Dear family!

So I have been trying to upload photos but it ain't working... I just wanted to show you that WE BAPTIZED Sis. N!!!!

Man it was sweet! She was and is happy. For her she didn't really know if it was true when the missionaries first saw her. Her sisters were members however Sis. N. was going to first search it out first. She asked, seek'd, knocked, after she read the Book of Mormon. She finally came to know. There was no miraculous big dream or vision, however she came to gain a testimony as I did. Small by small without any real big change. Just as a living organism grows, so does your testimony (see Cecil L. Samuelson's latest conference talk) and it grew small by small until it grew into a knowledge that 'this must be a good seed.' She came to know that the Book of Mormon is true and all that goes along with it.
She will be one of my most favorite baptisms.
She even was interviewed to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead this Wednesday. We are going over there to teach her more about the temple tonight so she won't be freaked out (also to wash my white shirts in their new washing machine and dryer. I feel spoiled haha).
I am so grateful for the promise God has given us all over the scriptures that if you do ask in faith, then you will know from the Holy Ghost. I think that Sis. N.'s testimony is a strong one, one that came gradually and will have firm roots. If she continues she will not fall away.

I am so happy.

I have noticed that sometimes people join the church just because they like us as missionaries. Everyone around the world notices that we are nice people and they like us. I have really tried to get them to fall in love with the gospel, not just us. They need to have faith in the Book of Mormon really, because we eventually are transferred and will go away.
If they do not have a testimony from the Holy Ghost that this is true, then after the missionaries leave, so will they.

Also we are having a tricky time getting V.S. baptized because she doesn't speak english and can't read at all. So teaching her the doctrine is hard, it is also hard because a lot of everything is based on how things look or how nice people are to her. She and her husband must have had a little tiff and she is refusing to join right now. Hopefully we will figure something out. Reading is really an important part of this message.

Speaking of reading, man we had a buncha people geared up and ready to go to the literacy class. We have a family that came and the woman loved the literacy class so she invited her family and friends. THEN when they got there the teacher didn't show up. MAN! This is probably because it RAINED very hard right before church. Rain really weeds out the sheep from the goats. Those faithful members that come every week were there and those up and coming didn't come.
Yeah the rain is pretty bad and the roads are terrible however one of my favorite members francis showed up to church 100% wet and with muddy trousers and shoes ( as I do most every week when it rains ).
The culture is very poor with time and showing up for things sometimes especially when it rains. You'd think that acid is falling from the sky when it rains because they all run away and sit. So I think this is what happened and why the literacy class was not held. Not WE gotta go and apologize etc. Man it's hard having to rely on others sometimes. Such is life. We are going to see if the bishop can call more literacy class teachers so when one doesn't come due to rain, death, malaria, baby naming, world cup game, someone will be there to teach the class. We can't work hard to get God's children to make the great trek (and it is over an hour long trek, sometimes in the mud ) with babies strapped to their back foregoing their usual routines and busy work and have there be no class. THE SHOW MUST GO ON! (picture a guitar string breaking so you just start singing the guitar part yourself) You figure it out! Anywho I will make sure the show goes on next week and hopefully from then on.

I woulda gone inside to teach the English class however I was interviewing people for the McCarthy Hill ward and didn't know there was no teacher until they had gone.

Anywho besides us having some discouraged women because of the no-show teacher at the literacy class, we had a womans husband come to church for the first time. We reactivated Sis. L. recently and her husband came to see if the church was true. Their compound is full of a bunch of people who were saying nonsense about the church like 'we drink blood' etc. One man came up to me and said "the book of Mormon is not true! There is no need for it" I then asked him if he had read it. He replied "I read some once..." I asked what it talked about. He couldn't remember. I then got his bible and had him read "thou shall not bear false witness" and asked him to explain what this means. Meaning if you do not know about something, don't tell others something that you know nothing about. We then gave him a place to read. He read it. We asked him if he believes it is true and if he prayed and asked about it being genuine and truly from God (because it can't be somehow true, it is not a fence sitting book). He said he is still reading. He has stopped persecuting our member. He is coming to know that it is true. Anywho her husband finally came and had a good experience. Everyone loved him and fellowshipped him like crazy. It was great.

