Well, this week has also been slow. Part of the whole "change of focus" thing, I guess. There is a definite learning curve when it comes to the work with members, but I think we are starting to get the hang of everything. As a district we have really become pretty dang united and we are really accomplishing some great work with the members.
The highlight I will tell you was probably yesterday. In our Stake we didn't get to watch General Conference til this weekend, so we had our normal Fast and Testimony Sunday. Last week in our fireside, we had challenged the members to pray daily for missionary opportunities and to fast specifically for the courage and faith for THEM to engage more fully in missionary efforts. We had three people from our area go up to the pulpit and bare testimonies of missionary work and how the "missionary spirit" was touching them and urging them to do more.
One guy who we took out to "test the promises", stood up and bore his testimony about us teaching three people in an hour and a half after we had prayed asking God to help us do so. He was so excited and couldn't stop smiling as he bore his testimony.
Another lady stood up and said her and her husband had been talking, and they decided that now is the time for them to invite their friends to hear the gospel. She said they had four families they had been working on and preparing for 15 years... No, that wasn't a typo, 15 years. She said now is the time for her to introduce them to us missionaries. We were all pretty shocked. Actually, I am downplaying it when I say we were pretty shocked... we were all VERY shocked. We just sat there staring, with our mouths slightly open looking at her in disbelief. My companion slowly moves his fist towards me for a fist bump then he said, "Whoa, about time!"
So yeah, things may be slow as far as lessons to investigators, but the work with reaching out to churches and members is going super well.
I also went on exchanges with Elder Manqele this week. Wow. What a great missionary. He is just one loving guy. So happy, so willing to serve and to follow. He is a true builder of God's kingdom. It was nice being with him because I didn't feel like I had to always lead out and push to make things happen. It was a very joint effort and we were able to accomplish a lot and get to know each other much better, which was really great.
That's pretty much all for now. Things are cool, just stoked to keep working and seeing the Lord work His miracles, because let's be honest, they happen on the daily.
The highlight I will tell you was probably yesterday. In our Stake we didn't get to watch General Conference til this weekend, so we had our normal Fast and Testimony Sunday. Last week in our fireside, we had challenged the members to pray daily for missionary opportunities and to fast specifically for the courage and faith for THEM to engage more fully in missionary efforts. We had three people from our area go up to the pulpit and bare testimonies of missionary work and how the "missionary spirit" was touching them and urging them to do more.
One guy who we took out to "test the promises", stood up and bore his testimony about us teaching three people in an hour and a half after we had prayed asking God to help us do so. He was so excited and couldn't stop smiling as he bore his testimony.
Another lady stood up and said her and her husband had been talking, and they decided that now is the time for them to invite their friends to hear the gospel. She said they had four families they had been working on and preparing for 15 years... No, that wasn't a typo, 15 years. She said now is the time for her to introduce them to us missionaries. We were all pretty shocked. Actually, I am downplaying it when I say we were pretty shocked... we were all VERY shocked. We just sat there staring, with our mouths slightly open looking at her in disbelief. My companion slowly moves his fist towards me for a fist bump then he said, "Whoa, about time!"
So yeah, things may be slow as far as lessons to investigators, but the work with reaching out to churches and members is going super well.
I also went on exchanges with Elder Manqele this week. Wow. What a great missionary. He is just one loving guy. So happy, so willing to serve and to follow. He is a true builder of God's kingdom. It was nice being with him because I didn't feel like I had to always lead out and push to make things happen. It was a very joint effort and we were able to accomplish a lot and get to know each other much better, which was really great.
That's pretty much all for now. Things are cool, just stoked to keep working and seeing the Lord work His miracles, because let's be honest, they happen on the daily.
I had a little spiritual thought that really hit me this week. John 6:66-69 it starts out by saying, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." - Because he started saying things that were no longer easy for them to live/believe, they no longer walked with him. Don't we already see so many people, who may have at one time walked with Christ in our life before we were here, but now because of their choices and desires, "walk no more with him"? The scripture continues, "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" - Well, will we?
No. We will not. Well, speaking for myself I say, "No, I will not." I stand with Peter when he then said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." I realize that our Savior has always stood by us, and then when times get tough, we must stand by him as well. He has paved the path, and just asks us to walk it. So, lets take that first step in following the Savior and standing by him. We may not be able to step stride by stride in life as he did, but we can surely follow his example and be loyal to him who surely has stood by us in the darkest and hardest of times.
As I read those scriptures I was truly touched this week, and I just wanted to share that thought with you.
I love you all and am so grateful for all you have done to love and support me.
Love.
Elder Mitchell Ryan Thayne
Picture of Elder Martinez and I at the end of a really rough day.
Me with the kids in the Matikinca family. Great family, and some of the only Xhosa people here in my area... so you know I love them too much.
Then a selfie of me holding Oreo's and being super stoked about it.
Then also a picture of a bunch of us missionaries with guacamole stache's..
A picture of me jumping this morning at Signal Hill.
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