Zone meeting preparations, Keny family and their neighbors, Interview prayers, President Hinckley, Focus

We had our zone meeting a few weeks ago. I organized some nice programs to hand out with some quotes pictures, etc. I had a hard time finding a picture to put on it. I was searching the internet for a good picture. I was looking at LDS missionaries, maps of Uganda, LDS art in general. Finally I did a search on LDS Jesus Art. I found a picture that looks exactly like the picture that Del Parson painted of Jesus wearing the red robe, but in this picture he was smiling. I forget the name of the artist who did it. But this was the one I chose. I then found out that some Elders liked it a lot and some didn't like it all. I'm in between. I like it, but I probably won't hang it in my house. Tell me what you think.

http://www.millpondlicensing.com/imagedatabase/images/ChristsLove_dp.jpg

The Keny family was supposed to be baptized on Sunday, but they weren't. He had to go to Kitgum (the north) for a business trip. He's basically the driver for the company he works for. He sounds like he’s always busy driving people around the country. He can usually get out of it for special occasions, but the bosses are a little mad at him because they heard that he wants to quit. Anyways, we have permission to baptize them during the week, with his children. We really want them to do it together. And the oldest daughter is going to boarding school next week in Kabowa. So hopefully she'll get baptized and confirmed here with her family and then go to Kabowa branch while she goes to school. You see how boarding school really disturbs the church here.

We've been meeting a lot of the neighbors to the Keny family. Especially the friends of the children. They've even been bringing some of them. But one of my favorites is a little nine year old named Timothy. He has an obvious case of dwarfism shown in his facial features and his stubbed fingers. I guess the other kids usually laugh at him for that obvious reason. But every time we go to see the family he always comes running. His English is a little slow, but he can say my name. I taught him that slap hand game. Where you put your hands on someone else's and you have to move them fast enough so you don't get slapped. That kid is fast. But he seems to like us, and he's even come to church three times now. There's also another little girl named Oliver, about four years old. It's hard to talk to her because every time you look at her she just smiles really big and hides her face. But she's quick to come sit next to you. She also is coming to church.

Something I think that is interesting since I've come on mission is prayer before and/or after interviews. When I was at the MTC Elder Wild was interviewed by the first councilor of the MTC presidency. When he came out he said that they had two closing prayers. He was pretty confused about the whole thing. So I went in not sure what to think. We came to the close of the interview and he told me to bring in the next Elder. I said, "Should we have a closing prayer?" He told me, "No, we don't always have to do that." I almost felt like the extra prayer for Elder Wild was for me. But then I came to Uganda. Everything was fine with President Duke. Opening and closing prayer every time. But then there was President Call. Just randomly having opening and closing prayers. Now President Christensen is the same way. I'm never sure what to think. I walk in ready to open with prayer but before I know it the interview has already started. And in the last interview we didn't even have a closing prayer. That was a first. No opening or closing. Elder Mabaso says it's because we're so powerful that as soon as we walk in the Spirit is already there and we don't need a prayer to invite it. I guess it's just following the Spirit to know when a prayer is needed. And apparently sometimes you might need to pray twice.

It's sad to see President Hinckley go. I was wishing he'd live to be a hundred. I would have been very proud to say that we have a living prophet that is over a hundred years old. But I feel he definitely accomplished what he was foreordained to accomplish. I was reading a book that kind of had a title for each prophet. His was "Carry on the work." I'm sure he's continuing to live up to that in the Spirit World right now. We've been a very privileged generation to live during his time.

You're right about me trying to keep focus. It would be really easy to just go on cruise control right now. But I think I understand the Lord's will in sending me here. So I'll do my best to keep working hard. I know the areas I still need to work on, so it's just a matter of having the will power to do it.

Have a good week. Don't worry about shoes. Still going strong!

Zac.