February 10, 2014

This past week flew by super fast! One of the fastest weeks of my mission so far, but now it seems like every week goes by way fast. 

Had an interesting lesson this week with our investigator Titus.  We taught him the Word of Wisdom!!! So i knew that it would turn out to be an interesting lesson. So he obviously had some concerns about it, especially with coffee and tea. Those are really the two biggest things that i have seen people struggle with taking here. Its just about common for everyone to take either coffee or tea every day. But luckily we had one of our members, Evans, who is the same age with him, help us with the teaching. He was able to relate to him about how he was also struggling with these things before he was baptized.  But once he got that confirmation that the church was true, he knew that the word of wisdom was a direct commandment from God. It was great because that really helped Titus see  that others in the church have overcome the same problems that he is facing. Also it was nice because Evans was able to relate to him in a way that me and my comp could not do, both being members our whole lives hah.  But we really hope that Titus will be able to overcome his addictions and that he can continue to prepare for his bapt in March!

The main event this week was Eldoret District conference! So on Friday we went with all the missionaries from our zone to Eldoret. And to say the least it was an awesome spiritual conference!! President Hicken was there as well as Elder Bricknell from the area 70.  Both gave really strong and spiritual talks during the conference.  The 2 main points that were really talked about were Eldoret district becoming a stake and focusing more on the family.  President Hicken really emphasized members becoming more involved in the work, saying that we as missionaries are only really there to assist them in the work, while it should really be the members doing the finding and a lot of the teaching. I really enjoyed it! But its true, we as missionaries come and go, but the members are the ones who remain. So if Eldoret district wants to become a stake the members have to really step it up in the missionary work.  Then Elder Bricknell talked about how we should really do our best to work with our families in assisting each other in following the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He was a really powerful speaker and really inspiring.  Also got to have my first interview with pres Hicken in 7 months! It was really nice talking to him and he is a great leader and mission president. i love him! Also, at the conference after the Saturday session, it was pretty crazy but i saw one of the members from my first area in Rongai! Cosmas was the former 2nd counselor in the branch but had moved back to his home in Kitale, so he was in the district! It was really cool seeing him, he was one of the first people i ever visited on my mission and he was a really awesome member who helped me a lot when i started. He was super excited to see me and came up and gave me a hug hahah! He said i looked a lot different, that i was really skinny when he first met me but now i am big!! YEAH! hah. But its awesome to see old members and friends!

But for my year mark we went out to a real legit PIZZA place! Oh my goodness it was so nice! Only problem was i haven't had that much cheese in a long time so i was a little sick afterwards.... hahah but it was way worth it!! Also me and Elder Griffiths got some way awesome suit coats for the snaggin deal of 500 shillings for 2 suit coats!! haha 6 dollars for suit coats yeahhh we know how to bargain! Lets just say that baby blue looks good on me.... hahahh!!

But not much else to report this week. The work is moving along well and I'm really enjoying serving the Lord in his vineyard of Kenya. Love you all!!!!!!

Elder Thomas

1 year mark this Week!

Famalia na marafiki,

Things are starting to pick up a little bit more out here in mautuma!

This week was pretty good as far as the work goes. We have really been pushing to get members involved as much as possible in the work, and have seen so many blessings come from it.  Members are awesome when it comes to teaching, especially in Kenya for a few reasons. One is obviously language.  I'm still really working on my Kiswahili, but only know a little bit, just enough to get by on the streets.  But members really help with teaching and clarifying in both kiswahili and luya.  Its also great to have members be able to bear testimony and really help people see that our teachings are relevant for all people.  Especially this week, we had a lesson with one of our new investigators, Donald, and he brought Brother Songa from the branch to help teach with us.  We were teaching about baptism, because we wanted to extend a baptismal commitment to him.  But the lesson was not really going as well as we wanted it to, Donald was really big into his church and did not see how our church was right for him or how it would help him at all.  So towards the end of the lesson we asked Brother Songa how being baptized in the church has blessed his life, and he was able to share his conversion story with us.  He used to be a high priest in his former church, AIC (african inland church), which is a really big status in that church.  But he shared that as he learned from the missionaries and especially read the Book Of Mormon, He came to see that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latte Day Saints was God's true church.  So he knew that leaving his church was the right thing to do, and to be baptized as a member of our church was what God wanted and needed him to do, and even though many trials and difficulties followed him after that, he has never regretted his decision.  It was powerful and totally brought the spirit in!! Even though Donald did not accept the baptismal date on that day, i knew that he felt the spirit and that it really touched him.  It also showed me how members are so essential in the work!! SO HELP THE MISSIONARIES!!

