Monday May 24 2010 Letter

This last week has been up and down and all around. So let's begin with the analysis, shall we?

It began very well I thought, with an awesome companion, a great FHE with the Branch President's family, and just happy people all around. We had some very great lessons. Where some of our investigators told us they were already finished with 2 Nephi! Whoa!

Then on Friday we had a lesson with Alfred and Florence. We invited the couple missionaries to explain that the divorce with the first wife has to be done before they can be baptized. They tried to explain it away and say that the first wife was gone and we couldn't help them see that it HAD to be done. That is why we invited the couple missionaries, because they deal with this kind of stuff. They came and they talked to them and Alfred and Florence finally understood. But the first wife was gone, no where to be found and they couldn't divorce without the presence of the first wife. They told us that they had a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. But they said they regretted telling us about the first wife because things were just getting to be too hard. They didn't want to deal with this anymore. They wanted to be done. They were ok before and they could always go back to how they were before. I was feeling awful. I kept trying to tell them to be patient that the baptism would be worth the wait and all the trials. But they couldn't see it. They said they would give back all of the books, that they would be okay without the church.

I could not believe it, Alfred was half way through Alma, he had stopped smoking and they came every Sunday and they had such strong testimonies! But Satan found the weakness. They were feeling lost and hurt and they just wanted to give up because it would so much easier. They said it was just too hard. I was almost in tears and my companion was in tears. They promised that they would continue to meet with us until they made their final decision... but they didn't come to church yesterday.....

I know that they could be amazing members and I hope they won't give up. But even if they do I won't. So they will be members even if isn't when I am here but they will make it through this. They have felt the light and they will return.

But that lesson really took us out of it and we went to another lesson right after, and I taught the whole thing because my comp couldn't manage to talk. It was a very difficult day but later Dorcas told us that she was reading in the Book of Mormon every day! I was so happy and she told us all about what she studied.

Then on Saturday the Zone Leader got his provisional license and was practicing driving. We were inside when we heard CRASH! I run outside, the other Zone leader is in the yard, looking at the car that had run into the house! He was trying to back up, but forgot to put it in reverse.... I laughed so hard. I felt really bad for him though. The house is fine and so is the car we just popped out the dent.

On Sunday, me and my companion decided to sing a song in Sacrament to help the Branch feel more comfortable with us and to get us acquainted with everyone. We also bribed all our investigators with it in hopes they would come to church to hear us :) We sang If You Could Hie to Kolob and it actually went well even though we didn't practice at all. Then we had a Devotional where F. Michael Watson of the Seventy and Sister Julie B. Beck, General Relief Society President, came and talked to our stake. Their talks were amazing and it was like a mini General Conference! I was way excited that we got to hear from them and shake their hands and we got some pictures too!

Then after church we went to Dorcas' and had a lesson with the family. They came to church and they made us sing the song again, and they recorded it on their cell phones and Dorcas set it as her ring tone... She played it back for us and I was shocked. I sounded nothing like I thought I did. But I hope she enjoys it.

Also a drunk guy, oh man he was super hammered, but I was telling him to come to church and he told me, and I quote, "I love you like a public toilet!" I was very confused and I am pretty sure he is the most drunk person I have ever seen in my entire life! Boo alcohol!

jThat has been my week. I love every bit of my time here and especially the people I meet. I am very grateful for all the prayers and support!

Love,

Elder Gay

P.S. We caught a chameleon! We were holding it and we got some awesome pictures! It was so cute and it changed colors very quickly. Yay chameleon!

May 16th Letter

So last week we had some water problems and they have continued very much into this week. So the plumber came and he fixed the toilet, right? Right! But somehow he broke the sink! I went in to turn on the water for the washing machine and I touched the handle and the pipe beneath the sink snaps, no not ruptured or began to leak. The thing full on snapped and I am trying to turn off the valve but it is not working. The bathroom is flooding again I am running around trying to switch the valve off, but the pipe to the sink branches off before the valve. Which genius thought of that? So it is dark and we now have a makeshift pool in our bathroom(we dammed the bathroom with blankets). I am trying to call anyone and everyone but for some odd reason NO ONE is answering their phone. And I mean no one. I even tried calling President Dube. So the house is flooding and I have no way of turning the water off and no one is answering. I try fixing it but the pipe is completely broken.

