The growth of the church in Africa . . . in Ukraine


This Saturday we had the miraculous opportunity of witnessing two Zimbabwean brothers enter the waters of baptism. Reginald and Tongai were two of the happiest little converts I have ever seen! The Spirit was so strong as the branch rallied together in support of these students and the covenants they made with God. It is such an incredible blessing to watch the church grow here. There are now 6 members of the English soon-to-be group/branch, with some more soon to join. God truly is preparing the hearts of the children of men to accept His gospel.

Last night we had a lesson with one of the active sisters in the branch. We'd felt for a while like we needed to meet with her and help her get excited about missionary work. After a powerful lesson (in which I found answers to some personal questions - I think that's one sign of an exceptional lesson), she asked us why we had picked that topic to discuss that night. We explained that we'd felt prompted to and talked about how we help members prepare to share the gospel with their friends. She explained to us that she'd been thinking about those very things earlier that day and that our lesson was an answer to her prayers. I was very touched by that - it's really neat to know that we are making a difference in the lives of the members and strengthening the Church in the area in which we serve. There is nothing like helping another person come to realize more fully how much God loves and is aware of him or her. That's one of the reasons being a missionary is so wonderful. :)  

Saturday night we had quite the special experience. As we finished a lesson with  Alice and headed over to meet with Eunice and Ombili, we ran into a boy named Happy (let's be honest - there probably cannot be a cooler name than that! It makes me quite happy. [pun intended]) whom we had met that morning when the elders asked us to walk with him to the baptism. We started talking with him as we walked and asked where he was going. It turned out we were headed to the same floor of the dormitory, so we asked him if he knew our two friends, Eunice and Ombili. He replied that not only did he know them, but that he happened to be going to their place right then as well. Surprise! We were proud of Eunice and Ombili for inviting someone else to study the Book of Mormon with them. And then we walked into their room . . . which was full of students, all waiting to discuss the gospel with two American missionaries! Eunice and Ombili are already incredible little missionaries. As we sat there, teaching seven university students from four different countries, all in different positions in their spiritual progression, I was praying so hard that we would be able to conduct the lesson in a manner that would be helpful to all of them. And God richly answered those pleas. The Spirit was so strong as we discussed and testified of the Book of Mormon. The best part was right after Sister Bates and I finished our testimonies of the Book of Mormon, right before we got a chance to ask Eunice, Ombili and Phil if they had kept the commitment we'd left them to pray about the Book of Mormon, Ombili piped up, "I know it's true, too!" She then shared with the entire group her experience with the Book of Mormon and how God had told her that it is true. That made me so happy! I'm so proud of her for being so excited to share that in front of all her friends. Eunice and Phil told us that they are still waiting for their answers, but that they don't doubt that this book is true. I am convinced that, sooner or later (sooner for Eunice and Ombili) most of the people in that room that night will be baptized by the restored priesthood authority of God and enter into a covenant with Him to serve Him until the end of their days. I'm grateful for the Spirit of the Lord which prepares the hearts of men to accept the gospel when it is preached to them. And I'm humbled and grateful that I get to play a small part in all of this! I love these students so much, and I'm really excited to keep helping them draw closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

-Sharisa

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