HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
I was thinking back on when we arrived in the mission. I realized
that Me and Elder Burr were the first 18 year olds to enter The Liberia Monrovia
mission. Kind of a cool thing. Almost making history in a way for
Liberia (; Investigators that are being baptized are coming along. This last month was
really slow, but this month is looking promising. We have 31 investigators with
baptismal dates, and we are hoping for 2 baptisms the 20th and then 3 or 4 on
the 27th. So I will let you know how that goes. This last week for a good 3 days it rained everyday and even through the night. The temperatures dropped to around 78 degrees, which at night I was scrambling to find my blanket. Its crazy how your body adapts to the temperatures! I must say, that I LOVE RAINY SEASON! It for the most part stays relatively cool and I don't sweat as much. With it being rainy season, we get to wear our boots more often then normal, so I am hoping that I will be able to wear one pair of shoes for a solid year or longer! That would be sweet if I didn't have to buy any shoes here! My area that I am in right now, Banjor, doesn't get to muddy if it just sprinkles for a little bit but if it rains for maybe ten minutes, the road/paths become rivers and streams. I look at all the water that runs down the road and I am continually amazed at how much rain falls! Africa is an experience that I will cherish forever!
Now I had one story that I really want to share this week. Its about our pastor friend named, Pastor T.. We met pastor T. during a lesson at Sister G. house, when he decided to join us. We were talking about the restoration during this lesson and he really enjoyed it. He was asking plenty of questions! Pastor T. after the lesson wanted to give us his number so that we could discuss more. We were fine with it, but the thing about pastors here, is that they are set in their ways. They don't want to learn, so we didn't think anything of it when he wanted to give us his number. We later came back on Saturday and we were discussing the last part of lesson 3 with Sister G. (because we only finished faith and repentance then we had to head back to the apartment) When we were just talking with her, she told me that I should call T. so he could come. I call him up and he is excited to know we're teaching again. He said he'll be over just give him 5 minutes. I told my companion that we'll just continue teaching and then fill him in once he comes. Because 5 minutes to a Liberian man is a half hour. Whenever they say, "I'll be there by 2pm!" They show up at 3.... They are worse then Mormon Standard Time. He showed up not to long after that, so we filled him in. We were discussing Baptism, The Gift of The Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. We started talking about baptism and how it needs to be done by the proper authority, only immersed one time, and all that good stuff about baptism. Now at this point he is really soaking it in. We asked him how he was baptized and he said he was baptized that way.... thinking his pastor in his church he was with before he left had the authority. We talked to him about it, and then went on to the Holy Ghost. Once we explained everything about the Holy Ghost, and he realized that He didn't receive it because he didn't have hands laid upon his head. He then asked us a question that made me start laughing inside.... he said, "So can I come to your church and receive the holy ghost and then come back to my ministering?" Wait a minute Pastor T.... Are you saying that you know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the power and authority to do these things? haha Thats what was running through my head the entire time. I was also thinking, " WE'RE BAPTIZING THIS MAN!" I explained to him that If he realized that he can receive the Holy Ghost through our church, then he knows that we have the Priesthood and that he knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet Called of God and that He then would know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was the only true church upon the face of the earth. Yeah, his baptismal date is for the 27th...(; We are going back to teach him this week, so we will see how his praying went these last couple of days. How sweet would that be to baptize a pastor? We'll see if it happens.
Excerpts from a letter he sent on 6/16/2013
African life is one of a kind!
I am doing good here in A-Town. Things are going smoothly. We just received the new missionaries yesterday. (6/10/2013) So me and Elder Smith are no longer companions together. Something interesting happened to us yesterday. We were walking through Duala market. it probably goes at least a mile or more. So its quite the market. Anyways, we're walking through this market past a taxi, when a lady with a hairy chest walked past. Yes, she had A LOT of chest hair. I have come across ladies with hairy chins and necks, this surprised me! You really never know what you will see during your day out in the mission field here in Africa. Africa can find a way to keep you on your toes, you never know what it will throw at you next. I LOVE IT! I can't remember if I sent the monkey picture with me touching it or if it was just the picture of the monkey. The monkey was cool. They gave it a mirror one time and it started checking itself out. It was awesome! Working with Elder Smith was one of the greatest times on my mission. We are from the same MTC. We were working in Duala and Banjor so his area and then my area. I will still be in Banjor training my new companion for 9 weeks, then his training will be over. Crazy, I know. This transfer is only 4 weeks so it will end the first week in July. You will probably receive this letter after that time, but its because the MTC and Mission for Liberia, are trying to get on the same schedule. What I heard is that all missionaries will come home 2 weeks earlier, so mid February, or end of February is when I will be coming home. Its not confirmed yet, but that's what it is looking like. I love getting packages! If you can send food or supplements that are healthy, that would be great! I have noticed I am losing my vocabulary out here on my mission. I don't know how, but you do. The Priesthood is POWERFUL. If one lives worthy, they will be able to do miracles. I have a story. There is a lady named P. who owns the internet café we email at and is in Elder Smiths area. We have been visiting her the past 2 weeks and she is getting baptized this Saturday. Anyways, during the week she went to the hospital because she wasn't feeling well and her back was paining her. The pain went on for a few days. So we read to her a verse in James that talks If you are sick, call upon the Elders of the church to bless and anoint you. We told her this then let her decide if she wanted a blessing or not. She said yes, so we gave her a blessing and then we went our separate ways. The next day when we were emailing she came up to us and you could see the spunk back in her. She said to us, "I feel great! I know it was because of the blessing. Why didn't you do it sooner?" She was so happy and you could tell it was a testimony builder for her. I am grateful to have and be able to use the Priesthood. I love and miss you guys but I know that what I am doing is important and that it will bless the lives of many.
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