Also this week we were able to start up our Scripture study class in the branch! Every Friday at 2 pm everyone is very welcome to come!!!  but it was a really good start to the class.  We invited all members to come and to bring any friends that they had that might be interested.  We thought that this would be a great way to find new investigators and also help the branch read the Book of Mormon more and gain a testimony of its truthfulness as well. So me and my comp teach the class and read over a chapter or 2 from the Book of Mormon and discuss what is happening and being taught. And We had a pretty good attendance of 8 members and one new investigator!! So it seems to be starting off well and we hope that it will continue to be successful as we continue on.  Also had a good priesthood activity this week, where we had 4 investigators in attendance!! So that was really exciting to see investigators coming out to these activities and enjoying them while also learning more about the restored gospel.  Even a lot of our investigators really participate in church.... especially Priesthood meeting haha.  It was funny because our investigator Titus, helped clear up a question in priesthood class... about temples... something we have not even taught him about yet.  But ya it was pretty awesome, he is an awesome guy and is really progressing well!!

Interesting things happened in church Sunday! On the spiritual note, we had 9 investigators come to church which was sooo awesome!! I was really happy about that because the past few weeks have been really tough with investigators coming to church, having a really low turn out. But this week was awesome and it was such a great blessing a feeling seeing all of them come to church to be there to feel of the spirit and participating in the classes.  So that was the spiritual awesomeness. In other interesting news, we had a little 3 year old girl pee in the middle of the church courtyard in between classes.... ya i was in disbelief. At first i thought she was just squatting doing wall sits or something, but upon closer inspection nope.... nope she was peeing. Just on the ground no big.  Also me and my companion taught young women's class..... we were in our Gospel principles class with a few of our investigators, when all the sudden ALL of the young women in the branch come into our room and just stack up in there.  I really wasn't to happy about it because the teacher didn't prepare a lesson so she just told them to come into our class.   Also we had a member in testimony meeting share more of a story about how he saw some kid get beat up by the police, wasn't sure where the gospel connection tied into the story but he did get very animated and even came part way into the congregation while bearing his testimony/ telling the story.  I was trying not to laugh but it w3as pretty funny hahahah.  But hey another interesting and spiritual Sunday in MAUTUMA!!

But i come up on my year mark Friday, pretty crazy.  Its been one of the best years of my life, and i have learned so much that i never would have learned if i had not come on a mission.  Going on a mission is one of the greatest blessings that i have received in my life. And i really look forward to this next year to see what's in store!!!!!

But i love you all!! Have a great week and look to become better everyday!

Elder Thomas

Also i got to go to mount Elgon National park this week! It was awesome!!

January 27, 2014

Jan 27 at 5:20 AM

So sorry i don't have a lot of time to write, power has gone out 4
times today and its not so reliable at the moment so ya!
This week was really awesome, we got a lot of help from branch members
with doing the work. Almost all of our lessons had a member present
and it was awesome.  That is one thing that pres Hicken  really is
pushing for is getting more member present lessons, so we are doing
our best to follow his counsel.  We also got to go on splits with
some of the priesthood holders in the branch, so i got to go with a
prospective missionary, Evans. He has been a member for 6 months and
already wants to get out on his mission! I told him that you have to
be a member for a least one year before you go out and he was like
oh... hahah he was all sad and stuff after that ha but he is awesome!
It was kind of funny though, because while i was with him we went out
tracking, and we pulled up to this super old mamas house. She knew
zero English, so i just had Evans translate for me. So he started
talking to her for a while just getting to know her. So after a
minute or so of talking he turns to me, dead strait face, and says
"hey guys what? this is my moms sister...." i was like "umm your
aunt?" he was like "yeah i guess so..." ohhh my goodness he didn't even
know his own aunt and she didn't know him!!!  hahah it was funny and
weird and cool at the same time i guess. She also had a Brittney
Spears poster in her house so that was cool, really spiced up the
atmosphere of the home! But it was cool going on splits with Evans and
we really got a lot done.
Also this week we got to do service for a less active member, and got
to cultivate and dig in her shamba.  It was cool because got to talk
to her son who is also less active for while while we worked with him.
It was cool to work for them because they had been going through some
serious problems for a while, like the mom fractured her leg and
doesn't have sufficient money to get it properly fixed, so they were
really grateful for us coming to visit them and help them out. It was
a really cool experience.
Also established 2 bapt dates with Titus and Caroline this week! It
was cool because i got to do both of them with Evans, so he got to see
how to give a bapt date question. So I'm excited for that! We will cont
to work with them and help them prepare for a day in March.  But they
are really awesome and the Lord has blessed us with these awesome
people to teach.
But I'm glad that Joe is a deacon now!!! Ya pass that sacrament Joe!!!
Ha but really that's awesome Joe, another priesthood holder in the
family and a future missionary in the making!

Love you all have a great week!!!!

Elder Thomas

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