Another Great Week!
So we had another awesome week here in Fianarantsoa. The first full work week with the new son, Elder Passey and he did pretty well. But we had a great week this week of giving out Baptism Dates!
So we started out this week going to Noeline and Noriana. They are Adonis's sisters and they have been attending church for a while. Noriana has had a baptism date but still isn't married. When we visited them, we set a new baptism date for them in December and her husband accepted it too! It was great and Noeline will be getting baptized in December most likely, hopefully with Noriana. Then the next day we went and visited Vaoavy, the parents of one of our members that just recently left for a mission. While we talked with them we talked about baptisms and Vaoavy reminded us that he was getting baptised on the 19th of November. He definitely wants to be baptized but it is hard for him to leave the house due to old age. So we set a goal for them to start attending church and then there would be a baptism in December for him, his wife, and their son. Sadly, they didn't come to church yesterday but hopefully this next week they will make it. Then the last one was Jerry's sisters. We went up to visit them and talked with them about baptism as well. His sisters started to have a lot of questions which led us into talking about the Book of Mormon. We talked about how it is the keystone of our religion. How all the lessons and everything we teach depends on the Book of Mormon. We talked about how they could receive a witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Then we committed them to read and pray about the book, to really set aside some time this week and read the book. Then we committed all of them to coming to church this week. We made a deal that whoever doesn't come to church has to dance in front of everyone. But, if everyone comes then we will all be dancing so lets hope that we will all be dancing this next week haha.
So we started out this week going to Noeline and Noriana. They are Adonis's sisters and they have been attending church for a while. Noriana has had a baptism date but still isn't married. When we visited them, we set a new baptism date for them in December and her husband accepted it too! It was great and Noeline will be getting baptized in December most likely, hopefully with Noriana. Then the next day we went and visited Vaoavy, the parents of one of our members that just recently left for a mission. While we talked with them we talked about baptisms and Vaoavy reminded us that he was getting baptised on the 19th of November. He definitely wants to be baptized but it is hard for him to leave the house due to old age. So we set a goal for them to start attending church and then there would be a baptism in December for him, his wife, and their son. Sadly, they didn't come to church yesterday but hopefully this next week they will make it. Then the last one was Jerry's sisters. We went up to visit them and talked with them about baptism as well. His sisters started to have a lot of questions which led us into talking about the Book of Mormon. We talked about how it is the keystone of our religion. How all the lessons and everything we teach depends on the Book of Mormon. We talked about how they could receive a witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Then we committed them to read and pray about the book, to really set aside some time this week and read the book. Then we committed all of them to coming to church this week. We made a deal that whoever doesn't come to church has to dance in front of everyone. But, if everyone comes then we will all be dancing so lets hope that we will all be dancing this next week haha.
So that has been the focus of this week and the weeks to come. Commitments! Giving investigators the opportunities to keep a commitment with the missionaries to teach them how to keep covenants and promises with God. So this week we made a goal to give everyone we met with a commitment; members, recent converts, less actives, new investigators, all received commitments this week, or homework. And this next week we look forward to following up on those commitments!
This week strengthened my testimony about Church attendance. I always took it for granted as we are always teaching with the Spirit, reading the scriptures, and doing the things to keep the Spirit in our lives. But as I have been attending church here, I have always noticed a different sense of peace. A time to sit down and relax and feel the Spirit in the church. In that comes the opportunity to partake of the sacrament, but even before it comes, right as I sit down in the sacrament room after greeting everyone, I always feel a great feeling of peace come over me. It has happened so many times that I cannot deny it now. It is a for sure thing that we can only FEEL in holy places such as the Church. Every Sunday is an exciting day as we get to go to church, see all our members, and get to feel that loving, peaceful feeling that church has to offer. I know and I testify every day that this Church is the true Church on the earth today. That Christ established it and it was restored through Joseph Smith and currently led by living prophets and apostles today. I love my mission and I love Madagascar.
Elder Bowen
This week strengthened my testimony about Church attendance. I always took it for granted as we are always teaching with the Spirit, reading the scriptures, and doing the things to keep the Spirit in our lives. But as I have been attending church here, I have always noticed a different sense of peace. A time to sit down and relax and feel the Spirit in the church. In that comes the opportunity to partake of the sacrament, but even before it comes, right as I sit down in the sacrament room after greeting everyone, I always feel a great feeling of peace come over me. It has happened so many times that I cannot deny it now. It is a for sure thing that we can only FEEL in holy places such as the Church. Every Sunday is an exciting day as we get to go to church, see all our members, and get to feel that loving, peaceful feeling that church has to offer. I know and I testify every day that this Church is the true Church on the earth today. That Christ established it and it was restored through Joseph Smith and currently led by living prophets and apostles today. I love my mission and I love Madagascar.
Elder Bowen
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| Elder Passey |
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| More pictures of canoe day |
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