Elder Masse Baptism Sept 2014

Elder Masse Baptism Sept 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

March 31, 2104 -Water! Hallelujah! No water for 23 days, "I never want to forget the friendships I have made, my friends and my companions, the infinite love that has been given to me from my Heavenly Father, and the opportunity that I have to serve here. I will never forget my mission for as long as I live. It's the greatest decision that I ever made."





Elder Devin Masse
Yaounde, Cameroon
Comp: Elder Jake Naughton

Dearest Mother,

It's been a crazy week.


Here are the responses to your questions though before I begin. 

1. How was your week?  Are you happy?
The week was awesome. We haven't had water for 23 days now, but it came on this morning after we talked with the manager downstairs. He looked at us a little funny when Elder Naughton and I showed up this morning in a taxi with about 150 liters of water in various containers. He looked at us and told us there was water in the building. We told him there wasn't and when we went upstairs to check after he told us to check there still wasn't water. We yelled down at him from the balcony and told him there was no water. He left and within two minutes the water was back.... 

They forgot to turn on the pump. THEY FORGOT TO TURN ON A SWITCH! TWENTY THREE DAYS! Oh Africa. If the end of the world comes I know what to do when there is no water provided that we have storage water. I am an expert in bucket washing and dish washing in buckets as well. 

WE HAVE WATER!!! HALLELUJAH!

2. How is Elder Naughton?  What do you have in common?
Elder Naughton is awesome. We are a lot a like in many ways. We are both quiet and we keep to ourselves, but given the nature of our humor we both laugh at each other every day. He is obedient. He gets things done, and we work well together. We make a pretty good team if I do say so myself. 

3. What’s something funny Elder Lavering did/said?
What’s not funny about Elder Lavering?  He is probably the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life.

4. What made you laugh out loud?
 There are too many things to count. Most of the things I could tell you that I laughed at wouldn't make sense, but needless to say, I laughed a whole lot. It was awesome. I love laughing. That would be cool. And hilarious! Ha ha. 

5. What did you do with your roommates this week?
We washed ourselves... Without running water... We flushed toilets... Without running water... We washed dishes... Without running water... 

But we did all three of those things this morning WITH RUNNING WATER!!! Woo-hoo!!!

6. What's something you never want to forget about Yaounde?



7. Have you had any cacoa beans/pods lately? 
Nope.


8. What adventures did you have this week?  Have you been to the jungle? 
No jungle this week, but do you remember that Japanese lady that I translater for in sacrament meeting? Yeah she invited us over to her friends house to eat real Japanese food today. I am so excited. 


9. Do you still wear your sandals?  What shoes do you wear the most?
Ha ha ha!!! I haven't worn my sandals in three months straight! Going strong baby! I am really tired of my sandals. I wore them for too long. I have been sporting my Echos. So comfortable and so nice. Classy. Clean. Cut. Awesome.


This week was great. Elder Naughton and I are working hard and we are doing awesome. I have had so many great companions that I can't count them on one hand. I have had eight companions and it's likely that Elder Naughton and I won't be together after this transfer due to the time that he has spent in Yaounde already. He started his mission here and this is his 6th transfer. 

We will see how it all works out.

President Cook is coming tomorrow. The greenies are coming Thursday fresh from the MTC. Life is beautiful. It's raining right now, or at least it was, and I am in the middle of Africa. Life is great. 

I love you Mother. I love you dearly. Have a great week! Until next time,


Love Elder Massé

Monday, March 17, 2014

MARCH 17, 2014 - MISSION IS SPLITTING! NEW MISSION IN JULY!


Comp: Elder Jake Naughton
Area: Yaounde, Cameroon, Ekounou
Apt: Elder Lavering, Elder Zeregui, Elder Tripp ,Elder Rakotondrabeharison

