So I´ll start of with the highs. This last Saturday was awesome! We were able to see 4 of our investigators enter the waters of baptism and receive the joy that comes from it. There is nothing better than a baptismal service as a missionary. The great Swing was baptized along with Eliza, Natália and Costa. I haven´t talked much about Eliza but she is the cousin of Flora and a few other members, she is an awesome girl. Natália and Costa are the family of Fulai, Salvador, Mimi, Manucha, etc. We have been working with them for about 2 months now so it was so great to see them make it to baptism. They were both so excited! But, I don´t think I´ve ever seen any one as excited as Swing, this man came prepared. He has strengthened my testimony so much over the past 2 weeks. Yesterday when he received the Holy Ghost he was beaming, and after the blessing was done he jumped out of his chair and gave us big hugs, it was a great experience. I am confident that this guy is going to be a great leader of the church here in Angola. It has been insane to see how fast he learns, he just sucks it all up. He´s already read a solid 200 pages of the Book of Mormon and understands it better than I do. He has been prepared for a long time to receive the restored Gospel, and now that he has it he isn´t going anywhere but up. What an awesome experience it has been to be involved in his conversion.
Now, I´m sure you´re all wondering about Necat, our Muslim friend. Let me tell you about the crazy week that we had with him. So I told him that I would be getting back to him on Tuesday after I talked to President about his situation and on Monday night he sent me a text saying, "I´m hope to hear good news from you tomorrow. I hope JESUS will accept me." That cut me to the core! This man wants so bad to know Christ and be accepted by him! Little does he know that Christ waiting for him with open arms. So on Tuesday I called him scheduling the interview that he needed to have with President for Saturday afternoon and he was excited and said that he´d be there. But then on Wednesday I got a call that rocked my world. Necat called me telling me that his work had found out about his meeting with us and that they now could not trust him and that he was being sent back to Turkey the next day.... WHAT!? I felt so bad... I appologized and appologized but he reassured me that it was him that called us and that we were just doing our jobs. He said that it is all for the better and that now he gets to return to his family and continue his search. So with that news we quickly scheduled a meeting with him the next day before he flew out. Us and President sat with him to show him our support but really the support of our Heavenly Father in his search. President explained that he will need to go to a country where the church is accepted and from there we can teach him and help his family become eternal. He realizes that it is going to be hard to get out of Turkey, especially as a Muslim, but he isn´t going to give up. This man is incredible! I wrote him a quick letter of encouragement and gave it to him as he left. I pray that everything will work out for him! It makes me wonder how many Necats there are out there... How many people are thirsty for the Gospel but don´t know where or how to find it? Thank goodness that God´s plan is perfect and merciful! I am so grateful that I was born into the circumstances I was born into and that I have had the Gospel my whole life! We can´t take it for granted! I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for Necat and that everything will fall into place for him. What an experience!
The mission is so full of life changing experiences such as these. I don´t know what I would do without out these 2 years.. The Lord has been teaching me SO much. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers! I love you all so much! Have an incredible week!
Love,
Elder Hyde
Pics:
1. SWING!!
2. Eliza
3. Natália and Costa
No comments:
Post a Comment