If an Ethiopian Orthodox becomes a Mormon

  Yes I was so blessed haha. Brenda loves church. (The lady that was super depressed and considered ending her life.) And yes me and my companion teach most if the time. There is supposed to be a teacher in their but he is never their so we get to teach it. 

  Oh man I'm so glad that you guys finally responded to her (Sarah the lady he baptized has been writing facebook messgaes to Wes and I) messages haha. She bugs me so much it and keeps saying they are messaging me back haha. She is sure awesome she found two referrals this week. She keeps amazing me everyday haha. 

   We had stake conference this week. First one on my mission and man who would have ever thought they were awesome haha. I loved it. We are blessed with such an awesome stake president. He loves missionary work. He drives an hour to come take us out for lunch. I love him.

     Antonio is doing so well. We had a lesson with him about the law of chastity and the word of wisdom. He said it's super easy and he has lived both of them his whole life. We are still working on humbling him a bit. But we are great full for him I guess haha.

  The atak's are a family we found this week. They are from South Sudan and the husband had lived in Ethiopia for 9 years. We contacted him he said he hates Mormons and told us to get of his door steps. Then I asked him if he was from Sudan and he said yes and he immediately asked me if I was from Ethiopia and I was like YES! He came and gave me a hug brought us inside his house and fed us. And we met his family "big family" and he said if an Ethiopian orthodox becomes a Mormon it must be true. So they came to church and they came to our once a month fireside and loved it. The asked to go bare my testimony so I did. I love it!!! I feel so blessed. 

   Tanya is doing well. She is so humble. She wants to get baptized badly and she knows the church is true. She is very ill and he kidneys are felling so we have been praying a lot. We have been blessed beyond measure. We are going to have a big month next month. 

 Koffi's  doing so good. The only thing holding back from getting baptized is his mom so we have praying so hard that he heart will Change. We called her and we have an appointment with her tomorrow. 

   Sarah and prince. We dropped them. They are just not ready to make this changes. It broke my heart because I worked so hard for this. We found them earlier this summer. And they live far from us and we biked so hard to get there in the hot humid summer and we got no fruit of our labor on that. It just really broke my heart. 

   But I'm glad to here all of you guys are doing so well. You guys mean the world to me. Each time I see a family here or just anyone and see how they live their lives, it humbles me and reminds me of the things I have so been blessed with. Just by having the gospel in the home makes such a huge difference. I was reading some things for he general conference. It was from one of the new apostles. He something along the line of he never doubted the church. And that he always new the church was true. I think it's the same with me. I hit some rough bumps and went through some stuff lost my testimony. But I never forgot who my Heavenly Father was and I always knew the church was true. I love this gospel with all my heart. The work of salvation has given me the happiness I never had. I'm so thankful for my saviors atoning sacrifice. 

 Gospel love.
Elder Mesafint 

Missionaries Say I'm Pregnant

Dear Family, 

      I'm glad that you guys enjoyed the story about Brenda. I was so thankful that the Lord would bless me and my companion with that experience. She made it to church again this week. And I couldn't get her to stop crying during sacrament meeting. She loved and felt the spirit. She knows the church is true. I was pretty happy. I loved church as well. This week in gospel principles class I and my companion taught eternal marriage. My whole idea of marriage is changed haha. 

 

     Antonio is doing wonderful. We taught him the plan of salvation. He loved it. It's pretty amazing how God would love us enough that he wouldn't let us live and wonder in darkness, not knowing what life is about. But instead he blesses us with with a clear knowledge. I feel blessed for knowing and living the plan. We told Antonio that he can be with his wife forever and he was amazed. He went and did a lot of research on temples and surprised us with a lot of stuff on Sunday haha.

 

   Koffi is such a blessing. He is awesome he loves the gospel. And we wants his family to be part of it as well. So we have been teaching him a lot. But his mom doesn't quite want him to get baptized. She doesn't know a whole lot about the church. So we have been praying unceasingly for it to happen. He attends mutual and a lot of church activities as well. He is a great kid. 

