Je vous aime tous

Bonjour à tous (Hello everyone)! Mboté!

Like always I hope you each are doing well! Also, is it just me or did it feel like we took a time machine through November!? Time is going by fast.

Which is the reason why this week felt like 3 days. I know it's been a while since I've done any math but I'm pretty sure a week is supposed to be 7 days. Sure doesn't feel like it. 

Anyways this week started off with us getting revaccinated. Apparently, the Russian shot doesn't do much so we had to get revaccinated with the johnson and johnson vaccine. 

Then we had Thanksgiving which was one of the most thankful and difficult Thanksgiving Days I've ever had. God is good and He has given us so much it makes my head spin. Life can always be a little bit more difficult. I am very grateful for the compassion of the Atonement of Christ. His love gives a lot of things sense (Alma 42: 13-15). 

Speaking of His love, we were able to share it well this week with our wonderful friends. Sure we've had setbacks, power outages, empty gas cans, an outright invasion of ants, and more of things similar to the ones already mentioned but through it all, He has provided for us and protected us. The best way to love ourselves is to understand God which helps us comprehend our own significance (Pro 19:8) and in doing such we'll be able to know the best way to keep the 2 greatest commandments: by helping others feel and comprehend Him and His love.

So, life is good. Hard, not easy, but it is good and fulfilling.

What a gift that is.

I hope and pray you all will be able to feel His love very profoundly and in abundance this Christmas season. I appreciate and love each of you for what you have each individually done for me!

Je vous aime tous (I love you all), Elder Habel

Courage

Bonjour, mboté and howdy y'all!

I hope you each are happy, healthy, safe, and enjoying life and the twists and turns which come with it.

This week definitely had some twists and turns which all led to good things!

We met with some members by some miraculous manners. One, we couldn't find one of our amis (friends) so we went to go find some members to talk to. We were heading down a road and got to a classic intersection of choosing the right or left. A person who just happened to be there and who just happened to know some members directed us to a family. Many missionaries had passed by there before and in remarking that he knew where we wanted to go haha. We were talking to the mama and the son of this family when their papa arrived just in time to see us. He has been in need of a priesthood blessing for a long time and it was pretty cool how we were able to answer a prayer. 

In visiting the members we had some very courageous sisters make a return to the church! My heart was so filled with joy to see these precious people act courageously upon their faith in Christ! 

All in all, this week we were able to help many people feel and act upon the love of God. What a miracle. I hope to give more of my love and His love to these special souls of Mafouta in the coming days. I hope each of you has a great week this week. The Lord loves you infinitely.

Love, Elder Habel

"Code Level: Midnight"

I would like to start by thanking you all for the birthday wishes! They made my birthday a day I will never forget! We celebrated it well with pizza and soda!

Concerning this week we were able to visit some members who needed to feel some love. Some had not gone to church for quite a while and others had been forgotten and left behind. There were many sweet and tender moments as we expressed to them the love the Lord has for them and our love as well. I think my favorite phrases were《Je me sens comme toutes ces choses me parlent directement》et 《Je sais que Dieu m'aime》("I feel like all of these things speak directly to me" and "I know God loves me." It was a gentle and pleasing reminder that; yes, God loves us and that; yes, God remembers us always. Knowing these truths and acting upon them brings happiness and peace. I have seen it in my life and I know He wants to show you it also. 

 

  

 

     

                                                              

 

  

    

As for funny experiences, I learned that bats love to follow sound! As you can see this bat decided to call our home his home.

We were wondering how to get him outside when I remembered a trick my family has used to get birds out of the house. So, I went to go approach the bat who was shifting back into his corner of the stairs as his last defense. I went to go reach for him when the playing field changed. The power went out! Everything was completely and utterly dark. Oooof. All I could do was chuckle at my bad luck. Thankfully I didn't get bit or anything because I was definitely waiting for a Michael Scott quote to come from the bat saying "Oh how the turned tables." and then for him to go full out "Code Level: Midnight" on me. If these "The Office" quotes don't make any sense to you I'm sorry. If they do make sense...your welcome mainly for the imagery of Michael Scott the bat attacking Elder Habel in the pitch black in Africa.

So later on the bat started flying all around downstairs. We decided to open the door so he could escape. To facilitate his escape I led him with the sound of my voice to the door. That worked and our little friend is now frolicking in the jungles of Africa. 

 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this weekly! I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Au revoir avec amour (Goodbye with love), Elder Habel

 

 

Back to Brazza

Bonjour, Mboté et hello! I hope you each are doing well and that this last week was well passed. I hope you each can find many peaceful and happy moments despite the hard times.

 

This week I got transferred back to Brazza! I'm in an area called Mafouta and my new collègue is called Elder Mboungou! He is from Point Noire and knows everyone I know from there! He was a DMP and he has a really upbeat and positive attitude! 

 

As for events that happened this week, we found someone very rare to find in the Congo: a new friend who's already read the Book of Mormon and who is married as well! He has the gold ring and everything! His name is Frère Michelle. The Spirit led us to him and I'm glad the Lord was able to use us as His instruments. 

Sometimes He gives hard things so we can choose to let Him prevail in our lives. Before we had found Frère Michelle we had had a rendezvous fall through after walking 20 minutes in the blazing sun and chocking humidity to arrive there. So yeah, good things will come if we choose to show our faith in Christ. 

Well, that's all for this week. I'm gonna miss Mpaka et mes amis (and my friends) but I know the Lord has sent me here for a reason.

Avec amour (With love), Elder Habel