Alright so people I jsut want to say that I just finished a journal this last week and I have started a new one. Woot!
So where to begin...... Let us begin with Monday.......
So Monday we were on exchanges with President Dube and it went well and I felt I learned a lot on how to be a better missionary and a better trainer. He really is a great teacher and he knows his scriptures. So we saw a few people and really had a great experience. We also had our Zone activity and got our Zone shirts. They are pretty cool and we had a good time we had a braai and that was yummy.
This is where things get exciting. TUESDAY! So we had District Meeting and I was presenting and we were learning from the scriptures together and I thought it was going really well and President was doing our regular interviews but then after the meeting I get told that my companion will be with one of the Zone Leaders in the car and that I will be with the other one in the area and it is until further notice and my head is just reeling because I had no idea where this came from. Very bizarre and President necer explained and so we actually go back to the hospital because he was vomiting more blood. And we set an appointment. So I was with Elder Finn.
Wednesday- I was now with Elder Skwati on Exchanges and we had a fairly normal day except for the news that my companion had been admitted again. OH yea I spoke to President about why it all happened and he was just telling me that it was because of his health and he wanted him in the car. So that was explained which was good.
Thursday- I was with a ward missionary and in the evening we went to the hospital and found out he vomited blood and collapsed in the bathroom. So that was interesting.
Friday- I was with Elder Finn. We went to the area and had some interviews and it was going pretty well and things were moving along. Then we get a phone call from President saying that my companion will be transferred to Harare to be with the Assistants in order to keep a closer eye on his health..... I will be with a ward missionary until the end of the transfer.
Saturday- We had one more interview and had some pretty good lessons. One was with Mncedisi who has been familiar with the church for a long time and was never baptized for one reason or the other and never really came to church. BUt he seemed to be doing really well and he managed to do his reading and he committed to come to church and even though he hadn't been to church for 3 weeks straight I just couldn't let him go. I just felt like it was his time. Like he was finally ready.... So I really prayed that he would come to church.
Sunday- So we went to church and it was hectic and good. We had a lot of people who came and that was great. But no Mncedisi. He wasn't there but then a little bit into Sacrament Meeting we see him walking up to the Chapel! HE CAME!!!!! hahahahaha Success! It was so powerful and he has been doing so well with giving up smoking.
Then after the service we had our baptism and it went really well. They were all baptized and they were all so excited. All in "spotless white"! I love baptism days. They are always exciting.
But that was the week. Up and down and all around but sprinkled with miracles all over and you just gotta love it.
ELDER GAY
PS My companion is doing a bit better under the close supervision and they have every confidence that he will be able to continue to serve.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Humanitarian, if you invite them they will come, and Conference!
Aright so first of all I loved Conference!!!! It was great and I appreciate every talk but I was so excited that so many were focused on missionary work!!!!! Especially Elder Holland, please go on line and read his talk from Priesthood session, please Please PLEASE!!!! You will not regret it! I loved it so much.
So President Dube has told us of something he would like us to focus on which is Humanitarian work! He said that whatever resources we might need and anything that we can plan and organize he would love to help us. This is especially for my companion and I. So I look forward to that and I know that it wil be a great experience. Partly due to the fact that my companion was the one who organized the Humanitarian group Letters 2 Rwanda and was recognized by some very important people(I can't remember exactly who right now but it was great)...... So we should be able to find success.
But one miracle(of many) this last week was that we had a surprising number of investigators who came to church! I was so excited because when we got there we had about 6 or 7 and I was thrilled and was excited for them and then they just kept coming! In total we had 20 investigators at church. What a blessing, considering the fact that we were unable to see them the Lord heard our prayers and softened their hearts and we look forward to their upcoming baptisms. What an amazing blessing! We have truly been belssed with wonderful people to teach and I know that the Lord hears our prayers and sustains us in our weakness as we have faith and rely upon His Son. Incredible.
I feel so unworthy of God's unfailing kindness and mercy at times that I truly "stand all amazed" and I can't help but wonder can I do more? Do I have His image in my countenance? Do my actions of every minute of every day make Him happy? But I do sin my wish, because I am not here for me, but for God's children. There are truly miracles if we will but forget ourselves and go to work. I know this. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and the keystone of our religion and I am so grateful for the great missionaries within its pages. I am grateful for this opportunity to do like Paul and to declare that the 'unkown God' is not unknown but revealed and wonderful and kind and so ready to fill our lives when we turn to Him and rely upon the merits of His Son's Atoning sacrifice. This is a great work.
