Alright so you remember those two sisters who came to church last week and that was the first time we had ever seen them??? They ere totally baptized last Sat. From the time we met them to the time the were baptized was less than 7 days!!!!!! I still can't even believe it but they were so incredibly prepared that there was really no purpose in waiting. The Bishop has talked to them and he said he is extending a calling next week to them. Our Stake President wants to put their story in the Liahona. So look out for that!
And we had family fun day on Sat as well. So the Trish and Suzanne, who were baptized, they brought there mom and younger sister and they will be baptized on the 10th. The ward had so much fun Saturday that they already felt completely at home in the ward. I had a blast on Sat. We had a soccer match and EVERYONE played even the relief society. Ah, some of those Sisters can RUN!!!! I was laughing so hard because I was so shocked. They can really run and they can run FASTTTTT.. Plus I found out our Bishop is really good at soccer. I guess he almost went professional. So we had a lot of fun. The ward is great.
We also had Zone Conference and that went really well. I felt great after and it was really powerful. President Dube is definitely inspired of God and so are our local leaders. I love the verse in 1 Thess 2:8. Missionary work is more than just sharing the Gospel, it is sharing our souls. Love the people. Mission is powerful!!!
We also received fire from this old baba. He told us he can make it to heaven without the Book of Mormon and that we are robbing other churches..... hahahahahahahahaha Which is hilarious because he also told us it doesn't matter what church you go.... so how are we robbing anyone????? This is the same baba I wanted to give fire to last week. He is very confused. I wonder how he can be helped.....
I am so excited for the Madamombe family! They are the ones that got baptized in a week! Soon their family will be baptized as well and they have such a fire for the Gospel that they will motivate others to investigate as well. Amazing!!!!! Do you want to witness miracles???? Serve an honorable mission!
ELDER GAY
ps the keyboard has a problem with L, S, W, and K. SO if something doesn't make ense insert one of thoe.......
Monday, August 29, 2011
Who are you?, What are you doing here?, and What is that?
Dear People,
Well it has been an exciting week. Let us begin with What is that? So we had our Africa wide Mormon Helping Hands day and we were cleaning the streets and making things look nice and getting the name of the church out there. But the streets were very dirty but in the drainage gutter things was the worst. It was a very large hole with what looked like garbage in thick sewage..... and guess who was the one using a rake to fish out the garbage?????? ME!!! The worst part was the smell but other than that it was only mildly unpleasant..... But it was a huge success. A lot of members came and they were participating but the young people were just standing around watching the older people work... is that good? But it is even the same in Utah. So I guess I should have expected it. But I hope no one was reading this while eating!
Next, What are you doing here? So we found this family this last week who had met the missionaries before and they didn't understand the Restoration so we went over it again and they were understanding and making progress and everything. Then the return visit we come and we see their grandfather. He was old and he was childish. Making slanderous comments and being contentious. It was really quite sad, he was an old man who supposedly had much wisdom and knowledge but all I saw was a child throwing mud and ruining the foundation we laid. I kept thinking, what are you doing here????? I wanted to give him fire but I didn't. I very much wanted to, but I thought it would be a bad idea. But the good news is, the mom came to church and she really enjoyed and she had a question about Temples which we explained and she was very receptive. Imagine if I had given fire!!! I could have ruined everything! But I didn't and it wasn't. Woot!
Another experience we had was when one of our investigators said he found anti-mormon stuff on the net and even said that he found stuff that said we were racist. Background: At the very moment he was telling us this I had given the only chair to our ward missionary and I was crouching against a wall on the balls of my feet..... He said he could see we weren't racist at all. Victory! But he said he is going to pray and ask God if the church is true because he knows people always talk. Woot!
And finally, Who are you?! So we had some of our investigators at church. But then during our Gospel Principles class we saw two women walk in and they looked very comfortable except the fact that they were just standing there. Then the Bishop brought them over and they were participating but I had no idea who they were!!! Then they went to Relief Society and then in the aftermath they somehow got passed us and they were gone!!! So we ran out and chased them down! Hahaha a bit awkward but definitely worth it. We went to their home and I am still in awe. They are so prepared it isn't even funny. They said they have been praying to know which church to go to.
So they asked one of their friends, who is a member, and he said they should join Latter-day Saints. They said no! But after talking she said alright I want to know some background of the church. So the friend gave them Teachings of the President's Joseph Smith and they read the whole thing! They said after they read the next step was to come to church and so they asked around and came to the church yesterday. They explained the life of Joseph Smith very well and they even talked about Emma and their children and how he was martyred and they said they have been praying and they know the Latter-day Saints is the right church and they wanted to know how soon they could be baptized. They asked if they could be baptized that very Saturday or if they had to wait so we explained and they will be baptized this Saturday and we will meet them everyday to prepare them! The Lord is really preparing people, huh? They are really something else. They are so excited for their baptism that they are a bit disappointed they have to wait until Saturday. Incredible.
