For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior's name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.
Devotion to the Savior's name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.
Helloooo,
Another week on mission and its going too fast. I can hardly keep up right now. I am still in the Ntinda area and still going strong. It has been a pretty tough couple of weeks I wont lie you. It was nothing to get me discouraged because the work can't always go completely smooth but we are through the drought! This week was a big turn around for us. I am grateful to serve in a place thats unique and has interesting things happen all the time. It keeps the slower days interesting.
I am on week 15 in this area... Just about 3 and a half months. I feel like I have been here a really long time. I am the oldest in the area out of the district and missionaries living around here so I am constantly helping people find things around. Who would have ever thought that I would know a town in Uganda like the back of my hand?! Even I am blown away by it all the time. We are half way through this transfer and when transfers come I am pretty sure I will stay here for another six weeks... A long time! 1/4 of my mission in Ntinda! We will see.
Well, first I will start with our investigators and our tender mercies. We had a great break in Investigators. It was an answer to our prayers. This week we FINALLY figured Esther out. We talked to her on Friday and after the lesson set a baptismal date for May 7th! She agreed and is ready. So, Esther is being prepared for baptism. My comp and I needed that one so bad! It has been a few long weeks of no progression and a lot of praying. We were praying for her! All of our other current investigators are still a bit low and not progressing well. I told mom earlier but we found a new finding technique that is so great. There is a large road under construction called the Northern Bypass. It is super long and a part runs through our area from Kisaasi to Kiwatule and Najeera. So one day we were in Kisaasi at an appointment and decided to walk to Kiwatule using that road. On the way we talked to two different people. One was particularly powerful and had a lot of questions. We shared with him about the Book of Mormon and he was hooked. He even pulled out a planner of his own and asked us if he could meet us at our church on Friday at 2 pm. We were so happy! We set the appointment and sure enough he came. His name is Wilbur and he is probably about 19 or 20. He is smart and in school. He is a promising investigator! We hope to give him a bap date by next appointment! Continuing our great week of new investigators we had 4 referrals in 2 days from surrounding areas. 2 of the referrals had been taught before and we are continuing their teaching! Every time I answered the phone and the missionaries on the other line said "we have a hand off for you" I would just about lose it. It came just at our lowest time that we were helped out by everyone. We are blessed!
This week I had two experiences that were cool. I will briefly tell both. So a few months back we had an investigator named Jenifer. She is a Congolese woman that was suuuper stubborn. She read online some few false doctrine things that really messed herup and caused her to stop progressing. In one of our last lessons, about half way through, Elder Haines (my last companion) just bore his testimony and closed the lesson like that. He thanked her for her time and we left. When we were out of her apartment we continued down the path and he just said he closed the lesson because he heard a voice say "dont worry, she will be baptized when the time is right. Just not by you." After that lesson we left very peaceful. Now it's months later and a new companion. We hopped out of the taxi the other day and were on our way to a lesson. We had a full schedule but out of nowhere I had a strong feeling to go to Jenifers. I was a bit confused because it was out of the way and we "dropped" her. The feeling came again so we went. When we got there, we approached the door and she entered the gated compound right behind us. She excitedly greeted us and her kids ran out of the house and gave us hugs. Elder Denison and I felt super welcome. We talked for a minute and she said her main concern was the English materials. In Congo they speak French and Swahili so she cant read English well. We agreed with the problem and left happy. That very night I was going through some boxes of old papers from past missionaries. I had no purpose in going through the stuff. I thought it was because I was bored. Turns out it wasn't out of boredom. About half way through the box I found every single missionary pamphlet AND many other small books in French!! I freaked out a bit and got so excited! What an answer to prayers. This was a great tender mercy. We took the few things over to her the next day and even some suckers for the kids. She took them and promised to read. We were so happy. Tender mercies keep us going!!!! It's moments like these that strengthen my testimony.
Another spiritual experience I had increased my love for this Ntinda ward and the people I serve. We were in church yesterday and I was at the front blessing the sacrament. As Edwin and I were at the table breaking the bread and singing I looked up over the congregation. We were all singing Joseph Smiths First Prayer. It was the fourth verse and that is like the most powerful verse of any hymn in the book. I looked out over the 80ish people, smashed together under a tent for sacrament meeting due to a rainstorm, and they were ALL smiling so big. Most of the congregation was even swaying back and forth as they sang their lungs out to this amazing song. I couldn't help but feel so happy and grateful to be here. These people just get it. They ave testimonies. Most have seen a different life and a different way of worship and for that reason they have solidified their spots here. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Uganda KNOW the church is true. It has blessed their lives in a noticeable way and it has and can bless all of ours! Even to see some of the people I have been blessed to assist in their conversion swaying and singing just filled me with joy!
Everyone reading this email, know that I know that the church is true. It's probably the most common sentence ever said in a chapel but I could scream it for hours. This church is true!!! I have gained that testimony as I have serve my mission. I have seen the light in people literally grow as they joined this church.
I want to close with the lyrics from a hymn that really hit me the other day.
- Brightly beams our Father’s mercy,
From His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore. - Let the lower lights be burning!
- Send a gleam across the wave!
- Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
- You may rescue, you may save.
- Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore. - Let the lower lights be burning!
- Send a gleam across the wave!
- Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
- You may rescue, you may save.
- Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost. - Let the lower lights be burning!
- Send a gleam across the wave!
- Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
- You may rescue, you may save.
Sometimes I feel like Ugandan Saints are that Light of Christ and I am the poor struggling seaman. These people have changed my life. They've saved me! I love this place and this mission. I look forward to my time here. I know this work is divine and it is my time to serve. I hope you all have a great week. I love you and pray for you!
Love,
Elder McLain
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