Week 5: You Know You're In Africa

Family and Friends!

A great week down in the books! This week I was in both Chi Town and Kwatzana, because we had exchanges.

This week we went and saw Brother Lameck. Sister Jili and her old companion and taught him a little, but I hadn't seen him yet. So we get off the kombi and start walking, and I ask my companion where he stays. And she thinks for a minute and says, "Hmm, you know that really busy street that we walk down all the time? Well you just turn after that and then turn again and then we meet under that big tree that's there". You know you're in Africa when you know EXACTLY where your companion is talking about when she says you meet under a big tree off a busy street.

So for exchanges, I was in Kwatzana with Sister Bert. Yes, two white girls walking around Africa. I now can see why President never does that. We left the house at 10, got to the area about 10:30, and have 45 contacts before 11. We weren't contacting people, people were contacting us. It was hysterical! I wish I stayed in Kwatzana for a couple more days because we got some serious appointments set up.

We had another great lesson with Brother Timothy, and he said something that just made me smile. He has been having a super tough time with a lot of things in his life. But he looked at us and said, "you guys helped me to stand back up again." And that's really what the gospel does! As missionaries, we're there to help people stand back up, and realize that there is hope.

Also something funny. Brother Lovemore, the guy that could talk FOREVER, almost had a heart attack when he realized that the footnotes in the Book of Mormon weren't written by Nephi. Hahaha I  was trying to hard not to laugh but he was just so concerned that we had to put the footnotes in ourselves and that the prophets couldn't do it themselves. It was so funny.

Scriptural thought for the week:

"And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree began to decay; and he said: I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not." 

When Heavenly Father sees we need to grow, he takes the time to prune us, dig about it, and nourish us. These can be seen as trials. When have we felt like we have been pruned? Although these trials may seem hard, Heavenly Father sees it necessary for us to shoot for young a tender branches, that we perish not. The branches may not be very big or strong, but he's willing to put all the work into us just to see a little change.

I hope you all have a great week! Some each some chick fil a for me.

Love, Sister Richards