Another amazing week that flew by! (kinda)
This week we really started to see the fruits of our labors start to show! We have worked hard for 2 months and on paper it didn't look like we were too successful, but we always knew we were just planting tons of seeds and now many of those took root and are growing! For example, I spoke of people coming to church last week and we always just had 1-2 come...usually one, but this past Sunday we had EIGHT! I was so excited! We have some great investigators who love the gospel and it is really changing their lives! Baptisms are coming soon! I'm so happy seeing people follow the example of Jesus Christ and improve the quality of their lives!
Our quality of living isn't too good though...this last week we again had more days without water than days with water, but it has become normal to us now and it's not too bad at all! Except for, like I mentioned last week, when you use the toilet...this time we just tried to hold it all day in hopes of water being on when we got home that night. Well I was really struggling at one point so my oh-so-loving companion asked the member family we were visiting if I could use their toilet. They said of course and asked if I had tissue...that's when I got scared...but my oh-so-loving companion knew how to handle the situation and just said they could give me the materials to use. Materials?! what did that mean? So then the abambo (father) comes out and hands me two pieces of printing paper about the size of a large post-it... Wonderful.. so then he showed me to the bathroom and so I entered and found...a hole. That is where I will end this story, but just know I did not end up having to tear out sheets in my planner.
This week we worked with this amazing family, the Sanganu Family, who we introduced to the Book of Mormon and shared with them the Restoration. When we came back and followed up on their prayers, they all testified of the Spirit bearing witness to them of the truth of the Prophet Joseph Smith and they knew that this church really is the same church Jesus Christ established.
So on Friday I got the privilege to go on an exchange with Elder Muthoka, one of my Zone Leaders (ZL) on his 2 year anniversary on mission! He goes back home to Kilungu Hills, Kenya on the 10th of November! (That is where Rushton served his first 6 months -- in the bush.) But he really opened my eyes as to how fun talking to people is and how to really just be comfortable with silence in lessons to let the Spirit teach the people. We finished our day with a super powerful lesson with a man named Zivalle where we prayed with him to ask if he should be baptized and we were all just so humbled by the Spirit we felt.
Also this week we saw a man chopping down a tree so I said oofoona tandeezo? (I butcher the spelling of chichewa but it means something like can we help you) and so he let us help him chop down this giant tree. What seemed like a job that would take 15 min turned into 60 because this tree was stubornnn. And his axe was quite dull and heavyyy. so I am still sore from that service, but it was fun! and when the tree fell it started rolling down the hill at us all so everyone was running away and it was hilarious. That was the first time I chopped down a tree! Oh and people laughed at me chopping because they think azungus (white men) are weak or something so that made me chop harder, but I admit..azungus are weaker by nature..my companion and I work out in the morning and man his arms are just huge! I'll send home a picture of our home gym next week! It's amazing haha we even got a bench press!
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| Our flatmate got bacon in a care package, so we made a huge breakfast this morning! |
Well I love you all and thank you for all your thoughts and
prayers!This Church is true!