Anywho I have a sad story. Bro Fp's daughter, M. the one investigating the church, just lost her 10 year old boy E. last week on Monday due to typhoid. He was sick and we were visiting him from time to time. I knew him when he was healthy and he was a good little boy. He was around 10 years old. He got sick and they didn't catch the typhoid early. However God is great. The night before he died he and the family were at his house kinda just talking. They said that E. didn't stop talking with them. At 10 pm he kept talking with them, at 12 he kept talking, by 3 am they were still having a good family chat, especially with his mother. He was seeming good and talkative. The next day he passed away quietly. Nobody knew he was going to die, it was unexpected. However God allowed them to have a good family get together before he passed on. He was a good boy and is now in the Spirit World being taught what we were teaching him. He loved what we were teaching him.

The family is doing okay. We will visit the wife this week after all her family leaves. Maybe his passing will someday help to provide a way for his family to accept this gospel.

We are also working with this great investigator. She stays about 2 hours away but makes the trek to church. She stays out by our bishop and 2nd counselor. They really suffer to come to church. Guess what? All of them who live 2 hours away on a dirt road, hilly area with landminesque potholes came in the mud and rain. True saints. Anywho the woman loves the gospel so much she is bringing her husband. Man these people's faith makes mine look like nothing. I have never seen such a faithful people.

I wish I could go on with more stories of joy and how the Holy Ghost is testifying of the truth but I would go on for pages and pages. Moral of the story is that the Holy Ghost will testify of what is true. If you are doubting then just ask Heavenly Father with faith. It will be given to you.

Well glad I Britt will be in a new play. I'll enjoy seeing the show. Glad her and Dave can do a play together. Can't wait to take a bath in the royal bathroom haha ( i showered from a bucket this morning ).

President Judd will be a great President. We will make him not have a hard time. Well at least my zone. We are the only zone last week, besides the north zone, to not have people sneak out of their zone and go have a party at the beach. Anywho President Judd can have faith that the McCarthy Hill zone will be a comfort to him.
When you are first here, you have a culture shock and are kinda weirded out and nobody will be able to understand him, including the white missionaries (I couldn't really understand President Samuelson last conference. TOO FAST ENGLISH). His jaw will probably drop because of the whiteness of the field. EVERYONE believes in God.

Anywho he will be great for the mission. He will love the people and recognize their Spirit instantly. The people are a happy and humble people who are ready to help. They will become his people.

I knew dad had a hurt wrist. He has always had a hard time with his wrist. He was always complaining about it, especially when he rotated it. That and his right elbow. Figures he broke his wrist. Hope it isn't too bad. You might need to get the cone of shame for dad and put it around his wrist. SHAME! Make sure he doesn't play with his wrist. His hands are his job.

Man with the Mali guy, he might win the presidency. That'll make the church explode here. It already has exploded but it'll be an eruption. Crazy!
Maybe someday I will have a boy who will go to Mali on a mission haha. I'd make him watch the clip from fiddler on the roof, the "tradition" scene and explain it to him. "let me tell you why we do these things...I don't know. TRADITION!"

Anywho I love you guys. I gotta run and go on splits again. I hope you guys have an awesome week. The church is true.
Oh I heard from Elder Dakouri. He is safe. The country (Ivory Coast) is doing good. Here is his email.

Hey man, i'm so happy to hear of you. In fact, things are very easy over there because of what you know. Actually, we are planning to build many things again in my country. But we are managing. Anyway, i'm doing well and i am in Abidjan. I leave with my relief society family for now. I start some formations in the employment ressource center to improve my skills and look for work. Anyway, i'm looking for work still but i'm not discourage. I pray to have in the next month and restart school the next january.

Concerning for sister N, i'm very excited; How long have i wait for that moment???? My brother, thank you. I feel that truly no effort is wasted. Man? keep the work and let us endure to the end. take care of yourself. Endure my brother. Actually, i don't have any contacte but this night, i'll get one and i'll let you know. Hopefully that we will be in contacte even when you will be at home. I very much and i miss you and i miss the work very much... I have not forget you.

Gnapy J. Dakouri Jnr

Talk to you next week family.
Love Elder Bills