WORK IS STARTING TO BOOM!

Things are good here, time for the South Africa Update. Things here are going great! When I first got to this area, Randburg, our Zone leaders told us that President Omer was thinking of closing it down due to the lack of progress in the area but I am happy to say there is no reason to close this area down now for the work is starting to boom! Its hard even to schedule everyone because everyone want to meet in the evenings so from about 4-8 we're booked and then Saturdays and Sundays are packed. Its been a lot of fun building this area back up and am really enjoying my time with Elder Larson. Its been a quiet week though, not to much going on but we have been playing a lot of sports lately with the members and even today we're having a big Zone beach Volleyball game at the MTC where there is a sand pit and net.

THE WORK IS PROGRESSING RAPIDLY

I'm glad to hear everything is going well back home. Caity got the best tract in terms of weather to go to Rexburg haha.  I have a few things I can send Jordyn for her project so I'll send plenty of stuff next week.

Well things in Randburg have finally picked up and the work is progressing rapidly. We have truly been blessed this week in our efforts. The weather has been very good here as well except for one day. On Thursday my comp and I were out tracting about two miles from our flat and car because we have been instructed to cut back on our driving. So trying to do our best to follow the instruction we walked at least two miles everyday this week. On this day though we probably walked the farthest. Its hard to knock doors here in South Africa because everyone has gates and fences, so we ring intercoms and talk through them. We had been ringing intercoms for about and hour when we heard thunder. In Africa the Thunder and lightning storms and huge and can come at any time. So I talked with Elder Larson and we decided to start heading back to our apartment. All was ok and we thought the storm would go over next to us leaving us alone. Then the wind started to pick up and the clouds were being pushed towards us. Now in these storms there is normally so much rain that you can smell it before you see it and we started to smell the rain so we knew we were in trouble. The rain can as heavy as I had ever seen it (It was like when we were in the gorge coming back from Idaho). We started running as fast as we could. Normally you can find shelter under a tree or something but there was nothing and the Lightning was to much anyway for me to feel safe under a tree. We were SOAKED, if you saw us you would have thought we had gone swimming. It was so much fun though. Its one of those things I will never forget haha. We have been working with a less active member a lot lately. His name is Brother Willie and he is from Cameroon. He works a lot and is one of the most humble men I know. He supports his family back in Cameroon and has brought his younger brother to South Africa to have a better life. You can see that the Lord has truly blessed him in all that he has done. He is having us teach his younger brother and his two little children who are Mark (8) and Willie Jr. (6). I have never seen a man sacrifice so much for his family. He works about 12 hours a day sometimes seven days a week as a computer technician. His wife is very supportive of all that he does and is not interested in the church yet but it is only a matter of time. The last time we were there at the conclusion of the lesson we asked who would pray and he gave the most fervent and heartfelt prayers I had ever heard. It touched my heart in a way that I struggled not to cry. I know if he continues in this path that he and his family will enjoy the eternities together in Salvation and Exaltation. I have never felt the love of my Father in Heaven so close as I looked upon my fellow brother with a love I cannot explain. I cannot explain in an email what all I have learned here on my mission thus far but I can say that it is greater than anything I could have ever imagined.

I am doing good Mom. Please don't worry to much about me all is well. I have grown more than I knew was possible and have learned things that will change my life forever. What I can say is that I know the Lord is mindful of me and I have felt his love and assurance throughout my mission.  I love and miss you and please know that a great change has been wrought within me that will influence me for all my life and in the eternities to come. I love and miss you and hope you are well. You are always in my prayers and thoughts.

Our Saviour and Redeemer is our Perfect Example

I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well and that things are good. I'm surprised to hear that Grandma got that letter so fast but that's great. I wrote one to Judy as well about the plan of Salvation and how real it truly is to me now. I have never I feel fully understood the full magnitude of the plan itself and how great and marvelous it truly is. How great is it to know that our Father in Heaven has provided us with the knowledge of this great and marvelous plan in our lives. I have grown more and more in realizing the greatness of the responsibility of Cameron's and my calling to take this message to the world. Every ear needs to hear this message, that God is our loving Heavenly Father and has once again called a Prophet in these Latter-days that we can learn by which way we can truly be happy in this life and be ready to return to live with our Father in Heaven. I know that God is not a confusing God and He wants us to know all that He knows. It was Joseph Smith who said that if it be the righteous desires of our heart and we ask our Father in Heaven with real intent then no matter what your calling be or who you are, the mysteries of God will be revealed unto you. I know this to be true for I have beheld them and I wish I could tell you more but it will have to wait until I come home. I feel myself changing. I see that we truly are nothing compared to the great vastness of the eternities and yet in the Sight of God we are capable of anything. Our Saviour and Redeemer is our Perfect example and has asked us to be like Him. I have learned a very profound thing in my short time here. It is not what we have done that will qualify us for Life Eternal and the Glory of God but rather it is what we have Become. It is very easy for someone to go through the motions and partake of all the ordinances but if that person is selfish here he will be selfish in the life to come, if he be prideful he will be prideful in the life to come. We need to do as the Saviour has instructed and Become as He is. Only then can we truly qualify for all that our Father has.

I love and miss you mom and pray that you are doing great. I love that talk by President Uchtdorf as well. I love your testimony and it strengthens mine every time I hear it or read it. Thank you for always guiding me in the right direction and helping me know how far I can go and what I can become.
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