Colby in Kampala: Submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.....Leaving Megenagna

Hello,

What a week it was for me! Not gonna lie, it was a tough one for sure. Elder Chandler and I were doing really good. We had Elder Munsey with us and even a local missionary, Elder Abdulahi. We were all great. We had a lot of good things going for us. Early in the week was one of the best few days I have had in a long while. On Friday (Elder Chandler's Birthday) we got a call from our Zone Leaders saying our companionship would be splitting. We don't even know why to this moment. So, I moved BACK to Beklobet to be in a threesome with my Zone Leaders. I am really confused and saddened by this. I loved Megenagna and the work there. I loved the branch and the people so much! And as you can probably remember from my older emails during my time in Beklobet, I struggled a lot and am not really looking forward to being here. I hate to speak like this but it is the honest truth.

So, that is the new news. I have had like 6 companions in the last month and am now back to my old area... Eish, during the middle of the transfer too. I am sad that I won't get to witness Wurku being baptized. I have waited for this : ( Or Moti's mom, or Desalegn, or Abeba... We had so many good things going for us! But anyways.

I don't know anything about the work in Beklobet right now. I haven't really been here for a while so I can't give any sort of update on it. Sorry for that. And in Megenagna, Wurku was not baptized because he had work... We were a bit bummed but he is still strong and we know he will be baptized in the next few weeks. As for the others I mentioned earlier, they are all progressing will and we are happy for them. We found a new investigator this week named Teshome. He is a good man. Well dressing, smart, good English, etc. He came to church and had a lot of great questions. He will be powerful as he continues to learn.

Thank you Dad for the spiritual thought. Funny, it fits right in with what I am going through right now... I hope things can improve and I will have a good week and a good time back in Beklobet. Sorry for the brief email. It's been a rough week.

Have a good week!

Love,

Elder McLain

Exerp from Tim's Letter (spiritual thought):

My thought for this week is from Mosiah 24 where the people of Alma were in bondage to the Lamanites under Amulon and were being persecuted mercilessly and prohibited from praying to God.

12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

One main takeaway is that we should pray for strength to bear our burdens and to submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. As we do that and honor our covenants with Him, he will deliver us out of bondage – whatever type of bondage it may be.

Even though the work may be slow right now, I encourage you to make wise use of the time that you have there. You will be blessed for your efforts.