Monday, April 30, 2018

Week 34 & 35: E-mail problems make for long weeks


Well hello everyone! Sorry I haven't been emailing home. My email has been disabled the past 2 weeks.
But some really cool things happened this week. We had an unexpected baptism this week! Our bishop came to us and mentioned how he needed our help with a baptism that we were having the next day, Wednesday. We said "What? Baptism? We don't have any scheduled." It turns out there was a baptism of a previously excommunicated member of the church. He wanted it to be low key and only certain people were invited and us missionaries were some of them. It was a really neat experience to be a part of. He was excommunicated about 15 years ago. He has continued to attend church faithfully ever since and he and the bishop had been fighting for his readmission through baptism and confirmation for the past 7 years. It was a wonderful moment to see this man who had stayed faithful during the time of trial and miscommunication, step back into the waters of baptism to make and receive his baptismal blessings once again.
Last Monday we put together a combined Family Home Evening with Nonhlanhla (Recent Convert) and her girls, Thuli (Recent Convert) and her two boys, and the Thomo family. The Thomo family is the family who referred us to Thuli as well as Nonhlanhla. And now they are both baptized and powerful members. It was tons of fun! We taught them how to hold FHE and then had a lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then roasted marshmallows. Half of the neighborhood kids joined as well. Everyone had tons of fun. As we were leaving Paballo and Motheo were like "We're going to do this every Monday, Right!?". That was one of the highlights of the week.
Also, with the mid-transfer we had, Elder Blackburn departed. However, with his departure came the arrival of THE Elder Cox. He left Swaziland and Elder Smith, Ryland's "son", to come join us in the Springs Zone. It has been an awesome week full of catching up again and having a bunch of laughs. We will most likely be going on an exchange this week so I am definitely looking forward to that.
The week was pretty quiet due to us being stuck at the flat for two days due to me having the flu.
We are still preparing for a couple baptisms coming up. Sthembiso will be interviewed for baptism this week and possible Nkosana as well. His date may or may not get pushed a week or two.
That is all from here in good ole Jozzy. I love you all. I am doing great and I hope you are as well.
Love Elder Rash 

note from mom:  Due to Devon's ldsmail account being disabled, he hasn't been able to read any of the e-mails you may have sent during these two weeks.  I'm not sure if when it is up and running again if your e-mail's will even be there.  Mine kept saying "unable to deliver".  So, please know, he is not ignoring you AND please write him again....keep trying until your e-mail goes through!

Last night with Elder Blackburn (mid-transfer).  Devon is going to miss him.

Elder Rash and Sis. Thomo

Family Home Evening with some families

Lesson on the gospel of Jesus Christ

Activity for FHE, roasting marshmallows


Everyone enjoyed their roasted marshmallows

Devon loves these missionaries

Monday, April 16, 2018

Week 33: Visits with familiar faces


This week was really good! We had interviews and a temple trip. Also this week Nonhlanhla, Paballo, and Motheo were confirmed. It was amazing.
Elder Nielsen and I also got to have lunch with Pres. and Sis. Koch, Ryland's former mission president. That was a lot of fun and it was great being able to talk to them, catch up, and learn a lot.
We have many investigators that are quickly approaching their baptism dates. We are diligently working to help them gain a testimony and know that this gospel is true. Sthembiso is the closest to being baptized and he is scheduled to be baptized on May 13th. We are super excited for him and he is doing really well. We have been walking with him to Institute as well as church every Sunday and Tuesdays. He loves the gospel and church.
Also I forgot to tell you that 2 weeks ago at our Zone Conference, Senator Flake and his wife showed up at the chapel. He served in this mission a long time ago. Also his son was in the MTC with me. We were in the same district in the MTC. So I got to talk to them about how I was from Mesa as well and that I was in the MTC with their son. So that was cool. But that is basically all I have.
 I'll talk to you all next week. 

Love Elder Rash

 

 
Sthembiso is an investigator

Lunch with the Koch's

Elder and Sis. Koch

Elder Nielsen, Elder Koch, and Elder Rash

Monday, April 9, 2018

Week 32: The Book of Mormon is his favorite book!


This week was good. We had Zone Conference and had some really good training on teaching repentance and how to more effectively get investigators on date and to sacrament meeting. We are excited to really focus on the investigators that we have that are on date to help them continue to progress and gain strong testimonies. The struggle we have is inconsistent church attendance. We are going to focus on utilizing members in our work and really getting investigators to sacrament meeting regularly. The work is progressing really well and we are working hard and enjoying the work.

Nothing really big happened this week. Just a good week filled with teaching.