Dearest Mother,
It's been a crazy week. So many people want to see me and want me to go see them and I have so much to talk about, or so it seems, but so little time! This was so crazy! I still can't believe that I am back in Yaoundé. As President Cook said, and as I said previously, things are changing in this mission and it's going to be nuts. 
So the BIGGEST news that I have is the following. I don't know to what extent it has been announced, but it is confirmed and it will be happening. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa mission is getting split in July and we will form the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville mission. From what it appears, DRC will be confined too Kinshasa and the Brazzaville mission will cover everything else. Gabon, Cameroun, Central African Republic, ROC, etc. So things are really going to change. It's going to be absolutely nuts and things are going to change drastically. 
So yes. That was the biggest news that I had this week. It's nuts! 
Well here we go. I will answer some questions! 
1.       Is your mission being split???  Are you getting a new mission president???  The Coleman’s had something about it on their website.
Yes missions is getting split in July. We will also be getting a new mission president, so my third one on my mission. Ha ha. 
 2.       Tell me everything about your birthday!!!  Did anything happen?  Did you buy anything?
My birthday was awesome, but on the flip side it was rather normal. No one really knew it was my birthday because I was just transferred.  The Elders made me a chocolate cake, and they bought some Fanta for the party! And while Elder Naughton and I were teaching he called over a tie guy, (A guy walking around with a million ties) and says to me, "Pick a tie Elder Massé". I was really confused and had forgotten it was my birthday, but I finally realized and I picked out a sweet orange tie that I wore on Sunday. Awesome! 
3.       How is your comp?
My companion is awesome! He is an amazing gymnast from what I hear and he also told me that one of his friends is serving in the Salem Mission. His name is Elder Glenn so if you could find him, tell him that your son is serving in Africa with one of his best friends. Ha ha. (mom’s note: yes we know Elder Glenn and he is serving here at home in our mission! Very Cool!)
4.       What made you laugh out loud?
. Well Elder Lavering made me laugh about a million times along with everyone else in the apartment. It's so hard to pinpoint one thing. I laugh a million times a day and it's awesome. 

5.       What are some things you love about Yaounde?
. Oh I can't even begin to count on one hand. All I will say is that I am incredibly grateful to be back in Yaoundé. It's a wonderful and sacred opportunity. I love Yaoundé. The work is progressing, the branches are growing, and things are hastening. 
6.    Where did you go this week?
We mostly stayed in Kondengui and Carrefour Etc, but we did go out to Nvam and marche Ekounou too. 
7.       How is it being the DL?
 Being District Leader is fun. I have a lot of responsibility but it will be good for me to learn so I will jump right in with both feet. 
8.    What did you cook this week?
We cooked a lot of stuff. Spaghetti, chili, tomato soup, tacos, avocado sandwiches, beans and beignets, etc. 
9. How are things in your area?
Things in the area are looking good. Elder Naughton and I are going to flip the sector upside down so it will be fun. 
10. What’s so great about being a missionary in Yaounde?
Yaoundé is where all the action is happening. Things are progressing faster here than anywhere else in the mission. It's amazing. 
11.   What was a something that happened this week that you never want to forget?
 Elder Naughton buying me a tie! 
Until next time,

Love Elder Massé 
----------------
Dear Dad,
It's been a fun week and I have had a lot of fun with my new companion and being back in my old sector. 
This mission is changing. We are going to get more missionaries on this side of the mission, we are going to get a  new Mission President in July, we are going to work harder than we have ever worked before, and the growth is going to explode here.
Our mission will be split in July and we will be getting a new mission president. If the mission is getting split in July that will mean that Elder Lavering and Elder Baker will be home making me the oldest American missionary on this side of the mission. Interesting.
 “As we become strictly obedient we can expect miracles.” – President Cook

 Everyone wants to see me and wants me to come to their house and say hello.
Yaoundé is so beautiful and the weather is amazing. Next to no humidity compared to Douala which is amazing.  In Douala, after about an hour or two, my handkerchief would be completely wet. Here, not so much. I haven't actually used it that much since I have been back. It's been nice. The sun is out, I am back climbing the hills, and I am not sweating! Awesome.
President Bala, the District President, came over to the apartment this week and gave me my resident card! I am legal until 2023 so if I ever want to come back I can with no problems.

I will talk to you next week.
Until next time,
Love Elder Massé

batiks


Elder Whitesides in front of Ekounou Church (from several months ago)
Carrefour 

Kondengui 


Monday, March 10, 2014

MARCH 10, 2014 - " Life is amazing. This has been the best week of my entire life and craziest week of my entire life! I am so happy!” DL, Elder Lavering! Elder Baker! Elder Naughton! New comp, new area,




Area: Yaounde, Cameroon
Ekounou – Elder Naughton- Snowflake, Arizona


Dearest Mother,
Life is amazing.  This has been the best week of my entire life and craziest week of my entire life!  I am so happy!

