Poverty has nothing to do with money, Your Home is like the Temple, Bringing others into the Fold.

Mission Companion Passed out. Sometimes we all need to just stop and rest, reset, and start over.

I must apologize for my limited posts. Life has a way of advancing, Blog or no Blog, the clock keeps ticking. Below you will find two weeks worth of condensed emails. Thank you for reading about our sons adventure. We are all connected, we are all Brothers and Sisters, and your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

It is true. The people they live in true poverty, nothing like the "poverty" we claim to have back home. Mattise had malaria so he was not able to work. We came and visited him and found that he had not eaten for a number of days. We we went and bought him some food to help sustain him. Mattise is so kind, his testimony is so strong. By the standards of today he is poor, but by the standards of God he is wealthy. He loves the scriptures and studies them each and every day. I love to be able to be involved in these peoples lives. Instead of being a tourist riding a jet-ski across the surface, I am able to be a deep sea diver finding pearls. The people I meet are just amazing. I am growing in love for each and every one of them. 

I have been thinking about treating others the way you want to be treated. I realized the simplicity, and the truth behind how we treat others. When we treat others well, they will usually treat us the same. The way goes for treating others poorly. Often, our relationships seem to mirror what we put in. How much we apply ourselves. 

... I hope to be a good Father when I am older. I was reading about Eternal Families and found some interesting advice. It talked about not getting caught up in the dating game. To find someone you love and then make a choice. It also talked about not getting too caught up in a career or materialistic things before you are married. Obviously you have to work hard to provide for your family. But it talked about finding a companion that you can make sacrifices with to build your future together. That even before anything, Eternal Families are much more important than a top notch job. 

Talking about Malaria... I think the most infested area is up in the Zambian Copperbelt. I have seen many markets. I don't think there is much commercial brand things, they sell more things grown from here. There is lots of Fanta in glass bottle though. In american currency it is about 30 cents. But it is too much for our allowance so we do not buy often. I think I might find some vitamins next Monday. But so far I feel fine. I have enough. We watched General Conference yesterday. It was rather wonderful! I loved the talk Elder D. Todd Christopherson gave on fathers. It makes me want to be a good Father when I am older. 

... I do miss going to the mall, getting cocoa, buying books. Those are cherished moments in my life. Simple but fun and loving experiences truly stick with you. 

This week I encountered an experience for myself. Basically we were in a lesson and I began to cry. Luckily it was dark so no one could see. We were teaching Gomiwa about the Law of Tithing. We talked about its purposes and about how they are wanting to build a chapel near him. He said this was his favorite lesson, that he wanted to learn sooner because he wants to pay now. We also taught about fast offerings and he wanted to know exactly how much you are supposed to pay. He asked what if I don't have money for all of our food, like how much do I pay? He is super worried. He wants to know how much he can give to the Lord. It broke my heart to ask this man to give away money. He lives in a 8 foot by 8 foot home with his 2 children and wife. He has almost next to nothing. Yet, he wants to give as much as he can to the Lord. I feel terrible since during the lesson I pondered about how hard it will be to give away 10% for myself. Seeing him have his incredible desire, a desire to truly be a disciple of Christ, inspires me. 

We had a difficult lesson with a Seventh Day Adventist. His daughters joined the LDS Church but he did not. We talked to him, he contended, told us many things. The only way we got him to listen and say we could see him again was when I asked him if "It is worth sacrificing your time to live with your family for eternity?" After, I pondered about the power the gospel has, to truly seal families for Eternity. That is why we need to share it with everyone we meet. We know the blessings. The church is the most important thing, or at least it really should be, in our lives. 

... Sister Thokozani shared a scripture with me. Enos 1:5-6. It made me think about how I need to continually repent. And about how when we pray and feel that we are forgiven, God will not lie. We are forgiven.

Well, this week has been wonderful. I have really enjoyed. Missionary work helps you really learn. I have been on mission for 3 months already!!! I love you. I really love you! 

