This week I went on vacation if there is even such a thing on mission. But, going to Kampala and being around missionaries that I haven't seen in months sure felt like it and it was a wonderful experience. I probably stayed up later than I should have both nights that I was in Ntinda. Mission Leader Conference was one of the most powerful meetings I've had on my mission. This month the meeting was focused on the Book of Mormon and the importance of working with members. We are excited to put into practice the things we learned.
I don't really have a lot to say this week, I was in Kampala from Tuesday-Thursday and when I got back into Kigali on Thursday, I went right into Elder Shumway's area for an exchange that was wonderful. We implemented some of the things we learned at MLC and worked on really listening to what investigators say so we can teach according to their needs. We also worked on our finding approaches and using "power statements" (one sentence testimonies used to invite the Spirit and grab the people's interest to learn more) I got back into our area on Friday and the rest of the weekend was spent catching up on lost time in visiting our investigators and preparing Edith for baptism. I don't know if I've talked a whole lot about Edith but she has been one of my favorite people I've taught so far because her change of heart was so apparent and noticeable. When we began teaching her, she was so stubborn and she refused to keep commitments in reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church. We even dropped her for a few weeks but, I decided to call her during weekly planning and set up an appointment to meet with her again. When we met again, we reviewed the Book of Mormon and set a bold commitment to her and told her that if she prioritized her time and gave 5 minutes to reading every day, she would be able to have the energy to work day in and day out to support her family and that she would be able to find the means to pay for her childrens' school fees. As we began teaching her again, her son came back from boarding school because he was suffering from ulcers and we began teaching him as well. Long story short, they began keeping commitments, coming to church together, and the change was so noticeable. Last week, when we were at her house, she shared with us that her husband had died just a few weeks previous to us coming and sharing with her the first time (she was found street contacting by Elder Brogan right before I got to K2) she said, that after her children left for boarding school, she felt so lonely and would just go to her room and cry when she got home from work every night. But, as soon as she began reading the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets, and we began visiting her more consistently, she felt happy again. It was a simple testimony but it reminded me that true happiness only comes from the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you don't believe me, put me to the test, put God to the test. Read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. I testify that there is no more correct book on Earth and it WILL bring you closer to Christ than ever before. If you are a member of the church, and you have not read the Book of Mormon cover to cover in awhile, I challenge you to do so. If you are not, I challenge you to do the same because if you are reading this right now, you care at least a little bit about my life which probably means I care about you too and I want the best for you.
I left my notebook at the apartment with my conference notes...Stay tuned until next week.
Love you all,
Elder Hazen
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