 I love this gospel so much. I have really enjoyed being able to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish once again. I've never enjoyed reading more in my life until I read the Book of Mormon and really focused and understood what I was reading. There is so much power in the Book of Mormon. Especially as we feast upon the words of Christ. I know the Book of Mormon to be true and I am so grateful that Joseph Smith gave his life for this book and this gospel. I know that there is only one way and name by which we can enter the Kingdom of God. And that is through Jesus Christ and his gospel.

 I love you all.

Love, Elder Rash
*note from mom:  I thought I would share some of the things Devon shared with me in my personal letter - "..... transfers are the Tuesday after Mother's Day and I will probably get transferred then. So I will Skype home twice while in one area. That's crazy to think that I'll be skyping with you guys in a month. Hopefully it will work better this time. Also we have interviews and a temple trip this week. I already talked with Sis. Koch. We'll be having lunch with them on Friday. I'm pretty excited for that."  I can't WAIT to get pictures from Sis. Koch this week from their lunch with my boy! I am a happy momma!

It's good to see his smile!

Elder Rash and Elder Nielsen

My handsome missionary!

Monday, April 2, 2018

Week 31: Grateful for General Conference


This week was powerful. We were able to watch the first 3 sessions of General Conference as well as the priesthood session. I've never enjoyed and been so grateful for General Conference as I was this time. I know that Russell M. Nelson has been called by God as well as the Apostles and other church leaders. I am grateful for the speakers we were able to listen to and learn from.

We had many investigators who were able to attend the conference. But there is one person and experience that stuck out the most. We have an investigator named Khaya. He is in his mid 20's and has many addictions to overcome but has a very strong desire to change and to learn more about the gospel. Earlier this week he expressed how he wanted to have faith to the point where he could move mountains, he used the story from the bible as an example. He just didn't know why God doesn't show his power like that anymore and why he can't do that when he feels like he has such great faith. Elder Nielsen and I did our best to answer his question and concern. Also we have been inviting him to church the past 3 weeks but he has yet to come. Fast forward a few days to Saturday. Elder Nielsen and I walked with him to the chapel Saturday evening to watch the Saturday morning session of general conference with him. The whole time I was praying that he would feel the spirit and enjoy the speakers. My prayer was quickly answered and put at ease when the very first speaker Elder Ballard spoke about having faith like a mustard seed and how if we have faith like a mustard seed we can have the power to command the mountains to move. He continued to expound on that bible story, the same one Khaya had asked us about, and explained that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can overcome trials and things in our life members, and nonmembers. As soon as we heard this Elder Nielsen and I both looked at Khaya to find a very big grin on his face. Khaya then proceeded to point at himself and say "he is talking to me". From then on he began taking notes from every single speaker. I am so grateful for the guidance we are able to find through the Prophet and Apostles. They truly are called of God and are here to lead and guide us. 

Also this week we met with a member's sister who is not a member. Her name is Winnie. For many years she has been avoiding missionaries and has been closed off. She has a rough past. She was previously a Sangoma, or witch doctor who talks with spirits and does all kinds of crazy bad stuff. The past 10 years or so she has turned away from that stuff. Although one can turn away from these things, Satan and his angels still have hold you and do not leave you alone. This is why she has been avoiding missionaries and coming to church. This week we were able to sit down with just her and discern her needs. As we began talking and she began opening up she broke down into tears. She requested we give her a priesthood blessing because these spirits weren't leaving her alone and torturing her. We were able to do so and cast these spirits out. After the blessing she expressed a deep sense of peace and relief. She had one last Sangoma beaded necklace around her neck. We asked her to remove it but she said that it was fishing line and she didn't have scissors. I had the privilege to go over and break the necklace in half and remove it, with my priesthood :). We invited her to close with a prayer and she did for the first time in a very long time. The next day, Saturday, she came to General Conference with her family. She also came on Sunday for the other sessions. She finally feels peace and free from these spirits. We are excited to see how she progresses as we begin to teach her the gospel. I love you all. Talk to you next week

Love, Elder Rash
* note from mom:  Transfers are this week and he says that he and Elder Nielsen are staying together.  He feels he will be transferred the NEXT transfer.  He was so happy to hear about his first mission president, Pres. Dunn, being called as an Area Seventy at General Conference!  He was super excited to hear about his cousin Colton turning in his mission papers and is praying that he gets sent to the JoBurg Mission!  Devon says they need more missionaries serving in this area.  They have 97 missionaries in the Johannesburg Mission.  He was also excited to hear that his cousin Kimmy will be home soon.  He was so happy about soooo many things this week!


His eye sight apparently has gone bad since serving in Africa!

Sunset in Africa

I have no idea

Elder Rash's District (yes, it is small)

Zone Conference

Interviews and training at the mission home

Role playing with two senior sister missionaries