Can you believe it?? I am not sure if I do yet. But we are going to have a Family Home Evening with them today. They are already members.
Oh something funny/bizarre. We got to the primary school where we meet for church and some people were there and had set the place up for a wedding. A gotty temporal wedding! And they had commandeered our chairs!!!!! So we took our chairs and met in one of the larger classrooms but it wasn't really big enough for our ward..... Here I am walking up expecting to have our PEC meeting and I see workers and people setting up there worldly marriage where our Sacrament was supposed to be partaken. But all worked out and we had a very good time at church.
Go on mission!!!!!
ELDER GAY
Well it has been an exciting week. Let us begin with What is that? So we had our Africa wide Mormon Helping Hands day and we were cleaning the streets and making things look nice and getting the name of the church out there. But the streets were very dirty but in the drainage gutter things was the worst. It was a very large hole with what looked like garbage in thick sewage..... and guess who was the one using a rake to fish out the garbage?????? ME!!! The worst part was the smell but other than that it was only mildly unpleasant..... But it was a huge success. A lot of members came and they were participating but the young people were just standing around watching the older people work... is that good? But it is even the same in Utah. So I guess I should have expected it. But I hope no one was reading this while eating!
Next, What are you doing here? So we found this family this last week who had met the missionaries before and they didn't understand the Restoration so we went over it again and they were understanding and making progress and everything. Then the return visit we come and we see their grandfather. He was old and he was childish. Making slanderous comments and being contentious. It was really quite sad, he was an old man who supposedly had much wisdom and knowledge but all I saw was a child throwing mud and ruining the foundation we laid. I kept thinking, what are you doing here????? I wanted to give him fire but I didn't. I very much wanted to, but I thought it would be a bad idea. But the good news is, the mom came to church and she really enjoyed and she had a question about Temples which we explained and she was very receptive. Imagine if I had given fire!!! I could have ruined everything! But I didn't and it wasn't. Woot!
Another experience we had was when one of our investigators said he found anti-mormon stuff on the net and even said that he found stuff that said we were racist. Background: At the very moment he was telling us this I had given the only chair to our ward missionary and I was crouching against a wall on the balls of my feet..... He said he could see we weren't racist at all. Victory! But he said he is going to pray and ask God if the church is true because he knows people always talk. Woot!
And finally, Who are you?! So we had some of our investigators at church. But then during our Gospel Principles class we saw two women walk in and they looked very comfortable except the fact that they were just standing there. Then the Bishop brought them over and they were participating but I had no idea who they were!!! Then they went to Relief Society and then in the aftermath they somehow got passed us and they were gone!!! So we ran out and chased them down! Hahaha a bit awkward but definitely worth it. We went to their home and I am still in awe. They are so prepared it isn't even funny. They said they have been praying to know which church to go to.
So they asked one of their friends, who is a member, and he said they should join Latter-day Saints. They said no! But after talking she said alright I want to know some background of the church. So the friend gave them Teachings of the President's Joseph Smith and they read the whole thing! They said after they read the next step was to come to church and so they asked around and came to the church yesterday. They explained the life of Joseph Smith very well and they even talked about Emma and their children and how he was martyred and they said they have been praying and they know the Latter-day Saints is the right church and they wanted to know how soon they could be baptized. They asked if they could be baptized that very Saturday or if they had to wait so we explained and they will be baptized this Saturday and we will meet them everyday to prepare them! The Lord is really preparing people, huh? They are really something else. They are so excited for their baptism that they are a bit disappointed they have to wait until Saturday. Incredible.
Can you believe it?? I am not sure if I do yet. But we are going to have a Family Home Evening with them today. They are already members.
Oh something funny/bizarre. We got to the primary school where we meet for church and some people were there and had set the place up for a wedding. A gotty temporal wedding! And they had commandeered our chairs!!!!! So we took our chairs and met in one of the larger classrooms but it wasn't really big enough for our ward..... Here I am walking up expecting to have our PEC meeting and I see workers and people setting up there worldly marriage where our Sacrament was supposed to be partaken. But all worked out and we had a very good time at church.
Go on mission!!!!!
ELDER GAY
Thursday, August 18, 2011
You can't write this, You know it!, and family fun!
So this last week I was contacting this group of guys and they asked me about the Book of Mormon. So I was talking to them and they said, "What about your book?" "What do you mean my book? Did I write it?" I said. "I don't know if you wrote it or not. I don't know about this book, does it talk about Jesus Christ?" At which point I gave him some verses to read and as he was reading aloud the Spirit grew stronger and stronger after he finished, he smiled and said, "Bhuku raMwari. Ah, you can't write this. This isn't your book. Ah, you can't write this." Bhuku raMwari means book of God in Shona. It was a really cool experience. The Book of Mormon is POWERFUL!!!!
