Reliving the beginnings.....

One of the activities we have enjoyed with those who come to Yaounde is to go to Mount Febe, a sizable hill just about ten minutes from our apartment.  That's the location where Elder Holland dedicated the country for missionary work in 2009.  Missionaries have actually been working here since 1993.

The dedicatory prayer is really beautiful.  Elder Holland speaks of stakes and temples in this beautiful land.  We're working hard to get the first stake created here--hopefully in the spring!  The Spirit was so strong as we shared the prayer.  It was amazing to have a member of the Seventy read it aloud while we listened, with just the Hamiltons, the Mongas and us.  If any of you have a chance to serve a mission as a senior couple, DO IT!  We could have lived thirty years in Utah and never had an opportunity like that.  It's wonderful!

As you look out over the city, it's humbling to think that only ten elders and one senior couple have the responsibility to find and teach a city of 2.5 million people.  Many people have never seen missionaries--even though they never leave Yaounde.

If you look closely, you can see a golf course just over the brush of the hillside.  You might also be able to see a large white building on the top of a hill--that's where the country's government meets--kind of like our capitol.  We live just below it, on the left.

We took Elder and Sister Hamilton and Pres. and Sister Monga to the site after our zone conference.

The elders enjoyed looking over the city from the impressive site a few weeks later.  We also enjoyed a picnic lunch while we were there.

We're not the artists, but it's definitely Africa!

Elders Simmons, Beutler and Brockbank, looking pensively.  : )

This table was even bigger than the one Sister Dimond created for Zone Conference!  (It definitely weighs more, too!)

Let the music begin!

When we arrived here in Yaoundé, we loved hearing the members sing the hymns in sacrament meeting, but the only people playing the piano (in two of the five branches) were missionaries.  The other three branches sang a capella.  The members sing with a volume unmatched in any ward we've ever been in.  Most of the members sound really good.  They sing everything in unison.  The chorister sings the first line or two and then says, "Chantez".  The spirit in the meetings is really strong.  We felt that one way we could help out while we're here was to try to help a few members learn to play the piano.  Several of the couples before us have taught some students, and one sister in one of the branches is quite good, just not confident enough to play in sacrament meeting.  So......let the music begin!

We started by announcing in the three branches that we were attending one Sunday (they all meet in the same building) that we were going to hold a meeting to give students who were interested in learning to play the piano an introduction to music and get them signed up for individual lessons.  We thought we'd have maybe ten or so students.  We held our meeting in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday at the branch.  There were over a dozen who came and were so eager to learn.  We had a hard time trying to communicate with them, but they seemed to understand (for the most part).  The sign-up process was really interesting.  When we were done, there were people signed next to people, with the same times marked.  So much for individual lesson times!

We scheduled Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for the lessons in that building.  We have two electronic keyboards that we pack around with us.  We thought that one student at a time would be the simplest way to approach lessons, especially since everyone learns at such different rates.  We ended up having two, three, sometimes four people thinking their lessons were at the same time.  So, Anne took people for the first part of the lesson to review symbols, counting, etc., and Dave worked with them one on one with the keyboard.  The humility and desire of the people to learn to play, to "glorify the Lord" are so gratifying.  There were two men in their 30's who each said that learning to play the piano was one of their life-long dreams.

We've only heard of one member who has a keyboard in their home, so practicing was one of our main concerns.  We designed "plastificated" (the Cameroon version of laminated) paper keyboards that are about the same size as the electronic keyboards we have, and got them copied and laminated at a couple of different shops.  (Official documents need to be laminated, so there are a lot of shops around the city that do lamination, although they're set up to laminate 8x11 sheets at the largest.)  We've probably spent close to $100 for copies and paper keyboards.  We aren't able to give them much by way of supplies, but the members are so grateful.

The second week, we decided to start lessons at the next building.  They only have two branches that meet there, so we figured ten or so more students would show up.  In the process of lessons, church, etc., we've had requests from many more members.  We've now got about 40 students.  Lessons are Tuesday through Friday afternoons.  Some evenings we don't finish until 6:30, which is pretty late here.  It's dark by about 7:00, and gets a little scary for people trying to make their way home.