 

  Linda is such an awesome investigator as well she has been trying her best to try to read the Book of Mormon. She struggles a lot with being able to read so we have been reading a lot. She is awesome and she has an awesome testimony. We are hoping to baptize her. 

Sarah and prince are awesome and they are trying their best to better themselves and change the lifestyle they live. It's been hard for them to change but they are working on it. We love them.

 

Anyways we have had a sweet week. We had zone conference and it was awesome. I saw a lot of missionaries haha. I learned a lot and we got trained on working with members and trying to get more member referrals. Oh and a lot of missionary keep telling me that I'm pregnant haha... And I guess that means they think I will train next transfer but I highly doubt it haha. 

 

After zone conference I went on exchange with Elder Holley he is a great missionary. We found 3 new awesome investigators. And they all of bab dates. It was sweet haha. Last time I went with them, we found this kid named Bryon he is awesome. He seemed really depressed and lonely. But they have been teaching him and he has changed so much. It's crazy how the gospel can change you. It changed me. 

 

Anyways thank you guys and I love you. The trees here beautiful. But it's been so cold. It got down to 34 this week. Winter is here haha. Have a blessed week. 

 

My challenge for you this week is to read alma 5. Ponderizing for is alma 5:26 

One more thing...I met someone this week that was addicted to baby powder and she eats 2 bottles of it everyday... 😳
 

Gospel love.

Elder haws🚴🏿💙

The Lord Trusted Me

Hey Family, 

  I had a wonderful week! Me and my companion are a lot alike. I was blessed with so many wonderful blessings this week. Blessings I can never forget. Earlier in my mission, I made a promise with my Heavenly Father that he can trust me enough to put anyone in my path and I will talk to them. And that meant I had to talk to everyone I saw. So the lord trusted me enough to put Brenda in our path this week. As we were pedaling fast to get our appointment, there was a lady sitting on a bench waiting for the bus. And we passed her, I had a very strong feeling that I needed to turn around. So I did and my companion followed me and we talked with her and set a return appointment. The next day we went her house and she was just leaving her house to go get some beer. I asked her, "why do you drink beer?" She said, "I hate it and I hate myself for doing it. But I have decided that today is my last day and I'm going to get drunk and take away my life." I was very saddened and we sat her down and used the teaching skills that we memorized, we said all the points back and forth and when we finished, we stopped and listened to the spirit and she started crying and she couldn't stop. We explained what the feeling she had was and taught her the first lesson very simply but powerfully. At the end of the lesson we extended a bab date and it's for November 7 and guess what?? It's her birthday day and her mothers birthday. We didn't know there was anything special about this day but we prayed and felt good about it. I love it. I was humbled and felt the love Christ has for all his children and he was loving enough to have me help her and have me open my mouth. 

 

Another awesome thing that happened this week was Antonio! He is a collage student and very awesome kid. He loves Christ and strictly obeys the 10 commandments. He has had couple opportunities to look up our church before and he likes our standards. Anyways we had the first lesson with him and, he has a baptismal date for November 14th. He is super exited and he marked it on his phone haha. And we found him on the street walking as well. I'm having so many good experiences. 

 

Prince and Sarah are finally thinking about getting married. I have been waiting for them to say that for the last 3 months. He really wants to get baptized and I really want him to get baptized as well. They seem to be progressing tho! But I know they will be baptized soon. It will require a lot of work on our part but that is what we are here for. 

 

I absolutely love my area and the people. Even though it's really gettho haha. I went to Lexington Kentucky this weekend for the whole day! And I missed my area haha. It was an awesome day tho! I didn't get the chance to take some pictures of the trees for y'all but man. They are beautiful! The colors are changing as well. 

