Dumalang everyone,
How is everyone doing? I hope this week has been filled with joy and with happiness. I know that there has been some trials and struggles with some of you if not all of you but keep your faith and do what you know is right and stand strong. Always remember what Gordon B. Hinkley said; "The greatest heights someone ever reached was on their knees, So do all you can stand and then kneel." I have seen the blessings so much from my life in the past few weeks. I have struggled the past few weeks but the more I went to our father in heaven with prayer and the more I put my cares and faith in him the more the burdens became light. Like it says in Alma "and the lord softened their burdens and they became light" Just remember the lord is always there for us no matter in what we do or in what we say he will never give up on us.
So this week has been an exciting week. On Monday after emailing and shopping we went back to the flat (our apartment) and did major cleaning. We cleaned the flat so much not even the dust wanted to fall on the clean surfaces...ok maybe not but still its the thought that counts right. Then on Tuesday we had our presidents interviews and we got to be able visit with him and receive more council from him. Our president is leaving in July and it will be sad to see him go. He has done so much for us and for this mission but he will always be around in spirit and in our prayers.
Then on Friday we went to the temple again. We were suppose to be there at eight but we got there a little bit late because of construction and traffic and so we went to the nine o'clock session and afterwards we also got to watch a few baptisms for the dead performed. It was an amazing experience and it came at the right time. I needed the spiritual boost that comes from feeling the lords spirit and feeling like you are in his pressence. It was great I will never forget it as long as I live on this earth and in the life after.
So this weekend we also had the amazing oppertunity to be able to watch confrence. It was interesting though because it is April and I still saw snow on the trees and on the ground when they showed outside the temple...whats with that huh? People even say the weather is odd around here because its cold and rainy at the same time but I guess its suppose to be cold and dry. But anyways it was a great experience to hear the prophet and the apostles speaking to us. It also gave me the spiritual boost that I needed. I learned alot from confrence and I cant wait until the Liahona magazines come out so that I can read the messages and reteach myself what was taught. I am so grateful for the current prophet today to be able to give us more of the Lords words and direction.
So this week has had its challenges with things but for the most part it was all better with being able to feel the spirit with me all weekend. It was a great experience and I hope I can keep having more like it. So now that Easter is coming up I hope all of you will take this time to remember our savior and the sacrifice he did for us that through him we can all be forgiven and have eterenal life. I would just like to end by saying that I know this church is true and that Joesph Smith was a true prophet. I know that Thomas S Monson leads and guides the church today and that we all will get closer to Christ by listening to his words. I am grateful for this oppertunity that I have to be a tool in the hands of the Lord. There is nothing in the world I would rather be doing at this time because all the other things will just fall into place.
I love you all and I hope things are going well for you and that you can keep the lord in your thoughts and hearts at all times. I hope to hear from you all soon.
Your Friend, Brother, Son and Other,
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
"New Companion"
Hello again everybody,
So this week has been full of new and exciting things happening. So as I told you last week it was transfers. Well we went to transfers like normal and to my surprise my "new companion" is elder Ndlovu. He is the one that came to be my companion in Khutsong after my second companion had to be Emergency Transfered out. So we have worked together before and now we are working together again. We have had our ups and our downs like any other companionship but we are working closely together and trying to get used to each others ideas and personalities and so things are going fine for now. Only going to go up from here.
So this week we also had 7 more baptisms. We had the Dibetsoe family (a father, mother, and two kids), Then we also had Sbongile, Lucinda, and Stpetso. It was a great experience. I also had the oppertunity to put all of them in the waters and so I got more practice. I am so greatful for the oppertunity to serve and be here in South Africa.
My time is very short today and I appologies for writing such a small letter but time is not on my side today. I tried finding a talk and now most of my time is up. Thank you all for the love and support you give me and I thank you for all you do for me. I love you all very much and I hope to hear from you all soon.
Until Next Week
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
So this week has been full of new and exciting things happening. So as I told you last week it was transfers. Well we went to transfers like normal and to my surprise my "new companion" is elder Ndlovu. He is the one that came to be my companion in Khutsong after my second companion had to be Emergency Transfered out. So we have worked together before and now we are working together again. We have had our ups and our downs like any other companionship but we are working closely together and trying to get used to each others ideas and personalities and so things are going fine for now. Only going to go up from here.
So this week we also had 7 more baptisms. We had the Dibetsoe family (a father, mother, and two kids), Then we also had Sbongile, Lucinda, and Stpetso. It was a great experience. I also had the oppertunity to put all of them in the waters and so I got more practice. I am so greatful for the oppertunity to serve and be here in South Africa.
My time is very short today and I appologies for writing such a small letter but time is not on my side today. I tried finding a talk and now most of my time is up. Thank you all for the love and support you give me and I thank you for all you do for me. I love you all very much and I hope to hear from you all soon.
Until Next Week
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
Monday, April 4, 2011
More baptisms
Hello Everyone,
You know I just got thinking maybe I should start my letters another way.... It kind of gets repetitive all the time and its not fun to read the same thing over and over even if it is just a little bit but we will see what happens. So this week has had its high and its lows like any other week. So this week me and my companion have been working so hard to find members to work with and to get the investigators more friendship and support in the area. So this week we have had higher stats than normal. We have 29 people that have a baptism goal to be baptized, we had 18 at sacrament meeting and we had like 11 or so new investigators for the week. So things are going good.
So a few things that me and my companion noticed and that we are trying to work on is that when we went through all of our investigators we realized all the ones that were progressing very well and keeping the commitments that we were giving them is the people that had friends or family in the church. And those are also the people that were referrals for us and not finding on our own efforts. So that is why we started getting other members to go with us and hopefully it will start going up. We also realized that missionaries tend to put their focus on in the wrong places. So one thing that me and my companion have tried doing that is working so well is that we focus on the people who are keeping commitments and we fully focus on them and then we rotate. If the people are not just progressing and now keeping commitments or few then we take them off baptism date and we dont focus too much on them. We dont drop them completely but we just go by once and a while and check up on them.
