Elder Andrew Freedman Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission: Week 19

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.