Then when we were visitting with this sister, the same one who told the previous missionaries they were leading her astray, we came in and she just looked different. I don't know, she had the Book of Mormon out and I don't even know, I just felt something was different. Then as we were talking, I just stopped her and said, "Can I tell you what I feel? I think you already know it is true. I think you know the Book of Mormon is true and that the church is the only true church." Then the look she gave me confirmed it! I started laughing and saying you know, you know! Then she said, "But I need my husband to accept the Book of Mormon too before I get baptized...." Which might be difficult because he is a drunkard.... so we will have to see. But she knows!!!!!
Then during the course of the week there were some fun family moments. Like an investiagtor family we are teaching bought us ice cream. Yum! We also celebrated a birthday for one of the members with his family and they had all sorts of food and a lot of it! They are great. We also found some other families that we are teaching. One family has previously rejected the missionaries. So we will have to see how that goes. But it seems like there is a host of opposites lately. Although I made a deal with an investigator, that she needs to be baptized while I am in the area. She has been an investigator for like 5 years or something. But she agreed so she will be baptized before I go! I will make sure of that. :D
Fun. Fun. Fun. You should all go on mission!!!!!!!
ELDER GAY
Then when we were visitting with this sister, the same one who told the previous missionaries they were leading her astray, we came in and she just looked different. I don't know, she had the Book of Mormon out and I don't even know, I just felt something was different. Then as we were talking, I just stopped her and said, "Can I tell you what I feel? I think you already know it is true. I think you know the Book of Mormon is true and that the church is the only true church." Then the look she gave me confirmed it! I started laughing and saying you know, you know! Then she said, "But I need my husband to accept the Book of Mormon too before I get baptized...." Which might be difficult because he is a drunkard.... so we will have to see. But she knows!!!!!
Then during the course of the week there were some fun family moments. Like an investiagtor family we are teaching bought us ice cream. Yum! We also celebrated a birthday for one of the members with his family and they had all sorts of food and a lot of it! They are great. We also found some other families that we are teaching. One family has previously rejected the missionaries. So we will have to see how that goes. But it seems like there is a host of opposites lately. Although I made a deal with an investigator, that she needs to be baptized while I am in the area. She has been an investigator for like 5 years or something. But she agreed so she will be baptized before I go! I will make sure of that. :D
Fun. Fun. Fun. You should all go on mission!!!!!!!
ELDER GAY
Monday, August 8, 2011
Masvingo and Transfers
Dear People's,
Well peoples I have been here and you have been there and we have all been somewhere. BUt this week I found out if I would be staying or going and to be honest I was expecting to go. I have been in my calling for some time and I thought I would be moved.... but it turns out I am staying! Which is good and I am really surprised and excited at the same time. I get to be with our investigators who are powerful! Yes! I really am excited for them and I hope that I can help them to progress even further. They are really doing great.
But this week we planned to go to an this far area of Zimbabwe called Masvingo. There is a branch there and they have been begging us to come and do a training and to see their investigators. So we got permission and we went! I was very impressed. They are very well organized and there is a lot of potential. So we set some goals, planned some more trainings, got a list of needed materials, and gave assignments. I am really excited for the growth possibilities in this area. I hope to prepare it to receive full time missionaries. But even before then I think we can have 20 baptisms per month in that area. We really need to push it though.
We have also got another district created in our zone. So that will be really good. But it seems like the amount of work just doubled...... Woot! If we can do things right the progress will quadruple! So lets pray that I can do things right:) I have been racking my brain on the best way to organize our time so we can make sure that we give the necessary attention where it is needed. There are a lot of things to do and we aren't being given any extra time so I hope we can really use our time effectively.
But I know that all things are possible with the Lord. I just need to step up and do it. Can I make the necessary sacrifices and become a disciple of Christ? Am I becoming who I need to be? Am I doing all that I have the potential to do? KEEP MOVING FORWARD!!!!!!!
Wow. So life is ever busy and ever intense, I hope you can say the same :)
ELDER GAY
Well peoples I have been here and you have been there and we have all been somewhere. BUt this week I found out if I would be staying or going and to be honest I was expecting to go. I have been in my calling for some time and I thought I would be moved.... but it turns out I am staying! Which is good and I am really surprised and excited at the same time. I get to be with our investigators who are powerful! Yes! I really am excited for them and I hope that I can help them to progress even further. They are really doing great.
