Times Agecko

Time is gone

Time has been flying by so fast I can't believe that it's almost the end of the transfer! That means since I started the MTC I am almost 2 months into my mission. Crazy

This week has been really good. We had Zone Conference on Tuesday which was amazing. We were finally able to have some time to get to know our new mission president a little better. President Stringham is a beast! He has climbed an insane amount of mountaina, including Mount Everest!  I am excited to get to know him and his wife a little better as we serve! On Saturday we had a baptismal service for Lilitha and Sivuyile! They are amazing people and I am so excited to see them progress in the gospel! Sadly, they were the last people there, and everyone was ready to start the service so we didn't get any pictures... but we will get some this week. 🤣

The rest of the week was good.  We had a lot of lessons to keep us busy. However, the last two days were a little rough. Most of our lessons fell through, and all the contacts we made were unsuccessful. The lesson we had today went kinda south. We have been teaching this guy for 4 weeks now and in the last lesson he was contemplating leaving his church. He has been a bishop for over 20 years, I think. Anyway, in today's lesson he told us that he talked to the other leaders in his church and they gave him fire about not leaving, that they need him to lead their church. So, I don't think we will be teaching him anymore. Which is really sad because he has been reading the Book of Mormon and getting a testimony of it. 

We also went on exchanges this week with the ZL's. I went with Elder Steenbackkers in their area, Zwide, and it was awesome. He is a little more like me so it was refreshing to be around him! We also got hippos. They are like pirate's booties but melt in your mouth, haha. You can get 2 bags for 1 rand. Crazy cheap!

Since we had a baptism this week, I will share a short message about that! There was a talk I read called “Receive the Holy Ghost.” It is an amazing talk given by David A. Bednar. I love this talk because it talks about the simple phrase "Receive the Holy Ghost." I've never really thought of this phrase more than just we are getting the Holy Ghost. But, what does that actually mean? It is another commitment, it's another "sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to live so that we indeed can receive the Holy Ghost"

Brothers and Sisters, I hope that we can all remember the commitment we made at baptism. I hope that we all are striving to live in a way that we can receive the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father is truly our guide through the Holy Ghost. I can testify that God and his son Jesus Christ live and that the Holy Ghost is a real person in Spirit. I know that they have been my guide in my life. I am thankful for them. In the name if Jesus Christ, Amen 

Take some time this week and read Elder David A. Bednars talk!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/10/receive-the-holy-ghost?lang=eng

I hope that everyone is doing well. Don't forget to enjoy the time you have, it goes by fast so make the best out of it.

Much Love,

     Elder Lawrence 

Zone Conference our zone

Zone Conference (Our zone and another zone) 

Exchange with Elder Steenbakkers