We saw the blessings of hard work

Hey friends and family,

The weeks are getting too fast these days. I really feel like we don't have enough time in the week to do what we want to. It is both great but frustrating. It is hard to believe I have passed 7 months. I feel like I just got here.

My time in Ntinda is great. I have been here in the area for 4 months and believe I will be staying for 2 more. So with that plan in my head I am really thinking of what I need to do to survive here. The work needs to move forward! This week was super duper uper buper fast. Too fast.... We got a lot of great work done though. We even saw the results and blessings of the hard work with our attendance at church on Sunday!

So a little bit about the LESS ACTIVES. That is all that we have been doing these last few days. We were looking through some paper work as we have sort of adopted the responsibility of Ward Clerk do to our brother being less-active and came across some stats. Ntinda ward has 440 baptized members! That would be super cool except our sacrament attendance is usually around 80 to 90. So over 300 less-actives of some sort on our hands! When we found this out, we got approvals to focus our efforts only on them. This led to a lot of work! But the work has been amazing! So far, these last two weeks have probably been my favorite for my whole mission! We have started by getting active members in the area who have either helped missionaries before or know members in the area well. Let me remind you our area goes east out to Mbuya and Banda. North to the towns about 10 minutes of Gayaza. West to Bukoto and south to Nagulu area. So it is big... A lot of ground to cover but we have been doing well! We take our members out in the morning and they can usually show us 1 or 2 before lunch. After lunch we will go see more less active houses until about 6 then we will go teach our investigators from 6 to 9. 6 to 9 are golden hours. No work and yes time for missionaries.

Now for the investigators... Wowza, what a week for us. First things first, we have officially dropped Esther. :( That was a sad day. Esther was rekindled about 2 weeks ago and accepted a baptismal date of May 7th.. Yesterday. Last week she failed to come to church after a visit on Saturday and a verbal commitment. We meet with her maybe 3 times a week and she always accepts. Then when church comes around she never shows.. I don't know how well you know Progress Records but they are the records we use to track investigators progress. They have all the lessons missionaries can teach. This week we literally marked the last ones. Thats like 20 lessons! We contacted her in February and she still hasn't been baptized. So we decided yesterday after she didn't show for 3 weeks that we are dropping her until she comes to us again. That was a sad day! We also teach a brother named David. He is an older lad from Mutungo that works in our area. He is progressing well and has come to church ever since we started to teach. We tag teach him with Mutungo elders too. David is great and will be baptized in 2 weeks! Our last neat investigator is Patience and her FAMILY!!!!!! So an Elder here named Elder Le Cheminant has a friend serving in Germany. That friend is teaching a man who gave him a referral for someone in Uganda! What a coincidence! Elder Chem figured out she lives in Gayaza, our area. So we met them the other day and they are so great! We didn't teach them but we met them and will soon!

We met a lot of new less-active and inactive members this week. Man, it was so fun! I learned a lot of new area to cover as well. One of my favorites was Sister Mary. She is married and baptized in the church. There transition into the church was very hard for them. Her husband actually lost his good job because his boss hates Mormons. How a man can hate such a happy and helpful group of saints doesn't make much sense to me... but he does. So now her husband is out in the village and digging for income. They are great people but have had some struggles. They came to church on Sunday though! It was so great! We even had 4 other less-active people come to church! Our hard work paid off for sure.

As most of you have seen, hymns have become a big favorite for me on my mission. I find myself jut reading the hymn book a lot in my free time. This week I was thinking about Joseph Smith and his moments in Carthage Jail. I know some of the final things heard among them were the words to A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. I read the words to the song this week and they are so great. I will attach them below. All verses included because all verses are great:

1. 1. A poor, wayfaring Man of grief
   Hath often crossed me on my way,
   Who sued so humbly for relief
   That I could never answer nay.
   I had not pow'r to ask his name,
   Whereto he went, or whence he came;
   Yet there was something in his eye
   That won my love; I knew not why.
2. 2. Once, when my scanty meal was spread,
   He entered; not a word he spake,
   Just perishing for want of bread.
   I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
   And ate, but gave me part again.
   Mine was an angel's portion then,
   For while I fed with eager haste,
   The crust was manna to my taste.
3. 3. I spied him where a fountain burst
   Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.
   The heedless water mocked his thirst;
   He heard it, saw it hurrying on.
   I ran and raised the suff'rer up;
   Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,
   Dipped and returned it running o'er;
   I drank and never thirsted more.
4. 4. 'Twas night; the floods were out; it blew
   A winter hurricane aloof.
   I heard his voice abroad and flew
   To bid him welcome to my roof.
   I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest
   And laid him on my couch to rest,
   Then made the earth my bed and seemed
   In Eden's garden while I dreamed.
5. 5. Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death,
   I found him by the highway side.
   I roused his pulse, brought back his breath,
   Revived his spirit, and supplied
   Wine, oil, refreshment--he was healed.
   I had myself a wound concealed,
   But from that hour forgot the smart,
   And peace bound up my broken heart.
6. 6. In pris'n I saw him next, condemned
   To meet a traitor's doom at morn.
   The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,
   And honored him 'mid shame and scorn.
   My friendship's utmost zeal to try,
   He asked if I for him would die.
   The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,
   But my free spirit cried, "I will!"
7. 7. Then in a moment to my view
   The stranger started from disguise.
   The tokens in his hands I knew;
   The Savior stood before mine eyes.
   He spake, and my poor name he named,
   "Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
   These deeds shall thy memorial be;
   Fear not, thou didst them unto me.
8. Man, powerful lyrics. Verse 7 wraps it all up well. Let us all imagine our friends and neighbors as this person did. We can all help and change someones life. Remember, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me! 
9. Have a great week everyone. Read the Book of Mormon and pray as a family!
10. I love you all.

Love,

Elder McLain