Life and Time

Life and Time, those are the two biggest things in life. Two of the biggest things that just rush by. It felt like yesterday that I was just in High School and attending mutual. But I've almost been out for 9 Months! That's so crazy! I am sorry that I haven't sent an update in a while. But I am glad to bring everyone back up to date! There has been so much that has happened since the last time I sent an update. So please bear with me. 

     First thing that happened, Transfers! I don't think that I have talked about this yet but yeah! I have a new companion; his name is Elder Lekgwathi. And he was fresh from the MTC. It's been a few weeks now.. But he was fresh. And it's been amazing to be his trainer and show him how to be a missionary! He was definitely a lot more prepared for the mission than I was. So that was really cool to see. But life recently has been good. We get along and share a lot of the same interests! 

       Last week we had Zone Conference! Which was absolutely amazing. It was interesting to see how a lot of the promptings that I have been getting recently show up in Zone Conference! So that is definitely a confirmation to me that the Holy Ghost is real. There are also other experiences that have happened this week that tell me the Holy Ghost and Christ Lives! 

     About three weeks ago we were helping the Zone Leaders move to their new boarding and apparently my front tire was turned into the street on a yellow line, so while we were helping them pack up, the traffic officers hit us with a parking ticket. (Yes, that's the first ticket of any kind that I have received, At home or on mission.) So that wasn't fun. But get this, 2 weeks pass by (Had to wait for the parking ticket to show up in the system Z.A. Can be a little slow.)

     This last Monday came, and we went to pay the ticket. We park, go inside, wait to pay, have to go to the atm to pull cash for the payment, then pay the ticket. We come back outside to find our Passenger Rear (Back Left, I'm not in America, the driver sits on the right of the car😉) Window is smashed. At first we thought they did not take anything, but then I needed my scriptures and couldn't find them 😭.  Out of all of the things in the car, they took my scriptures. I'm sure when they opened my side bag they were pretty disappointed. (But I hope that they read them!) 

     Anyway, this is one of the best lessons I’ve I learned on my mission. In this world we have so many temporal things. Cars, windows, Phones, Headphones, Speakers. I think we could go on for awhile. But NONE of these things really matter because we don't take temporal things with us to the next life. If we think of the things that matter most in our life and keep an Eternal perspective, life is a lot easier. I am not saying that it isn’t frustrating, but should we really let a dumb window that is going to take 4 weeks to get repaired bother us? 😬 No, there is no reason for that. There was an amazing talk that came into my mind as I saw the window. I can't remember the exact talk it was or who said it, but he said, If we bruise our hand with a wrench, what need do we have to throw it half way across a wheat field. It was something like that. 

     Anyway, because we did not let the window affect us, we had some amazing opportunities to serve other people after the incident! We were also able to see many blessings that came after the window as well. One of them was, it prevented us from entering the township without extreme caution. Sounds like a bad thing, but we figured out that the day the window was broken, the peace between two gangs was broken, as well. There was now a gang war going on in one of the areas that we have been working. So, the window kept us safe from that. It also helped us do a lot of less active work and be able to clean up the records we have. So, there have been so many tender mercies this week! 

      Well, this week's email is getting a little long, so I'll wrap it up talking about some of our friends! We put Prince on date the other week and we were able to see him at church this week! Which was amazing. It is so amazing to watch people progress in the Gospel and find out what true Joy is. If you feel like you don't have too much Joy in your life, then focus on the gospel a little more. I can make that promise to you! A few weeks ago, we also got a referral from a member! Her name is Esther and she is absolutely amazing. She has just taken off in the Gospel and found so much joy and peace with the gospel! 

     If you’ve made it this far, Thanks. I know that this is the one and only true church, that the priesthood authority was restored through Joseph Smith and that it is still here on the earth today. I am so thankful for all of the things I have been blessed with and for my mission which is shaping me into the person that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ need me to be! 

With Love,
      Elder Lawrence

- Elder Lekgwathi & Elder Lawrence

- Elder Ndlovu & Elder Lawrence

- Service

- Service

- Gaspy

- Patched up Window! 

- Broken Window

- Broken Window 

- Zone Conference (X2 Zones) 

- Zone Conference (Just our Zone)