Another Week Has Flown By!

July 6, 2015

To the Best Family Ever,

We loved seeing your pictures on Instagram.   It looked like everyone had a fabulous Fourth of July.   Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you..... for making this holiday special and teaching your children about our country. 

Saturday night I was at the grocery store until it closed....wish grocery stores were open later for my last minute shopping.    We got home just as  the Zone leaders arrived.  They came over to receive the Transfer News for the missionaries in our zone.   The Assistants to the Mission President send out emails to every zone at 7 Saturday night of transfer week.    Our zone leaders use our computer/internet to get the news.    Then at 9PM they call all the other elders and give them the transfer news.   It is an exciting time.

Sunday morning we had to leave home at 7:20 AM  to pick up the Enseleni elders and take them to their branch.   Then we drove to church at the Port Dunford Branch.    This is a rural area and everything is more primitive but it feels much safer.   There is a house right next to the church with a family with several children.   As we got out of our car we saw a young girl squat and go to the bathroom right by the church fence.   Then she jumps up and runs around and plays.                 The spirit is strong in this branch but it is so small.    We love to attend there and give support.   I came to teach Personal Progress to the 2 Young Women but neither attended so I went to Relief Society.   There were 3 of us.   We passed the manual around and read the lesson together and discussed it.   These sisters are so faithful (both are raising large families and have no husbands).

Sunday night we fed the missionaries dinner and said goodbye to the elders who were being transferred.   It is always sad to say goodbye.  Having elders come on missions at the age of 18 changes things in some ways.   Most of our elders arrive here the month they turn 18!   Most have never been away from home (previously many had attended college or worked for a year).  That one year makes a difference.   These young men are in a different culture, many feel unsafe, they are driving on the wrong side of the road, and driving long distances in new areas where they don't know the language.   We watch them grow up, get stronger in the gospel and in their confidence.They have very discouraging days but keep on working.

We had an elder who came to our zone 3 1/2 months ago so downhearted.   But he never stopped working.   He worked so hard that he gained the respect and love of the branch members.  He really turned things around for the branch and had 3 baptisms, and in turn he turned things around in his own life.  He left here a completely different elder and he knew it.  It is wonderful to watch things like this happen.

Another elder had been a "slacker" for the first 9 months of his mission.   He wasn't bad but he didn't carry his weight or put his heart into his mission.   It had been a challenge for his companions who wanted to work harder.   But the last 3 months he had a companion who somehow was able to motivate him.   This "previous slacker" was transferred to be a district leader.   He can't believe it and no one else can believe it.....another miracle.

Often the miracles occur in the missionaries lives...instead of the investigators lives.

We wanted to do something special for a family in one of our branches.   We came up with the idea to make a "Candy Bar" card for them.    It was challenging because most of the candy bars are not the ones we are familiar with.   We spent about 3 hours looking in different stores for candy bars that had names that we could use to write a note.   It was even more challenging because the words would have to make sense for Zulu people--not Americans.   We finally found 9 that might work.   The note we put together was kind of silly/cheesy...but I am cheesy .   We took it to them and explained what a "Candy Bar Card" was, and then I starting  reading  it to them.   They caught on to the idea and continued reading with me.   Some phrases I had to stop and explain.   But they loved it!!!!  They had never seen anything like it.    They read and reread it and were so excited.   When we left, they were still so happy about it.   It is amazing how sometimes the simple things work the best.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored.   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true.   I am so thankful we are blessed to serve a mission.   Thomas Monson is a prophet of God.   

Love,

Elder and Sister Todd