So hello everyone,
This week was pretty busy, in regards to teaching it was slow, but we had a really amazing Zone conference and a special adult meeting that was really great too. So I am mainly going to highlight the events of those two because the other days were pretty slow.
So on Tuesday, I learned an important lesson, many times in life we are given the chance to do something productive prior to an event, or just wait around with the excuse that everyone will understand if you don’t do anything prior. Thus was the case with Tuesday. We had the other missionaries coming from Kitale and Kisumu at 2:00 and had arranged for a soccer match together, but before 2:00 we were totally free. nothing planned. This led us to a decision. I really have been wanting to work hard and be busy busy each day even when there is little time, so I was really pushing for this. We ended up arranging two appointments, our first bounced us at the church, but our second was with Lucy and Paris who were just recently baptized. They live far so we walked all the way through Kisumu Ndogo and Kona Mbaya. We had a nice lesson with them, about the Book of Mormon and following up on the reading they have been doing. They have been reading, but the problem is they don’t understand the English or at least that’s what they thought. We decided to read a chapter together so that we could help them to understand and begin reading the Book of Mormon more regularly. We read 1 Nephi 1 together, each person reading three verses as we went around. Afterward we discussed what we read and Lucy realized that she actually did understand what was happening and was getting the main points. It was really something to help her develop that needed faith in herself so that she can progress in the gospel without hesitation. After the lesson we were in a hurry, but they brought out food so we shoved it down as fast as we could and got on our way. We took a bodaboda (bicycle taxi) to our flat because it was far. I love those because you just feel like you are flying around . We went and had a nice time playing soccer with the other elders, Then we returned to our flats. Elder Ndaba and Elder Dick were staying in our flat, so it was really cool to have the three of us MTC brothers back together, we always enjoy getting together.
Now to fully understand that Wednesday was really an amazing day to me, let me just tell you that it took up 4 pages in my journal, that is the largest entry so far. So Wednesday was Zone Conference/ Mission Tour with Elder Cook who is from the first quorum of the seventy and is now the President of the Africa South East Area. Prior to the actual conference, we had a Leadership Training Meeting with Elder Cook and Sister Cook as well as President Hicken and Sister Hicken. It was a really cool meeting with all of the Zone leaders together. One of the quotes said by Elder Cook during it was "Missions are the opportunity to learn the pattern of Revelation". We discussed delegation and how the Mission President has delegated the watch of our zones to us and that we need to be able to work with that and settle problems accordingly.
Sister Hicken spoke regarding her family history and how important it is especially here where few records are recorded on paper, but rather all by memory, but memory fades and people pass away, so many records vanish with that. She brought up the church's new booklet called the My Family which helps everyone to fill in the history of their family including pictures, stories, dates, etc. It was really cool and should really help. We then heard from President Hicken about "Becoming a consecrated missionary". This talk is perfect for any mission and can help everyone become stellar missionaries. I find this talk almost like personal scripture because it is really helping me to become a better missionary and really lose myself in the work. Out with the old Rushton and in with the new. The old Rushton is just quite stubborn and only changes slowly, so it’s a process, but it’s coming along nicely.
We currently have a goal for the Eldoret District to become a Stake by the end of the year. Much of the conference had this in mind. Elder Cook spoke in support of what President and Sister Hicken had said. He asked us what we felt and how we were inspired and said that Missionaries are servants for the Lord in spreading his gospel, this really rang through me and I made the comment that we are like "Serve-Ants". I have seen many types of Ants here and the Safari ants continue to intrigue me. The way that all ants work together to accomplish their tasks as they serve the Queen Ant. The safari ants are really unique in the fact that they have warrior ants that have massive pinchers and stand outside the line of ants to protect them from possible intrusion and harm. This made me think of the mission set up, we are all missionaries, working together for the same purpose, serving our God, and as missionary leaders, we assist in guarding the other ants from intrusion and danger both spiritually and physically. This really was a cool insight that came to mind. Elder Cook really encouraged us to write down any insights or feelings that came to us during the conference, so I did that plenty.
