this week i learned the importance of hard work, and about the joys of a companionship... Elder Kognani was sick. so on friday we stayed all day at the apartment! I wanted to go out and work, but elder kognani was sick. It made me really mad actually. but i know it wasnt my fault or his fault. joys of a companionship i guess....
One of the things I love about Togo is how open the people are to the gospel. No matter what religion people are, they are willing to talk about the gospel with you. Catholics, baptists, muslim, and even vodo. everyone here loves god. people have pictures of jesus everywhere, and are open about religion. they are "not ashamed of the gospel of jesus christ". This land has been prepared. i can see it. we dont need to find people, people find us. You hear people talk about going door to door, but i have not once done this on my mission.
All is well though with our investigators. we have had a lot of new investigators lately, and its hard to contact all of them in the week, and continue to work with our progressing investigators, and visit the recent converts!!! One of our new investigators is named Edmond. he is togolais that speaks nearly perfect english and is actually more comfortable in english. he is really into his religion. We gave him an english book of mormon. He didnt want to accept it at first because he didnt know why we need to books that went hand and hand with each other. he believed that it was another book of scripture, but he couldnt understand why we need to books that helped explain each other. elder kognani went on and on about the history of the book of mormon and how it came to be. Edmond was getting mad because He wasnt answering his question. finally he looks at me and starts going off in english for awhiles.elder kognani interrupts him and says "can you speak french so i can understand!" edmond than replies "no, hold on" then he continues. I explained to him that the book of mormon and the bible are here to show us the one correct path. i explained that every church explains the bible in a different way and that the book of mormon helps us see what the one true path is. i then used an analogy about us witnessing a crime and how we need multiple witnesses.
Elder kognani at this point is really annoyed. he said in an annoyed voicze "can you please speak french so i can help you". haha, edmond then turns and says "no; your companion is actually answer my question". haha, awkward. so i continued to teach for a few minutes on the book of mormon, and by the end of it he accepted the book of mormon and said he would begin to study it! yes!
I walked out of that lesson confident of my teaching skills. elder kognani often tells me that im to direct and simple when i teach people, and that i need to not be. i find it funny how he says that, but almost every lessons, our investigator becomes annoyed and wants him to stop talking.
oh the joys of a companionship...
all is great here though, we were supposed to have three baptisms this week, but we've had to push back there baptism dates.
all is well in Togo though!
acoup drou vi vi lo (have sweet dreams with niceness)
elder magré
