10/27/2014

This week was great. We went to the waterfalls again so the new guys in the district could experience it. Then we did missionary work all week. We had a very successful week. We have two investigators named Penny and Kealebogile who are two sisters who received their witness of the Book of Mormon. We have been working with them for awhile and they finally got it and they will be baptized in a few weeks.

On Saturday we had a cool day. Usually Saturday is pretty hard but we both studied about praying with faith in the morning and the Lord will bless us. So we prayed for a successful positive day. Though the day we gave service to two people. Taught 7 lessons and got fed twice haha. It was a good day. 

This coming week is going to be an interesting week because everyone is taking exams. They do school years different then us. So they are having their exams and then school is out for the year. I have realized that seminary was a huge blessing in my life. As I have been teaching I have remembered stories and things I learned in seminary and I use it in the lessons. I still wish I would have taken it more seriously. 

We just started conference because we are on the frontier. I know it is old news but I really enjoy it now that I'm on mission. I am just realizing now how important the gospel is in our lives and how we need to use anything that the Lord gives us. Stay close to the Lord and have a good week. 

Elder Hepworth

10/20/2014

October 20, 2014

I have to say Happy Birthday to my mom this week. I hope she has a good one. Her first one without me. I bet she is going to cry ha. This last week was transfers. On Monday we had a 5 hour drive down to the office and spent the night. My companion got his bag somehow stolen with some very important things in it. He was so humble about it and knew God would take care of him. I'm missing that guy but my new companion is pretty sweet. His name is Elder Olson. He is from Salt Lake City, Utah. He knew the new mission president before he even came so he has got an in haha not really. Our mission president is awesome and trying his best to lead the mission the way Heavenly Father wants. My companion is the DL and he is only one transfer only on mission than me. After the 5 hour drive back up it was dark and we didn't get to work until the next day. He is really enjoying it up here. It really is amazing in Limpopo, South Africa. He is learning the area and meeting all the great people. Just like everywhere else it has it's problems but I love it. I want to stay in this area for this transfer and another. Hopefully that is God's will. We have been having very spiritual lessons and lots of fun. Just yesterday one person we saw was getting her hair done and we had them put a weave in our hair haha. On Saturday we found out that our recent convert named Desmond's little brother died. He was only seven months old. It was so sad but the gospel got to him just in time. We are going to do service for the family this week and go to the funeral. Families are forever. Stay close to the gospel. I love you all. Have a good week. 

Elder Hepworth

10/06/2014

This week was great. It is getting pretty hot up here in South Africa and it is supposed to be getting hotter. Last Monday we had a family home evening with one of our member families and it was so much fun. He shared a message about journals and I need to get better at that. Record keeping is important. We played games and they even fed us which was awesome haha.

Saturday was a weird day. We didn't have much success in the missionary work but I feel like Heavenly Father just won't let us have a bad day he makes it funny. To make the story short we were driving to get some food so we could start our fast and in the middle of the road was just sitting a man. We thought it was weird and laughed. Then on the way back a woman was screaming at us in her language for help. Someone said it was something about her husband. When we got up there it was the same guy in the middle of the road. He was so drunk he had no way to get home and she wanted our help to get him there. So she picked him up and they climbed in the back of the truck and her grandchildren got in and we took them home which wasn't far. It was a random act of service that we just had to laugh about after. The lady was so thankful so we felt good about it even though we weren't supposed to have them in our truck ha.

On Sunday our two baptisms last week were confirmed and they received the Holy Ghost and one of our recent converts from last month received the priesthood. I got sick in the evening so we went home early and I slept. When I woke up I was feeling a lot better. I always feel bad when I have to go home early because the time to serve is extremely short but I figure that Heavenly Father doesn't want us to feel bad while we serve. We must not run fast than we have strength but still serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. Finding the balance is the trick haha.

My hero is Jesus Christ. When I was young my heros were the power rangers. I had all the action figures. Then when I got older my dad became my hero. We have spent a lot of time together and had good times. Now that I'm on mission I realized how much Jesus Christ is my hero and everyone else. He has suffered for us. He has died for us. All out of love. That was the most heroic act of all time. May we always remember him like we promise in the sacrament prayer.

Elder Hepworth