6/7/2015 - Baptism, Division Approved, Mission Doctor

Mounda Daniel Prosper (Daniel) was baptized by Elder West in the Douala Branch.  There would have been another person baptized but she decided at the last minute that she is not yet ready.

Elder West, Daniel, Elder Kabasele

Daniel said that the woman he wanted to marry will probably not be available.  Her family is Bamilike and they worship the disinterred skull of a dead ancestor, so they won’t let her marry a Christian.  So his new plan is to marry a member of the Church.  Good plan.

The Douala Branch division was approved by Salt Lake!  Now we can start work on the logistics while waiting for President Monga to come and call two more branch presidencies.

Elder Barton, the Area missionary doctor, came to visit and tour the local medical facilities.  He was late because his flight was cancelled so he had to ride the bus from Yaoundé.  We toured the clinic and hospital that we always use and he decided that they are good enough for more couples to qualify to come here.  Yay!  He called it “underdeveloped good” which is better than a lot of underdeveloped countries.  But the doctors have good MRI and CAT scan machines and other toys.  They have neurologists but not brain surgeons.  I’m just a layman but their facilities are impressive to me.

Elder (Doctor) Barton's Visit

Oh the joy of hot and cold running water!  For weeks our water pressure was getting lower and lower until there wasn’t enough pressure for the water to climb to the hot water heater, so we had no hot water and had to take cold showers.  The reason was a mystery until a week ago when our guard noticed one of our pipes leaking behind our apartment so I shut off our water for 2 days until Monday when a plumber came and fixed it.  Then we found that our sediment filters were plugged, so I replaced them.  Now we have plenty of hot and cold water.  We have developed a greater appreciation for indoor plumbing, which is lacking in 99.9% of the homes in this country (my estimate).

Our refrigerator also got repaired on Monday after 2 days on the blink.  The repairman said it was a blocked Freon tube, so he had to flush it out and refill it.  Strange, but it works now.  We brought our food back from the Elders’ fridge where we had stored it.  The joy of refrigeration!

All of the missionaries came over to watch Ephraim’s Rescue on Monday as a P-Day zone activity.  Then they came over Wednesday for a Zone Training session.

The Elders Relaxing

Elders Kabasele, West, & Tucker

Elder Mbuyi

We visited a grandmother (Anastasie) who then insisted that we eat with her even though we had another appointment.  A prince was also visiting and said that it would be bad manners to refuse.  She served a delicious cabbage & smoked fish dish, with manioc.  The prince wanted to debate polygamy.  He said that his father had 18 wives so he is obliged to have at least 5 to grow the village.  Traditions are holding people back here.

Anastasie & granddaughter

The prince, pastor, granddaughter, neighbor kid & Anastasie

If you cross a plank to get home, you might be in Africa.

The long dirt road to Anastasie's home

The rainy season is upon us and Sister Coleman loves the cooler temperatures.  It rains every night and often during the day.  There was a thunderstorm one night in which lightening may have struck our building, since the flash and thunder were almost simultaneous and very loud.  Our main circuit breaker tripped and it destroyed our internet router, but that was the only damage.  Traffic lights are out all over town (more so than usual).  Power outages are becoming more frequent.  The Bonaberi EQ president (Stephen) said that his home is flooded.  But at least it's never cold.  Getting wet isn't so bad when you don't get cold.

Bonaberi Branch hoping the heavy rain will let up.  It did, eventually.

Motorcycle taxis with umbrellas charge more.

Movie night drew about 17 at Douala and 35 at Bonaberi.  It is funny how people seem to think nothing of arriving late to a movie.  Maybe that is why all of the movie theaters in Cameroon closed.  People just don’t care about movies.

Tomorrow is transfer day with major changes.  Eight missionaries in our mission are completing their missions and going home so there will only be 53 young missionaries in the mission.  We will only have 6 now in Douala, shrinking to 2 in Bonaberi.  In November our missionary numbers will start to grow again.

We have our plane tickets to return home, landing in San Diego August 11 at 3:47 pm.  The end is approaching.  So much to do and so little time.  Still no word on a replacement couple.