Elder Cook really spoke a lot about Conversion vs. Testimony and how there are many of us that just have a testimony but the real important thing in life is being truly Converted meaning that you live up to your testimony in word, action, thought, etc. I really loved this talk because it applies to each of us. Do we have a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ, or are we really converted to him and his teachings? I know for me I want to be converted, not just the one with a testimony. Elder Cook related this to the Natural man and coming from the Natural man who may have a testimony of the gospel, to a saint who is someone that is converted to the gospel and lives it in all ways. Sister Cook made a comment that its human nature to keep the weak, weak and the strong strong. This is the same with chickens, when a chicken spots blood on another chicken in the flock, all the others gang up and peck the weak chicken to death. She said in the Kenya Nairobi Mission there can be no Pecking Chickens. We must help one another become the best that we can be and in order to do that we need the help of others as we overcome our weaknesses. These are just some of the things that really stuck out to me, like I said I wrote 4 pages about this conference... Another thing that stuck out was that to be consecrated missionaries, we don’t need to be perfect, we just must always be striving toward perfection. Striving isn’t a one time thing either, but it is a constant effort to be better and to change into what God would have us be.
At the end of the conference we did role plays about companionship study and teaching. We split off with a different companion and then did a short study and then a short teaching. We did a great comp study and we were supposed to study for a particular investigator. When Elder Anderson (our Senior Missionary Couple) came in as our investigator he didn’t know he was supposed to act like a certain investigator because he had been driving people around for the lunch and such so he had missed when we discussed that. So we had to entirely alter our teaching plans and teach differently, but it was a really cool experience because even though its a role play, you can still feel the spirit and rely on it to teach.
After the conference, Elder Cook wanted to interview some missionaries just briefly he asked if anyones first or last names start with Y, none, then he said R. That’s me! so yes
I got to interview one on one with a general authority. It was really cool, you could just feel the spirit radiate and love abound. We just spoke about our experience with the conference and such. It was really just overall a great Mission Tour/Zone Conference.
Thursday was zone service in which we went and cleaned and cleared the Jerusalem elders flat which hasn’t been used in 5 months now. Afterwards we went and taught a lesson with Johnson and Andrew. It’s really kinda tough teaching two investigators at the same time, because they are normally at different levels of understanding and on different lessons. We managed to make it work though so that was good. That night I was so tired and fell asleep on the couch while writing my journal, I woke up and read what I had wrote and saw that I had been totally delirious while writing because I wrote such random stuff.
Friday was a really slow teaching day, we did however have a great lesson with Andrew in which we taught the plan of salvation and spoke about where we came from. It was all new to him, but the spirit was really bearing testimony to him of the truth and he was so fascinated with it. We showed him some scriptures, and he exclaimed, I have read these verses over and over before, but never have I seen them or understood them as I now do. He really loved the fact that we are eternal beings and this is not the beginning, nor is it the end. It really made me realize that we as the church of jesus christ of latter day saints have a unique doctrine to share with the world. Its a wonderful doctrine that gives hope and faith in a brighter future.
Saturday was another day in which we had the chance to choose to make the morning productive or not. After having a powerful mission tour I really was pumped up and desiring to work, but I can’t just work at my pace, but rather my companion and I must work together. So we arranged an appointment before going to meet with the Kitale elders who had come again for a special adult meeting with Elder Mhukabell, an area seventy. We taught the word of wisdom to Johnson and his cousin, it went well. The Word of wisdom is a tough one for many here because tea and coffee is part of their culture. We then went and met up with the other missionaries. We had a powerful meeting with Elder Mhukabell. It was an adult meeting for the district based on aligning the culture of the church and people in Africa with the gospel culture. It was a great meeting and kinda put as a discussion with a panel and such. It will really help people to see how the Gospel needs to be part of their life, not just a Sunday thing.
Sunday was really a great time, we had to be at the church so that President could do interviews for the Kitale zone. I still find it interesting the natural segregation that takes place. All of us from the states were talking with sister Hicken telling stories and such, but our companions from Africa were together outside talking and telling stories. We had the confirmation of Joshua, Lucy and Paris arrived late, so they will be confirmed next week. Joshua is so happy to be a member, he just has a beaming smile all the time. President Hicken interviewed all the way through sacrament, and then they had to go and catch their plane afterwards. In the third hour, one of investigators, the father of Lucy and Paris made some really good comments, but they were kinda brushed aside. Sometimes actually usually people dont mean to say or do something offensive but it comes off that way to the receiver. I made sure after the meeting to get up and really express that I enjoyed his comments and look forward to seeing and hearing from him again. As I was doing this I could just feel the spirit and love for this man whom I barely know, that is one of the blessings of the spirit and of serving those around us.
So that was pretty much the week. we will be receiving transfer news tonight, so anything can happen, I feel either my companion or I will leave the area, so we shall know tonight and all of you will know next week.
Well I love you all and am so grateful for all your support and prayers. Feel free to send Dear Elders this way, they are easy and always appreciated!
Love always, Elder Rushton Jay Hiltbrand
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