Ici en Afrique.... We don't get mail very often and now that there is no longer a couple missionary here in Yaoundé we will be seeing mail once every month. The Colemans are currently covering two cities at this time.  
I am now in charge of my District which entails numbers, money, working fund, District Meetings, picking people to do prayers for dinner and things like that. It also appears that I will be doing a split sometime this week with one of the other companion ships so that I can do a baptismal interview. Yeah being a District Leader is going to be really interesting a great opportunity to learn some new stuff. 
As you can imagine, Elder Lavering was freaking ecstatic that I was coming and it was pareil with me. Elder Lavering might possibly be the funnies person I have ever met in my entire life. Ha ha. We have been together for three days and we have already become instant friends. 
In other news, my new companion rocks and I am super excited for this transfer! I just can't believe I am back where it all started. I forgot to mention that I saw Elder Baker this week too! He flew in on Thursday and Elder Coleman said he was coming over to Bonaberi to pick up Elder Davis and thus began a conversation about whether or not Elder Massé was still in Douala or not. Well I was! I didn't know he was coming so as soon as I opened the front door to our apartment something came at me and attacked me! it was Elder Baker! this has been one of the craziest weeks of my entire mission. My mind is going about a million miles an hour in a billion different directions. Anyways, Elder Naughton is really really cool. As it turns out, his family lives in Snowflake! That started a huge conversation about Heber and Arizona and as it turns out all of his family is from AZ. He lived in Mesa earlier in his life but now lives in Snowflake, he moved there for his senior year. This week has been the craziest week of my entire mission. I can't even begin to explain it. 
Okay. Well I don't know what to talk about because there are just so many things to talk about so I guess I will answer some questions if I can. 
1. How’s Yaounde???  
Yaoundé is freaking crazy. It was one of the coolest things ever to get so much love and affection from old converts and members. So many people were so incredibly happy to see me. Anyways,. it was so amazing! I can't even explain it. So much love. So many great people. It's so fun to be back! 
2.  How is it different?
Oh man. I don't even know where to begin. The branch has exploded, or at least, the two of them have. I had so many people at church and things in Yaoundé are moving so much more fluidly and quickly than other parts of the mission. It's amazing to see the change that Ekounou has taken since I have left. It's been 1 year and three months since I was in Ekounou C and 8.5 months since I was in Yaounde. I am so glad to be back. 
3. How is it the same?
That is honestly really hard to tell you because so much has changed. They are still meeting in the same building, but the church has bought some land in my sector where they are going to build an official church building. It's an exciting time to be here. 
4. How is your apartment?
The apartment is good. The water has been intermittent since I got here. It's really bizarre because when I was there the apartment only lost water once in the entire 4.5 months I was there. 

5. Tell me about your new roommates
. Elder Zeregui is from the Ivory Coast and pronounces very excellent r's in English. Elder Lavering is the funniest person I have ever met in my entire life. Elder Naughton is a gymnast and lives in Snowflake, AZ. Elder Tripp is from Cedar City, Utah and his dad was a former NFL player. Elder Tripp loves Linkin Park and Tron. Awesome kid. This is his second transfer here on the mission. Elder Porter, who missed his flight home but is now officially gone speaks very good French. Did I forget to mention that Elder Lavering loves to study French?  I think we were meant to be twins but it got screwed up in the pre-existence. And Elder... Rakotondrabeharison... Yes that really is his name... Ha ha. Is super funny as well and knows a ton of English idioms. He speaks pretty good English and understands what we say. He reminds my of Elder Rambeloson. Fun and Malagasy. Ha ha. This is going to be an awesome transfer. I am stoked!
6. How was the bus ride?
 Bus ride was awesome. It went SOOO fast. I couldn't believe how fast it went.  I got on and then I got off. It was crazy. 
7. What are you doing for your birthday??
. No one knows it's my birthday so it's unlikely that we will do anything. I don't want to parade around and say "Hey Elders it's my birthday!" That isn't really how I roll so I will just leave it alone. We will see though. Elder Naughton knows it's my birthday though so maybe something will happen. 
8. What are you happy about?
 Oh I am happy! Need I say more!?
9. Tell me about Elder Naughton!
. I have said a lot already, but Elder Naughton is really awesome. He reminds me a lot of Elder Garland in many ways, it's really fun. He is a great Elder, he speaks great French, he has been in Yaounde for what is now his 6th transfer and it is looking like one of us will be leaving soon. It's unfortunate, but we will see. I will go where the Lord wants me to go.  It’s his mission, not mine, so I will do what he wants me to do.
10. What's great about being a missionary who is out 17 months?
Oh boy. The great thing about being an old missionary is that one learns a great deal from being around younger missionaries. You learn how to become better at all times and recently I have tried to look at every person with the perspective that there is something that they can teach me and something that they are much better at than I am. Elder Naughton will teach me some great things and I am excited. Getting old is fun though. It's interesting and scary at the same time
11. Is there anything you need?
. I think I may need another journal. I filled and the one with the picture of Christ on it. I am good on pens and I think everything else.
12. What adventures did you have this week?
 Church was the biggest adventure. I saw SO MANY PEOPLE. I am surprised how many people recognized me and wanted to say hello. I never realized the influence I actually had. It was really cool. 
I love you Mother! You are the best! I love you dearly. I will talk to you soon. 
Until next time,

Love Elder Massé
----------------
This is an letter home from Elder Lavering- his roommate:

“…It is cool living with Masse and our whole apartment is super mellow. …Yesterday night, we ate tacos. Elder Masse went to his room and came back with some TACO BELL sauce. WOW. Thanks Elder Masse's mom.  Missions are great  LOVE Elder Lavering”

