This week is probably my favorite week in South Africa because everyone prepares and goes to church! Regardless if they don't even attend any other time during the year, almost every person from Friday-Sunday honors this wonderful day. So it has been an awesome week! We have been privileged to serve in such a wonderful Christian country. Given that, there is a drawback. Countless times we have knocked on gates and heard " I've been saved, but my neighbor........ So on so on" so this week has been a week for me to ponder what it really means to follow Jesus Christ and to apply the wonderful gift of the atonement into our lives.
Alma 7:11-14 fountains plain and precious truths pertaining to the Atonement.
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.
15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.
16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
There is more to Christianity than just accepting the sacrifice of Gods only son. Instead it involves action, it involves an organization that provides ordinances performed by the Authority of God. It involves commandments and thus a life of following the Savior, Jesus Christ.
That being said, it has been a great week to be a missionary. I'll share a couple of miracles that have occurred this week. The first is what happened yesterday. We arrived, unlocked our beautiful chapel and did the mic check when a younger woman walks in with 3 kids. No one else had arrived so we took the opportunity to talk to her. Her story was that I envisioned when I first opened my call to serve in South Africa. She stays in a village called Mkuhlu. Google it if you want, but it is about 2+ hours away from our building and directly next to the Kruger National Park. She arose at 4 in the morning to get her kids bathed and in their Sunday best and took the 6 AM bus to make it on time. What a humble experience to see real faith...... tried and tested.
#2 Elder Lambert and I have been specifically praying to find a way to find "those that will receive us" and as we knelt down on Sunday evening to close our week, our phone started to vibrate and lo and behold we received 12 media referrals. Even though most of them are over an hour away from the chapel and out of our area, it was an answer to our prayer!
God lives, he loves us.
Elder bhead
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