Transfers, Edward, and Will I make it Out???????

Mon, May 16, 2011
So this week has been really great and I have spent much of it pondering ans thinking about what is required of me and my time. So anyway, I am now back in Zimbabwe and totally confused. I thought for sure I was going to be in the Zambia Lusaka Mission but I received some very surprising news. There is still one more transfer until it officially splits so I am not even going to try and guess where on earth I am going. I am just going to wait and see what happens. But they renewed my TEP for Zimbabwe and I am now serving in Lundi Park in Gweru. My new companion is Elder Monyayi from South Africa. So this last week I had to say good bye to a lot of people and that was difficult.

The Simwanza family cried and Sister Simwanza told me that she had wanted me to baptize her. But I have left and I only hope that the work will continue to progress in Lusaka. We had really seen a lot of progress and I was honestly looking forward to seeing the new mission president and being there when the mission splits. But who knows what will happen now??? I haven't the slightest idea. Oh yea!! My trainer, Elder Crossley is now AP. I laughed at him and reminded him of our friendly wager. He owes me a hymn book and a belt of some exotic animal leather. Hahahahaha

Then we have a family in our branch that had a son return home 2 days after he entered the MTC because of worthiness issues. Needless to say that caused a lot of stress and heartache to him, Edward, and his family. Then a few days ago the mom asked us if we could come and help them to open up and speak with each other again. We had no idea how we would help this family but we went and we ended up playing a game and everyone bore their testimonies and we read and sang Love at Home. It was a really comforting and spiritual experience. This family is now starting the process that will end in peace and joy. They are such a wonderful family and I felt so bad for their situation. Pray for them if you will.

Then on Sunday when we were leaving Lusaka to come to Lusaka, I ran into some problems. I didn't have an up to date visa. The stamp in my passport was old and Zambia had run out of TEP books. So even though I had my permit, I had no proof of it. And now I was trying to fly out of the country that for all intents and purposes I had been living in illegally..... do you see a problem. Well they told me I wasn't going anywhere and that I would need to stay until everything was sorted. Added to the fact that we could get a hold of no one that could help us and this situation looked bleak.

So after laughing and humming a few hymns as I waited to see what would happen I ended up just going back to talk to them. And long story short they stamped by passport and let us through! I don't know exactly why she let us through when I was illegal, except for the fact that I was needed where I was going and the Spirit prepared a way for me to go there. President and Sisiter Dube thought they would have to leave me behind. But all was well and we traveled safely to Harare and then I traveled by bus to Gweru which is where I am now. A stake was just created here and I am serving in a ward. I don't know much about this place except there is a game park where you can ride elephants(and we will be going there soon!) and that members love to feed the missionaries in our area. It is a nightly occurrence actually... I guess we won't need to cook very much.

But that is all for this week. I have gotten few hours of sleep these past two days because of travel and I am tired but I am also excited for all the fun that change brings. But honestly I thought I was staying in Zambia for sure and now I am confused. But don't worry. I don't care where I serve but how I serve. I guess I was just surprised.

Thank you for all you do! Members are the key to missionary work!

Love, Elder Steven Gay

What is wrong with me?!!, Korihor the Gate, and The END OF THE WORLD!!!!!

So this last week I have been feeling not so great. I have had some stomach problems and that coupled with very little sleep and travel.... well. Fortunately it did get a bit better after Monday but since the it has been kind of the same. Rushing to the toilet all the time and trying to motivate myself to eat. I am not vomiting which is good but it hasn't really improved much since then. Plus in Gweru it is cold! At night and in the morning I am wearing a big hoodie. But proselyting I only have a sweater, which is adequate but I hear it is only going to get colder..... ah!!!!!

We also have Korihor the gate at our house. It is difficult to open, it falls over, in fact to open it you need 2 people and when you are rushing to the toilet because you are sick and you have to sit there and wrestle with an evil gate for some minutes... hahahaha We are trying to get some one to fix it but no luck so far. Oh yea this morning the thing that holds it up(sometimes) popped off like a rocket! I am surprised it hasn't killed the neighbors dogs yet by falling on them.... So I have named the gate Korihor. I thought the name was fitting.

I am serving in Gweru City Ward in Gweru Stake and we meet in a Primary School. It was really great, but we are looking for a meeting house in town that will be more central for everyone. That will really create some opportunities for growth.

Oh yeah, in the news and on some flyers people were saying that 21 May was judgment day! They said the world would end and that there would be earthquakes and fires and people would be taken in a cloud to heaven. People were really stressing about it as well. One thing that was funny is that people would tell us it is the end of the world on Saturday and the we would turn around and invite them to come to church on Sunday! Hahaha Funny enough the world did not end, and they still didn't come to church. Oh well I guess they were in shock.

So yesterday after we had planned I was changing and I started noticing bumps. The first one was on my leg by my ankle. Then as I kept changing I found I was covered in bumps that were raised and red and some looked like hives while others looked like lots of bug bites gathered in groups. I just stared in horror at my marred skin. What is wrong with me?!?!! I have never experienced such strange health issues before. My companion just laughed at me. I think I might just should go to the doctor. What do you think?