One of our students in the primary room

The Harmon Foundation is set up to donate keyboards to developing areas of the church who are in need of musical skills, and to promising students who complete the church's basic keyboarding course.  We're in the process of asking for an additional 17 keyboards (the maximum we can have for our five branches, including the 8 they already provided.)  After students complete the course, if they're strong and are willing to help serve in the church and teach others, they can apply to receive a keyboard for themselves.  It's an amazing program.  We're hoping the keyboards will really make the difference and we can get a good music base established here in the next two years.  Being able to practice on a real keyboard, rather than paper, will be a tremendous blessing.  Just wish we had 40 to pass out!

They're very anxious to learn!

Well, for now, music lessons have begun, and in a much bigger way than we imagined.  We're sure many of the students will stop coming when it gets harder and they become frustrated, but for now, it's been amazing!  (Very tiring, as well!)

For those of you contemplating serving as a senior couple, there's a great need throughout the church to help augment the music skills of the members.  Pull out the hymn book (or in our case, the simplified hymn book) and start practicing!  You never know what you'll be asked to do!

Baptism by Fire

Our first few weeks here in Cameroon have been very full!!!

We were welcomed at the airport by Elder and Sister Gates, a wonderful couple who have been helping teach a construction class in Kinshasa.  They spent a month in Yaounde, filling in for us until we could arrive.  They spent every minute they could trying to train us--although our jet lag didn't make us the best students!

We're responsible for all the mission finances here in this city--money given to the elders and spent by us for rent, internet, utilities, mission president visits, etc.  There is a lot to learn!  They took us all through the city to the places we'll need to visit.  It was mind boggling--how do you find your way around a city where there are very few street signs--and they're on tiny little side streets?  Needless to say, we've been lost for hours.  Things are finally starting to make a bit more sense, though.  We took the Gates to the airport after a very full day.  They're off to finish their mission in Kinshasa.

We spent the next couple of days buying food, shampoo, etc. at the stores we could find.  It was an adventure trying to find one of the missionary apartments which is about 25 minutes (if traffic is light) away.  Every other Saturday we take them their "soutien", the money they'll need for the next two weeks.  We have ten elders, four in the closest apartment, and six in the other.  They're all wonderful young men!

On Sunday, we attended the two branches that meet in the building closest to us.  The saints here have a tremendous amount of faith.  It's wonderful to feel their spirit, especially as they sing!  So far, only two of the missionaries have played the piano (electronic keyboards) during sacrament meeting.  The chorister will sing the first line of the hymn, and then everyone starts singing, always in unison, always in full voice.  It's beautiful!  We were asked to bear our testimonies in each of the branches that we've attended.  In one, we were the speakers--a surprise to us both!

Top Row (L to R):  E. Brockbank, E. Wright, E. VanAusdale, E. Beutler, ESimmons, E. Ntambwe, E. Nzuma, E. Leavitt
E. Niyonkuru, E. Tucker
Front:  E. and Sister Dimond, Sis. and Pres. Monga. 

Table made out of closet doors and boxes of pamphlets!

Relaxing while waiting for interviews.

The first full week here, we were getting ready for a zone conference.  The mission president and his wife came and stayed with us.  We took part in that, then fed everyone there a wonderful taco salad, with Texas Sheet cake for dessert.  It's amazing how much elders can eat!  Anne was impressed to have everyone eating at the same table--we've heard there were some issues with people feeling they are better than others, a general lack of unity.  So, she devised a plan to build a table to feed 18.  (Our dining room table will seat six.)  Using boxes of missionary pamphlets as support, closet doors, our office desk, and several sheets, she made a table that, with a little care by those sitting where the closet doors were, worked out great!  It was quite the festive table!

The makings of a table for 18!

Leg room (sort of) along a mostly stable table.  : )

The finished product!

