Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Warriors of Light, Armed with Great Power and Brilliance

 《*Squawk* *Squawk* Feathers!! I repeat! We have taken the objective point, *Squawk* *Squawk* Feathers!! I repeat! We have taken the objective point!》

The daring mission was accomplished. Each of the three chickens stood on the little pile of garbage. The victory was theirs! They awaited back up and started clucking in victory. 

But what's this? The door opens! Who is it?

The missionaries!? 

A white kid from Utah!? Fear fills their little chicken bodies to the overflowing. 

They all start screaming and clucking in absolute chaos!

"*squawk* *squawk* abort mission! *cluck* Our position is compromised! Fall back!"

Like an explosive mushroom cloud of feathers, all the chickens fly into the air to positions of safety from the chicken-eating missionaries.

But... a dangerous situation has arisen. One of these chicken comrades flew straight into bard wire. 

The mundele locks eyes on him. 

His little chicken heart starts firing away like the engine on a "cent-cent"!

Will this be the end of our chicken comrade? Will he be able to escape the hungry grasp of the mundele!? Find out next time on Elder Habel's weekly adventures in the Congo!

Well, I hope you each enjoyed the little story from this week! 

I pray you each had a good week as well where ever you might be!

This week we: 
1) killed the natural men inside us thanks to Elder Ntambwa and his new idea on missionary out-fitting! (Il faut que nous tuions l'homme naturel!)
2) We cut up grass to eat with our favorite knife-wielding mama Élian! In all seriousness one of the nicest ladies I have ever met. Her daughter is going to be baptized next week!
3) were led by the Lord to miraculously meet up with some recent converts! I saw Fr. Mardoché (de Mfilou) while playing spike ball with my fellow Americans. I saw many precious souls from my past adventures in Guynemer which was very touching. 
4) were guided once again by God to discover His children that He has prepared for His Gospel. I love receiving with gratitude the small but abundant confirmations from God which confirm His love in my life.

If I can leave anything as a spiritual thought it would be, just never forget the truth. That really does matter. I testify God is truly our loving Heavenly Father. I testify that Jésus Christ lives and that He is our Elder Brother, Our Light, Our Life, Our Redemption, and Our Savior! Jésus Christ truly did restore the eternal truth of His doctrine and His Church by Joseph Smith the prophet. I know that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God. I know these things are true by the overwhelming evidence and confirmations of God and of Christ brought to me by the Holy Ghost. I have experienced and felt the truthfulness of all these eternal truths centered on and in the eternal love of our loving Heavenly Father and Jésus Christ!

May we have joy by trusting in Him!

I love you each very dearly. Hold on fast to Him! Remember the bad things in life don't show us there isn't a God but that there is a devil. I testify to you with a profound sincerity that Jésus Christ will help you fight the bad that is in your life and in the lives of others. As we ride into an open battle against satan, armed with the love of Christ as servants of God we need to follow Jésus Christ; our Commander in Chief, in order to succeed. I have felt these feelings of a deep and protective love often as we go out the door to help our friends. We are spreading the truth by love. We are warriors of light, armed with great power and brilliance in a world that has a desperate need to be freed from the choking darkness of the devil. 

So, get out there! Chase away Satan's influence in this wonderful creation! Go be kind! Be patient and loving! Do everything with the love of Christ! Satan fears us greatly when we are built firmly on the rock of Jesus Christ! May we always build upon the rock of Christ!

Avec amour, Elder Habel














Congo Cat Fishing

Bass pro shop "cat" fishing competition: Congo style

As you can tell from the title this week I have a story to tell you.

Congo homeless men pretending to be women? No.

Village people fishing up a catfish that ate a person? Nope guess again.

A cat that is actually a fish and the Congolese people catch them? Well...strangely enough of all the guesses this is slightly accurate.

There we were at the end of the street talking to a member about how we could work with him to help his friends. Then, like a world-class hunter seeing prized prey, he looked down at the other end of the street with awe and excitement. 

We looked with him to see what exactly was happening. 

A young man had climbed onto the back of an old, red, and broken truck with a makeshift fishing pole. A screaming cat was at the end of his pole: trying to tear away the noose around the middle of its body. 

"Ooh, he got a good one!" our friend mumbled, his mouth watering as he looked on in a hypnotized and dazed liked condition. 

As he was saying this, two other quite gleeful and quite hungry young men came up with a tub and stuffed the shrieking cat into the container. 

😐😳

Then our friend continued with the conversation.

Why did they catch the cat?
Why would anyone want to eat a cat?

So many "why" questions. Then there came a very piercing "why" question.

How did we get here? That men catch cats like fish? To survive? How have we not progressed past this?

Thus I learned the importance of gratitude. Being grateful is a happy thing. Life could always be a lot harder. I am grateful for my Savior who suffered all in the hardest (most compassionate) way possible (DA 19:15-16). 

Besides this episode of "cat" fishing, I had a very wonderful week working with Elder Nymbwé Kat. He dances, he cooks, he sings, he writes, he teaches well, he's funny and he's kind. I bought a cake as a little surprise for his birthday. It said "franchement H.B.D Elder Kat." He loves to use "franchement". I know it. He knows it. So when it was on the cake we both had an insane surge of joy and laughter. What a wonderfully joyful experience full of brotherly love. I am going to have a blast these last couple of weeks here on my mission. Heavenly Father has shown His love to us. 


 


   

Also, a shout out to Sister Corinne and Brother Dubrel! They got married and baptized! I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes families for the better and gives them joy!

I am very grateful for each and every one of you. May God ever be with each of you!

Avec amour, Elder Habel


  

 

 

 

  



 


   

 

  

Friday, July 15, 2022

One more month!

  

Bonjour tout le monde! Hello everyone! I hope you each feel loved, protected, and happy! 

 

This week we had some exciting things happen:

1) Sr. Corrine and Fr. Dubrel got married!
2) We had elections this Sunday so we had to stay in our apartments! Nothing serious happened. 
3) I got the news that I'm getting transferred back to Guynemer to finish my mission!

I am going to miss Mfilou 2 A LOT. I love the friends and family I have made here thanks to the Lord. For this last transfer, I have much faith in the Lord that all will be well. I trust in Him. I believe He knows and wants what is best for me and His children. 

So I will follow Him. I will give all my life to Him!

Love, Elder Habel