Camerooooooon.

I told President Matsumori today that sometimes I wish my brain worked just a little bit faster, but when it doesn't, there's usually a good story involved.

And that's exactly what happened this Tuesday. 

In the morning we had district meeting, then lunch, and we had about 30 minutes before we needed to go up to the Visitors' Center for shift.  We checked on some potentials that said they'd be home, but who weren't there, so we went to Elvis St.--a street we'd started to tract a few days before.  We came to one house that looked very normal, and after we knocked on the door, a little African girl and her brother opened it.  We asked to speak with their parents, and so she went to get her Dad, who came to the door looking like he had just woken up from a nap.  As we talked to him, we heard a woman upstairs yelling for him to close the door, but he listened and when we told him that we had a message from God centered on families he actually let us in!

We went inside and as we looked up, Sister Holt and I noticed a younger African man dressed in white robes and a red hat who was sitting in a chair in the living room.  When we walked in, he got up from the chair  and headed upstairs.  I was thinking that we didn't want to let him get away, so I quickly said, "Oh, I like your hat." But he just smiled and kept walking upstairs.  The man who had come to the front door (his name was Akem) brought us into his living room, had us sit down on the couch, and he sat across from us on the smaller couch.  We started to get to know him and he said that he had four children, and the woman upstairs was his mother.  He also said that we were very fortunate to come to his home at this time, because he was blessed to be hosting the king of his country.  "Actually," he said, "the man you just met was the king." 

My response: "Oh....what country are you from...?"
Akem: "Cameroon."
Me: "Oh....." 
Then in my head I realized, "I just told the King of Cameroon that I like his hat!"  Oh my.

He never came back downstairs for the lesson, but we did teach the entire Restoration lesson to Akem and his children, and he'd like us to come back next week to answer his "questions of the soul."  I wish we'd had more time to learn the situation and reason for a king of Cameroon to be in Lanham, Maryland, but we had limited time and wanted to be tactful.  However, after relating this story to Elder Cardall, he did some research and learned that kings in Cameroon are simply tribal leaders, and that presently there are three of them in Maryland right now. 

And I told one of them that I like his hat.  Good grief. I hope that Cameroon still lets missionaries into the country.  If they don't, this blog post is probably getting deleted.  :]


As for the rest of the week, we had another miracle this past Monday, with a girl that was teaching US how to be missionaries.  Before we left she said, "Well, are we going to say a prayer?" then after the prayer, "Okay, so what chapter do you want me to read from this book before you come back?" Amazing.  She is so prepared and will be an incredible missionary herself one day. 

And we're still working with the ward.  The song "Onward Christian Soldiers" always comes to mind when I think of them.  One of these days I want to write a post dedicated to them and their incredible faith and testimonies.  Amazing, amazing people.  I'm always humbled with them, whether it be my own choice, or because I'm compelled (ahem...forced) to be.  I think when my time is through here, I may love this ward more than any other I've been in.

Oh!  I just remembered another story.  I don't have much time, so this will be quick, but we went to visit Betty, our new investigator, last week.  She was the one that left Reid Temple (the mega church) to come to our smaller church across the street.  Well, last week we learned that she speaks in tongues, receives prophecy, and pray-sings with the angels.  It was quite the experience, let me tell you.  She told us that people are usually scared of her, but she doesn't understand why.  I didn't exactly know what to say to that...   I think I ended up telling her that she has a beautiful voice and should do a musical number in church sometime.  By the way, her singing prayer was two words, 'oh lord' and it sounded like something the medieval monks would sing.  I kept my head bowed very low and only peaked twice during the prayer.  And yep, it really happened.  It was real.  But she's a sweet, sweet lady and wants to make this new religion a part of her life, only she wants to do it on her own time frame and in her own way.  I'll keep you posted on her.

And the best for last: JEROME'S GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!   Wahhhhhh!  He's been taught since September and this is so huge for so many sisters.  He's been through 6 or 7 of us.  I'm so excited for him!  More to come on that, too.

"Well, dat's all 4 today" as our Ghanian investigator Theo (said Tee-Oh) would say.


Stay true to what's eternal.


Love you all,

Sister Welch