So those are things that have helped me and my companion alot. Its sad because this whole time we have struggled to be on the same page as each other and now that we are working the best together and other missionaries are asking us what we are doing that is when he gets transfered. So tomorrow my companion is leaving and I will be getting a new one. I am sad about that because he has been the best companion I have had since I have been out here in the field. He has taught me so much and we have learned and grown together. I wish him all the luck in the world.
This transfer they are reopening up several areas that have been closed due to no progression or just short numbers of missionaries. Two are leaving and 12 are coming in so things are looking up. Elder Chaka the other elder in the flat is leaving to open up an area and my companion is leaving to open up a new zone. They made the new zone because they just reacently made a new stake. This area is really growing and progressing and it just gets bigger and bigger each day. And its a wonderful feeling to know that I am part of the Lords work.
This next coming Sunday we could be having 8 more baptisms. I am crossing my fingers. What has happened is that we have had people just introduced to us the past couple of weeks that are just so ready for the gospel. We go teaching to them and they just know the information. Its a great feeling that I am the link the lord uses to help these people come unto Christ. I mean these people have been coming to church for the longest time (well most of them not all), and they just didnt know how to become a full member. And now through their faith and hard works they will be entering into the waters of baptism and making those promises to God and themselves. Some people say it doesn't bring as much happiness to baptize people that just come without little teaching but honestly for me those are the experiences that build my faith. I see how much those people believe and want to be part of this gospel and it shows me exactly how I need to be. I am grateful for every single baptism that I have ever had the chance to whitness and I wont look down on them. Because I know its the Holy Ghost that is making me a tool in the Lords hands in helping these people.
So to close Im just going to say I am jealous of everyone. I didnt get the oppertunity to watch confrence this past weekend and I heard it was very nice. I heard there is lots that I will be able to learn from it so I am so excited. I get to watch in on April 16 and 17. Im even more excited for the Liahonas and Ensigns to come out so I can reread and really disolve what the prophet and the apostles are saying to me. I love this time of the year so much its great.
Well I will be writing next week and I will give you an update on how everything is going with me and my new companion. I love you all so very much and thank you for your support. Hope to hear from you soon.
-Your friend, Son and Brother,
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
You know I just got thinking maybe I should start my letters another way.... It kind of gets repetitive all the time and its not fun to read the same thing over and over even if it is just a little bit but we will see what happens. So this week has had its high and its lows like any other week. So this week me and my companion have been working so hard to find members to work with and to get the investigators more friendship and support in the area. So this week we have had higher stats than normal. We have 29 people that have a baptism goal to be baptized, we had 18 at sacrament meeting and we had like 11 or so new investigators for the week. So things are going good.
So a few things that me and my companion noticed and that we are trying to work on is that when we went through all of our investigators we realized all the ones that were progressing very well and keeping the commitments that we were giving them is the people that had friends or family in the church. And those are also the people that were referrals for us and not finding on our own efforts. So that is why we started getting other members to go with us and hopefully it will start going up. We also realized that missionaries tend to put their focus on in the wrong places. So one thing that me and my companion have tried doing that is working so well is that we focus on the people who are keeping commitments and we fully focus on them and then we rotate. If the people are not just progressing and now keeping commitments or few then we take them off baptism date and we dont focus too much on them. We dont drop them completely but we just go by once and a while and check up on them.
So those are things that have helped me and my companion alot. Its sad because this whole time we have struggled to be on the same page as each other and now that we are working the best together and other missionaries are asking us what we are doing that is when he gets transfered. So tomorrow my companion is leaving and I will be getting a new one. I am sad about that because he has been the best companion I have had since I have been out here in the field. He has taught me so much and we have learned and grown together. I wish him all the luck in the world.
This transfer they are reopening up several areas that have been closed due to no progression or just short numbers of missionaries. Two are leaving and 12 are coming in so things are looking up. Elder Chaka the other elder in the flat is leaving to open up an area and my companion is leaving to open up a new zone. They made the new zone because they just reacently made a new stake. This area is really growing and progressing and it just gets bigger and bigger each day. And its a wonderful feeling to know that I am part of the Lords work.
This next coming Sunday we could be having 8 more baptisms. I am crossing my fingers. What has happened is that we have had people just introduced to us the past couple of weeks that are just so ready for the gospel. We go teaching to them and they just know the information. Its a great feeling that I am the link the lord uses to help these people come unto Christ. I mean these people have been coming to church for the longest time (well most of them not all), and they just didnt know how to become a full member. And now through their faith and hard works they will be entering into the waters of baptism and making those promises to God and themselves. Some people say it doesn't bring as much happiness to baptize people that just come without little teaching but honestly for me those are the experiences that build my faith. I see how much those people believe and want to be part of this gospel and it shows me exactly how I need to be. I am grateful for every single baptism that I have ever had the chance to whitness and I wont look down on them. Because I know its the Holy Ghost that is making me a tool in the Lords hands in helping these people.
So to close Im just going to say I am jealous of everyone. I didnt get the oppertunity to watch confrence this past weekend and I heard it was very nice. I heard there is lots that I will be able to learn from it so I am so excited. I get to watch in on April 16 and 17. Im even more excited for the Liahonas and Ensigns to come out so I can reread and really disolve what the prophet and the apostles are saying to me. I love this time of the year so much its great.
Well I will be writing next week and I will give you an update on how everything is going with me and my new companion. I love you all so very much and thank you for your support. Hope to hear from you soon.
-Your friend, Son and Brother,
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
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