week 7: doing the Lord's work

Well let's see, where to start. Let's start with the suck, then we will get to what's shap (it means good.)

 

The Suck:
Our golden investigator James Teffo is leaving us. He is an amazing soccer player and he is going pro. :( He is going to Petoria. I know one of the missionaries there, he was in my group, so he should be in good hands. We met with him after church and he bore his testimony to us. It just about made me cry.  Then Brother Mashishi told everyone there his conversion story and that did it. Wasn't a dry eye in that room I don't think. 

 

We had to drop Paulus. He would not give up coffee. For 4 lessons he went on about how it would help him get a family and have kids. He is 61. Then he went off about how he is going to a lawyer to get a special coffee. Brother Mashishi told him "Next month I will be of 60 years, in all this time I have never heard anyone speak like you!" It was Hilarious! And it made me start laughing. Don't worry I repented of it.

On Tuesday I'm going on exchanges with an AP (Assistant to the President.) That was a "well flip Elder" kind of moment when I found out. Should be fine since I'm such an amazing person and missionary, but it is inconvenient at best. I'm sure he will enjoy my humility the most.

 

I punched a cabinet in the kitchen because a spider scared the crap out of me while I was cooking toast. I can't bend one of my fingers now and it is all swollen. Luckily it was my left hand so it will not affect my ability to baptize a nation.

 

At a lesson a member kept interrupting me to the point I just stopped teaching. I could not get a word in. I told him "I am never, ever, ever, ever taking you to a lesson ever again." I was furious. I repented of this as well.

The Shap (supposed to be sharp, but they cannot pronounce R's here):

 

We had an amazing week! We meet the Mission's Standards of Excellence in almost all categories, including lessons and such. It was a great week! Also our chapel was full on Sunday! First time ever! Woooo! Yipppiee! It was amazing, and better yet the speakers didn't go off on deep doctrine; it was the first time they have not since I have been here!

 

Gospel Doctrine class blew. The lesson was supposed to be on the Savior, but the teacher just talked about Lucifer the whole time....What the flip? So, so off topic. 

 

Priesthood went well. Me and Elder Wadsworth taught how to conduct the Sacrament properly by request of the group leader. Then Tini, a RM (Returned Missionary) took it upon himself to try to counter everything we said and made it sound like we were lying. That chump. Then Brother Mashishi taught a lesson in Spetie. By the way, I can say hakuna matata and people understand me. I love it.

 

The primary is wonderful! Under the direction of Sister Harward they called us in and sang for us. They then gave us cookies and told us how much they loved us for how hard we were working to make the group into a branch. It was the best thing ever. 

 

So here you ask people "how's it?" and they usually say "I'm fine". The other day I asked a guy "how's it?" and he responded "number one". What the flip does that mean? I have so, so, so many stories to tell upon my return. I'm keeping a journal of funny stuff I hear and see.

 

The work went well this week, we are working super hard and putting in very long days and it is finally paying off. Very rewarding. 

 

I've started writing again. Mainly poems, but also papers on different gospel topics. It helps me study better, and it is the only thing I can currently research. I may write a story today, depends if we get money or not. Oh yeah, we are out of food and they failed to send money again. Its okay, I'll just look like I survived a concentration camp when I return. Probably not, but yeah.

 

The spiritual thought: 

I left the paper at home. Oops. Read Alma 30:8* (I think) and make a decision. 

* "For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve."

 

I miss home, but I don't. Honestly I think that when I return my heart is going to stay in South Africa. It literally pains me to contemplate leaving. Oh yeah, tomorrow will be two months! That was really fast. 

 

This week I have been able to take advantage of the Preach my Gospel manual in a new way. There is a section called Christ-like Attributes. My companion and I are opposite people, and as such it causes friction. PMG is helping me quite a bit. 

 

Jesus the Christ is an amazing book. Everyone needs to read it. It is so obviously an inspired book. Plus he wrote it while he lived in the temple, so it is pretty much good to go in my opinion.

 

Paul wrote to me and I wrote back. Honestly that was the happiest I've been while emailing ever. I really, really, really miss my friends. A lot. I hear from most of my best friends every week though, so that's nice. 

 

This week I've spent a lot of time studying the Atonement and Plan of Salvation. I've come to two conclusions:

1.) people who investigate the church and don't join are either a.) dingbats or b.) a fool of a took. 

2.) The church is so very, very true.

People too often rely on their own knowledge and just about everyone fails to realize our purpose for being here on this earth. If we could change these two things, people would be much more accepting of the plain and precious truths that I have come to know. The Gospel as we present it is just so common sense, if only people would pray when we ask them to. 

 

Well time is about up. Life is good. The Church is true, and I only have 22 months left to do the Lord's work :(

 

Oh one last thing. I was thinking, members of the church often think that it is a hard thing when the Lord asks them to devote two years of their life to serving Him. They fail to remember that the commandants are for our benefit, not our hindrance. The greatest blessings in my life have come in just the past two months.

 

No time left. 

Love,
Elder McClellan