And a serving table (ironing board+ duct tape+ closet door)

After zone conference, Pres. Monga interviewed each of the elders.  Then, Dave, one set of elders, the mission president, and the leadership of one of the branches went to visit a less active family.  (The idea was to find someone relatively close to our apartment so we could squeeze that visit in between interviews and the dinner that night with all the branch presidents and their wives.)  After driving for about half an hour, we arrived at a house where we met a wonderful family.  The young father is a returned missionary, but they have built a home so far from the church that they can't afford to bring the family in to meetings.  We were already late for our dinner when we left their home, and then the branch president announced he had one other family to see.  We drove back toward town, down a four-wheel-drive-only dirt road for a couple of blocks, and then went in to see a family where the mother and children are all members, but the father is not.  That visit lasted half an hour, while Anne and all the branch presidents and their wives were waiting for our dinner to begin.  Another half-hour drive back home, and our five o'clock dinner began about seven.

Anne fixed a wonderful chicken dinner for everyone with panna cotta for dessert.  She had her first request to teach a relief society how to make that yummy treat!  We were both very surprised when Pres. Monga announced during the dinner that Dave was going to serve as one of his counselors in the mission presidency.  We later found out that all the senior couple elders that are serving in outlying areas are going to be counselors, too.  That will really help in being able to conduct interviews for temple and missionary recommends that in the past have taken up two months to meet with the mission president.  He also gave us our charge:  help the district here in Yaounde become a stake before we leave.  It's a bit daunting, but an exciting task!

We took the Mongas to the airport, with the help of our wonderful district president, Pres. Bala, the next morning.  Next trip to the airport, we'll do it on our own!

Our first week was very busy, but wonderful.  The spirit is so strong in the meetings we're involved with.  It's amazing to be part of this great work!

Love you all!

Elder and Sister Dimond, mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, etc....

The adventure begins...and almost ends in Brussels

We had smooth sailing from Salt Lake to Chicago, and we thought from Chicago to Brussels.  Then one of the worst-case  scenarios happened--we lost a passport!  Some place between the gate in Chicago and leaving the plane in Brussels, we lost a passport!  We had the airline search the plane (at least they said they did) with no luck.  We looked through all our luggage, pockets, etc. and couldn't find it.  We went to security and they had no help for us.  (They told us unless we could find it, our only option was to be flown back to the U.S.)  The church even booked a return flight to New York City for the next morning. We were crushed thinking about having to fly all the way back to the US and start everything over.

Everyone was very kind, but not very helpful.  Anne was able to contact the U.S. Embassy in Brussels.  They weren't any help either, at least at first.  Finally, she talked to an American at the embassy.  He was very helpful and told us what we needed to do.  We got copies of her passport from church headquarters, and the embassy fellow talked to security.  (Originally, the only way we could leave the airport was with a passport.)

Here are some photos from our airport adventure.

Personal Study in our "Airport Apartment"

One of many phone calls to get out of the airport and on to getting an emergency passport.

The "balcony" view from our airport apartment.

One of the many steps to getting a passport and visa at the Brussels American Embassy.

After a lot of prayer and a few tears, with the help of a very kind man at the US Embassy, we were able to get an emergency passport (that was Wednesday afternoon).  The next step was to get a visa for Cameroon.  We had to get the Yellow Fever verification from Utah for that.  When we went to the Cameroon Embassy on Thursday morning just as it opened, we had just learned that Salt Lake was able to get us on a flight to Cameroon that afternoon.  (Our flight plans said 1:55, which plays into the drama in a bit.)

The people were very methodical in the embassy.  They finally got us to a point where we needed to pay for the visa.  When we went to the window, they required 200 Euros, in cash, which we didn't have.  We tried to ask for directions for somewhere where they did foreign exchange, and ended up walking blocks and blocks trying to find the bank they suggested.  We found it, but they couldn't help us make an exchange for US dollars.  They gave us the address of a Western Union.  We eventually found it, but it was just an abandoned building with a faded sign out front.  By this time, nearly 45 minutes had passed and we were getting frantic.  We started walking back to the Embassy and finally flagged down a taxi.  The driver was extremely kind and took us to a Western Union back toward town.  He stayed with us until we had the money and then drove us back to the Embassy.  We paid our fee, and then were told to "sit down".  It was an agonizing hour that we waited for them to finish the visa.  They gave it to us, and then we asked about calling for a taxi, which we'd been told on two occasions they'd do for us.  That didn't happen.  So we left with a phone number that wouldn't work on our cell phone, and started walking back toward town.

