Well I am the District leader and the key indicators that were sent to me last week were terrible. So in the District Meeting I prepared what I felt to be an inspiring and edifying call for repentance! I was worried that the missionaries here were slothful and had poor attitudes. So that is what my District Meeting focused on, was diligence and maintaining a good attitude. I was kind of worried that I gave too much fire but then my fears were dispelled when I got this weeks indicators. The lessons more than doubled, we got our contacts, and our new investigators almost quadrupled! I was so much happier with these indicators. But I know we can do even better!
Then on Sunday we had a baptism of someone who was taught by the branch missionaries and we had one of our investigators interviewed and she will be baptized this coming Saturday! Woot! Her name is Shamiso Betserayi. Which is going to be great.
I went on exchanges this week and in one of our lessons this guy was saying he didn't like the Book of Mormon. So we were teaching him about it and we come to find out he had refused to read it because he thought it was the Book of Mammon. Which is understandable, I wouldn't want to read that book either. Then after the lesson I stood up and they all said wow, big guys. I just started laughing. Because I am smaller now than I have been. I need to find a gym.... anyway.
Also this week, in the morning I hear a knocking at our gate. I go out and it is a Sister who is hired by the church to clean the missionaries houses. So we let her in and she started cleaning. And I felt odd the whole time. It didn't sit well with me that someone else was cleaning my mess. Especially a Sister. I felt like I should be doing it. The house is incredibly clean now and I love it but it still felt off to let a Sister clean up after me. I think it goes back to when my Dad would make us clean the hotel rooms before we left. "Leave it better than you found it" he always said and I guess it stuck. Plus it almost felt like I was letting my Mom clean up after me, which should never happen. I don't know am I weird? I mean she was being paid but still.... it didn't feel right.
I have been learning so much from my study of the Scriptures and I find that it is just leading to more questions. The more I find out the more I realize I don't understand hardly anything but it is all right it just means that I won't run out of things to study. :) I love my study time!!! In fact I might need to repent because I feel kind of selfish about that time.... But I'm working on it!
But in one lesson we were having this guy had met the missionaries and had come to church for six months but said he still didn't know. We were addressing his concerns when someone who had joined us just for that day, said, "I think you need to go back to the Restoration.." hahahahaha I loved it. He was having these concerns because he wasn't sure about the Restoration and this guy who we only ever saw this once hit the nail on the head!
But we are finding successes in the area and I find it is because we are talking to everyone. They are starting to see what the Church really is. Also I have come to understand more and more that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has no interest in the Telestial or Terrestial kingdoms. Our only object is the Celestial kingdom! So we have been focused on finding only the best who are prepared and ready for the restored Gospel! We don't want merely to be saved, we want to be exalted! So next time I hear, "I have already been saved." I'll say, "Me too, but have you been exalted? I doubt that you have." Bam!
This work is awesome! Thank you for all the love and support!
Love,
Elder Steven Gay
P.S. Thank you Chase Gluch for the letter! It came all the way from Taiwan!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Aug 9th Letter
Satanism, not American, and Impromptu Speaking
So not a lot happened this week, other than the usual things so this might not be a very exciting email. But if you read on anyway I hope you'll enjoy anyway.
So this week we have been visiting some people and some new people have joined in. In the course of the lesson we find out that they wanted to see the Satanists and if we really suck blood. One of them was particularly funny. She asked why people called us that and what is the Book of Mormon really about. We start explaining and she seems to be accepting it all actually. But she told us that a few months before she had kicked the missionaries out of her property before when they had gone to teach her grown sons who really wanted to learn. She picked up their Book of Mormon, threw it down and yelled at them to, "get it out of the house because I don't want to die!" I started laughing and she said that she would read and pray and that her children would be shocked that she had the book. So hopefully that family will now receive the Gospel.
Also another story I heard from a member is they were at a funeral and there were a lot of non members. It got full and they were opening the cultural hall and, a woman startled at the noise, grabbed her hand and was saying, "I knew I shouldn't have come here. They are going to kill us and in such a beautiful building too. We are going to die! I knew I shouldn't have come here!" Anyway the member kindly explained they were creating more space for those that were standing and she was a member and she would take her on a tour of the building after the service... so unfortunately people have a slight misconception about the church.
Also no one here thinks I am American. People said that I am English, South African, Tongan, Swedish, Danish and yesterday I even heard someone saying he thought I was Korean. But I don't think a single person has said the USA. Do I look racially ambiguous? Or are these people just severely confused?
So then on Sunday at 9 o'clock we get called into the Branch President's office and they ask if we can give talks... we consent and I speak about forgiveness and it's role in repentance. I thought it went well actually.
But that has been the week! Thank you and mail here is slower so if you wrote me and you haven't received a response I might not have gotten your letter or my response might be in the mail.... sorry!
Love,
Elder Gay
So not a lot happened this week, other than the usual things so this might not be a very exciting email. But if you read on anyway I hope you'll enjoy anyway.
So this week we have been visiting some people and some new people have joined in. In the course of the lesson we find out that they wanted to see the Satanists and if we really suck blood. One of them was particularly funny. She asked why people called us that and what is the Book of Mormon really about. We start explaining and she seems to be accepting it all actually. But she told us that a few months before she had kicked the missionaries out of her property before when they had gone to teach her grown sons who really wanted to learn. She picked up their Book of Mormon, threw it down and yelled at them to, "get it out of the house because I don't want to die!" I started laughing and she said that she would read and pray and that her children would be shocked that she had the book. So hopefully that family will now receive the Gospel.
Also another story I heard from a member is they were at a funeral and there were a lot of non members. It got full and they were opening the cultural hall and, a woman startled at the noise, grabbed her hand and was saying, "I knew I shouldn't have come here. They are going to kill us and in such a beautiful building too. We are going to die! I knew I shouldn't have come here!" Anyway the member kindly explained they were creating more space for those that were standing and she was a member and she would take her on a tour of the building after the service... so unfortunately people have a slight misconception about the church.
