Sawubona!
Ah man… Every so often you just have to take some time to be creatures (for a while). Today's been a li'l bit all mixed up... We had our zone activity down in Dundee and just barely got back. But, it's been an exciting week with much to report on! So many exciting things happening… You can just feel the electricity in the air!
So the excitement started happening Wednesday at our zone training meeting. The area presidency is introducing a new booklet called My Family: Stories that Bring Us Together. Essentially it's a paper version of FamilySearch.org, and it can be a great tool to fill out and find out more about your ancestors. The Durban mission is piloting it, and they've asked us to use it in our finding, reactivation, and retention efforts. So far, it's looking to be a huge blessing to the area. One of the Zulu traditions that it's tough to help babas and the rest of their families to let go of is ancestor worship. Ya know, sacrificing goats to them and stuff. So essentially My Family we'll be there to help them pay respect to their ancestors through receiving the blessings of the temple. We're STOKED about it!
Also at our zone training meeting, Elders Armstrong and Kruger introduced the vision for the Newcastle District. The number of active, full-tithe paying Melchizidek Priesthood holders needed to become a stake is 150. Currently, there are 76. The number of ordained elders in the district? 170. The number of potential elders in the district? 339. With those numbers, we can see the direction we need to be taking the work. Instead of baptizing more people into less-activity, we've made it a zone goal to rescue those that have already made covenants with our Heavenly Father. We did the math, and to become a stake, all each companionship has to do is find/bring back nine Melchizidek Priesthood holders. So our new zone motto? "Rescue the Nine." Hehe, pretty clever, eh? And the greatest part about all of this is that the My Family books are looking to be an incredible way to bring babas to/back to the church! Ah man, it is an exciting time to be serving in the Newcastle Zone my friends.
Elder Mukonda and I got started quickly working on our own My Family books and realized just how much there is we don't know about our own families. Yoh… I looked at it at first and was like, "Man… I already know everything about my grandparents!" But lo and behold, I couldn't even remember the day they were married. Eish…you've humbled me again, mission. So it's been lekker learning about family history for ourselves before sharing it with others.
On top of all this training, the area still continues to be on fire! Man, it's so cool working with members that have such powerful testimonies. Ma Mdletsche had a family member pass away, so a lot of the family was in town from Durban for the funeral. We got a call from her Friday morning asking us to bring over a few copies of the Book of Mormon. She had been teaching them all about the Plan of Salvation! So we got to share a li'l bit more with them, and then give their names as referrals to the Umlazi elders. How power is that?!
Friday was looking to be a li'l disappointing… We had planned a soccer game at the chapel with some of the young men and asked them to invite friends. Quite a few had told us they were coming, but it got to be about a half hour late and no one really was showing up. But we decided to stay a little longer, and it's a good thing we did, because everyone ended up showing up, we made a couple contacts while we were at it, and even had a lesson afterwards and committed two of our investigators to baptism! Man… It's so great working with Elder Mukonda! He is one powerful missionary. And I think I found the reason I love him so much… He is Zambia's Spencer Hafen. It's almost ridiculous how much he reminds me of good ol' Sebby now that I think about it. Anyway, Saturday night! We taught the Restoration to a recent convert's friend, and man… He understood it better than I've ever seen anyone understand it! We must have done something right in the spirit world, because the blessings just keep raining upon us here in Newcastle!
Saturday President Zackrison was in town for more training on My Family and interviews. Lekker day. Big Z… Man, there's just something about the way he teaches. He knows exactly how to invite the Spirit to testify to us that whatever he's teaching about is true. He never gives fire, just loves us. From the ZLs on Wednesday, we learned the how of My Family. With President, we learned the why…the Spiritual side of it. When it comes down to it, that's what's going to hasten the work. The Spirit testifying to you is the most powerful witness of the gospel.
I was the last one to be interviewed that day, and man… I just love talking one on one with Big Z. It never feels like an interview… Just a conversation. We talked about everything...the area, my spiritual progression, why I left Queensburgh so quickly, how I can continue to progress… Man, he's doing the mission president thing right. He's a friend more than anything. One of the coolest parts of the interview was the lightning storm going on at the same time. Haha, we both got distracted by it. Glad he's human just like you and me!
Sunday was an adventure… Yoh. We got lost trying to find a member that stays about 20 k's outside Newcastle. As it turns out, we went 20 k's in the wrong direction, but eventually made our way to Brother Classen's. Man, they are such a cool family and stay in probably the coolest place in South Africa I've seen so far. It's remote, completely surrounded by mountains, has a golf course… Ah man, I tasted heaven. So I guess he's from Germany, working here in South Africa, and the rest of the family is based in California. One of his sons had a Dodgers hat on, which is so many different types of awesome. They've been members I think 40 or so years, and it was so cool to have a conversation about the Plan of Salvation with them.
There's a Jamaican word… Irie. It's a state of just feeling good. That's how I've felt in Newcastle. Everything here is just going great. I'm happy as I've ever been and the work is moving forward wonderfully! It's rained every day this week, which has made it tough to look beyond the grey sky in the literal sense, but in the figurative sense, it's easy to look past the setbacks when there are so many miracles happening!
To the excitable crew, I wish a very happy 311 Day tomorrow. :) Sala kahle my friends. Stay positive, and love your lives.
Uthando okuningi,
Umdala Johnson
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