(22 September 2008)

Dear Family and Friends (22 September 2008)

This Saturday was our Mormon Helping Hands project. What we did was we had a meeting where he had some speakers, and then the church gave a donation to the orphan kids that we teach. We gave them each a new pair of shoes, a pair of pants and a t-shirt. Brother and Sister Van Rensburg then taught the orphans about having a high self-esteem. All in all I thought the project went fairly well. Sunday our Branch Presidency was reorganized. President Brummer was released as Branch President and his one counselor, Brother Lambinon was released, and then called as the Branch President. Oh yeah this past Sunday was my first time ever going to a Gospel Principles class. I’ve never been to one, and we’ve never been able to have one here on my mission yet. It was nice, we had Brother and Sister Kirchmann there, and then Jake and Claire joined us as well. Robert Nel, our branch mission leader taught the lesson.
Just before the service project we had our correlation meeting with Robert. We talked a little bit about our fireside and he told us that we should do Jeopardy with the branch, and have questions surrounding different aspects of the gospel. We want to make this fireside kind of a get together where the members can see that we are fun and cool people.
One of the guys at Broken Wings knitted Elder Burnett and myself a scarf, it was pretty nice of him. The people there are always making stuff for us, and giving them to us.
The work is going fairly well here in Alberton. We’ve met a woman named Karin, at first she stated she had her church and wasn’t interested, but as we talked to her she invited us in and we were able to teach her. This week we taught her and her husband lesson 1. Her husband believes us but doesn’t seem too interested. He doesn’t believe there is one church. I told him that yeah it would seem like there isn’t one church with all the confusion, but don’t you think Christ would have us unified in one church? Karin told us that she wants us to come back to share what more Heavenly Father had told Joseph Smith. She also stated that she would like to join that one church of Christ. I’m not sure if she fully understood our message.
We’re teaching a woman named Denise, and she seems quite interested in the Gospel and in coming to church. We had a funny experience with her and her family this week. Elder Burnett was saying the prayer, and in the middle of it he said something that sounded like amen and so the family thought the prayer was over and said amen. Elder Burnett and I paused for a brief moment, and then Elder Burnett close properly really quick, and then I said amen. It was quite weird.
Just this morning I was reading 2 Nephi 25. I just planned on reading that chapter. It is where Nephi speaks about Isaiah, and how his words are important, and can only be felt by those filled with the spirit. When I was finished reading that chapter I felt the spirit, and decided I would try and start over with the Isaiah chapters. I then read 2 Nephi 12. As I read my mind was enlightened and I was able to learn by the spirit. I’m so glad I decided to continue reading more after I knew I had the spirit for the power, the understanding and the concentration that I had for that time did not stay with me too much longer. I love the scriptures and love learning the mysteries of God.

Elder Lane