Sabastian, The Harpoon!, Dumi, and Kuwadzana!

Well this last week Sabastian was baptized! It was great. We had an activity and it was well attended and people were having fun and everything went very well. It was very busy, like you wouldn't believe but we managed to get everything done that we needed to. Amazing!

All right so me and Elder Packer were eating lunch and he looked at a mango on the window sill and he said it was almost ripe and by the next day it would be ready to eat. So I was done eating and I was just looking at my fork and I had this urge to throw my fork at the mango. So of course I did. And I threw it from where I was sitting at the table and it harpooned the mango! It was brilliant! My companion really wanted to be mad at me but because of the intensity and the greatness of the feat of which I achieved he was too busy laughing to be upset! I was very happy that it worked out so well. I could never repeat it ever again but I did it once and that was enough!

So in a lesson with Dumi I felt prompted to share my 'favorite verse' which is 2 Nephi 4:27-28. And I love those verses but I had never thought of them as my favorite before but I just felt very strongly that I should share it. Then when we went back I found out why I had shared it. He said that he had read those verses again and he felt like he was yielding to the flesh and he should overcome it. So he stopped drinking alcohol. We haven't even shared the Word of Wisdom yet! It was awesome!

Well this last week was very busy and we even went to Harare for Zone Conference. It was a great Zone Conference and we were able to visit some people in Kuwadzana my very first area! They have a chapel now! It is amazing. Okay so it isn't finished yet but it is so close. But it is crazy because I helped to clear the land for it and it was almost done. It went up so fast!!!!! I was running around it and looking at everything. I was acting like a child I was so excited. We also visited some families and that was great. They were so happy to see us especially because me and Elder Packer were companions in Kuwadzana. So to see us both was fun. They are so much like family it is crazy. I can't believe how much these people mean to me.

But one of them. Her name is Nonthando Ndhlovu. She was such a happy bubbly girl that was always smiling. She was a great spiritual girl. But we heard she went less active. When she came in, I saw a nose ring, muted colors and most of all her eyes and her smile no longer sparkled. It was very sad. I couldn't believe it. She was so active and had an inner light but when we saw her that was faded. It hurt a lot. She was so different than the girl I used to know. I hope she can find her way back. She even called us 'dudes'.... what a bitter sweet moment to see those that were still strong in the Lord and to see those who had faded.

Oh yea, you remember Sis. Anyway? She was one of our converts and she is powerful. She always called me her son. She was called to be a Relief Society teacher the week after her confirmation. Well her husband passed early January. It was a huge shock because he was only about thirty years old. It was so sad to hear. Apparently she moved but she still comes to church. Pray for her if you can.

It was so great to see everyone again and I loved the chapel! It is great!

I would like to thank everyone who sent me something. I got the Christmas packages and they are great. I LOVE the cds! Especially for the one of Cassie. I love her and her voice. I listened to it all morning. Thank you so much for the shirts and Aubs for the pants. They are perfect. In fact I am wearing them right now. Thank you Mom for the pens. They are great and blue!

It has been incredibly busy this week. With a lot of temporal things. But the lessons we were able to have were great. We were able to resolve a concern of this family. They are progressing very well. Also with the Zone things are going great. At Zone Conference we sang hymn 335 to the tune of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It went very well. People were very complimentary. Even one said that I was a powerful Tenor. I am pretty he meant Elder Packer, because he was standing right next to me and he had the highest part. But it was still a nice remark even if was a bit misdirected. He even said I could be paid to sing. But like I said, I am almost 100% sure that he meant Elder Packer. I love you all and mission is great!!!!

Love, Elder Steven Gay