Frustrating Week

This past week was a little frustrating but not bad.

But first we got transfer news! and I'm staying in Mautuma with Elder Griffiths again! Which is good.  It kind of stinks though because there is some problems in the government with missionaries getting visas so next transfer we might be down to 60 missionaries in the mission... so please pray that things will change!

So this week i got to go on exchanges again to Misiku to do baptismal interviews.  it was good.  But this whole transfer has been crazy with exchanges! I have only been in my area once for a full week... I'm exchanged out! And it stinks because exchanging back takes half of a day away because all of the areas around here really far apart. But its ok this is THE Kenya Nairobi Mission... a mission of MEN! and that's what Elder Holland said.... no lie.  But the exchange was good. 

Rough week as the work goes.  We weren't able to visit a lot of our investigators because my companion was really sick this week. I woke up to him ralfing all over the place in the bathroom.... i was like ohh snap that's not good... at least its not me haha just kidding.  Then i woke up again latter that night and looked out and noticed that he was sweeping or mopping or something and was like what the heck is going on. But then i fell back asleep haha. But then in the morning i asked him what happened and he just said, well i didn't make it to the toilet in time..... hahahahahah it was funny but i felt bad at the same time.  So we had a hard time getting work done but hey that's the way things go sometimes, just gotta roll with the punches. 

Also this week we had to drop a few of our investigators.  We have had a difficult time finding serious investigators.  Its frustrating because a lot of people here just like visiting with two white guys. Its been difficult to get people to keep commitments.  So the work has been frustrating, but we really plan to do a lot of finding and tracking this week, trying to find more people to teach and more families. But its all good, as long as we have faith and work hard the Lord will lead us to people he has prepared! So we hope this next week will be good.

Other than that things are ok. sorry nothing to interesting this week...But wait! I did finish reading the Book of Mormon again! And as usual it was awesome. Really learned a lot from reading it this time, especially about "if ye keep my commandments ye shall prosper, and if ye shall not keep my commandments ye shall have no such promise." Its said a lot thorough the Book of Mormon, but its true and obviously making a major point.  Most people are unhappy and sad today because they fail to keep the commandments of God. So as long as we are obedient to what our Heavenly Father has asked us to do, he will help us to be happy and will lead and provide us to better lives.  I'm so very grateful for the Book of Mormon and it truly is another witness of our Savior Jesus Christ! Read it yall!!

But i love you all. Once again Happy B Day JOE!!!!!!!

Elder Thomas

PS even though they don't celebrate it here.... HAPPY Martin Luther King DAY!

Daniel's new ride!  On an exchange in Kitale he had some free time while waiting for an investigator to get home.

Mautuma- Daniel's area!

January 13, 2013

Another fast week out here in Mautuma!

This week I got to go on exchanges to Kitale with elder Maduna, and
had a pretty interesting experience. So a month ago they had a member
die in their branch, and still hadn't had any sort of funeral service.
So they finally put together a "memorial service",the day before while
I was in Kitale and guess what... They assigned me and elder Maduna to
give 30 minute talks! The night before. haha. I had to rush to put
together a talk on the atonement.  It was really nice studying about
it and studying it in depth. Its like the best thing ever to be
honest.  Really tried to focus on the resurrection and then also how
through grace and mercy we can be forgiven. So the next day we show up
to the church 5 minutes before it starts and no one is there. So we
waited for a little bit... then 30 minutes go by and the branch
president shows up. We asked him if we were still having the service,
and he just said ya its just running a little bit behind. So we waited
another hour... and only 4 other people showed up. Long story short we
prepared 30 minute talks for nothing.  The guy never showed up to
the church with the body and we wasted almost the entire day. I was
pretty upset. But it was good though because i got to study about
the atonement.  So it kind of worked out in the end but not really
haha.

