June 23, 2014

Pretty good week.

What was really great about this week was that i got to go on exchanges with Elder Utonga (Tanzania) back to MAUTUMA! It was really cool to go back to my old area! I was able to see a ton of old members! I thought that most of them wouldn't think much of seeing me again, just because i was only there for 3 months, but all of them were super super excited to see me again! A lot of them said wow elder Thomas, you look a lot healthier and bigger now, Kitale must be treating you good! hahah ya something like that.  Its just that i don't have to bike 15 kms up hill to get to DDM's anymore haha. Although, we did get fed by just about every person that we went to see.  They were like ohhh Elder Thomas is back! Lets make him food!  there was Ugali, Skuma wiki, potato stew, chapati, cocoa, mandazi, eggs, ground nuts, and other Kenyan goodies! But it was really cool to especially see President Edward while i was there.  Also did a bapt interview there, which turned out really great. Super great being back in Mautuma tho!!!!

Had a pretty cool experience this week. On Friday after our street contacting activity, elder Dick and I had scheduled some 3 appointments at the church. So while we were waiting at the church, it started to rain really hard! So we waiting for a long time, waiting for our investigators to come, but we thought for sure that non of them would come because of the rain. It started to get late and we were really getting discouraged that no one was coming. So we decided that it was probably best if just go and go visit other people. But just right before we walked out of the church, one of our investigators showed up! His name is Tony, and he was a guy that we contacted on the street. Even though it was getting late, we decided to talk with him and see how interested he was. We began to ask him about himself, and he went on to tell us how he was really looking for something to fill the "hole in his heart". He talked about how he has gone to different churches, and how even he is going to one now. But as he has gone to all of them, he is just confused about their teachings and just feels like something is missing. So he told us that he was hoping that maybe something our church, and in our teachings could help him. So we decided it would be best to talk about the Restoration. Had a really great lesson with him about it. At the end i asked him how he felt about the Restoration and about Joseph Smith. He said that he felt confused... and i was like ohh no did we not teach clearly enough? But he went on to say that he was confused because it was just new to him, but that i did make sense that God would call a prophet to restore the fullness of His gospel. He said that he would really need to pray about these things, but thats all that we ask of, to find out for oneself. So it was a really cool experience, and what made it even better was that he even came to church on sunday! So we really hope to keep working with him and see if we can fill that hole that he has. And i know we can!

Things are still going great will Walter, we will most likely have his baptism next Sunday!! He has really been progressing well, in spite of all the challenges and difficulties he has been having, especially with overcoming word of wisdom and dealing with his family.  Whats been great though is that his family, especially his wife, has been softening up.  Before, she would not talk to him at all if she saw the Book of Mormon or anything like that.  But now, she is actually really supporting him, praying together as a family, and even all of them are living the Word of Wisdom together! They threw away all of their tea and coffee!! YA!!  So we will visit with him a lot this week and just really prep him for Sunday.  I really pray that all will go well! He is such an awesome and sincere guy. 

Did a zone fast on sunday, just for all of us to find more people to teach and members to work with.  Answer kind of recieved immediatly.  Show up to church in Kitale.  Branch president sees me and says "oh elder Thomas, i hope your ready to be the concluding speaker today in church.".... Ya president why not! had 10 minnutes to prepare a 35 minnute talk.  hahahaha its ok, i talked about the restoration and apostasy.  I did ok, but not as good as i would have liked it to be.  But if i helped at least one person, than its worth it! But it was pretty interesting haha. 

But things are great!!!!!! I love serving a mission, and being in Kenya.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

Elder Thomas