... Most of the people here actually treat me better than others, like they want to talk to me, put me in the front of the bus, because they think I have money. Unless I meet the drunk people. Then they act a little differently.

Mattise is doing very well. Buying food for him is not encouraged though since we need to help them become self-reliant. Although, I figured it was ok since he was literally dying. Seeing him and how sick and in pain he was gave me pain. We had talked about him being sick to the Branch President, that people needed to visit him and no one did. 

(I told Connor his Mother was worried about him getting sick)... Tell Mom that I will not come home skinny, or early.  At this point though, I have lots of wait to lose before I become skinny. I came in at 65 kgs and now I am about 74!!! I do not know what is wrong. Gone are the days of my shirtless flaunting in LOP. Hello to a hoodie and a parka. 

... people all around are getting malaria. I will be just fine though. Mattise is doing very well!!! I am excited since he is going to move to San Diego to work in December! He will do wonderfully! Gomiwa is a powerful man, I love him with all my heart. He is super funny and loves the gospel. There are not really computers in the area I teach, at least it is not super common because some people do not have electricity. And there are people who do not own phones also. I e-mail in Blantyre Town in an e-mail cafe owned by an Indian guy from the U.K. who I have made friends with. I get to e-mail for as long as I have money usually. It is really nice to see all the e-mails from the people who have taken their time to contact me. I really enjoy being able to keep updated in their lives. 

This week has been wonderful. Yesterday I gave a talk in sacrament. I talked about building your home on the rock of the gospel by using 3 Nephi 14:24-27. While I talked Bro. Amos translated into chichewa. I talked about the work in a home, about making it a home of prayer, study, family home evening and also love. I talked about how our homes are supposed to be a refuge, a safety from the world. I shared the first paragraph in the Bible Dictionary. My favorite is where it says "Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness" I thought about that a lot this week. It compares our homes to the temple, not even a church building but a home. To think of how sacred we can make our homes. Think of how much the Spirit can reside in the home if we make it a place of worship. We can make it as sacred as we want it. After the talk, I was able to baptize two of our investigators, Gomiwa and Alex. Both were so excited and happy the entire day. Alexs non-member parents came to support him. I guess the dad clapped after I baptized him. The members said it was a miracle to see the parents participate in church and I hope Alex will be the key to a powerful family in the church. Gomiwa was smiling, laughing, and clapping. The picture of him does not show his excitement. I do not understand, lots of people do not like to smile in pictures. I don't know. 

Anyways, It has been a good week, I have learned a lot. It has been a wonderfully feeling to help them come into the fold. I am excited for their confirmations next week!!! 

Gomiwa and Alex get baptized!!!

Recognizing blessings, becoming more grateful, understanding sarcasm and criticism, learning to Love.

Mattise... a deaf artist Connor wrote home about!!!

Connor told me I had to find a blog from the Senior Missionaries in his area. It was so neat to see their pictures of the people Connor has written home about!

http://georgeandcarolemalawibeat.blogspot.com/

Messages sent home 4/4/2016

I was not able to watch conference yet, but I think I will this coming Saturday and Sunday. I heard it was wonderful!!! I know that their words are truly scripture!!! I am slowly becoming accustomed to the food and water. Soon I will have a stomach of Iron! In D&C 88:71-72 says that not even poison can take effect. This is only because of the later verses, mainly 86-88. Missionaries are protected by Angels, by the Spirit, and even the Lord will be by our sides. This is of course dependent on our Faith and righteousness. I won't be stupid and try to tempt God, try to put myself in harms way, but I know that I am supported, and I know I am protected. I feel like without the growth my family has helped me through, my mission would be too much to bear. I even feel like traveling so often with them, going to Mexico, and learning about working hard has helped me to come on my mission. Truly Malawi is actually similar to Mexico, it is just not as developed, but the people have the same hearts.

