Feb 22, 2016
Hello
Momma,
I am
sorry for scaring you with the story with Mattise. That was not my intention. I
am truly safe. Is Kauai amazing?! How long are you there?! I want lots of
pictures please! It is true, the Church is the same everywhere and anywhere you
go, no matter what! God is truly about order! I might need more Vitamin C and
Probiotics. Power and Protien bars like peanut butter flavor or something would
be amazing! Of course if it is not too much trouble so do not stress! The doxy
is fine, it just gives all of us really weird dreams. Elder Alexander actually
dreamed that Elder Mpofu was a mermaid in one of his. They are really weird.
This past week has been amazing! Monday comes very quickly! I went on my first
exchange with a canadian azungu named Elder Brewerton! It was fantastic! Since
he is a Zone Leader he has a truck so I hardly walked all day! We drove around
from appointment to appointment. We got to cook for local people too! I first
cooked this relish stuff and eggs for one family. The next time I cooked nsima
and Elder Brewerton cooked relish! Both are Malawi foods so there was a crowd
of about 20 people watching us since we are both azungus. Thyey wanted to see
if we really could cook the traditional food. We cooked on these little things
you put charcoal in and we cooked outside! It was super fun! It was enjoyable
for me to see how missionaries differ in teaching. I really learned a lot. But,
no matter the missionary we all need and teach with the same single element.
The Spirit. Without the Spirit you cannot teach. We are literally incapable
without it. You need the Spirit for its quiet promptings and intense feelings.
Which is why with the Spirit you can perform miracles!!! To see someone
change their way of life to conform with the gospel is truly a miracle. It
requires not only a change of mind, but a change of heart. Which is why the
Spirit is absolutely nescessary to convert someone. I can battle someone with
logic all day about the gospel, but even if they were baptized they would go
less-active because they need a true testimony. A testimony that only comes
through the Spirit. Yesterday, Elder Mpofu baptized two of our investigators!!!!
It was amazing!!! They were so happy to finally be in the covenant of baptism
and I am incredibly happy for them!!!! They both have very strong testimonies
of the gospel and are going to be very strong members of the branch. The people
we baptize are true pioneers of the church in this area! It is crazy since we
are trying to establish the church here. Most people have never heard of us.
They think we are Jehovahs witnesses. We always laugh when they say that. A
scriptue that I really have liked this week is Alma 41:5-6 It talks about how
we will be rewarded for our desires. If we desire rightousness we will recieve
righteousness. If we desire evil we will recieve evil. Which is why it is true,
that if we truly desire exhaltation, we will recieve exhaltation because we
will desire to live that higher law and do all we can to obtain it. We must let
go of our wicked desire and only seek after that which is good! Another
scripture I like is Alma 41:14-15 Basically, it is the one that is about judging
righteously, so that we can recieve that same righteous judgement! If we give
bad judgement we recieve that same bad judgement! I feel that it is important
to treat others with kinbdness and mercy because of this. That saying
"treat others like you want to be treated" has new meaning for me
since you will be truly treated just like how you treated others. You get what
you give. But anyways, is everyone surfing? Are there shrimp trucks? My new
favorite thing to do here is buy sugar cane and munch on it while I walk
around. I think they have lots of sugar cane in Hawaii! How is everyone doing
with school? I love you! I love you so much!!! I really miss you too!!!
Love,
Elder
Hollingsworth
