Elder Jonah Brooks' Mission Blog: We have a Baptism and I have Malaria

Pretty self explanatory....

the juicy part starts on Saturday

TUESDAY 10/29

We had our first district meeting together and it went well haha. We travelled this night for our first Zone Conference. It is in Agboville, a city far away. We took a van there for about 2 hours through bumpy roads and the jungle of Africa.

We arrived and tried to get to bed with the rest of the zone, but many of the Elders stayed up and talked. We all slept in the front room of our Zone Leaders apartment and I slept on three couch cushions and tried to sleep peacefully.

I woke up about thirty minutes later to yelling. Two Elders got into a heated argument. One Elder was shouting "I will hit you!!" over and over. I think he threatened to leave, but ended up grabbing a metal broom handle, breaking it across his knee (which only bent it, i mean, its metal), and then rushed the other Elder. The Zone Leaders stepped in and everything turned out fine. Pretty cool regardless. I felt safe the whole time.

WEDNESDAY 10/30

Today was Zone Conference. I didn't realize that we were actually in a multi zone conference and so we had to travel another two hours to Adzope for the conference. But, I got to see a lot of familiar faces, like Elder Roth!! So great to catch up after like a week haha.

The conference itself was good. I got to play piano which was awesome, but I didn't understand much of all the French. It will come.

After the conference, we then had to travel all the way back to our apartment through the bakkas (?). They are a common transportation here. They are vans which hold up to about 21 people which are pretty cost efficient and quick.

Elder Brooks, Elder Olson, and Elder Hanks reunited!
The other Elder is from Elder Hanks' apartment.

The transport vans

Inside one of the vans

THURSDAY 10/31

Haha Halloween!

We didn't have any food, so we went shopping all morning and bought tons of food to cook. One store we went to was called Bon Prix. It's basically like an American Walmart here. It was such a relief. I bought some candy for Halloween, a toblerone bar, and four packets of instant noodles! America!

Elder Olson and Elder Brooks dressed up for Halloween
(they switched name tags)

Candy, ramen, and peanuts!

Also today, two random kids on the street (probably each 1 or 2 years old) came up to me and gave me a hug without saying anything else. It melted my heart.

FRIDAY 11/1

Not much from today. Elder Lawrence told me how different life is here than what most people think and that you just need to accept it. I take it with a grain or two of salt.

One of our people we teach had an interview also today. He was then cleared to get baptized the next day.

Since Elder Lawrence is District Leader, the Zone Leaders needed to do the interview. They are awesome and one of them is from America, so it's always a big comfort to talk to Elder Ogletree. They brought some African ties and I was able to buy some (ooh la la).

SATURDAY 11/2

This is when it gets spicy.

I got to baptize Frere Parfait today! Such joy and happiness was felt there really strengthening my testimony of this work.

Elder Lawrence and Elder Brooks at their apartment

With Frere Parfait

With the other Elders

When I raised my hand to baptize him, I felt the power of the Priesthood strongly and I knew it was from God and I that I was acting under His authority and power.

After the baptism, everything went back to normal. Rowdy missionaries and not a lot of the Spirit. Elder Lawrence and I got to go out to the area though. We found a lady who was very interested which was awesome! I was able to teach a little about the Restoration.

Here's malaria. By the time we finished, my stomach did not feel good at all. We were thankfully able to make our twenty minute walk back to the apartment in time, but I felt like my bladder and my intestines were going to burst at any moment. I was fine and I took some pepto bismol which helped a lot as well. We rested the rest of the night and I made myself some ramen with an egg to help get some spice out of my soul.

SUNDAY 11/3

Today was fast sunday, so I didn't eat much which probably wasn't the best, although the other Elders in the apartment totally had lunch....

We went to church this morning and I was feeling okay. We ended up teaching primary and then kids were going crazy and I had no idea what they were saying.

President and Sister Binene and their children at church.
(Taken by Sister Lewis at a different ward.)

After church, we taught a lesson and then came back to the apartment to rest. The mission doctor came to the apartment that afternoon. Elder Lawrence was already sick so the doctor was already coming. Tender Mercy.

He looked at my symptoms and prescribed some Malaria medication. So basically I had malaria. I'm on the medication now and doing fine, but here is what it feels like:

An upset stomach, heartburn, a fever, a massive headache, aches in your back, a plugged ear, and pain in my chest.

MONDAY 11/4

Woke up today doing a lot better and got to doing laundry and stuff like that. Another pair of Elders had a baptism this morning on a Monday? We went to their branch building and had to wait for the Zone Leaders to show up to do the interview to be baptized. And then none of the Elders who were teaching this lady baptized her. It was a different Elder in my apartment who got here with me. Elder Olson. Also, almost every night Elder Olson and I will talk together and it's such a comfort to just talk with someone. I'm pretty sure I'd go crazy without him here.

Anyways, crazy week and not a lot time to write to you all but I love you all!!

Elder Brooks

Notes from the video call:

Some notes about malaria: Many Elders get it. He was lucky to catch it so early. They can end up in the hospital if they let it go a few days. If they get started on the medication quickly it's not as bad. He's going to change when he takes the anti-malaria medication and be sure to wear mosquito repellent if they have to leave the apartment in the evening. He is doing much better today and didn't seem sick at all when we talked to him. We're not worried.

Frere Parfait is about Jonah's age. The missionaries had a baptism date set with him before Jonah got there.

Elder Kearon is coming to visit the mission next week. Jonah may get to lead a choir for the meeting.

The Elders in his apartment switch off who makes dinner each night. He and Elder Olson want to make sweet fufu by adding some sugar and they can dip it in chocolate.

The power at the cafe went out again at the end of the call but he was able to upload pictures because they went to a different cafe than last week.

Pictures from last week: