So last week was Zone Meeting and they reviewed the goals that we have as a mission and the benchmark which we need to be at. And we have this goal called OYM (open your mouth) which is essentially to try and have a gospel conversation with someone.
So the goal for the week is 70 for every companionship, and we as a zone had been falling behind, so we decided to try and do something about it.
We got 229 this week!!!!!
Ah it was an amazing experience! The first day (Tuesday) we all in all talked to 76 people! And now we are getting to the point where the people we talk to, we've already talked to them!! Ah it's funny when you offer someone a pass along card and they reply, oh I already have it!
The main thing is that after talking to all those people, at the end of the day, one thing I noticed was that I was happy!! Like a massive joy inside of me, simply from forgetting myself and talking to so many people about the gospel! So that was an amazing experience which we are going to try again this week, only we are going to try and talk to 300 people this week!!!
Of course talking to that many people you meet some interesting people and have some interesting experiences!
The first one was that I met this guy, his name is Dino. He's from New York City, and has a strong American accent. Sweet guy and I enjoyed talking to him. But as soon as he saw the Book of Mormon pass along card he immediately claimed that the Mormons were a cult and that he didn't want anything to do with it!
I didn't argue with him but I talked to him for a bit and reasoned with him that if he's never read it then he can't know that it is a cult! So I hope that he calls the number, because he was a sweet guy.
The other thing that happened was that we were walking along (actually right before I met Dino) and there was this woman walking along, obviously at work (turns out she is a construction supervisor) and I felt impressed to talk to her. Now all I said to her was if I could give her the pass along card. I didn't tell her anything about me, not even my name (although I have a name tag) I just asked her name, what she did for work, and then I asked her for her address and phone number, and she just gave them to me! Afterwards I was quite amazed, that this stranger had just come up to her, and asked for her address and phone number and she'd just given it! Which was a testimony to me that truly people recognize us as servants of the Lord!So yeah talking to so many people was a great event that happened this week! And we are going to try and go for 300 people this week!
On Tuesday we also had another service project for a member where we were doing a little bit of landscaping, basically trying to make a waterway for when it rains around the side of his house. It was pretty tiring but he was really happy for the work that we did, and they gave us lunch too which was nice! I got to use a pickaxe too which I've always wanted to use! So that was fun! (I uploaded some pictures of it!)
We had the (re)baptism of Durrity, because they said his name wrong in the actual baptism! It went well, it took a little longer for us to fill up the font, but we did it (it took like 3 tries, because he wouldn't go all the way under the water ;') ) and then he was confirmed this Sunday which was really good, and he's been really integrated into the ward so that is amazing! I hope that he serves a mission!We also had the interview of Mbali, she's 16 and the daughter of a less-active member, because of her husband, who doesn't go to his church but doesn't want her to go to church either... although I think she was baptized after they were married. Anyway Mbali is really powerful and she loves the gospel. She goes to mutual and although she turned up an hour late, she passed the interview!! Another baptism this Sunday!
We also passed the sacrament this Sunday (me and Elder Musiiwa) who I'm actually getting along really well with (he's from my group) And that reminded me of home as well, when I used to pass/bless and prepare the sacrament and conduct the music he he he :P
The other investigator we have, her name is Lebo, she is the friend of a member and we teach her at their (member) house. She is only 14 but at the end of the lesson, she bore her testimony and basically said that she know the church is true! It was a really powerful testimony and she also said that every day she prays for God to show her the way, and then she always dreams about the missionaries! So we just need to meet the family!
The other main event this week was that on Saturday we were asked to go give a blessing to a woman in hospital. So we go and we talk to her. She had got a blood clot in her leg and she hadn't slept all night because obviously if it moves then you're in trouble, lungs, it's an edema, heart it's a heart attack, brain it's a stroke (but you know all this :P) But she was getting better when we got there. her name is Sister Sharpe, she is actually from Russia! Now when we first came in I looked at her and thought she was probably around 30, 35. Then an attended comes in and asks her her birthday... 1966. She is 50! I was amazed! As it turns out she grew up in Communist Russia! And was one of the first students to leave Russia on an exchange! She is married to a man from Zimbabwe (who is white!) and all in all they are really really nice people! They also told us their conversion story!Her husband had been skiing and there had been an accident, he'd hit a tree. He was in a coma and had suffered 68% brain damage! Now at the hospital all the people had been telling her to take him off life support, his spirit was gone. But there was a Latter-day saint Nurse there who told her not to, he was still there. Amazingly he woke up and was fine!! So they accepted the missionaries. And when they first arrived they said that the husband would translate because she didn't speak English, to her great surprise they pulled out a Russian Book of Mormon!
They own a company that makes Rice and cooking oil and stuff. Their daughter went to a school in Switzerland and is now studying at King's College Cambridge!
And we might be having dinner with them today!
Okay now to personal:
So the weather has been improving! it's been warmer this week, and I think that summer is coming back so I don't know how excited I am for that to be honest. No midges though, just some really big rats!!!
I just like talking to many people, I LOVE my mission. Yeah some days are hard and last night I had a headache, but really despite all the things that happen, investigators, companions, mission is the best thing I have ever done! I love it so much and I don't want it to end sometimes! I am working on becoming completely obedient, because that is the source of the Spirit and happiness (it's hard at 6:30am) but once I get there, and I know I can, I will be completely happy!
That's about it! I love you lots! It's funny, there is an RM in our area, he's been back about a year longer than Kieran, and the only thing we talk about when we go there is mission :') His wife is funny, because she doesn't get it at all :')
The temple is closed for the whole of this month :-(
Love you lots!
Elder Jorgensen
