Mountains and Valleys

May 6, 2016

Dear Family,

This week and a half has had such highs and many lows.   We have not had experiences that have been so heart breaking as the lat 3 weeks.    I wonder if it is because we are trying so very hard to do everything possible to strengthen the people during these last 2 months.  We are exercising our faith and asking the Lord what would be the best use of our time.   We are trying to follow the spirit.  More and more and more things come to our mind.   In addition, the branches, young women and young adults have come up with more last minute requests for help.  But many things fall apart that were moving so well. 

I will start with one of our "mountains" this past week.    On Tuesday we left home at 7 a.m. to drive and pick up Praise (a young woman who returned from her mission to Ghana and is still sick, so we are taking her to Durban to a specialist.) and drive to Durban for our Zone Conference.   This will be the last Zone Conference of our mission!   It hardly seems possible.   President Zachrison, really prepares spiritually for these conferences and you can actually FEEL his longing for the spirit to attend us.    Our zone conferences are supposed to be 10-2, but we have learned that they will go from 10 until much later.    Tuesday, the leadership meetings began at 9, then the rest of the zone conference started at 10.   We took a break for lunch and the senior couples provide lunch.  We took a 10 minute break at 2:00 and we served cookies and cupcakes.     WE FINISHED AT 6:00 p.m.!   We had some business to discuss with other people, then we drove Praise home (she went to the doc for 45 minutes and then spent the rest of the time with us at the zone conference) and arrived home after 9:00.   Larry drove home in very bad conditions and we were so grateful to be home safely.  

We felt so touched by the conference theme:  RECEIVING PERSONAL REVELATION.   I have improved on our mission but I am still grateful to be taught more on this subject.   Joseph Smith said, "Salvation cannot come without revelation."   We were taught that we will succeed in our work as we learn to receive and FOLLOW personal revelation.  Joseph Smith said, "It is vain for anyone to minister without it."    That has been our prayer for the last 16 months.  

Something that was enlightening to me was this teaching:   If I feel that I DON'T receive revelation, I need to reflect on my feelings.   After a LONG discussion, we identified how people feel when they receive revelation:   confidence, excitement, plugged in, joy, reassurance, blessed, and "I can do this."     If we have those FEELINGS it is the fruit of revelation and we HAVE received revelation.   This is probably OLD news to you, but I loved hearing it.  

We were instructed to prepare ourselves to ACT.  We need to be available mentally and physically.  Then more revelation comes.   I appreciated all the effort that was put into this conference.     We were cautioned that NEGATIVITY AND BAD ATTITUDES actually stand in the way of revelation.   Those are 2 things that easily come on a mission. 

Lastly, our president spoke to us about RACE.    We have had some problems because of race in companionships that you would never think of  ..or I never thought of.   We have missionaries from many African countries, Malaysia, Canada, England and the US.    Each African country and every other country have different cultures.   These cultures do NOT mesh easily for many people, even with the gospel.   But President said the Lord has brought all these cultures and races together in one cause so we can learn to become knit together.   Learning to be knit together is ANOTHER purpose for missions like the ours.   The Lord accomplishes so MUCH with one task (mission).

OTHER MOUNTAINS

On Monday night we taught the Van Breda family the discussion on the Book of Mormon.   We felt it went very well and they were receptive.   We brought them a Book of Mormon Stories for children and a Book of Mormon in Afrikaans because that is their first language.   The biggest obstacle is that the mother and father work 6-7 days a week at least 12 hours a day---so time for missionary lessons and reading the Book of Mormon is hard to come by.     We arrive when the parents have been home for 30 minutes so they can say hi to their kids.   Then the dad cooks dinner and we teach the rest of the family.    He can hear what is being taught because their house is very small and he is only 3-4 feet away from us while he cooks dinner.    We teach a lesson, play 1 game and then we leave and they eat dinner and the kids go to bed.   The dad has not had one day off work since February 1.    They have asked for this Sunday off work.      But it will be hard for them to progress as much when their work days are so long.   When we arrive their 2 boys (ages 7 and 10) run up to us and throw their arms around us and say:  We miss you so much.

On Thursday night, we taught the Baxter family the Word of Wisdom.   They are such a special family and we love them so much.   They love the gospel but the Word of Wisdom was tough.   They both smoke lots and drink coffee.   We are praying so hard and fasting that they can quit.   It will be very hard.   They tried at the beginning of our teaching them the first lesson and couldn't quit.   But we know that the Lord can and will strengthen and help them.  

But teaching these 2 families is a highlight for us.    We have to REALLY work hard to get appointments with them.    They are so busy.   But it is worth it.