Powerful week!! A lot of great things happened this week!
So first off, we got transfer news this week.... and I'm staying in Kitale with elder Dick! But the rest of the zone basically got transferred out. We have a lot of new elders in our zone now so it will be interesting to see how things will be now with the new zone.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we went on exchanges, so i went to Misikhu to be with Elder Mwashi. He is just been out for 6 weeks, but he has a pretty good understanding of how missionary work should go already. So also while I was there i got to do an interview for one of their investigators to be baptized, Bernard. Super powerful guy! Those guys did a great job of teaching him and the interview went super well. Really cool so see how the Lord prepares people! After that we got invited to go to a homecoming party for a guy returning from a mission in Ghana. It was really cool. Didn't understand a thing because it was all in Kibukusu, but it was nice ha! They treated us like kings because we were missionaries, and they gave us a ton of food! Chapatis, rice, chicken, ndengu, and all sorts of good stuff. Also got to contact and visit with a few people. But it was a great exchange, had a few other great and spiritual lessons.
But the big event of this week was on Sunday in Sikhendu. BAPTISM!!! For Emmanuel Nyongesa! He is such an awesome guy! We have been teaching him for the past 2 months, and he has really progressed well. He has come to church every week, kept all his commitments, and constantly reads from the Book of Mormon. He was super prepared! The service was great, but it was also just a really Kenyan baptism, and I will tell you why. First! the opening hymn was 201, Joy to the World. Ya i guess its cool, but then again its only June and Christmas is still 7 months out. But a good song for a bapt i guess . Then! We have to fill up the bapt font (iron box) by hand by getting water out of the well which is like 40 feet deep. So our branch pres did not fill it up all the way.... so in order to baptize Emmanuel (tall 18 yr old guy), he had to kneel down in the font and get baptized like that! The priesthood was there so its all good and it was done in the correct way. Then we had to tip over the font and it was like 800 pounds, and almost killed someone in the process. Took ten guys to tip it haha. Beside those 3 things a super spiritual service! Emmanuel was super happy the entire day! During all of church he was smiling and just super eager to be baptized! A really great experience. I love being able to see and help people bring changes to their lives to allow them to begin the path that leads them back to our Heavenly Father. Missionary work is da best!!
Also. After church we gave a sister in the branch a blessing, which was really cool. She said she wasn't feeling well, and that she wanted a priesthood blessing. I was like wow, that's awesome! The faith was defiantly there for her. And the blessing was great, i love helping out in blessings. BUT. Here is where things get interesting. After church, we were walking around the market going to an appointment. So as we are passing by, all the sudden something catches my eye in a shop. It was the sister we gave a blessing to! She was buying some food! ha i was like well... i don't know what to do at this point. Its a very common thing for people to buy stuff on the sabbath. Even after that, we went to visit with the 2nd counselor in the district presidency. And while there, we were about to share a scripture and ask him about a referral when he said "oh just wait elders!" so we did as he went out side. Ten minutes latter he returned with a bag of food, which i think he bought. Hmm. So looks like we will need to be teaching sabbath day observance this week!
But a great week!!! I really love missionary work and Kenya!! Hope that Summer is great back home. Love you all! Talk to a friend about the church and invite them to learn more. Help the missionaries out back home with people to teach! YA! LOVE YALL!
Elder Thomas
No comments:
Post a Comment