Man... That subject line is just a tid bit of wisdom we gained from Bishop Magaqa this week. In our weekly meeting with him, we were reporting some of the less active members we're working with, and above all he simply encouraged us to keep trying. Sometimes it feels like we work really hard and nothing seems to happen. Sometimes we get frustrated when it seems as if nothing we share seems to be getting through to those we're teaching. But if we just take a step back, and look at what's really happening, it puts everything in a new perspective. Are we working to boost sacrament numbers? Are we trying just to get someone to church? Or are we working towards something higher than that? Are we actually trying to help people attain eternal life? Are we trying to help people view life as an ascent to exaltation, and help them know that they can indeed have hope for something greater? Sometimes things don't happen as we'd like them to, but if we're following the Spirit and working our hardest, things will happen as we need them to. With the member we met this week that's been absent from the church and living a lifestyle of partying, Bishop encouraged us to keep trying. Keep encouraging. Be his friend. Because in the end, that's what it's gonna take. True brotherly love.
Ah, my friends. Every once in a while you have one of those weeks that just leaves you on a spiritual high. Even if everything doesn't go exactly as planned, everything just seems to be right.
Where to begin...
I guess the logical place would be MLC and zone conference. I think the word in isiZulu to describe them would be amandla! Or in isiNgisi, power! We had a discussion in MLC on Tuesday about what challenges the mission is facing, and we decided one of the big ones is a culture of bad habits. Habits like waking up late, not leaving the boarding 'til 12, being discouraged and unmotivated... All things that new missionaries arrive and adapt to. Our question was, how can we solve this? So we brainstormed ideas for creating a positive mission culture and identity. Creating traditions. Being positive in all things. Sharing experiences of hope and tender mercies as districts every night. Ah. Hands down the best mission council I've been a part of. I see the mission going in great directions.
Zone conference the next day, the Z Man introduced all these ideas to the mission. Elder Childs taught us a great lesson about the value of a mission. President gave us some ideas for finding, for gaining hope, and for finding joy in the work. The Spirit was there in abundance. As soon as you start looking for tender mercies, you start to see that they're there more than one might expect. Just after zone conference, we had an appointment with Ndabe, one of my favorite members in Umlazi. He wasn't home, but we were able to talk to his uncle that was staying with them. We introduced the Book of Mormon, and he told us he's been wanting to learn more about Jesus Christ and make him more a part of his life. I mean, that's nothing big... But hey, a small tender mercy that brightened up our day.
And after that, it was finally time to get back into the swing of working full time. Hee yeah!
There's this member in Umlazi that we've seen on the streets from time to time. In every instance I'd seen him before this week, he'd been drunk. Some people get dumb when they're drink. Some get really honest. Some get over the top polite. For him, he just turns rude and flat out stoopid. So in his drunken state, he accuses us of being liars, acting like we owe him something and comes with all these sad stories... So I was less than enthusiastic when he told us to come visit him. We make the appointment, we go, and we find him for the first time sober, and man... It's crazy how much nicer he got whilst sober. He told us his whole story of joining the Church, all the way up to his decision to be absent for a time. He told us he was a naughty teenager, and when he'd see leaders from church at the parties he'd go drink at, he just got upset. If the people he's looking up to at church are there, why should he even try? Which, honestly, can you blame him? It was interesting to hear him open up like that, but it was good and I gained a lot of respect for him. In light of Bishop's wisdom, we're gonna keep trying with him.
Another family we've been working with the last little while is the Myende family. They've been inactive for a long time, but the Spirit has been working on baba hard lately. We've been visiting them since I was with Elder Okeng, and finally, after five months, the whole family came to church. We were so overwhelmingly pleased, and they were too. The last couple weeks, ma's had a huge smile on her face, and it sure didn't disappear at church.
Bishop asked Primrose and Yiva both to give talks this Sunday... Like what, two weeks after they were baptized?! Yebo! Were they nervous as heck?! Oh you betcha! But did they give talks better than I could ever dream of?! Of absolutely! Like not even kidding... I try to pepper in jokes to my talks, and maybe I'll get a chuckle at best. Primrose? Had the entire congregation busting up, and to top it off, was one of the most heartfelt testimonies I've heard. Let's hear it for recent converts!
Another tender mercy from this week... We're teaching Brother Mthembu's cousin Punky right now, and his baptism is planned for the end of this month. We've been kinda nervous about getting everything taught with his work schedule, but lo and behold, he's taking leave until a couple days after his baptism. Don't you love when things work out like that?
Hmmm... We saw Meet the Mormons this week at our zone activity. Everyone was stoked to see Elder Armstrong. Something funny though... There's a part where it shows him "street contacting" in downtown Durban. And as Elder Faganello was looking closely at the person Armstrong was talking to, he was just like, "Hey... She's a member in KwaMashu!" Which we all had a good laugh over.
One more thing before I wrap up. Well, actually... I think I'll save this one for next week, just to keep you on your toes.
Should be another tops week. How it will top this last week, I'm not sure... But we're surely gonna try.
Sala kahle, stay positive, love your lives my friends.
Thanda kakhulu,
iGosa Johnson
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