Makadii Week 75!

L

ate happy Fourth of July for those back in America! I hope you know just how blessed you are to live in the land of the free.

Hello again from Harare! We are here again for MLC tomorrow. My first week in Kadoma has gone well, and we have some great investigators that are preparing for baptism in the coming weeks. If all goes as planned, we will have 2 baptisms this Sunday for two boys, ages 13 and 15, who have been coming to church in Kadoma for awhile. Killian, the 15 year old, is very prepared and is ready to be baptized. Simba, the 13 year old, we are not sure if it will work out this week for various reasons. We will find out if it will work out or not this week. Either way, the work still moves along whether I am in Harare or Kadoma! We have another 4 investigators that are currently working towards baptismal dates in the near future, and just like always missionary work in Zimbabwe keeps us plenty busy!

Elder Billings is an awesome guy. He is from West Haven (West Ogden) Utah. He is the oldest of 3 kids I believe, and is just about to finish his 2 years. 11 weeks to go for him. He has been in Kadoma for the last 4 1/2 months so it is nice to have him around to teach me the area and to help me meet the people. He ran XC in high school as well, did lots of track events, and loves parqour/ free running. He can do all kinds of flips and jumps. Pretty sweet. I have started working out at a gym for the first time on my mission! This past week has made me very sore, and my body is adjusting bit by bit. We go every morning, except the weekends, and all I can hope is that I can regain some of the fitness I used to have when I was training for my half marathon way back in September of 2015. We are running and doing lifting workouts. 

The branch in Kadoma 1st is great. It is organized, even though most of the members come late. Our branch presidency is so great, and President Chiwaka is one of my favorite guys here in Zimbabwe. The branch is a lot more stable than my last area for sure. Our area in Kadoma is pretty small, but there many people in that small area. We focus on an area called Rimuka, which is where the chapel is located. Our house is quite big, but I really like it. I have also enjoyed using an automatic car for a change! One huge plus about Kadoma, there is legit fresh milk that is found nowhere else in Zim, at least that I know of! It tastes the same as milk back home. Finally real milk! :) Kadoma is not much different from Chegutu, there are many similarities.

Speaking of Chegutu: I was finally able to visit Chegutu again twice this past week. Once for district meeting and another for a baptismal interview. I was so happy to be back and to see some old friends. I saw the branch presidency, and I stopped by to see one of my convert families, the Chinga Family! It was so good to see that place again, and I am glad that I get to visit often because Kadoma is so close.

One story that I forgot to mention last week: My recent convert in Eastview, Vida, gave an awesome testimony on my last Sunday last week. She gave me a shout out in her testimony. Elder Whiting and I challenged her to finish the Book of Mormon before I left, and she did. She finished the Book of Mormon 1 month after she was baptized. She is my first convert to do that! She is now helping her sister Samantha to do the same. She thanked me and expressed to me how grateful she is to have been led to the truth. I am so glad to have made such an impact on her life. In reality it is not me that has made the impact, I am just an instrument in God's hands after all. :) I do miss Eastview and the people there, but things are always changing.

We traveled here to Harare this morning and had a nice session of basketball at the mission office, and we will be having our MLC meeting in the morning.

Wherever you may be, know that I love you and am thankful for you. Keep loving life! :)