First off, we had our Zone Conference last week and we talked about the importance of family in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it was absolutely incredible. We talked about how we need to emphasize the importance of the restoration of the True church of God for the Family and all the truths that we have learned because of it. Things such as eternal marriage, Temple blessing, Ordinances for the dead and much more. It really touched me as I looked on my life with new eyes, thinking of the things I know and love about the restored gospel and how it has and will bless my family forever and then linking it to the First vision and our testimonies of Joseph Smith.
Next, we had some pretty cool experiences a couple days ago while we were walking around trying to find the people God wanted us too. We have been trying to get into the area more and teach and we were doing lots of contacts but we really didn't feel like things were going anywhere. Anyways we were snaking through the city trying to decide what to do. We finally stopped on a corner and just looked at each other....the where now look that we do so well haha but then Elder Stevens noticed a man next to us with earphones on jamming to his music and Elder Stevens struck up a conversation with him. We started talking and he was super friendly. He ended up telling us that 7 years ago he had been an investigator of the church. He had gone to church for years and was even present when President Nelson came to Mozambique so many years ago to visit. He told us that back when he was learning about the church he learned that having sexual relations before marriage was a sin, and during that time he happened to be living with his Girlfriend. He described a shame and a sense of unworthiness to go to church and be seen by others. We immediately told him that not only would he be accepted in church again but he would be received with so much joy. I then asked him to read Enos in the Book of Mormon and we invited him to church. Anyways fast forward a few days and Sunday comes and he made it to church, he expressed the spirit that he felt and needed when we talked to him and the feeling of love from God when he read the scriptures about Enos. Today we will have a visit with him and I'll let y'all know how that goes!
Also we are preparing to go camping this weekend. HAHAHA SO COOL so long story short we have a group of members out in the middle of Africa that consists of about 100 people that have been going strong for a long while so every so often President will go with some other missionaries to perform weddings, baptisms and other work needed in the area. So this week we will be flying up north and bringing some tents and stuff and we are going to camp the weekend out in the middle of nowhere hahaha. The place is called Luaha. Im super excited and preparations have been going well.
I just want to say how grateful I am for the work of the Lord on the earth today. I see the way Christ and his atonement blesses lives and by these fruits I have come to know lots of things. I have come to deepen my testimony, declare the word with more courage and love for those around me. All around us there are opportunities to serve and follow the lords example as written in the bible “[Jesus] ‘andou fazendo bem’ (Atos 10:38)" (translation: "[Jesus] went about doing good" Acts 10:38). I Know the gospel is true. until next time.
-Elder Thornton
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