Monday, January 8, 2018

Makadii Week 101!

Well, I can't believe that this moment has actually come already. My final email to you all. 

This past week went really well and we had a baptism at the end of the week for our investigator Fidel. He is such an awesome guy, so prepared for the gospel. We have another baptism and marriage planned for my final weekend on Saturday for Sister Ganduka and we are stoked for that. I am so excited to finish my mission on a good note! :) The mission ended with 2,033 records made for 2017! So sweet! 

My 14th and final MLC meeting last week was a success! We have a zone conference in Gweru on Wednesday, exchanges on Thursday, preparations for the baptism and marriage on Friday, and the marriage and baptism on Saturday. My last week on mission is one of the busiest, and I am pretty grateful for it. It keeps my mind away from all of the excitement and nervous feelings about going home. I am excited to work hard for this final week. I have set a goal to find two new prepared families to teach in our area this week so that I can help Elder Whiting with more investigators after I go. Time really is winding down, and it is pretty crazy that this week is my last!

A cool plus from this week was that Elder Edward Dube of the Seventy made a surprise visit to our ward's sacrament meeting on Sunday. It was cool to spend some time with him, to introduce our recent converts and investigators to him and to hear his testimony. He was there with his wife and son. It was cool to have him around. It's not very often that a General Authority will just show up to your ward! haha :) I have been honored to meet 4 General Authorities on my mission.

I don't have much time to say all that I want to say, but I will have plenty of time to fill you in and tell stories when I am home in just a few short days! I would like to thank all of you for staying tuned in to my mission these past 24 months, and for all of the prayers and support that you have given me during my time in Africa. I love you all.

I am nervous and excited for what the future holds for me, but I have learned that as long as I put the Lord first, I will never go wrong. I am excited to show my family around the country that I have served in next week, and I am so excited to be with them again. I love them more than anything in this world.

I will forever treasure the short time I have spent here in Zimbabwe, and I will carry all of the memories and experiences with me for eternity. The church is true. The gospel is real. Jesus is the Christ. God truly is Our Heavenly Father. I am truly grateful for the relationship that I have with Them.

Tinowonana manje-manje shamwari dzangu! Hauite-Hauite! :) See you soon! 

Elder Kevin Jesse Baldwin
Zimbabwe Harare Mission
Over and out! :)




Monday, January 1, 2018

Makadii Week 99/100!

Makorokoto goredzva! (Happy New Year!)

Hello again everyone, and happy 2018! This email will cover for the last 2 weeks because of Christmas last week. I will try to fill you in! :)

It has been a busy first 2 weeks as an Assistant, much like I expected! We have been busy with training meetings, running errands, setting up skyping on Christmas day, planning for MLC, making a mission training plan and preparing the mission leaders to get smartphones to use with members and investigators to help with family history. There are many exciting things happening here in Zimbabwe right now, and the new year of 2018 is looking to be super awesome! We also received the news that starting July 1st, 2018, there will be another mission added to Zimbabwe. There is soon to be the Zimbabwe Harare Mission and the Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission. The work in Zimbabwe is going so well, and I am so happy for this country to receive more missionaries and more of the gospel in areas that have yet to be opened. I am also so happy that the efforts I, and my fellow missionaries have put forth these last 2 years have led to the splitting of the mission. Exciting stuff. That's what it's all about! :) The mission has had a record year in 2017, with over 2,000 new converts joining the church in Zimbabwe. It has been exciting to be a part of it. 

Despite all of our office duties we also have our area that we are assigned to. The area is called Hatcliffe, and it is a sweet place. With the time we have had in our area so far we now have 2 investigators that we are preparing for baptism this week and next. I will get to finish my mission on an awesome note, helping two more people make their baptismal covenants. I can't think of a better way to go out than that! :)This week we will be busy with MLC, and also preparing Fidel (our investigator) for baptism on Saturday. Fidel is such an awesome guy, and I am glad to have the chance to prepare him for baptism alongside Elder Whiting! Next week, which is my last week as a missionary, we will be busy with a Zone Conference in Gweru, as well as preparing Sister Ganduka (our other investigator) for baptism on my final weekend. 2 weeks left, and those 2 weeks will be full of cool experiences that I will always cherish. The time is near.

I am so thankful to be where I am and to be having the experiences that I am having. 2 weeks left and it is all over. I am glad those 2 weeks will be full of fun for us. Being an Assistant has been a wonderful experience and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to do it in the final weeks of my mission. By the way, our AP trio only lasted for a few days. Because of some unexpected arrivals, Elder Scoresby was temporarily reassigned until I leave. It is now just me and my former companion Elder Whiting together again. When I leave, Elder Scoresby will be back with Elder Whiting before he goes home soon after me. I am still a bit puzzled why the Lord wants me to be where I am, especially in these circumstances, but whatever the reason I know that He does want me here. 

Another exciting note is that I met Elder Edward Dube of the Seventy this past week. He is here in Zimbabwe for the holidays and I had the pleasure to meet him while he was around!

I love you all and I wish you a wonderful and happy 2018! Make Jesus Christ a focus in your lives this year. :)