Area: Zimbabwe, Bulawayo/Nketa
Companion: Elder Gagon
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My Dearest Family,
Well the week was a bit rough. I will explain later. As for the journal I wrote like once. Not much improvement there. As for exercising, I did that like twice. I am having a hard time getting out of bed. I can easily get out of bed when I am supposed to at 6:30, but I want to get up at 5:30 so that I can work-out and have time for personal study before actual study. Do you think you can pray for me to be able to arise at 5:30? I am still serving with Elder Gagon in Bulawayo! We are doing well. We had a bit of a melt down on Tuesday. Things kind of built up, a lot of fall-throughs, it was very hot that day, a member was complaining because of a miscommunication, and when I had contacted a man who was interested I asked my companion when we should see him and when he responded it sounded to me like he said, "I just do not care anymore." Yo! I lost it. I just left. I guess I heard him wrong and he did not really say he did not care about the work, but when i thought he said that I got ticked! Man, if you tell me the work of the Lord "does not matter anymore" on a stressful day I will rip into you. Yo! We talked afterwards though. We are doing very well. Elder Gagon is a good companion to work with.
Like I mentioned above, the week was rough. Elder Gagon and I realize however that this work cannot always be smooth sailing. We are meant to taste of trial and tribulation. We had 3-4 days were we only taught like 2-3 lessons. Even on Tuesday things became pretty heated. Elder Gagon even told me that on Tuesday he almost called mission president to tell him he was done and just go back to our house. Ha Ha! Even myself I do not think I have walked back and forth to find not one single nonmember or member home in such a span of time. We suffered for sure. Although the blessing and miracles that happened was, apart from a small moment on Tuesday, we were able to have smiles on our faces. Even though things were tough we knew that we had given everything to the Lord. Not once did we give up. We joked about it, but we never sat down and quit. We kept working. I praise Father in Heaven that he has strengthened us to never give in to the sorrows of this work. I have come to know in real meaning the saying, "...but the laborers are few."
I was reminded of a story I loved to tell, especially when giving a talk. The story is of a business man on vacation. While paroling along the beach next to his beach house he beheld a figure in the distance along the sandy beach. He approaching a bit closer saw that is was a young man doing some sort of dance. Upon closer inspection he realized this young adult was picking up beached starfish and throwing them in the ocean. He was puzzled. The long beach was covered with helpless starfish and there was only one man. He even decided to ask the boy, "What are you doing?" The young man responded, "Saving these starfish."
"There are so many. How can you possibly make a difference."
The young man looked down, picked up a starfish, and threw it into the ocean. "I made a difference to that one."
The business man returned to his home bothered by what the young man had said. His logical mind told him it was impossible to save all of those starfish, so what was the point? But the simple statement, "I made a difference to that one" would not leave his mind.
The next morning there were two figures on the sandy shore doing some kind of dance. Both a young man and a business man. "The field is white, but the laborers are few."
It is a true saying that we are few in this work, but we are in the business of one. I have learned, especially from this week, if you focus on all the wickedness in the world, all the unholy things, all the influence of Satan in our areas of living it looks very much...hopeless, but it is a good thing we do not do all of the work. We are to focus on ONE soul at a time. Make a difference to "that one." We are not alone. This is the work of living God. Christ, our Lord and Master, is at the very front. It mattereth not if we are 100 against 100,000,000. We will be victorious. "Choose ye this day whom though shalt serve, but as for me I will serve the Lord."
The greatest miracle I received this week was that Elder Gagon and I had smiles on our faces in the hardest of times. A collection of other miracles happened this week. We heard a message from Elder D.Todd Christoffersen and President Thomas S. Monson to the stakes. Brother D came to church. Sister M also came to church. We still have too many people to teach. What a blessing, what a challenge.
I love this work. I love you. I pray that the lord may bless you and I with opportunities to serve him in this great call. I say these things in the name of our captain, Jesus Christ, amen.
(we heard the work was slowing in his area and asked about that) Honestly, since I have been in Blues I have not seen the work go down once, except for this week. Really, you get out of the work what you put into it. The work has always been POWERFUL where ever I go. I was told Mutare was horrible and that the work suffers because everyone thinks we are satanists there. I loved the work there. I have also learned there is opposition in all things. Every area in the world will have hard times, but you are the one to choose if that will effect you.
Yo! i was just telling Elder Gagon yesterday that I was hoping to be able to play soccer when i go home. You can tell that coach that I want to be on his team if he makes one.
I know not to worry about my siblings. Mission has really opened my eyes and understanding though. I want to make sure my brother and sister are raised in righteousness. I have thought a lot on how I want to raise my family and my brother and sister are going to be my test subjects. The reason for my responses is I feel that these are times for me to teach them. Of course, it would be better if I was there so I an understand all that goes on, but I want to be able to practice teaching them. The best learning comes from doing, experience. If what I say comes across as "too much" just let me know. I want to learn how to teach more than just investigators. I want to teach my family.
It seems my two siblings are POWERFUL, neh? When I come home I am going to turn them into mini disciples of Christ. Righteous followers of the Son of God. Yo! I have too many goals for home. Speaking of goals, I want to help our ward with re-activation. Do you know how our ward is with less-actives. I was able to read Luke 15 this week. You should read it. Th one that is lost and is found is more joyous than those who were never lost. I want to start thinking of how I can help our ward, especially in terms of re-activation.
I am running out of time so I will end here. I love you all like nuts. I thank you for who you are and what you do.
