Muli Shani from Ndola!

hello!!! I've now been in Ndola 5 days wahooo.... 

Tuesday i was still in Lusaka!! crazy day... we had the NEW MISSIONARIES COME IN and they are so cute. 3 new sisters!! Sister Arok, Sister Brown, and Sister Reid. So small world.. I saw sister reid and i totally recognized her.. Turns out she was in my beginning dance class at BYU!! crazy stuff.. She is serving in Lusaka so I won't see her much, but she has already graduated from BYU and she is powerful. Sister Bingham got to stay the night in our flat on Tuesday and it was a happy reunion. 

Wednesday we got to take missionaries to the airport and then get ready to go to the bus station! Sister Arok and I got on a bus at 13:30 and we didn't get to Ndola until about almost 21:00... it was so so so long. but my cute companion and Sister Arok's companion (Sister Nkosi) were there to pick us up at the airport. Sister Arok is so funny.. and she still says all the slang from back home hahaha so it's taking me back to the pre mission days. 

Thursday we start teaching the gospel! We have a great area with a lot of families that we were teaching! 

Barton:  a 50 year old man who has been taught everything.. and we were convinced he would be an eternal investigator. We went to go teach him, and we just read Alma 36 with him about repentance and committed him to pray about baptism. The next morning he calls us to let us know that Heavenly Father answered his prayers and he is ready for baptism. AHHH SO EXCITING. he told us that the day would be up to us. But he still has some smoking problems and he still goes to his other church along with the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints! So we'll see.. we're thinking maybe end of February? But this church is true and missionary work is full of miracles. 

Aaron: Father-led. His wife is a little intimidated  because she doesn't speak english but he came and brought his daughter to church!!! 

Mercy: powerful powerful member. We were teaching her cousins last night and they were just persecuting and being so rude and wouldn't accept the book of mormon. Hey it was a rough lesson... #grateful for my companion who we were able to keep our cool but most imporantly keep contention out and keep the spirit there. So grateful for my testimony of the Book of Mormon. At the end of lesson Ssiter Mercy bore powerful testimony and said that at the judgement bar of God she can now say that she did her part and taught her family about the Book of Mormon and how she won't be held accountable. YOU GO MERCY. and then she asked to say the closing prayer and seriously the most humble prayer of my life.. Sister zohner and i almost started crying. She was just so grateful her whole prayer and the only thing she asked for was that her family would feel of Heavenly Father's love for them and that the missionaries would travel safely. oh I already love her so much. 

Funny Stories: 

1. We walked out of a lesson and someone saw us and was like "are you the mormons" and we get all excited because a lot of people don't know about us here and so we start talking and we invite him to church (his name his Mr. Phiri) and he asked us if we do miracles at our church and we say that there are miracles but it's not what we do during our congregation. and he just goes off how we're limiting our faith.. and they he asks us if we go to school and i was like yeah i'm majoring in nursing and he was like "ooohhh this makes so much sense... this is why your faith is limited. you are putting your faith in science rather than in God" hahahahah i died. i love people. 

2. Today (picture above) we went to go play basketball so we are in our p-day thug clothes and we were trying to take a mirror pic and this random lady decided to join in. hahahaha 

3. Last night we were driving home through dirt roads and we got stuck in the mud... oops. and so my poor companion had to get out in the mud and start pushing. And then this random lady wiht a baby on her back joined in and with the help of both we got out of the mud. too funny. 

Personal study: 

so I've been studying Jesus The Christ.. changes my life. 

But i've also been taking my time reading Isiah in 2nd Nephi.. and there really is so much good in there. Luckily I have the institute manual which helps so much.. seriously the church is true. 

We have interviews with President this week which i'm super stoked about!! There is so much that I could say each email, but just know that i'm a happy happy missionary. Getting transferred was sad, but i'm loving my new area and love my new companion as well! 

PLAY HARD PRAY HARD. 

Sister Thueson