Elder Gay
So President Dube has told us of something he would like us to focus on which is Humanitarian work! He said that whatever resources we might need and anything that we can plan and organize he would love to help us. This is especially for my companion and I. So I look forward to that and I know that it wil be a great experience. Partly due to the fact that my companion was the one who organized the Humanitarian group Letters 2 Rwanda and was recognized by some very important people(I can't remember exactly who right now but it was great)...... So we should be able to find success.
But one miracle(of many) this last week was that we had a surprising number of investigators who came to church! I was so excited because when we got there we had about 6 or 7 and I was thrilled and was excited for them and then they just kept coming! In total we had 20 investigators at church. What a blessing, considering the fact that we were unable to see them the Lord heard our prayers and softened their hearts and we look forward to their upcoming baptisms. What an amazing blessing! We have truly been belssed with wonderful people to teach and I know that the Lord hears our prayers and sustains us in our weakness as we have faith and rely upon His Son. Incredible.
I feel so unworthy of God's unfailing kindness and mercy at times that I truly "stand all amazed" and I can't help but wonder can I do more? Do I have His image in my countenance? Do my actions of every minute of every day make Him happy? But I do sin my wish, because I am not here for me, but for God's children. There are truly miracles if we will but forget ourselves and go to work. I know this. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and the keystone of our religion and I am so grateful for the great missionaries within its pages. I am grateful for this opportunity to do like Paul and to declare that the 'unkown God' is not unknown but revealed and wonderful and kind and so ready to fill our lives when we turn to Him and rely upon the merits of His Son's Atoning sacrifice. This is a great work.
Elder Gay
Friday, October 14, 2011
Baptism!, Confusion....., and PEOPLE!!!!!!!
Alright so you already know but we had a baptism this week! Kelvin was baptized and he was ordained to be a Deacon. Powerful. And he brought with him to church his friend and also his aunt. So they will be baptized soon. I am really excited for them. Also this one sister who came to church said that this was her first time back in 15 years, she said it was like being born again and then she came to us and said that her two daughters need to be baptized. So we look forward to that as well.
We found out why that one family didn't come to church he has a drinking problem and so we will have to work to get him better friends because he doesn't have positive influences around him. Hopefully we can help him to change himself and his surroundings. But the little brother is doing really well and he is really excited to be baptized. We also have this other brother who is really excited for the Gospel and we know he will be baptized. soon. Not to mention the other 4 new people that members brought to church with them. Exciting! I can't wait until they get baptized and they get to serve in the church.
But my companion is still sick. The doctors can't really find out what is wrong with him and nothing they are giving him is helping. So that has been pretty hectic trying to help him to enjoy missionary work while he is very ill and in pain...... any advice? But the miracles are all around and I hope even though he is kind of in pain that he is able to recognize them. I am really excited for the progress of the work and I really hope that we will be able to see the progress of all the investigators that the Lord has blessed us with. Very exciting. But I am confused about what is the matter with my companion.
But that is all for this week! I forgot my journal at home but I will bring it next time! Enjoy your life!!!!
ELDER GAY
We found out why that one family didn't come to church he has a drinking problem and so we will have to work to get him better friends because he doesn't have positive influences around him. Hopefully we can help him to change himself and his surroundings. But the little brother is doing really well and he is really excited to be baptized. We also have this other brother who is really excited for the Gospel and we know he will be baptized. soon. Not to mention the other 4 new people that members brought to church with them. Exciting! I can't wait until they get baptized and they get to serve in the church.
But my companion is still sick. The doctors can't really find out what is wrong with him and nothing they are giving him is helping. So that has been pretty hectic trying to help him to enjoy missionary work while he is very ill and in pain...... any advice? But the miracles are all around and I hope even though he is kind of in pain that he is able to recognize them. I am really excited for the progress of the work and I really hope that we will be able to see the progress of all the investigators that the Lord has blessed us with. Very exciting. But I am confused about what is the matter with my companion.
But that is all for this week! I forgot my journal at home but I will bring it next time! Enjoy your life!!!!