L O V E you like a DISCIPLE of JESUS CHRIST
Elder TOM
Well the week was a bit rough. I will explain later. As for the journal I wrote like once. Not much improvement there. As for exercising, I did that like twice. I am having a hard time getting out of bed. I can easily get out of bed when I am supposed to at 6:30, but I want to get up at 5:30 so that I can work-out and have time for personal study before actual study. Do you think you can pray for me to be able to arise at 5:30? I am still serving with Elder Gagon in Bulawayo! We are doing well. We had a bit of a melt down on Tuesday. Things kind of built up, a lot of fall-throughs, it was very hot that day, a member was complaining because of a miscommunication, and when I had contacted a man who was interested I asked my companion when we should see him and when he responded it sounded to me like he said, "I just do not care anymore." Yo! I lost it. I just left. I guess I heard him wrong and he did not really say he did not care about the work, but when i thought he said that I got ticked! Man, if you tell me the work of the Lord "does not matter anymore" on a stressful day I will rip into you. Yo! We talked afterwards though. We are doing very well. Elder Gagon is a good companion to work with.
Like I mentioned above, the week was rough. Elder Gagon and I realize however that this work cannot always be smooth sailing. We are meant to taste of trial and tribulation. We had 3-4 days were we only taught like 2-3 lessons. Even on Tuesday things became pretty heated. Elder Gagon even told me that on Tuesday he almost called mission president to tell him he was done and just go back to our house. Ha Ha! Even myself I do not think I have walked back and forth to find not one single nonmember or member home in such a span of time. We suffered for sure. Although the blessing and miracles that happened was, apart from a small moment on Tuesday, we were able to have smiles on our faces. Even though things were tough we knew that we had given everything to the Lord. Not once did we give up. We joked about it, but we never sat down and quit. We kept working. I praise Father in Heaven that he has strengthened us to never give in to the sorrows of this work. I have come to know in real meaning the saying, "...but the laborers are few."
I was reminded of a story I loved to tell, especially when giving a talk. The story is of a business man on vacation. While paroling along the beach next to his beach house he beheld a figure in the distance along the sandy beach. He approaching a bit closer saw that is was a young man doing some sort of dance. Upon closer inspection he realized this young adult was picking up beached starfish and throwing them in the ocean. He was puzzled. The long beach was covered with helpless starfish and there was only one man. He even decided to ask the boy, "What are you doing?" The young man responded, "Saving these starfish."
"There are so many. How can you possibly make a difference."
The young man looked down, picked up a starfish, and threw it into the ocean. "I made a difference to that one."
The business man returned to his home bothered by what the young man had said. His logical mind told him it was impossible to save all of those starfish, so what was the point? But the simple statement, "I made a difference to that one" would not leave his mind.
The next morning there were two figures on the sandy shore doing some kind of dance. Both a young man and a business man. "The field is white, but the laborers are few."
It is a true saying that we are few in this work, but we are in the business of one. I have learned, especially from this week, if you focus on all the wickedness in the world, all the unholy things, all the influence of Satan in our areas of living it looks very much...hopeless, but it is a good thing we do not do all of the work. We are to focus on ONE soul at a time. Make a difference to "that one." We are not alone. This is the work of living God. Christ, our Lord and Master, is at the very front. It mattereth not if we are 100 against 100,000,000. We will be victorious. "Choose ye this day whom though shalt serve, but as for me I will serve the Lord."
The greatest miracle I received this week was that Elder Gagon and I had smiles on our faces in the hardest of times. A collection of other miracles happened this week. We heard a message from Elder D.Todd Christoffersen and President Thomas S. Monson to the stakes. Brother D came to church. Sister M also came to church. We still have too many people to teach. What a blessing, what a challenge.
I love this work. I love you. I pray that the lord may bless you and I with opportunities to serve him in this great call. I say these things in the name of our captain, Jesus Christ, amen.
(we heard the work was slowing in his area and asked about that) Honestly, since I have been in Blues I have not seen the work go down once, except for this week. Really, you get out of the work what you put into it. The work has always been POWERFUL where ever I go. I was told Mutare was horrible and that the work suffers because everyone thinks we are satanists there. I loved the work there. I have also learned there is opposition in all things. Every area in the world will have hard times, but you are the one to choose if that will effect you.
Yo! i was just telling Elder Gagon yesterday that I was hoping to be able to play soccer when i go home. You can tell that coach that I want to be on his team if he makes one.
I know not to worry about my siblings. Mission has really opened my eyes and understanding though. I want to make sure my brother and sister are raised in righteousness. I have thought a lot on how I want to raise my family and my brother and sister are going to be my test subjects. The reason for my responses is I feel that these are times for me to teach them. Of course, it would be better if I was there so I an understand all that goes on, but I want to be able to practice teaching them. The best learning comes from doing, experience. If what I say comes across as "too much" just let me know. I want to learn how to teach more than just investigators. I want to teach my family.
It seems my two siblings are POWERFUL, neh? When I come home I am going to turn them into mini disciples of Christ. Righteous followers of the Son of God. Yo! I have too many goals for home. Speaking of goals, I want to help our ward with re-activation. Do you know how our ward is with less-actives. I was able to read Luke 15 this week. You should read it. Th one that is lost and is found is more joyous than those who were never lost. I want to start thinking of how I can help our ward, especially in terms of re-activation.
I am running out of time so I will end here. I love you all like nuts. I thank you for who you are and what you do.
L O V E you like a DISCIPLE of JESUS CHRIST
Elder TOM
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