"Yea, lucky charms. . . cuz their fruity. . . like you"
Oh, what a wit you have! *scratch*
crap. . . we ran out of animation money. . . =P
Well, hello there everybody, it appears as if I didn't get to spend as much time emailing last time as usual, I was just writing, and the guy comes around and says that the shop is closing in 5 minutes. . . I mean, really? well, whatever. Them's the beans.
This week has been quite annoying, but nice; we spent 2 hours a day, tuesday through friday, at a clinic volunteering to help with the measles campain going on. 1.9 mil children were vaccinated here in Zim this week against either measles, polio, or both for free by the gov't. It was a great opportunity for service for us, (we had helped a little to notify people the week before) and so we got to see lots of little children screaming in terror as they see a child in front of them screaming in terror because somewhere one saw the small needle and decided to start a chain reaction amongst toddlers. . . =P well, they are all a bit healthier now! good stuff.
The area that my companion and I are starting to work more in (Island) is responsible for most of our promising investigators at the moment. We still have only checked one street (due to time constraints these last 2 weeks), so 20-25 houses, and we are progressively teaching 7 people across 4 houses. It is really crazy, and we have decided to move a large portion of our efforts to this area to really get a stronghold of members there. The member family that lives in Island, the Sibandas, are really excited to help out and are probably going to be fellowshippers for a lot of people in the next while. . . and they seem to be loving it! Our Branch missionaries have been wanting us to help them out with learning to teach, and so we have been having kind of a class for them (and other members) every saturday (It has only happened twice now), and they are loving it. We have been helping them understand how to teach, and doing lots of role plays to help them learn. We have our own BMTC (branch missionary training center). Our BM's are also wanting to help more with missionary work, so we are seeing it really help with our investigators; We have, however, had to drop a lot of people this week who have not been willing to prioritize church.
Brother Ncube once again skipped out on church, but the rest of his family came. When we went to see them last night, he was telling us that he had been reading from the apostle paul that if a man's wife followed the commandments, her husband didn't have to (in essence). Naturally, we were pretty shocked that that interpretation held any water in this man's mind (he is an intelligent man) and he really wasn't wanting to listen to us. He said the following about 20 times: "I know what you say is true BUT . . ." We had been feeling that he has been progressing pretty well until just recently, and now I feel we have discovered his concern: He will not change. He refuses to truly pray to ask for the truth, and won't change the way he prays, or believes. We decided it was best to let him go for now until he is willing to change and really know what the truth is. The rest of his family, on the other hand, had been obviously feeling the spirit that was strong in the room during the lesson last night. It remains to be seen whether Sister Ncube and the daughters will be willing to change and progress without the father, or if they will help to change his heart, but for now, teaching a person who won't listen is like trying to break down a building using your bare fist.
Someone we have just recently started teaching (in Island) is sister Dzuke. She is an older mom (and roman catholic) whose husband passed away last year, and who we feel is an answer to prayers and fasting. When we first met her, we gave her a restoration pamphlet and set an appointment. When we came for the appointment, we found that she had already read most of the pamphlet and had questions about Joseph smith. We taught the first part of the restoration, and gave her a book of mormon. Upon returning for the second lesson, she had read the introduction of the book of mormon, and finished the pamphlet. She again had more questions. Yesterday, we were able to bring Brother and Sister Sibanda with us to the lesson (which made a big difference over a branch missionary) and taught about the Book of Mormon; true to form, Sister Dzuke had read the testimonies and read more from the book of mormon. As we continued teaching, the spirit was very strong. She had not come to church (rewind, sorry) and when we asked what had happened she said: "I came by on friday to find the church and was not able to, so I wasn't sure how to get there." From there, I just knew that if she had been able to find it, she would have come (as cheesy as it sounds, it is true). The Sibandas promptly told her where the church was, and offered to pick her up on sunday (he has done this with each island investigator so far, and will soon be coming to church with a herd of converts!). She was so excited to hear that.
She also shared a story: for the longest time in her life, she always has bad dreams; people at her church have helped by prayer and fasting for her, but all to no avail. Then one day, she was just finishing bathing, and two white missionaries from the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints come to her home, give her something to read and set an appointment to come. She prepared for this appointment, and on the appointed day, they came, taught her a little, and voila! No more bad dreams. Gone. None. Zvakwana. That was last week.
We have high hopes for her, as she really carries through with her reading and always has great questions.
Well, that is all for this week, my comp and I are still making NICE foods. It really is Q. (for those of you who don't know what Q is, you will find out one day =P it is the thing I miss the most, and it applies to everything: either Q, or not Q)
On to questions
Grandma Twila
Is it rainy now along with the cold?
it is rainy during/ right after the hot season.
Is the landscape much the same there?
fairly flat. Mutare was mountainous, but the rest of Zim is pretty much flatlnds.
Are you in a rural area?
I am presently in Bulawayo, which is the second biggest city in Zim, right after Harare.
I love you all, and hope that more of you will write me, because all of you can =P
Take care,
~Elder Williams
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Remember: Pray always, and look to the Lord. Write often, and live life to it's fullest.
Doubt is the seed of failure. ~Taggart Williams
Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. ~God (D+C 6:36)
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