South Africa Mission Blog: The Work Moves Forward

I'm so very blessed to be a servant in the Lord's hands at this time. I feel as though the Heaven's are raining down blessings upon us here in Margate. I'll just catch you up on a few things that happened.

On Thursday our district leader Elder Jenks came from Amazamtoti to Margate to interview C for baptism. Elder Jallah went to Amazamtoti so I was left to take the lead in all of our appointments on Thursday! We had some fantastic lessons and C is ready for baptism! He will be getting baptized this Sunday, we are so excited for him. His wife and two kids are members, they are a great family and so very humble, I love meeting with them. It will be such a boost to the branch to have another worthy Priesthood holder.

One cool story from this past week. We have an investigator named L, he is currently preparing to be baptized next month. He has been meeting with missionaries for a long time and wants to be baptized but his family wouldn't allow it. He finally as permission from his family but won't really have any support once he is baptized. We have been worried and thinking a lot about how he will be able to have support after his baptism. We have been praying as a companionship that we might be led to how we can help him stay active after his baptism, we don't want to burden the already struggling branch with an inactive teenager. Well we received an answer to our prayers, the Lord works in many ways and nothing happens by coincidence.

The answer to our prayers came through a kid named N. (I say kid but he's only a year younger then me haha) He recently moved to Margate for school, he will be here for about a year and half. We were referred to him by L. After talking with N briefly, we found out his Uncle in an RM who served his mission in England! N doesn't know much about the church but he's extremely interested an even had a triple combination given to him by his Uncle. When asked why he hasn't met with missionaries he told us he has never been given the chance but has always had the desire to meet. Well the next day we taught N the restoration and it was a great lesson, he is extremely humble and willing to learn. We invited him to pray about the B.O.M. and Joseph Smith. He wanted to meet almost everyday this past week! We had the chance to meet him 4 times, he said he was praying (I can tell very sincerely and with that real intent as Moroni tells us) but hadn't received an answer yet. He said he knows the Lord doesn't always answer immediately.

Well... the Lord really does answer! Yesterday N and L came to church together. N told us afterwards that he really enjoyed Sunday school and learning about the B.O.M., I was shocked by how much he understood when he explained what he enjoyed. Anyways, later that Sunday afternoon we were driving to an appointment when we saw N and L walking on the side of the road. We stopped briefly and rolled our window down, N came up to our car and told us: "Hey guys, I received an answer to my prayers. I had all of those feelings you explained to me. I'm ready to be baptized" We had told him of the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22 the day before and that's how we often receive answers. Wow! That's the first and probably the last time I'll have an investigator tell me they received an answer to their prayer while sitting in the drivers seat of our car haha. He is going to be baptized the same day as his friend L, September 23rd! The Lord answered our prayers, L now has that support and it's amazing to see his renewed desire to come to church and be baptized.

Missionary work is divine and we are guided by the Lord in all things. I only hope to be an instrument in His hands in all that I do. I have come to learn that it is through the spirit that God's children are truly converted. It has nothing to do with me, I am simply the Lord's mouthpiece. It is so important to stay worthy and obedient in order to have the spirit penetrate the hearts of those we teach. There is a quote I heard from Elder Holland that I love. "When we teach by the spirit, the lesson ceases to be our own and becomes our Heavenly Father's." This is so true. When the spirit truly touches the lives of these people, it leads to action. As President Uchtdorf said in a talk I recently read, "A sermon without action is like a fire without heat." All that we say MUST lead to action or it is of no use.

Thank you so much for all of the letters I received this past week!! Letters for a missionary are seriously like Christmas morning for a child haha. They are such a boost! I love you all and pray for you often. All the best from South Africa!!

Elder Summers