Well hello once more,
These weeks are going by faster and faster, it's madness. This week was a packed week, it's always so great when you get home and feel exhausted because the day was so busy! This was the case almost every night this week.Throughout the week we had much reflection and discovery as to how we need to lead the zone as Zone Leaders, but also how we need to be as missionaries, to follow more closely in the footsteps of our Savior and by doing so He will bless us with a greater teaching pool, for these are His children, but He must trust us to be able to take them and nourish them and guide them to once again reach out and take the hand of their Savior and make sacred covenants.
Tuesday was a day of exchanges, the Busia elders had come down again so that Elder Ntsele could go to the Dentist. I was with Elder Orenge for the day. In the morning it seemed that we were going to have a very slow day, but it turned out that our day was blessed with opportunity and we were able to find many unplanned teaching opportunities. We went and visited sister Hilda (she is an investigator, she is the sister of Brother Cyprian) at the VCT Clinic (Voluntary Counciling and Testing clinic for HIV/ AIDS). She works there helping those that suffer with HIV and AIDs, really a kind lady who really desires to help others. She was working at the time, so we were only able to visit shortly with her. She talked to us how HIV runs wild throughout the country due to sex being a recreational past time and no longer do they advise those they council to live in abstinence because they know the people won't listen, so they advise ways to be safer.. When she shared this with us as being the challenge she faced, I couldn't help but to think how blessed we are to have the gospel of Jesus Christ which teaches us the values of Chastity, Virtue, and Purity with complete abstinence and total fidelity within the bounds of marriage. God really knows what we need and guides us continually. Due to another patient arriving, we offered to leave her with a prayer and then we set out on our way to the church. We met with the couples at the church and talked with them for a few minutes as we waited to join up with Steve. Once Steve arrived we went and visited sister Nancy. She is a super kind member, but I strongly feel that because of her work as a seller in the market, and her poor eye sight, it makes her hesitant to come to church, so right now she is a bit less active. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and how it provides the guide we need in these modern times to direct us and steer us through the challenges and trials of life. As she was getting her Book of Mormon, we noticed how she has a very hard time seeing the pages and can hardly see enough to know if it's the right side up or not. Seeing this, I knew there are Huge print scriptures available in the distribution center for only 80ksh, so made her a promise that we would get her some of the large print scriptures if she would promise to read them everyday. She promised to do so. I'm excited for her, because I know that as she will have the ability to read the scriptures, her knowledge and nourishment in the gospel will increase and help to bring her back to church. Our last appointment was in a place called Mbeme, I believe I have previously referred to it as the Jungle here in Kisumu. Well we went there and Steve was absolutely shocked by the distance that we had to walk to get there. It takes about an hour or 45 minutes to get there and we sure don't walk slow! We met with Grace who is a member, a powerful member at that, she walks to church every Saturday and Sunday being the only member in her family. We found her Grandmother and Father there, both of them actually attend Steve's Fathers church. So that was pretty funny.
Wednesday we had our Zone Training Meeting. One thing I really love about our couples is how they have amazing companionship unity. They are super unified in everything they do. This is something that no doubt takes work. As young missionaries, we have companions and sometimes it's a struggle to build up that companionship unity, but it's preparing for us to be able to develop unity and love within our marriages someday. Our ZTM was really good, my companion taught on the spirit and seeking it continually in the work, I taught on Contacting and Finding, how to do it and why it's so important for us to open our mouths. The trainings came together well, they just felt a bit rushed. I'm more accustomed to a 2.5 or 3hr ZTM, rather than 1.5hr, but its a good thing to learn how to teach within a more compressed time frame. After the ZTM, the Eldoret sisters arrived to do exchanges with our sisters. You should have seen the excitement on our faces to have 4 sisters in the zone!... Sisters are great to have and really are able to do a ton of work and bring many unto Christ, they are just really loud and high maintenance haha... We got the Busia elders on their way and then we went with the couples to a place called Vihiga which is an area about 33 Kilometers away (takes about 40-60min to get there). We met with Godfrey, a member who stays there and he showed us around to visit the other members who are staying there. It was really a great experience. It's a beautiful area there, reminded me a lot of Kilungu Hills. We had some really great visits with the members there. It's difficult for them to come to church due to the distance, but there are many that come from there each week. One of the customs that seems to be quite new to the couples is that many times when visiting someone's home they want to feed you a meal of some sort. So while in Vihiga, one of the families fed us, "It's the African Way!"