We have found some really great people to teach. Like Sister Ncube. She is the wife to a less active we went to visit and they will be a great family in the Gospel. We also have been teaching this guy named Tawanda. He had some problems with the Book of Mormon and at one point even said that we should NOT give it to him. But his friend was more open and they both decided to find out for themselves. I thought that was funny.

Gweru is really great and I can't wait for some really great things to happen. Lets get to work!

Love, Elder Steven Gay

Zone Conference, busy, and busy some more

So this last week was really amazing and it was a lot of fun. Zone
Conference was a Spiritual feast if there ever was one and I felt extremely
edified and enlarged and enlightened and energized and elevated and e.... I
ran out of "e" words.... hahaha Elder Pearson of the Seventy is really
amazing and he had some very thought provoking presentations and questions.
It was great. The Zone Song went well and they really liked it. The only
flaw of Zone Conference was that the catering woman came late and we
had no food when we
were supposed to have food. Crazy I know but it all worked out. I almost
felt a bit slow next to Elder Pearson. He knows so much and I just found
myself nodding my head as knowledge was flowing at me. I hope he didn't
think I am handicapped or something. But really his knowledge is so vast and
it was amazing!

But this week has just been super busy. Missionaries were traveling because
of Zone Conference. We had to pick them up, take them places make sure
everyone was accounted for, we had sick missionaries and missionaries that
needed some counselling and advice and baptisms and interviews that needed
to take place and it was uber busy.

We had the baptism on Saturday and it went really well. We had Ida and
John who were baptized. Sister Simwanza told us she doesn't feel ready
yet which was kind of a bummer but she is great and she will be
baptized soon enough. Diana's husband doesn't want her to be baptized,
Brighton kind of fell off the planet this last week. But we will
definitely see him soon. So that is that! We will have them all
baptized soon enough. Which is awesome and I definitely look forward
to that.

I am really looking forward to the exciting developments happening in
Zambia. There is a lot that is going to happen and many doors will be
opened up. There has been opposition because of that fact but the work
will push forward and NOTHING will stop it! IT is really amazing and I
am thrilled to be a part of it. Don't know what else to say about
that.... alright.

Other than that it was just running around and preparing things for
other things and helping things that needed help. I am stoked for the
work and what is happening, I only hope I can do MORE! Ahhhhhhhhh!
Hopefully I am becoming who I need to be. I pray that all will enjoy
the blessings of full time missionary service.

Again, please be patient with the letters and mail. I am working on it!

Love, Elder Gay

Zone Song, and recipes!

So this last week as we were working on our Zone song. We decided on hymn 134, I Believe in Christ. Somehow I ended up in a trio that sings in the beginning alone! I don't even know how that happened. But as we worked on it, it was turning out well. I hope that Elder Pearson likes it. Oh yeah, there is a General Authority coming for Zone Conference. He is doing a mission tour for the Mission Department of the Church. So people are a bit stressed but it is coming together fine. So no worries. Crazy crazy that this transfer is almost over. Didn't we just start? But it has been really great. we are going to have more baptisms on Saturday. For Brighton, Ida, John, Sister Simwanza, and Diana(if she is ready). It is so exciting! And we are still waiting to hear about the branch splitting! Woot!


So this last week I made apple crisp! It was quite good if I say so myself. Then I also made Chocolate Chip bars! It was kind of difficult without electric beaters. There I was struggling with my fork. Hahaha but we didn't have time to eat it. So I put it on a stool(so the roaches wouldn't get it). But the next morning it got knocked over and the glass pan shattered! I didn't even have a piece! And now it was covered in glass! Can you imagine my dismay when I toiled and worked and concentrated and then to see it on the floor covered in death causing glass shards? I was sad.... but I managed to save some of it! I picked off the glass and found the side that was least affected. I still had to throw away a lot of ti but it wasn't so bad. It was actually pretty good. Not the same as Mom's but it was still good. The biggest difference is there are no chocolate chips this side so I got candy bars and cut it up. It was a bit different but still good! Yay chocolate chip bars!


So this week was really busy organizing everything for Zone Conference and I won't bother typing about some of the less exciting things we did(like print off programs and call people to cater the food, boring I know....). We had a really successful week. We had a number of good lessons.


Funny Happenings!


*A drunk guy in the car next to me said, "Blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the kingdom of God..." I agreed so I said yes. Then he said, "But you're in a car...." Hahahaha People are funny huh?




*Elder Harper, an elder in the zone, recognized me from that dance I did with Sarah Russo and Jake Fields. Down in Cedar city, small world, huh? He saw it at Shakespeare Festival. Weird!


*Kay so this one isn't really funny. But Bro. Simwanza was sustained and set apart as 2nd Counselor in the Sunday School Presidency!


*A member said he wanted us to pray for his speedy recovery because he had just been circumcised! hahaha and ow. A lot ow. I wonder what his wife thought when he just openly told us that....


* I don't even know! Have fun!


Love, Elder Steven Gay