I am indeed feeling better. I have not taken Doxy for awhile but I was talking to another Elder and he said there are many missionaries who do not take Doxy. I have bug spray though. Zone Conference was wonderful!!! I loved every minute! It went from about 8:30-6ish. Our presentation went very well as we discussed about our new standard of excellence. President Ericksons words were amazing!!! I think he will be a General Authority or something!!! His knowledge of the gospel and his ability to be led by the Spirit is actually very inspiring. I want to feel the Spirit more and more often. I was listening to Elder David A. Bednar talk about the Spirit and how if we do something that makes it hard for us to feel the Spirit, we need to stop doing that thing. It is not worth it. Something that touched me was Elder Birrells testimony. He is a senior couple with his wife. He has been on mission for 5 months and his calling is to teach self-reliance training. He talked about hearing children sing because I have been given much, and talked about his tears falling to the dirt floor. He expressed how the people they have nothing, yet they are so humble and so grateful. He was crying as he shared and it made me cry. I see people each and every day. They have hardly ANYTHING. They get so excited when you do the simplest of things like giving candy or like when I gave the little boy the hat I was wearing. The smiles they have and the humility they possess makes me think about all that I have, and how embarrassingly ungrateful I am for all of it! 

Sister Chikapa is doing well! We hiked up to her house the other day. I could not quite remember the direction to her home so I said a quiet prayer. As we were walking I got the distinct impression to "Turn Back" I did so but I doubted this feeling. I had it in my head to go another way. I followed the impression and we were taken directly to her house. This made me think about how often I pray for help, yet I do not hearken unto the counsel I recieve. I reallly don't even listen for it. I just keep trudging along, expecting that the path I am already on WILL be the right one. Like God will just change the path for me, instead of me changing for him. I feel like when I pray I need to understand that prayer is not to change the will of God, but to align our will with his. 

We make chipatis with flour. I eat beans, cheese is too expensive. The Mwales are indeed members! Powerful Members I might add!!! Chimanga is another word for maize or corn.  

In a meeting with our Branch President we got on the topic of snakes. He told us of how he was with his brother and they were chatting when his brother became quiet. What he did not know is that a python was coming down from a tree and towards his head. It went behind him, slithered threw his legs, the its 15-foot body sped off into the forest. He said he was so shocked that he slept for 3 days!!! Also, President Banda, Elder Kobyana, and later Elder Tshabalala confirmed for me about a flying snake that goes from tree to tree. It can hunt people, kill 5 men, it just strikes you once and you're done, and it makes the noise of a cock. He said cock but I prefer rooster. They say if you hear a rooster in the bushes, you know its the snake because roosters do not go into the bushes. The snake will go into a tree above you and strike your head as you walk by so they heat up boiling porridge in a bowl and put it atop their head so that when it tries to strike it dies from the porridge. Luckily, it is farther north. I will be good.

This week we noticed that one of our investigators, Gomiwa, stopped coming to church. We found out that the reason was because of hurt feelings. I now feel the importance of showing love to all those I come in contact with. In our next lesson I told him the love that we have for him and how much he means to us. I even told him Ndiwe Moyo Wanga which he laughed and gave me a bro hug after. Some scriptures I have been thinking about is in Alma 5:30-41. First it talks about mocking our brother. How we persecute each other. I began to think about all the time I have persecuted those I know. Of all the times I have been mean,  or made a joke at another's expense. I did not know how to draw the line. But the scriptures continue. They go on to talk about which shepherd you follow. I think that the only way to draw a line for yourself is to decide which shepherd your actions will say you follow. If I have this upon my mind I will become more considerate, more Christ like because I will be one of his sheep. I wish that I could go back, be kinder, better, more righteous. But I know that those mistakes is what will remind me to change. That guilt will drive me to repentance and to the Lord. Now is the time to bring forth my good works and become better.

I am thankful for the support I have been given. I love all of you.

Love,

Elder Hollingsworth

Selfie with a Bowbub

We all have differences, but really we are all just the same.