy. I really feel and know that that is true. 

I have loved Sector this week. Being the veteran missionary in the sector I've really had to step up and lead this week. I've honestly seen that God qualifies us for what he calls us for. As he has needed me to step up he has been with me and helped me get to a new level. I have been so surprised with how I have been able to choose what appointments we will go to, start conversations and lessons and teach much more effectively and simply. One really kinda fun and interesting thing in sector this week was we taught this girl who came straight from the village and didn't speak any french so we had to have an interpreter there to help translate the whole lesson. Nothing can stop the work of the Lord. We should have a baptism for Sr. Evet this week if all goes well which i'm super excited about. She's been a super good investigator and shes had a super hard life with her husband leaving her and other really sad stuff. 

I'm finally starting to adjust to the food here. Sr. Evet made us some Praccali which is literally my least favorite thing. I saw her bring it out and like wanted to die. It's just like salty dough that you dip into sauce with cow skin covered in hair. I started eating it and literally just couldn't stop. It was so good! I was downing the cow skin and all just couldn't stop dipping the praccali in the sauce for more! 

Anyways that's a little bit of whats going on for me here in Africa! 

I love you guys so much, grateful I have the best team ever to be in this work with!

Bisou,

Elder Freedman

At the birthday party of the bishop's daughter. Andrew's companion and the other Malagasy elder in their apartment. 

Andrew and Elder Knoll. Getting pizza after the multi-mission conference. Knoll serves out in Lakota so it's super fun for these guys to get together. They started their missions together.

Andrew and his companion Elder Solofoharimanana

Sweat stain after a day of work from Andrew's shoulder bag.

Andrew loves his new companion. Says he is so easy going and a really good teacher. 

Jean Luc fromt the ward took his camera and snapped a bunch of pictures.

Andrew's first package from home.  Good times...

At "Picasso" for real pizza!

Elder Ah Quin - Timpview classmates

Elder Evans from the East mission

An elder in the Yamausoukro that 

MTC Companions and awesome friends

Andrew got to hang out with Elder Deiderich today!

Week 18 - November 11, 2019 "Training Complete!"

Hellloooooooo everyone! This week was pretty exciting because I finished my training. Honestly I didn't mind training at all and I feel like the time during training flew. I probably owe a lot of that to Elder Ayinde who was a dope companion. He taught me so much about Africa and how to teach and helped me a lot with french. 

So as far as the transfer for me... I'm going to be staying here in Koweit working with Elder Solofonahana. He's from Madagascar which is pretty legit. He only speaks Malagash and French which has been kinda tough so far but its ok. I know that working with him my french will get a lot better so I'm excited about that. I only met him like a couple hours ago and honestly don't know much about him yet, he has been really nice and patient with me so far so that's been really nice. I'm excited to work with him i know I'm with him for a reason. 

We are still planning on having a baptism for Sr. Evet this week which I'm pretty excited about! She has a sister that is in our ward so that's how we got her contact and it's honestly been so easy teaching her. She just understands everything and has accepted all of our invitations which has been super nice. 

I went on splits with Elder Nokes this week and it was super fun. Having 2 white guy was pretty crazy haha. People just constantly yelled Le Blanc at us which got old quick but its ok. We were in my sector I had to lead everything which was super fun, I didn't do half bad actually. I felt pretty comfortable which was awesome, I could really see the gift of tongues in action.We also got a bunch of free food and new investigators which was good. We would just be teaching people and then whatever they would be making they give to us because they wanted to see if we would like it. Most of the time it was good actually. Somebody gave us alloco, fried plantains, and it was super yummy.

This morning I was feeling pretty down on myself just nervous about my new companion and all the change happening and I just was not feeling good. I decided to study God's love for us. When I started the study I was really hoping for a big revelation that God loves me... but that's not what I got. One scripture that I read and really put things into perspective for me was in Doctrine and Covenants 6. It talks about remembering. It says something like remember that one time I spoke peace to your heart. As I read that I just started to really reflect on everything and I could really see all of my blessings. I realized that God really is there. Sometimes it's just hard for us to see it. It totally brought peace to me just thinking about everything like that. No doubt I've felt him there so I know he always will be.

Love you guys I'm super excited to see all that this week will bring. It'll definitely be super interesting.

Bisou,

Elder Freedman

Andrew and his new companion

Andrew's trainer, Elder Ayinde

Elder Nokes and Elder Freedman on splits

Week 17 - November 4, 2019 "First Baptism!"

This week was one of the best yet! I really just focused on making every day the best I could. Whatever I did I tried to make it memorable. It made the week so much better! I didn't miss home as much and just was super focused on the mission. It was so awesome and it just felt like I was actually happy.

 Probably the most exciting thing that happened this week was we had  baptism of Sr. Miriam and Fr. Kiyali! My first baptism of the mission CHEEHOOOOOO! It was such a cool experience. I got to do the baptizing which was really fun too. The coolest part of the whole thing for me though was after it was all done and we were back at the apartment. This week I studied humility and I set a goal to just thank Heavenly Father for every big and little success we have. So I prayed and thanked Heavenly Father for the baptism and while I prayed I felt the spirit so strong! Like it was so cool, really big testimony builder for me. I know that this is really Gods work. Having that baptism just makes me want to work even harder and go get another one.

This week the hardest thing has just been that we have had no water or the past 4 days. We had a little bit in our reserve tank but we ran out of that in a day so we just have no water now. To say the least I smell awful and feel super sticky and gross. It really stinks because I can't workout or anything because I don't have any water to shower with so I just have to stay as clean as possible and its no fun. But we did go out and buy a bunch of little bags of water that are good to drink so I'm not dehydrated.

I'm really starting to like Cote d'Ivoire! Food is still not my favorite but i'm loving the people more. I love speaking Nushi, the Ivorian french, with all the teenagers they all go crazy when I start talking Nushi to them. I know that this is where I need to be and I'm happy to be here. 

Something that I love about this church and the gospel is just how happy it is. It is honestly the happiest thing ever. Its a church of HOPE of LOVE and every other good thing anybody could ever want in their life. When I picture Jesus in my head I just see him smiling saying I love you, carry on. I hope that as a missionary I can share just how happy one can become through living the gospel. It's real and all of this I did not really understand until I got here. I love it! Next time I send an email i'll be done with my training which is absolutely insane to think about. Time to go make the most out of this last week!

I love you guys thank you for praying for me. I'm happy. I have the best team to be with in this work!

Bisou,

Elder Freedman