Recently we have been experiencing a bit of opposition in
the work whereas many of those we have been teaching have stopped keeping
committments or had other concerns arise and many, acutally, most of our
lessons fell though this week. And so it
was a week of a lot of tracting and finding people to teach!
Many of the missionaries here in Blantyre are
experiencing similar things actually so we were counciling together and we
believe it to be kind of like a sigmoid curve where it goes down first then
rapidly upwards. The mission is taking a great new direction this year and so
as we begin I'm sure the Opposite is going to try to halt us and that's what we
are feeling. It is like a refiner's fire - especially for me as I deal not only
with our area but also with this district and such.
But I know that, shortly, things are going to explode
upward! We just all have to be dilligent during this time and continue!
We did find some great people this week though! One of
which is a man and his brother, Christopher, who stays in Keetway, Zambia
(another proselyting area in this mission) that is visiting for a prolonged
period of time. We have taught them twice and they are interested and keeping
commitments! Christopher expressed how he's gone to sooo many churches (he
listed, by name, at least 10) and how he hadn't found the one he believed to be
true yet. Well he came to church on Sunday and we see him tonight so that will
be great! What's cool, though, is even if he goes back home the church and
missionaries are still there to continue. It seems we plant many seeds for
other missionaries here. I don't know if I shared how one time we made a missed
call and then found out the random person we called stayed in Lilongwe so we
referred the missionaries to her and now they're teaching her and her whole
family!
The Lord works in mysterious ways haha.
But now we won't be making any missed calls for a few
days. I lost the phone on Saturday night in a mini bus. That won't make the
work any easier these next few days haha!
Well the week was a good one! Just because it was hard
doesn't mean it wasn't good! I love this nchito (work) no matter what. Thanks for all
the support! Transfers are at the end of this week and there are 12-15 leaving
with 7 coming in, so who knows what will happen!
Love
Elder Grant Hiltbrand
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| Mission truck used to deliver water to our apartment. |
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| One of the many maize fields around the village. |