Golden Investigator

So don't worry! I got the package last week!!  I got it on Tuesday so I couldn't write home or send you a text and let you know! I don't have that convenience anymore... sorry yeah?  But I got it and I loved It!!  When I watched the video of the little girls, I won't lie, I shed a few tears.  This was the first time that I had cried on my mission.  Watching home videos was so cool!!! And hearing all your updates was pretty sick as well! That should be something you send in birthday packages and Christmas packages is a memory card with photos and videos with you guys.  That would be sweet!  So DHL is the quickest way to send a package.  They probably received it on that friday or whenever, but the couples don't bring them out as soon as they get them.  They bring them out when they come to your apartment or when president Sayon comes by.  So yes if you want to send something quick, do it DHL  I got everything in the package that was sent and nothing had been taken.  This was the first package that I have received that I was the first one to open it!!  Not the mail men....  Thank you for everything that has been sent in the package! I love the journals and I love how you put my name on it.  Its really cool!  Also, since its my sons (Elder Bowring) birthday this coming week, He received a bunch of letters and a package from his family and friends.  But  being zone leaders,  we decided to keep the package and his letters and we bought wrapping paper and wrapped them all together so that he'll have a present to open.  We left out 7 letters though and we give him one everyday until his birthday.  Kind of like the 12 days of Christmas idea... lame I know.  But this is mission and its pretty sweet(:  He doesn't know he has a package or a bunch of letters waiting for him either so it will be a huge surprise to him!  I was thinking the package was his birthday package so I didn't want him opening it until his birthday.  What a great father right? And small side note, Can you send a list of items that are okay to take home and get through customs.  Thank you.

Not much happened this week, but what did happen was a miracle.  Like you know, this is a new area for me now.  This place is full of powerful investigators or i should say, Converts.  The testimonies of these investigators who are preparing for their baptism is incredible!!  These are the type of people that will make the church strong in Liberia.  I'm excited to be here and I'll tell you why.  We were going to see this investigator named F. S. David.  I haven't met the man before and Elder Humphreys had only talked with him small when he was with his other companion.  They didn't teach him but they introduced themselves and talked small about the church.  So, us going there was kind of like a reintroduction again in a way...  Anyway, we get going there, and we get stopped by this really thick, strong, muscly fisher man.  We say hi and then Elder Humphreys asks if we can talk with him.  He says yes and then takes us to his place.  Elder Humphreys then tells me this is the guy we're seeing.  This dude is HUGE.  He takes us back to his place by the river side and as we're going, my companion tells me that this is all his stuff he owns.    So on the shore is were he docks his canoes. Its a really cool place, but their is only a couple problems.  Number one, if a tsunami came through, He'd be the first one gone. Number two, The river has all the sewage and stuff flow into it....  It doesn't smell like poop, but they go swimming in it, so its pretty gross.  off topic...  We go to his place, sit down, open the lesson, and then he asks us if he should go get his books.  Why not? So, we tell him to get them.  He goes inside and is in there for a solid ten minutes.  When he comes back out, he sets down on the table Ensigns and Liahonas from 1966 and also the book of Mormon stories book.  What the?!  Me and my companion look at each other and have the BIGGEST smiles on our faces! We were thinking we were in a dream! Then he goes into telling us about what he knows and about Joseph Smith and how he returned to look at the plates each year and tells us how incredible he thinks joseph smith is.  At this point I'm trying to hide my joy by not showing too big of a grin, but you don't know how hard it is to hold back all that excitement!  We let him finish talking and then we kind of went into talking more about the Apostasy and Joseph Smith.  After we had gone a little ways into the discussion, he brings up the book of Mormon and asks if he should go grab his.  Sure, go get it.  He goes in a comes out with this beat up book of Mormon that looks like it had been in the rain for awhile.  When he sits back down, he tells us that he found this book of Mormon 8 months ago floating in the river by his house.  He said he pulled it out and ever since then he has been reading it every once in a while.  NO WAY?!?!?!?  How often can a missionary say their investigator found the church as he was fishing and the Book of Mormon comes floating by?!  We were in complete awe as he was telling us the story!  The book of Mormon was handed out by missionaries almost 2 years ago...  How crazy is that?!  Now he has all these books about the church and wants to join in.  Just the other day while we were teaching him, he was leaning on his knees with his elbows and he looked at us and said while grabbing his heart, "I know the Latter Day Saint Church is the church."  You got to be kidding me!  Where's The water?? Lets baptize him now!  This guy is the definition of a convert.  I will never forget this guy my entire life.  He will be a future branch president.  He has a strong testimony of Joseph Smith.  And I say that because of what he said at the end of the lesson.  When we were about to say the prayer, he stopped us and said, "What is your bible role model?"  Alright, so we told him, and then we asked him what his was?  He told us David and Paul.  Then he continued and said," But Joseph Smith... It is amazing that he went four years to the same place and was getting made fun of."  Then he just sat there.  How awesome is this guy?!?  Big fisherman who knows the church is true!!!! I love it!!

That is pretty much what happened this week with me! 

Being zone leader though has been interesting.  We had a couple of meetings with President Kirkham and the District presidency this week, and now we are planning for our Leadership training that we will be teaching on Wednesday and then our zone meeting on Friday.  Zone leaders have plenty of work to do!  But its a nice change from being a trainer.  I have trained enough on my mission(: I'll let someone else do it now.  Im excited to hear how your guys week went and what happened!  I hope you all have a great week and I'll talk to you next week.  I love you all and I'm now 7 months (:  time is slipping away.

I love you!!
Elder Zaugg