Interviews, conversion stories, dreams, dust, zone conference, fasting

The story I had last week was about a baptismal interview that we had to go and do for the district leader in Makindye. It was a man and wife. And we decided that they should both be interviewed separately by the same person. We "pulled straws" and decided that Elder Mabaso was the one going to do the interview. We did it at their home and most interviews don't take more than twenty minutes. (At least when the mission president came to do interviews for me they didn't) But these interviews were pretty long. For both combined it was more than an hour. And the verdict: they weren't ready for baptism. I was very surprised. This man was supposed to be baptized two months ago, but he wasn't because the missionaries wanted him to wait for his wife to prepare so they could be baptized together. I asked Elder Mabaso why and he said, "They haven't been coming to church on time." I never heard that one before. He went on to try and explain that they need to practice being "real members", and how will they be able to be sustained if they don't come to church on time. I made the comment saying that what he did was very opinionated and that you don't even need to be present for a sustaining vote. I wish I wouldn't have said that, but it was how I felt. And I still do a little. Looking back I wish he would have just said, "I don't know why, but the Spirit told me that they're not ready." Which I think was the case. But I talked to him about it and apologized for saying what I did. It made us both ponder a little more on who should be passing a baptismal interview and why.

That's nice you were able to get in touch with "your missionaries." I've been thinking a lot about how generations are converted when you convert one person. And then it makes me think about how my family was converted, how I ended up with the knowledge of this faith. I think it would be very important for you to write your whole conversion story (If you haven't already) to keep in the family line, as well as Grandpa Mick's. I remember him always standing at testimony meeting and talking about how he was playing football when he saw four young men coming up to him. Then when he could see straight after being hit so hard in the last play, he realized it was two young men. I think those conversion stories will be able to strengthen the testimonies of many in the posterity of this family.

I have been looking back a little at my mission and thinking of the ups and downs. I don't think I've baptized as many as I wanted, but I can't think of anything I could have done to improve that number. And after all it is just a number. Ever since I was in Entebbe I've been having this dream about when I am coming home. It's weird. It's as if I just wake up and the remaining time on my mission disappeared right before me and it was time to go home. And right around the time that I'm in the airport I get this terrible feeling that it's not time yet - that I don't want to be home. I want to be in Uganda as a missionary. Then I wake up and realize that I still have however many months left. It's one of the dreams where you're actually happy to wake up to reality. I think I've had it about five times now.

It been really dusty lately. No rain. It's either muddy or really dusty. I always felt the mud was worse than dust. But the dust here is too much! When we were walking home the other night, we couldn't see the road very well as usual. I stepped on sort of a ledge and because of all the dust, I slipped and fell. And I got really dirty. That is fall number two on my mission. Once in the mud in my first area, and now again in the dust of Nsambya. And no matter what, you can plan on cleaning your shoes on a daily basis. Well, if you want to look "smart."

This week we had a zone conference. As far as I can remember I've never really been nervous to give any type of training during any type of missionary meeting. But just this week I felt a little nervous. I had to give this zone reports and a talk, and then training after lunch. I kept trying to think of all the things that I was going to have to say. But as I was walking to the church that morning, the phrase "Take no thought of what you should say, it shall be given to you in that very hour" kept coming to me. So that's what I did. I stopped thinking about it completely, and when the time came, the words came. At the end of the training I gave laminated handouts for all the Elders to put in their three-ring binder Area Books that quoted 1 Nephi 9:3,5,6 replacing the words "these plates" with "this area book." It took a lot of time and money to find all the resources to make those, mostly the laminating part. But my companion and I both think that those will stay in the area books for a long time.

Part of the zone conference was introducing a new work habit. Well actually it's just a harder working habit. President gave some inspirational stories about working harder, finding more people, and then the Lord will give those that he has prepared, after testing you. We talked about the parable of the talents. President asked us why the Lord gave one five the other two and last only one. Obviously he had more trust in the one. Then we separated them into servants A, B, C. Then we compared it to missionaries A, B, C. And we went into some very detailed things on what makes an A missionary, B missionary, and C missionary. I have a feeling that some of the missionaries there were a little offended. But I liked it. Anyways, we now have to contact twenty new people per companionship everyday. It's a little tricky with all our appointments and lunch and study and meetings. Even today, P-Day, we're expected to have twenty contacts. But I have already seen the blessings of it. We've found some great people in this past week.

Yesterday was Fast Sunday and I usually like to start my fast on Saturday afternoon, so I can break it when I get home from church on Sunday. But I had forgotten that I was supposed to be fasting until three hours after I had eaten lunch on Saturday. I thought to myself, "I could just start my fast now and quickly think of a reason for my fast. But that didn't seem right. As Elder Roberts saw me eating dinner that night he just said, "Going for the 'hard' fast..." It's not easy to walk around in the heat all day on Sunday on an empty stomach. But once again my fast was answered as we were able to find, teach, and progress a family all in one day. We had contacted a man named Kenny Armstrong on Tuesday at around 8:30 at night on a dark path near our apartment. We found where he stayed, but were only met by his children, so we invited them all to church. He came on Sunday with his three children, and would have brought his wife but she was sick. Later that day we went and picked them up from their house and took them to a member’s home to teach them the restoration. They have already committed to continue coming every Sunday. Whether it's the true church or not, they just seem to like it there. So it was a great blessing to see the potential we have on that family.

I've boxed up and sent a package today. Sorry I didn't ask for a wish list. When you were talking about the nativity set, I thought maybe I should have asked for a wish list. But there are just a few things there and something for Seth's birthday. Hope everyone enjoys it.

Thanks for being cool.
Elder Wright