Also no one here thinks I am American. People said that I am English, South African, Tongan, Swedish, Danish and yesterday I even heard someone saying he thought I was Korean. But I don't think a single person has said the USA. Do I look racially ambiguous? Or are these people just severely confused?
So then on Sunday at 9 o'clock we get called into the Branch President's office and they ask if we can give talks... we consent and I speak about forgiveness and it's role in repentance. I thought it went well actually.
But that has been the week! Thank you and mail here is slower so if you wrote me and you haven't received a response I might not have gotten your letter or my response might be in the mail.... sorry!
Love,
Elder Gay
Aug 2nd letter
Dear People!
Well this first night I was in my new area we had no water! Yay! But it wasn't that bad because we had buckets with water in them. And the water came back the next morning.
We have been working a lot with some branch missionaries because we didn't know the area yet. But one told me a story of when he went to a lion farm and he saw hundreds of lions and the owner had his arm bitten off by one of them and he sold them to the chinese because they liked the lion meat.... I kept thinking it sounded like a location for some horror movie. Anyway I contacted this guy who was telling us he liked to burn bibles... because he thought they were full of stories. But don't worry he believed in Christ, just not the one from the bible who was crucified... I was so confused. He was thrilled by the shock on our faces too. Satan has a powerful hold on that man. All I was thinking was, "uh.........." I really was very confused.
I taught my first district meeting and it went well. It seemed like it did anyway. But right out of the city there are diamond fields. Yes , I in fact did say diamond fields. The people who were living there had no idea of their value until a few years ago. But until then they had been using them as a currency. Like two diamonds for a loaf of bread... I KNOW, RIGHT?! I just couldn't believe it. The next day our branch missionary, brought his uncut and unpolished black diamond. Apparently a lot of the people here have diamonds but the government is controlling the whole thing rather harshly. So most are afraid to go after the diamonds. But apparently, in parts of that area you can just pick up hundreds of diamonds that are just on the top of the ground. Like pebbles, shiny, high carbon content, very expensive pebbles.
Also, I have been pretty successful in learning the new area. It is not nearly as large as the last area and there are mountains. Which help me out a lot, seeing as that is how I grew up and learned directions. So I can actually get almost anywhere in our area right now without getting lost even once! I was kind of proud of myself(pride is bad:)) Anyway we have been getting to know the members and our branch president. He seems reluctant to work with missionaries but that will change.
Yesterday we met a man named Endy. He was deaf, old, and I think a couple cards short of a whole deck if you know what I mean(in case you didn't, I mean he seemed slightly and quite literally insane). We tried to talk about the Book of Mormon and he started talking about baboons and tourism. Then we tried to pull it back then he went off on 'theology' and the 'phenomenon within the philosophy'. Yea I had no idea what he was talking about but he seemed to be enjoying himself. Then after he blathers on and on he says "Well our time is up but when you come back we will discuss even more." Then he shows us the door. I am not sure what happened during that visit.
But I know that the Church is true and that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. Throughout mission I have come to believe Christ and not to just simply believe in Christ. Through him, everything is possible.
Love,
Elder Steven Gay
Well this first night I was in my new area we had no water! Yay! But it wasn't that bad because we had buckets with water in them. And the water came back the next morning.
We have been working a lot with some branch missionaries because we didn't know the area yet. But one told me a story of when he went to a lion farm and he saw hundreds of lions and the owner had his arm bitten off by one of them and he sold them to the chinese because they liked the lion meat.... I kept thinking it sounded like a location for some horror movie. Anyway I contacted this guy who was telling us he liked to burn bibles... because he thought they were full of stories. But don't worry he believed in Christ, just not the one from the bible who was crucified... I was so confused. He was thrilled by the shock on our faces too. Satan has a powerful hold on that man. All I was thinking was, "uh.........." I really was very confused.
I taught my first district meeting and it went well. It seemed like it did anyway. But right out of the city there are diamond fields. Yes , I in fact did say diamond fields. The people who were living there had no idea of their value until a few years ago. But until then they had been using them as a currency. Like two diamonds for a loaf of bread... I KNOW, RIGHT?! I just couldn't believe it. The next day our branch missionary, brought his uncut and unpolished black diamond. Apparently a lot of the people here have diamonds but the government is controlling the whole thing rather harshly. So most are afraid to go after the diamonds. But apparently, in parts of that area you can just pick up hundreds of diamonds that are just on the top of the ground. Like pebbles, shiny, high carbon content, very expensive pebbles.
Also, I have been pretty successful in learning the new area. It is not nearly as large as the last area and there are mountains. Which help me out a lot, seeing as that is how I grew up and learned directions. So I can actually get almost anywhere in our area right now without getting lost even once! I was kind of proud of myself(pride is bad:)) Anyway we have been getting to know the members and our branch president. He seems reluctant to work with missionaries but that will change.
Yesterday we met a man named Endy. He was deaf, old, and I think a couple cards short of a whole deck if you know what I mean(in case you didn't, I mean he seemed slightly and quite literally insane). We tried to talk about the Book of Mormon and he started talking about baboons and tourism. Then we tried to pull it back then he went off on 'theology' and the 'phenomenon within the philosophy'. Yea I had no idea what he was talking about but he seemed to be enjoying himself. Then after he blathers on and on he says "Well our time is up but when you come back we will discuss even more." Then he shows us the door. I am not sure what happened during that visit.
But I know that the Church is true and that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. Throughout mission I have come to believe Christ and not to just simply believe in Christ. Through him, everything is possible.
Love,
Elder Steven Gay
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