Monday, March 3, 2014

MARCH 3, 2014 - TRANSFERS! I'm going to Yaounde! "we can’t see every angle, but He does and that is all that matters. Close your eyes and just do your best. Heavenly Father knows what is happening and it will work out the way He wants it to. Just go with the flow and let it happen. You have to lose your life to find it. " , Elder Davis, bucket list

Comp: Elder Brockbank
Area: Douala, Cameroon



March 3, 2014

Dearest Mother,
Well here we go. I will start with the questions. Email is messed up and the internet is intermittent. 
 1.       TRANSFERS!!!!!  Where is everyone going?  DON’T LEAVE OUT ANYTHING!!

I am……. staying in Cameroon.  I am going back to Yaounde!
My comp will be Elder Naughton who is a super cool guy.  I got called as the DL.  Oh, and did I mention that I’m going to be in the same sector that I started my mission in?  Ekounou.  And guess what mom …. I’ll be in the same apartment with Elder Lavering!  I know you’ll be happy about that :)  I thought for sure that wouldn’t happen because he goes home in two transfers, and I thought I might be going to the Congo.

Elder Brockbank is going to have Elder Buetler as a companion, Elder Davis is going home, Elder Ngala is training a Nigerian straight from the MTC.  My head is spinning.  It will be amazing to go back to Yaounde!  I miss it.  It’s awesome. 

Douala 
Elder Ngalamulumé with Elder Okon 
Elder Brockbank with Elder Beutler
Yaoundé 
Elder Colindres and Elder Roth
Elder Johnson and Elder Kampoy
Elder Massé and Elder Naughton
Elder Lavering and  Elder Zeregui,
Elder Tripp and a Malagash Elder
The Whitesides have gone home and no senior couple are in Douala right now. And that is all I know. Transfers are crazy.
2.       Who did you teach this week?  How did that go?
 We have been teaching Sister J. pretty regularly and she is doing good. She will be getting baptized this Saturday but I won't be there because I am leaving! It's sad, but it will be fine. She is doing well. 
3.       How is Elder Davis?
 Elder Davis is doing really good. I will really miss him. He has been an awesome friend and a great Elder. It will be weird to see him go, but it's funnier because it is me leaving him.

4.       What was the funnest thing you did today?
We haven't done a whole lot today, but it will be interesting to see how that goes today when I go into town.  I will be packing today probably. I have a lot of work to do. 
5.   Tell me something in French
Si j'allais dire quelque chose, je vais te dire que je t'aime vraiment plus que tu m'aimes. En tout cas, tout va bien ici en Afrique et bientot je serai muté aEkounou. Je suis tellement reconnaissant pour cette occasion que j'aurai bientot d'etre ensemble encore avec mes amis et mes convertis. 
6.    What are you looking forward too?
I am really looking forward to the time that I will be able to spend with the Elders up in Yaoundé and to see everyone that I knew again. It's a rather strange thing to be honest. 
7.   What are three things on your bucket list in Africa?
Cut off a branch of plantains or bananas off a tree and carry it home. 
Pick up a bottle full of red dirt and take it home. 
Work with an African... If it is possible so that I can learn a great deal about myself. 
8.   Who will you say good-bye too (if you get transferred) ?
 I will be saying goodbye to a lot of people. It will be interesting to see how that goes to be honest. I just can't believe I am leaving. It almost didn't seem possible. 

9.   What did you eat/cook this week?
 Well we are going to eat a bunch of fish and plantains on tomorrow night because I am leaving along with Elder Davis so we will have fun bouffing orbouffer. Ha ha. That's a fun French verb to use. 
10. What advice would you give to a missionary facing disappointment?
That we can’t see every angle, but He does and that is all that matters.  Close your eyes and just do your best.  Heavenly Father knows what is happening and it will work out the way He wants it to.  Just go with the flow and let it happen.   You have to lose your life to find it.  It will work out.  It was meant to be like this.  Just let it happen., 

11.   Have you been eating fresh cut sugar cane lately?
No I haven't eaten any sugar cane recently. Sorry. =(. I wish that I had though. 

That’s it for now. 

Love you mom.  Hope everything is okay.

Until next time,

Love,
Elder Masse


note:  Elder Masse was supposed to be companion with Elder Ryan Lavering in the Congo during the first transfer when the new mission President arrived.  Elder Masse had visa issues with getting to Congo, and so that never happened.  Now he will be in the same apartment with Elder Lavering in Yaounde which is pretty remarkable since Elder Lavering only has 2 transfers left.  

baptisms on Saturday in Douala





Elder Naughton


thanks to the Colemans and Whitesides for pics!