Officially a Missionary:)

Hi everyone...how are you doing!?
   This is Elder Legerski coming at you from the Congo once more! This week has been a really
good one for us! But it was plagued by sickness this Saturday! To be brief,  I was pretty much glued to the toilet all day:(  And for my father, Gary, and former Bishop, I officially became a real missionary after our apartment prayer. So, it looks like there is nothing left for me to do:) But training with Elder Tshibanda has been going super well! He already knows a lot of what we need to teach and we are just working on how we need to teach it and focusing on the needs of our amis.

   This week we were able to meet with 2 guys whose names are Ngama and Djimi and they were some really awesome meetings! With Ngama, he really talked about how he wanted to know how he can show his faith in Jesus, so we talked about how in order to do that, we need to follow his example and also, we need to keep his commandments. So after talking with him, we fixed a baptismal date for the 3rd of October! Also,  we saw Djimi. He was a guy that stopped us one day and said that he really wanted to know how he could become a member of the Church and asked if he could find out more. Because of our delay in Brazza and a bunch of other things, we were able to finally meet with him this week, and as we talked with him, he really expressed a desire to change his life and to follow Christ and he really wants to become a person who prays often and someone who lives a good life. It was a really powerful lesson and I know that the Spirit was there. He was really serious about all this and he had even  read in the Book of Mormon the night before and this was just our first meeting with him! Just goes to show that the Lord is preparing people all around us and we just need to be in the right place at the right time to give them what they need. Something I really like about Africa is that all of the people come up to us and ask US questions about the church, so its like they come and contact us! It's really amazing to be a missionary here at this time!

    But that's about all for this week folks! I would like to express my gratitude for all of the people who wrote me this week, and also with all of you college students, good luck on this first week of studies! Go out there and get it done!  For homework, I want each of you to try and do a random act of kindness for someone! Also, if you ever get mad about a situation, look at it and ask yourself  "now, how can I learn from this?"

 

But thanks so much all of you...I love you so much!

Elder Legerski

An Airport With No Gas???

Hello everyone how are you!?
  
   I am so happy to hear from all of you this week and I just want to thank everyone for all of the emails that you sent me! I love seeing all the emails when I come to cyber on Monday and it just makes me smile!

   Well this week was quite an interesting one! To start, we were going to Brazzaville as planned but as the week went on, it was something quite more than that! To start, Tuesday morning we got up early as usual and we got ready and we went to the airport. Elder Bacera took with him his infamous apple bag that he found in his apartment. We had someone who wanted to bribe us in the airport, but we just gave him a brochure so there was no problem with that! We got all of our bags checked and we were off to Brazzaville!

   Right as we landed I saw my teacher, Ngonda, who taught me for 3 days in the MTC before he came back here to work for the mission office! It was really different, because now I can speak French and I was able to communicate with him! But he is doing really well! Then we went to the mission office and we were able to meet the Nelsons and all of the other people and see the stake center and meet a lot of new missionaries, which was really nice...oh, and it was the first time that I had ever met sister missionaries in the mission since they are only at Brazzaville! But we all went in and we talked about what we need to do and what we shouldn’t do as trainers so that we can become good trainers. Then we ate and went back to the assistants apartment which is super big and super nice! Because they were there, I got to see Elder West again, as well as Elder Kabenga and Elder Rokotodrabaeharison! We had a lot of fun together and the next morning they headed off to the airport to go home! It was really nice seeing them all one last time.

   Then we went to the mission office and waited for the new missionaries! Their plane was late, but eventually we met with them and I got to meet my new companion, Elder Tshibanda number two! He is from Lumbumbashi and he is the first African companion that I have had who was born into the church and he is 18 years old which is really rare! But he is tall and goofy, just like me, so we should get along just fine! But after that, we went to the Monga's house and ate and it was so good! Sister Monga made Saka Saka for us and I loved it! Then that was the end of the day for us.

   The next day we had training for the new missionaries and we booked it to the airport to catch our flight. But the airport was out of gas, so we were stuck in Brazzaville! So we went back to the assistant's apartment for the day. The next day there was still no gas' so we went to sector with Elder Nzema and contacted for 5 hours and taught at the end of the day...it was a really long and hard day, but it was good. The next day, Saturday, we didn’t know anything, so we went and did service in shorts and dress shoes and man did we look good! But after we were there for about 10 minutes, we got a call so we went and got our stuff and waited at the airport. We were there from 10 am to 5 pm and we just sat there and waited the whole time,,,we got really bored. But we finally got a flight and got back to Pointe Noire at 8 at night. It was a really long week and I'm really glad to be back home!

   But that’s about all for this week; I hope I'll have some better news this week! I love you all and thank you all so much!

Love,
Elder Legerski

A Day of Big News

Hello everyone back home...how are you!?

   I was quite surprised to see all of the news when I opened up my email but it was all so exciting! I would like to say congrats to my father for being called as the new Bishop of the Desert View ward! I love you so much and I am so proud of you! I know that you were called by revelation and I know that you will do an amazing job! I have seen 2 branch presidents called here on my mission and one district presidency, and I know that each one of them have been called by God and each was chosen to lead his people at this time!

   And while I'm at it, I might as well add in my big news! I have been called as a trainer and also as the new District Leader! So tomorrow, I will be going to Brazzaville to learn how to train and I will also be meeting my new companion straight from the MTC! And on top of that, I will be the District Leader for our district! All these things are really new and exciting and even though I'm still one of the youngest missionaries in the mission, I know that with the help of the Lord I will be able to do what He has called me to do and I pray that I may be able to give my best effort!

