Malaria, Not Me This Time

Yup.... my companion, Elder da Silva got Malaria.    He's a native from Mozambique and has had it before, so it didn't last too long.  He's fine now.

On Wednesday I went on a division out in Matola.  Last time we did a division with the Zone Leaders there, I stayed in Maputo with Elder Santos.  This time, Elder Santos came to be with Elder Bra

ndão, and I went to Matola to be with Elder Williams.   Elder Williams is one of the most solid missionaries I know.  He's a natural leader and is doing so much with Elder Santos to help Matola.  The division we had went really well.  After we went out the door, we only had to wait about 8 minutes before it started pouring rain on us.   We didn't go back.  We just continued walking. After another 20 minutes nobody seemed to be out on the streets.    Along the streets of Matola there were a few bus stops where some people gathered hiding from the rain.    We walked from bus stop to bus stop contacting the men there.   I don't think I could have been more wet if I were swimming.   Regardless of that, we kept working hard, searching for those families that the Lord was preparing for us to find that day.    We ended up finding 16 families that day that accepted our invitation to visit them.  We also had 10 new investigators that day.  We sat with two new families.   The first one was in the late afternoon.  Many  of our lessons had fallen through, and the sun was back out. (the funny thing is, is that I had become completely dry after a few hours in the sun.)

We were walking in an area called Liberdade, at the time there weren't any men on the road, but there were two little boys playing.  We asked them if their parents were home.  They said yes.   We asked again, just to make sure that both of their parents were home.  They were.  The house was close by, and we managed to sit with the entire family.  The lesson went very well.  I find it interesting that the Lord most often blesses us with these great families in the very moment that things are hardest.  We just need to choose to have a good attitude all the way.  On the division, we could have let the early morning rain affect us,  we could have let the dropped lessons get us down, but because we didn't we were able to recognize the blessings that the Lord had in store for us.

I know that in my life I have lost opportunities because I was looking down.  The opportunities were still there, but I didn't recognize them.  I believe that the Lord always gives his children opportunities, and we need to keep our head, and spirits up. 

I really enjoyed the division with Elder Williams.

This week we will be preparing for an audit this weekend, and the audit will be closely followed by a visit from Elder Hamilton of the 70 at the end of this month.

-Elder Greenman