Elder Goddard: La conference generale: Semaine Treize (The general conference: week thirteen)

Monday, October 7, 2019 6:45 AM MST

Pretty good week this week,

Our week started with having to say goodbye to my old roommates, Elder Taylor and Elder Kombo. It was really sad to see them go, because we all became such good friends and made some great memories. But most of all they both helped give me a blessing of comfort in like my first week here, so I'm real grateful for them and their example. But saying goodbye also means saying hello to new roommates! We have Elder Zaza from Liberia and Elder Tagoe from Ghana. They're almost like exact opposites, Elder Zaza is pretty passive and really quiet, while Elder Tagoe is more assertive and laughs realllly loud haha. They're great guys though and they work hard and I'm excited to be living with them.

I'm not sure if you heard, but conference was this week? We went to the only building in Togo showing conference Sunday conference and watched it in French. All the other missionaries were there, so it was fun to see all of them again. Because we're ahead in time, Sunday conference hadn't even started yet so we only watched Saturday's conference. And they started with showing the Women's Session, and I actually understood well! But by the time we got around to the other sessions I was tired of trying to understand so I didn't get as much out of those. So what I got out of conference is what I can be doing to be a better daughter of God. (haha!)

This week has been really good for the language! I've felt real comfortable this week speaking and listening. There's been times when I've been teaching a lesson and I find myself just talking, and I kinda stop myself because I'm not thinking much about the words, so I feel like I might've messed up, but I think back to what I said and I realize it was right! It's weird, because I'm not used to that, but I've really been blessed and have really made an improvement. My listening has improved too. I was able to understand conference well, and also other Elders who are native French speakers! I was able to crack some jokes with one of them yesterday at conference, haha, it was fun! This week I've just seen the fruits of my language labors this week, and I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with my abilities.

Lessons this week were alright. It rained 3 or 4 times this week, which never helps. Basically if it rains here everyone just forgets about their responsibilities and just goes to bed. So there's not too much you can do. So that was the first half of the week, this weekend we finished pretty strong. We taught a young man Saturday night and it went so well. I really felt like we were teaching by the Spirit and making an impact. Elder Drogowski told him our lessons are like if we gave him water. We give him water, but it's up to him to drink it. And for him to drink, he has to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. That was an image that really helped him understand. Elder Drogowski told me the Holy Ghost brought that to his mind during that lesson. Pretty cool.

Well that's about it for this week. It was a pretty good one, but I've been a bit homesick too at times. Watching conference and thinking I'm going to be here for 3 more of them makes it seem long to me for some reason. So I just won't think about it! As always, ca va aller. (it will be fine)

Thanks for emails, prayers, and support. I love you all. Have a good week.

Elder Goddard