Sawubona!
Aight, time to get philosophical for a sec. Just as the ship built by the brother of Jared was tight like unto a dish, this email is going to be hectic and all over the place...even like unto this last week.
Where to start, where to start...
Thanks to the cheapness of the driving range here, my golf skills are gradually improving, line upon line, p-day upon p-day. My slice is becoming less of a slice, but on the down side, Elder Gold says my back swing looks like I'm pooping my pants. But whatevs, I don't golf to look pretty.
You know how you always hear about those crazy stories where one of the missionaries in a companionship is like, "Hey, I think we should go back and talk to those people," and the other's like, "Nah man, you're crazy. Quit takin' loony pills," but then the first one's like, "Ah eish man, I really feel like we should go talk to those people," so the other one's finally like, "Yeah ok whatever let's go," and then it ends up being a super neat spiritual experience that put you in the right place at the right time? Well brothers and sisters, I'm here today to bare witness that those experiences DO happen. But unfortunately, I was the missionary in the story that was like, "Nah man, you're crazy." Woops. Let me explain...
One thing led to another Thursday, and somehow we ended up in an ANC headquarters teaching three guys about the Book of Mormon. One of them, Patrick, seemed to know a lot. He knew about Joseph Smith, the Pearl of Great Price, the Doctrine and Covenants, how long we serve as missionaries, but kept insisting that he wasn't a member. As a member of the ANC, he must know the religious backgrounds of everyone they're reaching out to, so he's done his research. But then he mentions something super specific from one of the Articles of Faith, and we're just like...what the heck. So as he's walking us out to the car, he's finally like, "Hey...you should go check and see if my name's still on the records." HE'S A MEMBER!!! We got talking a little bit more, and I guess he was baptized about 25 years back, in Alabama of all places. But the best part is...he's a Melchizedek Priesthood holder who stays in town! EXACTLY what Kimberley needs to be able to split the ward! If this isn't a testament of the Lord's hand in this work, I dunno what is. So the moral of the story? If you or your companion have a spiritual prompting to do something, act on it and miracles will happen.
So going along with this whole acting on spiritual impressions thing, after reading Preach My Gospel one morning, I decided I needed to start a study journal. I always thought I could get away with using the margins in my scriptures as a study journal, but man...a couple days into it and I'm already getting more out of my studying. The other cool thing is I'm writing down answers to common questions we get from investigators. Eish...they know their Bible here. Just an example, I never heard this back in Mormonville, but I guess there's a scripture in Revelations chapter 7 that talks about 144,000 people that will be sealed at the Second Coming, 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel, and a lot of people make the false assumption that only 144,000 people will go to heaven.
Friday and Saturday were kind of a downer. Elder Reeves, as we later found out, was stricken with some sort of intestinal infection, so we were stuck at the boarding for a couple days. I guess I shouldn't be complaining... I wasn't the one puking my guts out. Eish, poor guy. :/ But on the plus side, our boarding was spotless afterwards. Two days without a thing to do will teach you the joys of cleanliness and scripture study. Woot! Sunday he was still feeling not that great, so it was hectic...but we figured out a way to make it so I could go out with the ward mission leader, and he had a companion with him at the boarding all day. With it being my last day in Kimberley, I needed some time to say goodbyes...
And that brings us to the big news this week. My time in Kimberley has come to a close. Holy cow... If you told me six months ago that I would grow to love this town, this ward, and these people so much, I would have said you're crazy. But man... So many people here have made differences in my life and I've grown to love them SO much. All the people we've taught, that I've gotten to know. Man...it's gonna be tough leaving, but there's a quote from Dr. Seuss that makes it all ok. "Don't be sad because it's over, smile because it happened."
But the Lord needs me to labor in another part of his vineyard now. Hey Pinetown...ready or not, here I come! Just kinda crazy... Kimberley is literally the farthest area away from the mission home you can get, and uh... Pinetown IS the mission home. So that gives you an idea of how far I'm gonna have to travel tonight. Bring on the red-eye bus trip!
Stoked for Pinetown though. From what I've heard, it's a tough area, but that ain't gonna scare Elder Johnson. 1 Nephi 3:7 to the rescue!
Stay well, stay positive, love your lives dames en here.
Baie liefde,
Elda Johnson
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