Finally I get a hold of someone an hour after the incident has occurred. They hyave me running around the house looking for a valve to the entire plot. But we can't find it very well in the dark. We find it finally but it is inside an ant hill. My companion reaches inside and turns the valve. We run back to house but the water is still running so we start searching for something else all the while my companion is being eaten by ants. Finally we check the valve again and turn it the other way, again being attacked by ants. But we check the house and the water is finally off. So the plumber came back and fixed it halfway. Then in the morning he came back again to finish. So we had no water for a while and so I bucket bathed. Fun! Then we went to a meeting and came back for lunch and before we get inside I can drip drip drip and I just sigh and walk into the bathroom. This time the water was coming from the ceiling! yay! And the bathroom is again flooded. We call the plumber and he comes back and tells us about how the hot water heater is broken and needs a new flood tray because the old one is rusted. Why they make rustable metal devices that are designed to hold water, which causes metal to rust I have no idea. Why not stainless steel? Or even plastic? But we won't dwell on the that for now.

So the plumber leaves and we try to shower but now no hot water is coming out at all! So he tells us to plug it up and turn both the hot and cold water on so we are getting soaked trying to plug the shower. Finally he just comes back and fixes it again. But maybe we should just let the plumber live with us, I think that would be easier for everyone. But this week has been fun I have gotten to swim on mission! Woot!

We are going to sing a modified version of The Circle of Life for Zone Conference. But me and my companion changed some of the lyrics and it is now The Gospel of Christ. I think it will be a lot of fun. We saw Bremner and he taught us the Gospel of Christ and the Word of Wisdom. He even used scripture references from the Bible and The Book of Mormon. He set goals and wrote down experiences where living the Word of Wisdom has blessed his life, because he was already living it. He just said he didn't know why. The mom had a stroke and can't talk but she still understands and she was trying so hard to tell us she wants to be baptized but she just couldn't get the words out. But her testimony was just as powerful as if she had spoken.

Then one night we had two dinner appointments. The first one fed us a ton! And we had a big lunch(I was trying to cheer my companion up, he was having a rough day). So we get to the next appointment and I am praying that they didn't cook. But sure enough after the lesson, they bring out very large plates of food. Filled to the bursting with Sadza and Matemba(baby whole fish, bones and all) and chicken feet!!!! I struggled, oh did I struggle. But I got most of it down, my companion didn't get any of it down. After we said we were done they were hurt that we didn't finish but I didn't know what to do.

We had a baptism on Sunday that went really well. She bore a powerful testimony. Then after we went and taught some lessons. after our last one we were walking to the road to catch transport when our investigator starts telling me this story about how a member completely chewed her out over something that didn't even matter. From what I was told the member went way over the line and could have prevented her from ever joining the church. So I haven't decided what to do about that yet....

But this week has been very exciting and filled with very wonderful people and hopefully we'll make use of the bad and make it good!

Thank you for all the love and support!

May 10 2010 letter

Tea, Maxwell, Mother's Day, and the doctor!

This last week has been very busy. Tuesday we saw Dorcas and her family. We taught the Word of Wisdom and they committed to live it. They were very apprehensive about tea though so we took it out of their house and brought them herbal tea. Which was exciting they are a very friendly and accepting family. Hopefully they'll be baptized soon but they haven't been abe to make it to church for a while, so we'll see what happens.