But this week we planned to go to an this far area of Zimbabwe called Masvingo. There is a branch there and they have been begging us to come and do a training and to see their investigators. So we got permission and we went! I was very impressed. They are very well organized and there is a lot of potential. So we set some goals, planned some more trainings, got a list of needed materials, and gave assignments. I am really excited for the growth possibilities in this area. I hope to prepare it to receive full time missionaries. But even before then I think we can have 20 baptisms per month in that area. We really need to push it though.
We have also got another district created in our zone. So that will be really good. But it seems like the amount of work just doubled...... Woot! If we can do things right the progress will quadruple! So lets pray that I can do things right:) I have been racking my brain on the best way to organize our time so we can make sure that we give the necessary attention where it is needed. There are a lot of things to do and we aren't being given any extra time so I hope we can really use our time effectively.
But I know that all things are possible with the Lord. I just need to step up and do it. Can I make the necessary sacrifices and become a disciple of Christ? Am I becoming who I need to be? Am I doing all that I have the potential to do? KEEP MOVING FORWARD!!!!!!!
Wow. So life is ever busy and ever intense, I hope you can say the same :)
ELDER GAY
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Eish, 248, and the SHOW!!!
So first of all. My apologies. This is going to be short because 1) I forgot my journal and 2) we had a Zone Leader Council meeting that took up almost all of our PDay so I will just write quickly because we still have appointments tonight so sorry but this week was powerful all the same. So we had a really good week and then again it wasn't so great. But the good things are really good. Like this family that we have been teachng they are progressing very well and they are really integrating themselves into the church. The only thing is that this last week a lot of our powerful investigators were traveling. But they are still doing great.
We had in our area what is the equivalent of a State Fair. And we as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a presence there. we actually talked to hundreds of people and got their details and that will keep the missionaries very busy for a long time. I don't know if I have ever talked so much in my life. We brought people in and shared with them about the different auxiliaries. Also about the Book of Mormon and it went really well. It was hectic and crazy but it was really great. Met a lot of really cool people and a lot of drunks as well... strange that the time I would be exposed to so much iniquity is when I am sharing the Gospel. But hopefully we will turn them and get them in the right way.
Oh and by the way Dad I am still not sure about extending or not. I am still thinking about it.
But we actually had a ZL council today that was really cool. It took up most of the day but it was a really good training and I learned a lot. Like when there were still 3 countries in the mission, from Jan to June, the average baptisms per month was 248. But when the mission split we had, in the month of July, 247 baptisms in Zimbabwe alone!! The mission is POWERFUL! There is a lot that happened in the meeting. Most things that happened probably aren't very interesting to those not in the mission but they are exciting to me! Like new areas being opened, Elder Crossley my first companion is training again and opening a whole new area in the mission. There is a lot happening and it is an exciting time to be in Zimbabwe! we are actually finding out about transfers tomorrow so we will have to see what happens and where every one is going! There are a lot of things happening eish but I think I have said that repeatedly so I will be done. But it is powerful!
We are actually going to be traveling on Saturday to Masvingo. We are going to be doing a training for the branch missionaries and also teaching some of their investigators. Hopefully we can prepare some places for full time missionaries. Improvement and progression!
You should serve a mission!
ELDER GAY
We had in our area what is the equivalent of a State Fair. And we as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a presence there. we actually talked to hundreds of people and got their details and that will keep the missionaries very busy for a long time. I don't know if I have ever talked so much in my life. We brought people in and shared with them about the different auxiliaries. Also about the Book of Mormon and it went really well. It was hectic and crazy but it was really great. Met a lot of really cool people and a lot of drunks as well... strange that the time I would be exposed to so much iniquity is when I am sharing the Gospel. But hopefully we will turn them and get them in the right way.
Oh and by the way Dad I am still not sure about extending or not. I am still thinking about it.
But we actually had a ZL council today that was really cool. It took up most of the day but it was a really good training and I learned a lot. Like when there were still 3 countries in the mission, from Jan to June, the average baptisms per month was 248. But when the mission split we had, in the month of July, 247 baptisms in Zimbabwe alone!! The mission is POWERFUL! There is a lot that happened in the meeting. Most things that happened probably aren't very interesting to those not in the mission but they are exciting to me! Like new areas being opened, Elder Crossley my first companion is training again and opening a whole new area in the mission. There is a lot happening and it is an exciting time to be in Zimbabwe! we are actually finding out about transfers tomorrow so we will have to see what happens and where every one is going! There are a lot of things happening eish but I think I have said that repeatedly so I will be done. But it is powerful!
We are actually going to be traveling on Saturday to Masvingo. We are going to be doing a training for the branch missionaries and also teaching some of their investigators. Hopefully we can prepare some places for full time missionaries. Improvement and progression!
You should serve a mission!
ELDER GAY
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