First week of 2013 - and Mission Extension

Date: January 07, 2013 
Area: Zimbabwe, Bulawayo/Nketa 
Companion: Elder Allen

My Dear Family,

Well, ... the week was absolutely splendid! I have been working on patience and hope this week. I want to be optimistic and know that with time I, with the help of my Lord my God, I can overcome my challenges. If I spend the whole time being disappointed in myself and sad I will not be happy and I will not have the spirit. I have confidence in my God and I am working on the confidence in myself. I have full faith in Christ, but as in myself I doubt. Ether 12:27 teaches us that we are given weaknesses that they might be strong through humility and by His grace. Ether 12:26 also teaches us "fools mock, but they shall mourn"...HA HA! I do request some help though. You know I am very forgetful so ... Can you just pray for me that I will be able to remember? Thank you! You are sharp! 

I would just like to let you know, I am officially sick of meat. I was trying to quit taking meat back home and then I came on mission and I eat too much of it. I am going to start a goal of eating less meat now and when I come home I do not want to eat meat almost at all. I will continue to eat fish and I will eat other meats on special occasions (like Thanksgiving), but otherwise I do not want meat. This is my new goal and I would like some help from you to do it. Is that okay?

So you asked about drunks. I am not sure what missionary was talking to their moms, but in Zimbabwe there are drunks. Every where you go you will find drunks. There is no escaping it. On New Years there was a bit more people that drank, but nothing big. I have talked to at least five drunks a day on mission, yes, I mean every day. I am not even sure how to explain how many drunks there are here. So there was not much difference in drunks on New Years than any other day. Drunks are also harmless by the way. The most they will do is run up and give you a hug. I think I have been hugged by like 10-15 drunks on mission. Ha Ha! Do not worry about them.

Well, the week was absolutely fantastic! Sunday was a bit saddening, because of the attendance at sacrament, but otherwise everything was wonderful! The new year was just splendid. The only thing interesting that happened for us on the new year is that we were woken up around midnight when Bulawayo exploded. Ha Ha! A lot of whistles, a lot of yelling, and a lot of fireworks going off. We watched for a couple of minutes and went back to bed. We were dead that night. Ha Ha! I guess we did spend a Family Home Evening with some members that night. We had everyone give their new year resolutions and then shared Alma 37:6 "by small and simple things great things are brought to pass." So if we want the resolution to work out we have to have small monthly, weekly, daily, hourly,...etc. goals to work on to make the great resolution come to pass.

We have been focusing much on families. Some families were busy this week and we only saw them once or twice, but we are excited for them. We are so excited for the M* Family. They are the family that we found on Christmas. We were finally able to see mom along with the whole family and the lesson was POWERFUL. We taught the message of the restoration focusing on the Book of Mormon and answered the questions they had. They were very interested and promised to pray for their answers. They were busy the rest of the week preparing for school, but we look forward to seeing them in the coming week. 

I think my companion and I are doing well with the spirit of unity. So many times in a lesson we both come up with the same scripture or share the incite we both were just thinking of. There have been a few occasions, both inside and outside of lessons, were we both say the same thing at the same time. I think we have opened a POWERFUL channel for the spirit to work through both of us. I think this has come because we are very open toward one another. We are always talking about gospel truths, the kind of people we want to be, and just talking. We also look for opportunities to serve others and each other. I have learned a lot from Elder Allen. We have been slacking a bit on serving each other. I will have to bake him a cake this week. Ha Ha!

The work is wonderful. This week we had the wonderful blessing of a family member passing away in the branch. I call this a blessing because the branch showed much support and it opened a door of missionary work. They gave the missionaries (us) time to speak and we spoke about the Plan of Salvation. The service was also held at the new chapel and many people were very interested in the church. It was a time of mourning, but it was also a time to rejoice. I witnessed many blessings come from it. We even found a father we had lost because of it. :)

That was my week!

I hope I get this 4th missionary thing soon. You said it was a pdf. Can you send the pdf file by email?

Looks like we will have many traditions next year for when I am home. I am not sure if I told you yet, but the whole mission was extended two weeks, so since I am also extending a transfer I think I will come home either right before or right on Halloween, just to let you know. I love the boxing day idea and I think we should plan service projects on Christmas. We can go visit old folks and drop Christmas gifts. What was that FHE tradition you wanted to start? You also talked about a 12 day countdown thing?

I also do hope you get better from being sick. That place you went to sounds not so great to me (steakhouse...me no like meat). Ha Ha! Remember meat is evil...but the Lord blessed us with it (1 Tim. 4:3-4, D&C 59:16-20, and 89:12-13).

So church is at 9:00am? POWERFUL! So you get more of the day to serve the Lord! :) I think it was my companion telling me that Ezra Taft Bensen was saying that when the Lord said "rest" he meant to go visit the sick, do good, and serve him. Really it is called the Lord's day for a reason. everything we do that day should help us think of the Savior and follow him. I am excited for Jordan. What has he said about waiting or not for me to come home to ordain him?

No Camera and nothing from Bart or Melissa. 

Glad to hear Grandparents are doing well and that my sister is as crazy as ever!

Can you find out if Josh, McKenna, and Kylee received my letters?

Schedule keeping is important. That is one of the many things I want to keep that i have learned from mission. I am glad you recognized the effects of inconstant scripture study and prayer. "He that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light;and that light groweth brighter and brighter." God will give to you when you give to him. "I will draw near unto you when ye draw near unto me." We cannot expect him to come the whole way we need to make the effort to go to him. It is easy to forget the Lord and what he has done for us. It is the natural man, but that is why we have the Spirit to bring all things unto our remembrance, especially the goodness of God. "That which is of God is light" (D&C 50:24).

I love you. I thank you for the wonderful family that you are. You are a light set on a hill to me. So many families are being attacked be the advisory and from what I hear your have armored yourselves very well. Keep up the defense. Be a light unto the world. Show mean your examples. Testify of the Savior in word and deed. Invite all to come unto Christ. 

Keep the Faith

L O V E like a DISCIPLE of JESUS CHRIST
Elder TOM