The Great Sieve

Darling Family,

Forgot to send this last week. Sister Mulunda and I at zone conference.

She hates pictures so I was trying to convince her to smile.

Walking through the golf course in our area. Shout out to Jeremy!

First day of the hottest month in Zambia. The weather has been pretty forgiving so far. I think Heavenly Father is hearing your prayers, Dad :)

Mangos are coming!

We found a river! Luanshya is beautiful.

The zone began a Book of Mormon challenge a couple of weeks ago to read the whole BOM in 3 weeks. It's definitely been challenging when I have so many other things to study for personal study. But I have learned so much from my reading. I was studying the Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson and he said, "The Book of Mormon is the great finder of the golden contact. It does no the things which are 'pleasing unto the world,' and so the worldly are not interested in it. It is a great sieve (1 Nephi 6:5)." Especially in Zambia I have found that to be true.

At zone conference, the zone leaders taught about using members to find those people who are prepared. They had an Elder from Namibia stand up and asked him what the most predominate physical feature of his county was. Naturally, he said the huge sand dunes--they are some of the biggest in the world. They asked if they put a coin in the sand dune which tool he would rather use to find it, a small box sieve to put sand through or a metal detector. Obviously the metal detector would be much more efficient. But in this case, the Book of Mormon is the great sieve that a whole sand dune could be sifted through to find those that are prepared. Maybe that analogy wasn't well explained but the principle is true--the Book of Mormon finds those that are prepared.

This week we have had so many people want to fight us on the Book of Mormon. One man didn't even want to open it. He looked at it like something giving off a bad odor. Some people can ask the same question over and over again and you can answer them over and over again and it will still result in a hardened heart. For those that are still too attached to the world, or even their worldly view of religion, they just won't be ready for the Book of Mormon and the truth it contains.

I had exchanges this week with Sister Bingham and it was so wonderful to learn from this dear STL. She has only 3 months in the mission but I have a strong testimony that young missionaries can teach old missionaries just as much or more than old missionaries can teach young  missionaries. Her excitement and zeal to do everything right was so refreshing. I realized a couple of things I've sort of forgotten and it was an amazing day. 

We have one investigator who is the son of the Kantas (super strong members) preparing for baptism. I am so excited for him. He is the most humble investigator you can imagine. We usually count on Sister Kanta to be the woman to be in the lesson with us but when Sister Kanta is running late or happens not to be there he takes it upon himself to ask the neighbors for a woman to join us. So many investigators either expect us to search of simply turn us away, but his willingness to find a woman to sit with us shows just how much he wants to learn.

We also have a guy called Gilbert who is SO excited about the gospel. We taught him the plan of salvation and he could hardly stay in his chair. It was like the most revelatory meeting he had ever experienced. He had the funniest questions like, "Now, can people sneak out of the terrestrial kingdom and go to the celestial kingdom?" So funny.

Sunday morning I was studying 3 Nephi 11 and feeling the Spirit so much thinking of Christ coming. I love my Savior so much. Then on the way to church we stopped to pick up some less actives to walk with us and they ended up taking a bunch of time and not even coming so we were late to church. I walked as fast as I could without leaving my companion behind (Africans aren't known for their fast walking skills :)) but when we got to church the doors were closed and they were already passing the sacrament. I felt like a foolish virgin without oil. It was so disappointing. I want to do everything I can to be prepared for when the Savior comes. I want to be lifted up on that glorious day.

Have I mentioned I love being a missionary? Yep. I do. Even when things are hard. It's the best.

Love you all!

Sister Proctor