September 25, 2017 - Time to Dust Off the Training Wheels

The jacaranda trees are back

Hey friends and family!! 

From what I've heard, it's cooling off back in the USA. If you're upset, I will totally trade you weather because I am roasting here in Zimbabwe!! It's still been a great week though, I hope you all are doing well!

The weather has been getting hotter by the day. My Ndebele is still pretty limited, but one of the things I do know how to say is that it's really hot (yachisa kakulu), so that works to break the ice or get some laughs when I don't know what else to say. Thanks to Shona, I can actually understand a little bit of Ndebele. Hopefully I'll be able to pick it up more quickly as the next transfer goes by.

Elder Gordon and I after exchanges

On Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder Gordon in Mzilikazi. He's about 3 months older than me on mission and is from Springville, Utah. I look up to him a lot and we had a good time as companions. As zone leaders they have a car, but of course we were the ones walking for the day. Luckily I've been walking for nearly my entire mission and so I didn't mind. I learned that I need to be more simple in my teaching. It really is the Holy Ghost that will bring the truth to peoples' hearts, so I don't need to put too much effort into over-explaining. It's always good to expound the scriptures, but it was a good reminder that the Spirit is the true teacher. We had a lot of fun talking about life and about the gospel and I'm glad to be serving around good missionaries.

An interesting thought about walking (since I mentioned it a second ago): Christ walked everywhere He went. As I've studied Jesus the Christ and the New Testament, I've read about how as He traveled, He taught the people and healed them, ministering to them as He went along. Acts 10:38 says that Jesus "went about doing good," wherever He went. Even though it is tough sometimes, I'm grateful that I get to walk as I do my missionary work because there are endless opportunities to meet and teach amazing people as we go along!

With Brother and Sister Nyoni

Elder Daka and I have been meeting with Brother and Sister Nyoni over the last two weeks. Bro. Nyoni is a returned missionary and a super awesome guy, and his wife isn't a member so we are teaching her. He is a great help to us and a great support to his wife. They have a little 3 month old baby name Londile that is about the chubbiest baby of all time. It's so cool to teach with them and it's yet another family that we can help come closer to Christ! 

Saturday was super busy! Elder Daka and I went and helped out with the ward Mormon Helping Hands project at the Tshabalala Library. We cleaned up the yard and parts of the inside, and it felt good to help out and do some community service. After that we rushed home to change and head off to Sister Lucy's baptism! If you don't remember her, her husband was baptized by Elder Daka before I came along with their kids and they are super awesome. We helped work out their legal marriage and she finally got baptized! It was an awesome experience to finally see the whole family in the Church. I am always grateful to be a part of bringing families together. After that came the long-awaited transfer news call. Elder Daka is going to Chitungwiza!! I'm really excited for him and Elder Taloa and I gave him tons of people to look up when he gets there. And.....I'M TRAINING!!! I'm finally getting to train a new missionary, something that I've wanted to do ever since I came on my mission. His name is Elder Magoha and I think he is from Tanzania. I'll be going to pick him up on Wednesday this week. I'm excited and a bit nervous, so I would love if you could remember me in your prayers throughout these next couple weeks! It's crazy how fast time is flying, I can't believe that it will be October in a few days.

At Mormon Helping Hands service project

On Sunday I taught the gospel principles class about prophets. Here in Zimbabwe, there are so many false prophets that take advantage of the people and many people are confused. Teaching them the true nature of a prophet of God and that there is a true prophet on the earth is so important for them to understand. We talked about how we must follow all of the prophet's counsel, and with general conference approaching, I think that it really applies. We can't pick and choose which of God's commandments that we are willing to keep, especially because the toughest things are usually what we need most. I hope you all have a wonderful experience listening to God's ordained servants this week, I think I'll be watching it the following week. After church, Elder Daka and I went around saying goodbye to everyone. I'm going to miss being his companion. He's a funny guy who loves these people, and I know he'll continue to be an awesome missionary in the future! 

Elder Daka's birthday at KFC

Alright, I think that's all for this week, enjoy the final days of September!! (sorry I don't have much time!!) I know that Christ lives and that He is our Savior, and that if we have faith in Him and seek to draw His power into our lives, we can get through any challenges that we may face!

Love Elder Barlow