Called to Serve: Perseverance

Hello Family,

It was SO nice to see all of you last week. I felt like I was back home, and sitting in the front room with you! It was hard to get motivation for the rest of the week, but it was a good week regardless!

Right after I got finished talking to you, we went out to eat at this really nice restaurant called Chop Chop. I got a steak, and I think it was the best meal I have eaten in Zimbabwe! We were with the STL's, because we were heading to go on exchanges with them on Wednesday. I was grateful to do something fun, and keep my mind occupied on something else besides home.

On Wednesday, we went to their area called Enterprise. I had a really good time with Sister Tolson, and their area is beautiful. It is a rural area, so it was nice to see some hills and greenery. We went and taught one lesson to an investigator, and it was the craziest lesson I have ever taught! It was to a teenage boy, but it didn't get crazy until his uncle came. We were teaching about the Book of Mormon, and he was skeptical, but open to learning about it. Then his uncle came out, and yelled at us because he said we were teaching false doctrine. That nothing could replace or go along with the bible. It was my first lesson ever to get yelled at. We realized it wasn't going anywhere, and the spirit left because of the contention. He even told us to leave. That doesn't happen very much because people are usually open to learning, but he wasn't! haha there is a first time for everything. Sister Tolson and I just laughed it off, and talked about how our purpose is to only invite others to come unto Christ. Agency plays a big role in their conversion. It hadn't happened to her before, either.

This week we taught some of our recent converts about family history! We really want to help them do their family history work and get excited about the temple being built here. We have them fill out this book, and then we borrow the mission tablet and send the names to the temple to be done. I am so excited that these beautiful people are getting a temple. I want to do my part in helping them prepare for it!

We got transfer news on Saturday night, and to our surprise, Sister Omondi is getting transferred. I am training a new sister... even though I haven't finished my 12 weeks! I guess this new sister and I will learn together. So it's kind of a joke, but when you train someone, you are their "mom" on the mission. Just because you are their first companion. I am SO nervous, because I feel like I am not quite comfortable in the area yet, but this will be a good opportunity for me to grow and be dependent on myself and the Lord. I am going to miss Sister Omondi, too! We will see each other around, though.

One quote I read out of the ensign this week really stuck out to me, and it fits with the new adventure of training a new sister. It says,

" Perseverance is demonstrated by those who keep going when the going gets tough, who don't give up when others say, " It can't be done." -James E Faust-

I am not going to give up, even when the going gets tough!

I love you SO much. Have an amazing week