 

Sunday was awesome! I have really been trying to prepare myself to take the sacrament. And just trying to focus on the importance of the sabbath day and been trying to understand the doctrine behind it.  The primary got up and preformed! I felt the spirit so strongly. They did so good. One of the things that makes me sad is, the missionaries here when they get asked if they were born in the church, they say they are and they are not very proud of that. I think to myself how wonderful it would be to be born in a home where the gospel is taught and you are influenced by it your whole life. 

Sarah had some crazy news for me this week as well haha. She had spent the night over at her brothers house. And her brothers friend invited them and Sarah for dinner. The guy that had invited them was a Muslim and he was throwing down on Sarah for becoming a Mormon and just asking her a lot of questions and it went on until 2 o'clock in the morning she said both him and his son and her brother and his family all against her. But her faith was not shaken because she built her foundation upon a rock. I was really proud of her and she got offered a job and she wouldn't accept it because they are making her work on a Sunday... She is such a great example to me! I admire her. 

 

My scripture for the week is D&C 121:45 I love that. My goal this transfer is to have the pure love of Christ! For everyone and to really have charity in everything I do. Thank you for sharing you thoughts and missionary stuff. I look forward to getting your emails as well and seeing what I see here while I work. And the people. It makes me appreciate what you have sacrificed to make the person I'm. I can't be thankful enough to have had the parents like you guys. Family is such a great thing and i love how we all work together to be together forever. 

 

I love being able to say that, this is the only true church and Jesus is the Christ. No missionary work isn't easy, but man as I look at the days I have spent here it makes me appreciate what the savior does for me and puts me through things to make me a stronger person. A person he would have me be. I try to cherish every moment of the day. 

 

 I love you all and thank you for all you do for me. I hope you have a blessed week. Sorry for such along letter I just thought I should share what I felt with you. Love you again and a blessed week.

God has been spoiling us

I had another amazing week! I was blessed to have so many good learning experiences. I'm loving my new companion. Just in last couple of days he has been here, he has taught me so much. I learn something new from him everyday. His name is Elder Moyer. He is from Mesa Arizona. He is great.

I'm enjoying talking with everyone I see. The more I do it, the more I like it. I loved conference. I know as well, that God called those apostles and I sustain them with a full heart. One thing that stood out to me this week was this scripture Mosiah 28:3-4. It meant a lot to me and I saw missionary work differently and it helped gain a greater love for the work. Our area is doing super great and we are finding a lot of people to proclaim the gospel to! Teaching is coming great. With my companions help I've almost memorized the scripture word for word. I'm at the last point. 

    This week has been full of miracles! I saw my saviors hand almost in everything I did. Earlier this week, a thought came to my mind and it was the first time it has ever happened. As I sat down and wondered what kind of missionary I want to be and what kind of missionary would the savior have me be. I made it my goal to consecrate myself everyday and focus on this work we are all engaged in. As I did that this week it helped me out so much and the blessings were tender mercies.

 

       Some of the highlights of the week was teaching prince and Sarah. It was a super cold day and raining at the same time with a lot of wind. I guess you can say the ride there wasn't very pleasant. We didn't have an appointment set up with them either but as soon as we got there and knocked on their door, prince opened it and gave me a hug and he said that he has his answer and that the night before he read 5 chapters and prayed with a sincere heart, with real intent having faith in Jesus Christ. Just as we told him to do so. I was so overcome by the spirit and I started crying haha. I love it haha I love all of it. He got his whole family and attended conference with us as well. I swear God has been spoiling us way to much this week😊

 

       We had some other great lessons as well. My favorite one was Kelly's he was a member referral. Those are the best. The family from Utah they just moved here two weeks ago and they have been married two weeks ago too haha. Anyways she is super fired about missionary work and she invited Kelly her neighbor for dinner and we went and taught him the restoration. He loved it. 

 

   I got the sweaters thank you so much.  This week was definitely the coldest. Super cold haha winter is coming. They all fit. I love you guys and thanks for all you do. I know you guys pray for me and I'm super greatful for it. Have a blessed week!!! 

               I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. 

Love 

Elder haws