   This week has been a really good one and also a little sad one. Jules was supposed to be baptized, but since he is a minor, we need to have the parent's consent and his father was not okay with it, so he couldn’t be baptized.  This really stinks, but we have set up a meeting so that we can go meet with his father so that we can talk with him and explain our church and we hope he will let his son be baptized! It's often like that here because so many bad things and rumors are spread about the Church here and I think all over the world. Many things about us are not understood and many things that are said are not true. As one of the apostles said, its not easy being a Latter Day Saint! I really like this statement, but I also think about all of the blessings which come from being a Latter Day Saint and I can say that I'm proud to be a member of this church and to be a messenger who is a representative of this church and of Jesus Christ, who has been called to share this restored gospel with all of the world.

   But recently, we have been teaching a woman named Judel and she lives in the same parcel as Jean and his wife & this week we taught her about the Word of Wisdom(https://www.lds.org/topics/word-of-wisdom?lang=eng) and it was really easy because she does not take any of the things which are not allowed! It was a really cool experience and I think it really shows how there are people who are being prepared even if we do not realize it!

   Also, this Sunday we had a really good sacrament meeting...why, you may ask? Well Jean blessed the sacrament for the first time! He was really nervous and you could tell but he read the prayer like a champ and even though it was his first time, it only took him one try! It's awesome to see how much he has grown in these last few months! Also, right after that, he was called as the secratery in the Sunday School residency and he also gave his first talk! He did really well and I was so proud of him! Also Alex, another of my recent converts, gave a talk and even though she was terrified, she got up and she did a really great job in front of everyone!

   But that’s all for this week folks! I want to thank all of the people that wrote me I really appreciate it! I would like to send my love out to all who read my emails! I love being here and I love the mission and there is no other place that I would want to be at this moment! I love you all so much! For homework, I want you all to thank someone who has made a positive impact on your life!

Love,
Elder Legerski

She Doesn't Cry When She Sees Me!!

   Hey everyone back home...how are you!? This week has been a really good one for us here in Pointe Noire and I'm looking forward to this next week! I just want to say thank you to all of the people who sent me emails this week...I really look forward to them and each time I read an email that someone sent me, I just have the biggest smile on my face because I love reading about your lives and what you are doing!

   But this week was a really good week for us here in Pointe Noire; I'm gonna talk a little about Jules. He is a kid that we met 4 weeks ago and ever since we met him, this kid is always at the church! He is really awesome and he really likes meeting with us! We have been working with him many times this week and he will be baptized this Friday (because of the nation holiday that will be held on Saturday)! When we talked to him about it, I was really amazed by how well he understands and how strong his testimony is. He already assists seminary and I think even mission prep and it amazing how much he already knows! We are really excited for his baptism this Friday!

   Also, we talked to Justavain. She has got to be my favorite ami by far, just seeing the change that she has undergone since we started the lessons with her is so big and now she loves talking with us! Even her youngest daughter, Stephanie, who used to always cry when I came over because I'm white…(yeah that happens a lot:)…. now runs up to us at church and when we come,  will say "hi" to us. But we talked with her about the Word of Wisdom and the law of chastity and she had some doubts but as I bore my testimony on these things, I got a really powerful feeling and I knew that the spirit was with us and that he was testifying of truth. It was a really great moment and was made even greater when she agreed to keep these 2 commandments so that she may be baptized.

   We also had a zone conference this Friday, so we got to see President Monga and he was able to teach us a little bit. And most of what he talked about was studying and it was really good for me. He talked about how we can take our study to the next level and how we can learn more and progress faster as missionaries. I really liked this because I feel like the mission has really helped me learn how to study and I feel like this skill will really benefit me when I come back home and I go to college!

   But that’s all for this week folks! I will see you all in one week! And for homework you can all go smile at one random person and spread a little sunshine!

Love

Elder Legerski!

A Day in the Life

   Hey everyone at home...how are you! Sorry for my spelling in advance today; I'm using a French keyboard and it's a little hard to type on! But things will work out just fine:)
 
    Before I start I just wanna thank everyone who wrote me this week. I really enjoyed all of your emails! Man was this week a good one!  I don't know if I forgot to mention this but I am now working with Elder Museku and he is from the DRC and only has 2 transfers left!

   Man was this week a busy week: to start with they re-did our branch presidency so we have all
new people! Our new branch President is Alain and he is a return missionary and he will be really
awesome for us! And the new First Counselor is also a return missionary so we are really excited
to start working together!

   But this week was a really busy one for us here in Pointe Noire and I thought that for this
week, I'll give you a taste of what missionary work is like here in the Congo.  First off, we get up
at 5:30am and pray together. Then we work out for a little bit and sometimes when I really don't feel like working out,  I read or listen to some hymns or play the piano a bit.  Then we cook and shower and get ready for the day.  At 7am we start personal study (where we study scriptures by ourselves) and then at 8am we do comp study (where we study with our companion) and we call people and plan our day out.  At 9am we study French or English until 10am and at 10am we cook lunch.  Near 10:45am we get ready to go and leave for the sector.  From 11am to 7 at night, we are teaching people all day long and it's a little tiring! Then we come back at 7pm and plan for the next day until 7:30pm.  Then we cook dinner and finally we go to bed at 9:30pm, so we are always busy and always tired!
  
   But that's my email for this week...I'm sorry it's a little short. 

I love you all so much!
Elder Legerski