ELDER GAY
Monday, October 3, 2011
A Lost Puppy with a Cause
Dearest of dear people,
This last week was among the most trying of mission life. Well my companion was called by President Dube and he was flown to Harare on Tuesday of last week and he is still there as my fingers speak. He was flown out on Wednesday morning but he was with the zone leaders on Tuesday and so since that time I have been with a branch missionary. He is great but I have really worked on patience. I have been going CRAZY!!!!
So I am without a companion and I have been on baby sitting duty while trying to find my way through an unknown city. Very exciting and very interesting. I feel like a lost puppy..... odd but true. But amongst all the mayhem the Lord has sent miracles our way. We have found a great many people who are prepared for the Gospel and the members are really excited about the work. They have given us a lot of referrals and it has really helped a lot. Just a side note, will you, yes you, give a referral to the missionaries serving in your ward or branch? I promise it will be among the best things to ever happen to that missionary and to you as well. It has been a bit complicated because I am serving in two units whose meeting times are almost the same and I have been praying for a solution. I feel we might be getting another set of missionaries soon to be in the other area.
This one family we just met along the way. I stopped to talk to them and they are a great couple who really love each other and they have two little children. He is a carpenter but because of difficult times he is working at a local bakery but he hopes to have his own carpentry something soon. They both came to church this last Sunday and every time we meet them Bro Mazhindu tells us that he will be joining us and that he looks forward to being with us soon. They are so great and I can't wait until they are baptized.
We have also met this one boy named Kelvin. He is 13 and we taught him the restoration then after the lesson he said one of his friends was interested. So he took us there and we had another lesson. I asked him to teach his friend the Restoration to see how well he understood. So Kelvin started teaching. I think that was one of the best lessons I have ever seen. He is a powerful teacher. He taught the entire Restoration and he was having his friend read and asking him questions and went over how you need to pray to know and I was truly amazed. It was really incredible. The Church is true for sure.
There is even this other family that is progressing well. They were referred to us by the Bishop's wife and they are great as well. The only thing is they didn't come to church and I am not sure why. The younger boy did, he is 16, but the other's didn't but they said they were on their way. But we are scheduled to see them on Tuesday so I am sure we will find out what happened. There is also this other guy named Mncedisi(the c makes a clicky noise). His best friend and him started coming to church over a decade ago, the friend got baptized and they both moved but Mncedisi was never baptized. But he says he now has the desire to be and wants to change. But he has some things to work through. I don't know what exactly but I feel he is struggling with something right now.
Even this other guy Chris, said he went to church in Kwekwe for a month but moved before he got baptized and says he wants to be baptized now. The only thing is that he is a police officer and commitments made it so he couldn't come to church. But there are some very promising things that are happening. I just hope my companion comes as soon as possible. He needs to be a part of all this.
The Harvest is Great and the Laborers are Few....... GO ON MISSION!!!! :D
ELDER GAY
This last week was among the most trying of mission life. Well my companion was called by President Dube and he was flown to Harare on Tuesday of last week and he is still there as my fingers speak. He was flown out on Wednesday morning but he was with the zone leaders on Tuesday and so since that time I have been with a branch missionary. He is great but I have really worked on patience. I have been going CRAZY!!!!
So I am without a companion and I have been on baby sitting duty while trying to find my way through an unknown city. Very exciting and very interesting. I feel like a lost puppy..... odd but true. But amongst all the mayhem the Lord has sent miracles our way. We have found a great many people who are prepared for the Gospel and the members are really excited about the work. They have given us a lot of referrals and it has really helped a lot. Just a side note, will you, yes you, give a referral to the missionaries serving in your ward or branch? I promise it will be among the best things to ever happen to that missionary and to you as well. It has been a bit complicated because I am serving in two units whose meeting times are almost the same and I have been praying for a solution. I feel we might be getting another set of missionaries soon to be in the other area.
This one family we just met along the way. I stopped to talk to them and they are a great couple who really love each other and they have two little children. He is a carpenter but because of difficult times he is working at a local bakery but he hopes to have his own carpentry something soon. They both came to church this last Sunday and every time we meet them Bro Mazhindu tells us that he will be joining us and that he looks forward to being with us soon. They are so great and I can't wait until they are baptized.