Another cab driver picked us up, and we explained our plight.  Our flight was supposed to leave in a little over two hours, and we were across town from the airport.  He got us there as fast as traffic would allow.  Once at the hotel, we pulled our bags over to the check in, only to find that the 40 lbs. we could put in our carry-ons when we were coming from the U.S. was only going to be 22 lbs. for this last leg of the flight.  We went over to a scale and tried to combine heavy things into one bag so we could check it and only have to pay 150 Euros for it.  When we got to the counter, another tender mercy occurred.  The girl waiting on us weighed our bags, winked at us, even though they were still overweight, and said, "Have a nice flight."  We were stunned, humbled, and ever so grateful.

By this time, we were ten minutes from the time they were going to close the gate for our flight.  We ran through hallway after hallway, were stuck in long lines going through security, and then literally ran from security nearly a half mile until we got to our gate.  The last security agent happened to be the man who was very helpful in security the night before.  He said, "No problem.  You have plenty of time."  We were both sweating profusely with the physical exertion and stress.  Sure enough, our flight didn't leave until 2:55.  We had almost an hour to spare!

The flight to Yaounde was almost seven hours.  We sat next to a young family who were returning to Cameroon to visit relatives.  Anne became the airplane "grandma" to their two cute kids.  She played the video games they had built into the airplane display with their son for hours.  They received a pass-along card with an invitation to come to Utah in 2016 to visit.

When we arrived at the airport, getting all our luggage took nearly an hour.  It was wonderful to see the Gates, the couple who took over for us temporarily (they're construction missionaries in Kinshasa).  What a fitting beginning to this incredible adventure!

Yaounde Apartment

Here's the tour of the inside of the apartment.  We have three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a nice sized dining/living room.  All the comforts of home!

Entry

Dining Room Table

Elder and Sister Gates, our Trainers 

Living Room

Kitchen

Kitchen Work Space

Kitchen looking out to laundry room 

Laundry room off kitchen 

Dryer

Guest Room

Guest Bath

Master

Master Bath

Office

Soeur Dimond working on a map of Yaounde

The MTC (Finally!)

We entered the MTC on June 30, 2014.  We were a bit apprehensive, but mainly excited to finally be able to start our mission!

There were kind people everywhere, helping us park, check in, get to the chapel where the Senior MTC activities take place.

Elder Fred Thomas, Elder Dimond's former temple shift supervisor, coordinates senior MTC training.  He was shocked to see us in the line of new couples.  It didn't take him long to call on us to give the opening and closing prayers for our first meeting, as well as to call Elder Dimond to be a district leader.  (We're in the top picture, fourth couple from the right.)

Our district was comprised of us (far right), (left to right) Sister Pace, the Etheringtons, the Andruses, and the Smiths.  

We were all going in different directions for our missions:  The Smiths to Vanuatu, a chain of 83 islands north of New Zealand to do audits, and perform humanitarian efforts.  The Andruses were heading out on their third mission, all of which have been in Russia!  It was nice to have someone in our group who had some experience.  The other couple, the Etheringtons, just finished serving for 14 years in inner-city Salt Lake, working with the wards there.  What a remarkable couple!  They will be member and leader support in their home stake now.  We shared goodies, laughs, and some tears as the Spirit was strong, even in role-play situations.

Our teachers were enthusiastic and very knowledgeable.  Sister Pace, Brother Herman, and Brother Rowe all helped us tremendously.

Even though we might not be teaching all that much, it was a great spiritual experience, and really helped us see just what the elders will be doing.  Can't wait to work with them and the wonderful Saints in Cameroon!