So here's a story for everyone and I hope you enjoy it. There is this guy named Maxwell and we always go to him when our bikes have problems because he is awesome and he fixes the missionary bikes for free. Every time we invited him to church and he just laughed at us and looked at us like we were little kids, which we kind of are but lets not dwell on that. Then this last week my companion Elder Crossley was leaving so he told Maxwell that if he came to church he would get a button up shirt and a tie. Well he came to church and I gave him his bribe. But he kept telling me how beautiful this was and that he had something to tell me. So we passed by and he told us he wanted to be taught because he loved how he felt at church! So we planned a time and then we came back and I was planning to teach the restoration and I felt good about it too. But then he started asking questions that fit perfectly into the Plan of Salvation and so we shifted the lesson and he loved it. Plus we had given him a Book of Mormon at church which he was reading! So we are preparing him to be baptized and I am thrilled! Yay Maxwell!

But one day my companion woke up sick so I forced him to be taken to the doctors. I have been to the doctors a little too often on mission I think. But we got him checked and he has a sinus infection so he some meds and we went back to work. But those meds really worked he got so happy and energetic it was kind of disconcerting.

Then on Saturday night, went to a member family's home. They have a returned missionary and they are some of my favorite people. But I told my new companion they were investigators.... They asked so many hard questions and he was trying to get control, but he never did. He tried sharing scriptures but the family and told them to say they couldn't trust his bible because it was published by the church...

Our house flooded because a "plumber" "fixed" our toilet. I woke up and had to swim basically to the valve to turn off the water. That was kind of fun.... not. But it is an experience.

Then yesterday was Mother's Day. Which was exciting but didn't seem real because Zimbabwe isn't a huge Mother's Day country. But I got to talk to my awesome Mom and let her know that I really am ok here in Africa and that my emails actually say what has happened.

So that has been my week I hope yours has been greeeeeaaaaaaat! (If not look for Frosted Flakes :))

Love,

Elder Gay

Monday May 3rd Letter

Transfers, trees, and exchanges

This week I went on two exchanges with some other missionaries. One I was in my area with a branch missionary and another I was with a Zone Leader in his area. Both went well I thought. Tuesday we waited for the news of transfers all day. They didn't come, but we went immediately from our area to the other missionaries flat. We stayed the night and in the morning we got the phone call from President Dube! We found out my companion was leaving to go to Kwekwe and I was staying in the area. My new companion is Elder Packer(and yes he is related to THE Elder Boyd K. Packer), and he has only been out for ONE transfer. I am a follow up trainer and I am Senior Comapnion and I have only been out for TWO transfers. I know, right?! I couldn't believe it.

After that we went to the area where I told everyone that Elder Crossley is leaving. We taught some pretty good lessons too actually. The branch missionary did really well.

The next day we had some service planned so we went to Sis. Winet's home and she wanted us to cut down a tree, with an axe. I was a little apprehensive but I was very excited to try my hand at being an African Lumberjack, and I cut it down! It was sweet, I cut down a tree with my bare hands! No power tools at all. I was kind of proud of myself. we also had a lot of people sign my companion's journal because he was leaving.

Then on Friday we had another exchange, and I went Warren Park. We taught some lessons and tracted a bit. We tracted into this girl who seemed very excited to talk to us but we couldn't have a lesson because she was alone and she didn't want anyone to hear what she had to say.... She told us that something happened and she wanted forgiveness so we started talking about the steps to repenting but she wanted specifics, so she told us that she broke the Law of Chastity and wanted forgiveness. We go through, counseling and we get to the part about not doing it again, she promptly bites her lip and looks down. I almost burst out laughing. She was a very funny girl and I hope that she gets the lessons!

On Saturday we took my companion to the Bus Stop to go to his new area. We said good bye and we left. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Oh well.

On Sunday, it was crazy because we had to go to two branches and I was late to mine. Then the baptisms had to be postponed because the water in the font was nasty and smelled like wanton and stagnant decay. So yea those will take place next week.

Then we picked up our new companions from the Mission Office. Elder Packer seems pretty cool and I think this transfer will go well. But apparently Pres. Dube didn't tell him I was only a transfer older than him. He said, "You'll be with Elder Gay, he is relatively new on mission but he is a hard worker." Relatively new? Understatement of the century! So that has been my week, I thank everyone for the prayers and support! Love you all!

Love,

Elder Gay