Another on the spot thing. On Sunday we were in our PEC meeting with
the branch. All was going well and we were discussing different church
matters and how we could help. Then randomly, 10 minutes before church
started, our 2nd counselor said "ohhh ummm... we don't have any one to
give talks today... what do we do." Immediately the branch president
turns to me and says "well Elder Thomas is right here. You are ready
right?"..... ummm hahaha. I had no choice but to say yes.  They wanted
me to be the first speaker and speak for 15 minutes... ha.  So i
wasn't able to prepare anything, but i relied on the spirit and just
went for it! And it actually turned out really good.  I was able to
speak on Missionary work, so that made it easier haha. I talked a lot
about how as members the best way we can do missionary work is to just
live the gospel and being a good example to others.  I shared the
experience of me back home working construction and then meeting Moses
and how he asked me more about the church.  So it was actually really
nice, and a lot of members came up and said i did a good job. If ye
are prepared ye shall not fear! hahah it was a very interesting
sacrament meeting.

Also this week we had no bikes! On Wednesday half way through the day,
my front tire completely ripped and exploded. Legitimately.  And
because there are no spare bike parts any where close to hear, we have
to wait another week or 2 to get a new tire. So we walked kabisa. It
was funny because we had to walk 1 1/2 hours up the hill in our area,
so while we were walking, a tractor came by with a trailer on the
back.... so what did we do?? we flagged it down and got a ride up the
hill in it! haha it was really nice and we got up to the top of the
hill in only 25 minutes! it was really nice. Then we contacted all of
the guys with a Law of Chastity pamphlet... score one for the
missionaries!

But things are going well here! Hope that JOE HAS A GREAT 12th
birthday!!!! YAAAAAA! Love you Joe. Newest deacon in the Avalon branch
ya!
Have a great week!

Elder Thomas

January 6, 2013

Habari,

Another awesome week out in Western Kenya.

So this week i go to go out on exchanges in Misiku to do a baptismal interview, so i was with Elder Marble for most of the week. He is a really good missionary from Utah.  So we had to do 3 interviews, one of which was for 2 younger kids who's grandparents are members and wanted to be baptised, and another one for a 23 yr old guy.  Unfortunately we had to do the interviews at their homes.... and the 2 places were on the opposite sides of their area. So we spent the whole day biking around and taking matatus to get around. Legitimately. And also a huge storm rolled on in on us and we got dumped on.... hahah it wasn't very pleasant but hey it definitely spiced things up.  It was a really tiresome day. But the interviews were awesome, all of them were very prepared.  Just really came to show me how the Lord is truly preparing people to accept the fullness of the gospel. Its awesome! Also spent new years day in Misiku... just felt like a normal day. The number of  drunk people was the same.... one out of 5 hahah. But ya its 2014 yall!!

This week in Mautuma we had some really awesome lessons, especially with teaching the restoration! We were able to go and teach it to two of our progressing investigators, Caroline and Titus.  Caroline is a single woman who is staying with her father right now with her kids.  She found out about the Church in Nairobi and was very interested in attending here in Mautuma.  We had a really powerful lesson with her and the spirit was really there. She had lots of good questions and has a really strong desire to be baptised.  we just hope that she will continue to attend church and gain a strong testimony in the church. Then with Titus, we had an awesome lesson with him.  He is really interested in serving mission and loves the structure of the church. He likes how at church our classes are more of a discussion and you are allowed to ask questions.  Most churches here is just the pastor teaching and not allowing anyone to speak... so that's kind of a big reason why people like our church!! ohh ya! But even with him he is doing awesome and always has lots of good questions at church.  So things are doing well in Mautuma right now.

A few funny things this week though.  I ate it on my bike. Big time. hahahaha. I was tom cruising down a hill and i got to close to a washed out ditch and my back tire slid down and well before you know it i was over the handlebars and on the ground.  It happened so fast that i didn't know what happened. it was pretty crazy and i just look back and Elder Griffiths was dying laughing.  Only one mama saw me so it was ok. But still, the only thing hurt was.. my pride.... but its ok pride is of the devil! hahah still it was pretty bad. People the entire day were just looking at me like what happened to you.  Another funny thing was something a member said in his prayer.  People here for the most part are pretty devout and in to their prayers, but sometimes they say some really funny things.  So we asked a member to pray for us during our visit with him as we were about to leave, and he said in his prayer "next time we meet let us say to each other 'HEY LORD' we thank you for the gospel".... umm and my companion pretty much lost it and started laughing a little bit.  yeah i wont lie it was pretty funny hahaha.  The funny stuff that happens in KENYA!

But things are going great!! Love you all have a super week!

Elder Thomas