Hey Guys,
So we are in Durban
AGAIN to get our car serviced, but it's cool cause we are near Pinetown (my previous area) and will
be able to visit some people from there.
We had a pretty amazing week. I
started off the week by working in a HUGE township called Umlazi. I was there for two days with one of the zone
leaders (the other Zone Leader worked in Margate with Elder Brimhall). It was a little strange being in a township
again. I didn’t dislike it, in fact I
really liked it. It was great being
around the Africans again, however I do like where I’m currently working. We call it town, and most missionaries’ dread
going to an area that is town, but I love it a lot. It brings a total different field of work
with different opportunities and challenges.
We have a pretty nice
teaching pool right now. Last week, on
Saturday, we went in the evening to a place called Tiago's Flame (a small food
joint) just to get a burger. We were
talking with the cashier, and she was pretty interested in us and what we are
doing. In our exchange we invited her to
church, and lo and behold, she came the next day. We thought she lived in a certain area of
town, and when we were setting up an appointment to go and teach her at her
home Wednesday night, she informed us that she had just moved to another area
of town. When we went to the new address
she had provided we were pleasantly surprised to find out it was the same house
of another family we are teaching, a family who have already accepted the
gospel and have committed to baptism!
What a convenience. It also
turned out that that particular sister is related to a family in the
branch. It’s really cool to see who we
are led to and recognize the Lord’s hand in the process.
So, I have another
exciting thing to tell you that happened this past week. Remember Vaughn and Cecelia? How could you forget them? Well, Saturday night a handful of our
appointments cancelled, which left us with not many options, so we decided to
go check on Vaughn and Cecelia. We found
Vaughn doing a little bit of digging in his yard even though the sun had set. We talked with him while he dug (he wouldn’t
let us dig) until he finished after which we went inside. Cecelia came out and was happy to see us. We sat and talked pretty casually and Cecelia
began to complain about work. Elder
Brimhall and I both felt to just sit and listen to her. So as we listened to her talked about her co-workers
she shared how she is being victimized being the only white working at her work
place. We shared a few scriptures about
challenges and opposition, and that was about it. There was no huge scene about the Book of
Mormon; no fiery comments, just listening and listening (with a comment here or
there) while we shared in a smoke with them (they smoke tons, about three cigarettes
just while we were there). Smoking is
pretty gross to be around when you are not use to it, but we sat there with no
complaints. At the end of the
conversations Elder Brimhall invited them to come to the Fast and Testimony
meeting on Sunday, and they agreed. We
were happy to that.
So, here rolls around Sunday
morning, and as we sit in the chapel, Vaughn and Cecelia walk in. I really didn’t think Cecelia would ever come
to church again because of how badly offended she was by a member last
month. Besides, she also said she would
never come again. But, here they were,
both with a smile on their face. They
sang the Hymns, took the sacrament, and listened to the testimonies. The testimonies were all very nice, warm, and
full of the spirit. As the meeting came
to a close, the unbelievable happened. Vaughn stood up, and from the back of the room
walked up to the podium. There he was
casually dressed in jeans and a tee, and with the thick stench of tobacco, he
began to speak.
He testified of the love
of God in his life, and how much Heavenly Father has watched over him. He admitted to being chief sinner of just
about everyone in the room, and that brought a little chuckle. He told of when he met us, and these were his
words from there... "Normally whenever a Jehovah’s Witness, or a Seventh Day
Adventist, or anyone else come to my gate, I chase them away. I don’t even give them a chance. But, when these two gentlemen (us) came to my
gate, something told me to let them in. I
saw a sparkle in their eyes. So I let
them in, but told them I was busy doing something. I said they could talk to me as I worked, and
they did." He then said, "I
have the Book of Mormon. I don’t know if
it’s true. I don’t feel its bad, I
actually feel good about it. I just want
to know." He ended his testimony
very unorthodox, but the branch loved it. I was brimming with joy. Right after the
sacrament ended, Cecelia asked for a tithing envelope, and gave a donation (an offering
or tithing, whatever you want to call it).
After sacrament, they went to the car to go home. We went and talked with them for a little bit
and they were both so, so happy. They
said they really felt the spirit today. I'll
mention that during the last Hymn, "I believe in Christ", Cecelia was
crying.
My trust and faith is in Christ. He knows them, He loves them, and He knows
what they need and when they need it. I
will continue to act only as His instrument. I feel so good, and I’m happier than I’ve ever
been. I don’t want it to end, but I know
that in four months it will. I will
continue to give it all I can till the end.
Love you guys,
Elder Gold
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