Thursday was a very exhausting proselyting day, by the time it was 12 it had already felt that we had been proselyting all day.. We helped the sisters out and showed them how to the get the orphanage so that they could do service. We were already booked with appointments for the day so we weren't planning to stay with them. When we got to the orphanage and dropped them off we asked if they now knew the place... they responded and told us that they know the whole area and knew how to get to the orphanage... so we are still confused as to why they had us take them there. We went and had an awesome lesson with sister Helen, at her shop. It's been a long time since we have met with her, so it was really good to see her again. We taught about the Pre-earth Life and how we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants the best for us and because He loves us, He allowed for us to come to earth and receive a body so that we can become like Him. We also shared how in the pre-existence there was a war in Heaven and we could either follow Satan or follow Christ, and all those who are upon the earth with bodies today chose to follow Christ, and now we have to choose again whether we desire to follow Christ and return into the presence of our Heavenly Father. She bore powerful testimony of her faith in Christ and the love that she feels continually from him. She is a wonderful investigator, we are trying to help her have the faith to come to church, so that she can embrace the full blessings of the gospel. Afterwards we went and visited Jane, an older mama who came to church consecutively for a few weeks, she has been very sick, so we went and gave her a blessing which she really appreciated. Then went and taught Samuel, helping him to prepare for his mission. There are now 7 in the branch that are very close to submitting their mission papers, so it's very exciting to see them get ready and soon receive their calls. We arranged to meet with the sisters again and take them to sister Doreen's home, one of the recent converts in the branch whom we gave to them. The sisters sure are loud when they are all together, like really loud! Haha they love to talk. We had a great lesson at Doreens, then sent the sisters on their way home as we went and visited three other families in the area.
Friday was our weekly planning. We had a in depth weekly planning this week, we really desire to see the work increase so in order to achieve our goal we must make a plan. Make a goal, plan how to achieve it, and all the little goals within the big goal, if that plan fails, make another, and so on and so on. This is the council from our Mission President to us. For the most part it was a slow proselyting day, we did some contacting in the sports ground, then went and taught some families in Manyatta, then to finish the day we went out to Mbeme again to teach Grace and were hoping to teach her friend Eunice as well. As we were coming home, we stopped by Tusky's to buy somethings. Steve, who was with us for the day, was super nervous being there because right now there continues to be intense persecution from his family and his father owns half of the Tuskers Mattress Company (Tusky's) so he was a bit nervous to see people that might know him. His Parents don't want him to go around with us so that's why.
Saturday we were fed a delicious breakfast by our couples, they were trying to make the attempt and fill up my companion so they made us a big breakfast of French toast, potatoes and some Kenyan Bacon. My companion ate 11 slices, but still he was not filled... the couples were prepared to make much more if needed, but due to time we had to go, so my companion was not yet fully filled. One of the markets close to our flat, the outdoor markets that are compiled of small makeshift shops, was totally flattened in the late night/ early morning by the city officials. They had given them a notice a while back to leave the area, but those that did not heed the warning had to deal with the consequences. It reminded me a lot of the prophets of Jerusalem in times of old warning the people to repent, but when they didn't, the city was destroyed. The Lord blesses us with prophets to lead us and guide us, as we heed their council we are blessed, but when we don't, we pay the consequences. We noticed the market on our way to visit Brother Cyprian who was in the hospital this week. We found him and gave him a blessing. We then began splits, I was again with Steve, and my companion with Davis, we went and taught Sister Hilda again, but this time at her home, then returned to the church so that Steve could attend Institute and so that we could teach Walter after Institute. Sister Horner (senior couple) came up to me and exclaimed that I must be learning a lot in my current companionship, I told her yeah but it sure hasn't been easy. I have learned much about patience and the agency of others. They have the choice to choose for themselves after teaching them. I've seen that in every area and every companionship, there is always lessons to be learned and we are put in these situations so that we can learn what our Heavenly Father desires us to learn.
Sunday was a day full of meetings, in the morning we attended PEC, then the normal Sunday services. In Priesthood meeting Steve was ordained to the office of Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. It's really awesome to see the progression of Steve in the gospel. He will stand as a light and example to many, especially his family. After church we met with the Branch President to talk about missionary work in the branch and how the work can be progressed and how we can work together. Then afterwards my companion and I met with the Branch President just us, and after doing so, we met with the sisters to discuss as to how we can work together and with the Branch to progress the work.
Just a interesting side note about Kisumu, things are very expensive here, more so than in any other area that I have been in, Mangos are 35ksh compared to 5 - 10ksh, so that's a bummer, but we did find one cheap thing this week, Avacados, so we have been making all sorts of delicious dishes with Avacados! I can make a very Nice Guacamole now days!
Well I love you all, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone, members of the church may not be perfect, but we can trust that the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, is perfect.
Thank you for your constant love, prayers, and support!
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