We have also met this one boy named Kelvin. He is 13 and we taught him the restoration then after the lesson he said one of his friends was interested. So he took us there and we had another lesson. I asked him to teach his friend the Restoration to see how well he understood. So Kelvin started teaching. I think that was one of the best lessons I have ever seen. He is a powerful teacher. He taught the entire Restoration and he was having his friend read and asking him questions and went over how you need to pray to know and I was truly amazed. It was really incredible. The Church is true for sure.
There is even this other family that is progressing well. They were referred to us by the Bishop's wife and they are great as well. The only thing is they didn't come to church and I am not sure why. The younger boy did, he is 16, but the other's didn't but they said they were on their way. But we are scheduled to see them on Tuesday so I am sure we will find out what happened. There is also this other guy named Mncedisi(the c makes a clicky noise). His best friend and him started coming to church over a decade ago, the friend got baptized and they both moved but Mncedisi was never baptized. But he says he now has the desire to be and wants to change. But he has some things to work through. I don't know what exactly but I feel he is struggling with something right now.
Even this other guy Chris, said he went to church in Kwekwe for a month but moved before he got baptized and says he wants to be baptized now. The only thing is that he is a police officer and commitments made it so he couldn't come to church. But there are some very promising things that are happening. I just hope my companion comes as soon as possible. He needs to be a part of all this.
The Harvest is Great and the Laborers are Few....... GO ON MISSION!!!! :D
ELDER GAY
HOSPITAL!!!!
Well family and friends and colleagues. I had a very interesting week.
I was moved to Harare to have a training and to meet my new companion who was coming fresh from the MTC. So we go there we meet we have a training with President and we also have dinner at his home and that was really nice. My companion seems really great and we get along so no worries there. But I have to be honest I was a bit nervous about training. Especially because I had never been to our area before and I had no idea what the area would be like, I didn't know the city and the members and any of the investigators. I didn't even know what our house was like. But now I have partial or complete answers to these questions.
But the day we got there we drove 6 hours from Harare to our area. I woke up at 3 but we didn't leave until 7. I am not sure why I woke up that early. I just did. But anyway we went straight to the area when we got there and went to work finding where the members and investigators stayed and finding new people to teach. It was really quite exciting. BUt the next day as we are walking to the area my companion says he is feeling unwell and then proceeds to vomit 4-5 times on the side of the road. So I call the Zone leaders and they come take us to the doctor and he is having severe chest pains and shaking and getting shots and IV's and all sorts of medical attention and then we went home because he had been stable but the next morning it came back with a vengeance and it was bad so we spend the whole day at doctors getting tests and that day he was in a lot of pain. Then the next day he was admitted to the Hospital and he is still there. They say he will be released tomorrow. I guess they have fixed it.
But it has caused quite the mayhem. I have only been in the area 1 day. The rest I was at the Hospital. I was very concerned for my companion and President almost had me drive him to Harare to get treatment and all sorts of chaos. It was an emotionally draining week. But all is well.
ELDER GAY
I was moved to Harare to have a training and to meet my new companion who was coming fresh from the MTC. So we go there we meet we have a training with President and we also have dinner at his home and that was really nice. My companion seems really great and we get along so no worries there. But I have to be honest I was a bit nervous about training. Especially because I had never been to our area before and I had no idea what the area would be like, I didn't know the city and the members and any of the investigators. I didn't even know what our house was like. But now I have partial or complete answers to these questions.
But the day we got there we drove 6 hours from Harare to our area. I woke up at 3 but we didn't leave until 7. I am not sure why I woke up that early. I just did. But anyway we went straight to the area when we got there and went to work finding where the members and investigators stayed and finding new people to teach. It was really quite exciting. BUt the next day as we are walking to the area my companion says he is feeling unwell and then proceeds to vomit 4-5 times on the side of the road. So I call the Zone leaders and they come take us to the doctor and he is having severe chest pains and shaking and getting shots and IV's and all sorts of medical attention and then we went home because he had been stable but the next morning it came back with a vengeance and it was bad so we spend the whole day at doctors getting tests and that day he was in a lot of pain. Then the next day he was admitted to the Hospital and he is still there. They say he will be released tomorrow. I guess they have fixed it.
But it has caused quite the mayhem. I have only been in the area 1 day. The rest I was at the Hospital. I was very concerned for my companion and President almost had me drive him to Harare to get treatment and all sorts of chaos. It was an emotionally draining week. But all is well.
ELDER GAY
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