Hello all you night owls!!! You are all probably fast asleep in your beds right now with dreams of sugar plums all in your heads!!! phew!!! I don't know where the Christmas poetry came from, that's the last thing it feels like today here in Uganda. It is pretty hot and humid today and it doesn't look like we'll have a white Christmas this year...:/
Okay, back to reality :D News of the week is that Gloria was baptized yesterday!!! Luck would have it that she asked me to baptize her, now all 3 of "my" converts have asked me to baptize them. One thing that is really nice for her is that there is a boy in the branch who she went to Senior 1 with at Kololo SS (Like 7th grade in the U.S.). It will be nice for her to have a good fellowshipper that she already knows and feels comfortable with. Gloria said to me right before she stepped into the font "Elder Winters, I'm terrified of water, what should I do?" I gave her the good old line from Aladdin and held out my hand to help her down "Gloria, do you trust me?" haha, it works every time, young or old, male or female...one of the things I work hard to do is gain the trust of my investigators. I want them to know that I am their friend and not just some white guy trying to get people to come to his church...:D
Yesterday we had a pretty cool talk with an old guy sitting outside a bar. Typically we don't proselyte around bars but he called us over so we went to talk with him. It turns out that he used to be a flight engineer for Pan American Airlines. Needless to say that caught my attention since aviation is one of my greatest addictions ;) We talked for probably an hour about aviation and its progression over the last 40 years. He told me a story of his first time to fly on the Concorde from New York to Paris. I can almost see myself flying in that magnificent airplane flying at supersonic speeds at altitudes above 60,000 MSL!!! AAAGGGHHH sorry, that's the pilot peeking out from inside me, sorry for the jargon, just pretend I said "I think it would be cool to fly really high and really fast." haha!!! We also talked a lot about the new 787 Dreamliner, I guess within like the last month a Japanese airline took delivery of 2-3 "Dreamliners" and has really made bank on them. They are made of composite (carbon fiber) material which makes them extremely light and durable and also very economical.
Ah well...I've had my talk about airplanes for the week. It was really fun and even though I don't think he will ever join the church in this life he knows that the "Mormon" missionaries care enough about him to take time to talk. That is what people need most in this world. Not enough people show caring and love for each other. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone truly felt loved? That leads me to a spiritual thought which I would like to share with you today.
In the book of Mosiah chapter 2 King Benjamin is talking about his life and what he spent it doing. Verses 17-18 are very important. King Benjamin talks about how he has spent his life in the service of his people, and how if he their king served them, how much more important it is that the people serve each other. I love all the wonderful examples in the scriptures of ways that we should live life. If we could all have an attitude of service the world would be a much better place. Every day I see people in poverty here in Uganda that people in America and Canada cannot even imagine. God's children are in need and it is up to us to help them. Every time we contribute our fast offering one of God's children is blessed. We are counseled to give a generous fast offering, not an offering to just say we did it, but something that is truly a sacrifice. I want to share with you my testimony of the Book of Mormon. This book of scripture is not easily accepted here in Uganda and I am sure in many other places in the world. As we read many times, people say: "We already have a bible and we need no more bible." If people could only understand that the Book of Mormon is not a replacement to the Bible but a complement to the Bible the gospel would be spread much more rapidly. I like a quote from Jeffery R. Holland. Paraphrased it goes something like this: The importance of the Old Testament is not diminished by the coming of the New Testament, likewise, the value of the New Testament (and the Old Testament) are not diminished by the coming of the Book of Mormon. (end paraphrase...I think you can say that...) The Book of Mormon does not make the Bible obselete, rather it adds to our understanding of this wonderful book of scripture. As we come to acknowledge the Book of Mormon and the Bible as BOTH the word of God we will be able to have the mysteries of God unfolded unto us.
My prayers are with each and every one of you. Every time a missionary prays, blessings go out to the families and friends.
Love,
Elder Winters
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| Plate of the Week - Ugandan "Subway" |
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| Rainy Day in Uganda |
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| Gloria's Baptism Day |
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| Getting his nails clipped |
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