Called to the Congo -- Elder Hillam: Week 39 Joyeux Jour de l'Indépendance

Wow, this week flew by as always!

Really been enjoying the weather here in the dry season, it hasn't gotten above the high 80s at all here which is the best. Makes me not so excited for the hot wet season again.

I had a great week here! I had some great lessons with some families here. One family who called out for us to come to preach to them while we were walking down the street has been progressing pretty well! We've been teaching the mother Sr Varelle and her husband Fr Symphorien as well as their daughter Sr Shekinah. Sr Shekinah has been progressing the fastest out of those three and came to church yesterday!

I also had a great lesson with Sr Nelly's family. Sr Nelly is the mother who asked me about the Book of Mormon I was holding in my hand on a bus. We taught her kids and their friends and it was great!

I really love teaching about the principle of agency. Agency is the gift that God has given us to be able to choose for ourselves and it is crucial to God's plan for us. But from this great gift comes great responsibility. Agency allows us to choose to follow God or not. When we receive knowledge and revelation we have the responsibility to act on it. As missionaries, we teach people about how they can receive answers to their questions through revelation. But after they receive an answer it is up to them to choose to act.

If there is one thing I have learned here, is how thankful I am for the USA. We are super blessed to live where we do because we are much freer to choose in America than elsewhere; we can make more choices for ourselves and choose to follow God. This is one of the reasons the gospel was restored in America.