Feb 21 My First Week of Zone Conferences

Hello family and friends,

This week has been a busy week. It was my first experience with Zone Conferences as an assistant, and as an Assistant, we take part in training during those conferences. So I was bit nervous at first, but the Lord qualifies those He calls, and everything turned out great. 

We used our office day on Monday trying to do any last preparations for the conferences, and accounting for the numbers of the mission. It's our responsibility every Monday to create a report of the numbers submitted by missionaries regarding missionary work in their different areas throughout the course of the week. So after that, we had to continue working to finalize the Zone Conference which we would be having for Nairobi that Wednesday. 

Tuesday we had a proselyting day and were able to get a good start for achieving our goals in the rest of the week. I love being able to have teaching days as well as office days, it's a really nice balance, and keeps us in the teaching and finding mindset.  We have been meeting with some of our less-actives, and we are seeing some progress. We met with another one today named Faith, we were at her aunt's house who is a strong member, waiting for her. Her aunt had a friend over so we were teaching him, then Faith arrived. She is a nice girl, she was a child of record (already baptized), but it seems she has lost her faith. We discussed the Book of Mormon and she refused to accept one for herself, she goes to another church now,  but still admits the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to be a true church, only she doesn't understand how it can be the only true church. In order to know that, it comes through prayer and reading the Book of Mormon. So that's the goal, but as for now she needs to make the decision for herself. We had some other really great lessons during the day. We met with Peter whom we also met with last week after contacting him on the road, he came with great questions, so we helped to him to answer his questions and also introduced him to the Book of Mormon. He accepted to be baptized on April 12th, so that will be really awesome!

Wednesday was the Nairobi Zone Conference for all the missionaries serving within Nairobi City area. Every thing went smoothly, my companion, and I, as well as Elder Balls recited  the poem the Race (a Poem by D.H. Groberg) by memory. My companion and I have been working at it all week helping each other to perfect it. It's a lot different doing it over the pulpit, you start to forget lines and such, but each of us were able to do it, so the promise is that who ever does it at ZC President Hicken will take out to dinner. The topics for the Conference were a balance between missionary work tactics and topics, Such as the Atonement and teaching with the End in Mind. My companion and I trained on "How to more effectively use the Book of Mormon", and "Loving your investigators".  At first training was odd, but then it seemed natural and everything was good. At the End of the Conference, we watched "Meet the Mormons". It's a powerful film, the church did a really good job with it. Then we had lunch. It was a tiring day, that's for sure. This whole week has been tiring, but very fulfilling. We had a nice lunch after then finished up the day getting ready for the Dar Zone Conference to be held the next day.

Thursday morning we woke up early so that we could be at the Airport on time and fly down to Dar Es Salaam. We hit traffic on the way there, so we were cutting it close, and also some how my Yellow Fever Card wasn't with my Passport, so I didn't have that card and many times without that, it  will prevent you from entering another country, so I was praying really hard that all would be okay, it's been long time since being on an airplane, but I still love them. Our flight went right by Mt. Kilimanjaro, so we had a Beautiful view of it out the window, perfectly clear. When I got to immigration in Tanzania they asked for my Yellow Fever card and I explained what had happened and they let me through, it was a miracle. My prayer had been answered! Dar is a bit hotter than Kenya, although it was very mild compared to what it usually is there. The Dar Conference was fantastic. We did much better on time, and our teaching was better the second time around. Also it was a smaller group of missionaries there so it allowed for more participation. I was really happy to see all the missionaries there, many of whom I haven't seen my whole mission, and some who I haven't seen for a year, like Elder Ita, it was great to see him again. It's crazy that in one transfer he will be going home. Feels like just yesterday that we were in the Hills together, enjoying our time there, but now the time has gone so fast and in a few weeks it will all
seem like a dream.

Mount Kilimanjaro.

Elder Ita now.

Rushton and Elder Ita while serving in Kilungu Hills in September 2013 at the beginning of his mission.

After the conference a great Tanzanian meal had been cooked so we really enjoyed that, then rushed to the airport. Traffic was backed up and it almost caused us to be later for our flight, but when we arrived, we were told our flight was cancelled and had been merged with another later flight, so we sat there with the Hicken's talking, waiting for the flight. The flights are quick, only about an hour and twenty minutes. The blessing of getting home later though was there was no traffic, so that was helpful.

Friday was another proselyting day. With all the Zone Conferences, it has drained our energy this week, so Friday morning was tough on us, a hazy feeling throughout the day, but we were still able to teach and plan for the coming week. We met with Jane another Less-active whom we have been seeing. She is progressing, I feel she will come to church soon, she's up against that wall of faith, and she knows what is the right decision, it's just taking the step. Peter came again today with many questions, we tried to focus on the fact that all of his questions will be answered as we go through the lessons and as he reads the Book of Mormon, he really studies and ponders what he reads, so it would help completely for him to do that. 

Today we have had a pleasant day, we cleaned, studied, shopped and then came to the office to email, so all has been good. It helps to be able to relax after a long week. I'm learning a lot in this new assignment, it is a great blessing to have this privilege.

Thank you all for your love and support,

Upendo,

Missionary hiki ndani Kenya,

Mzee Rushton J. Hiltbrand