Zone Conference, Dreams

We had our zone conference. One of the focuses was getting our investigators to pray more. Getting them build their own relationship with God and not being converted through a missionary, but through their own revelation. One of the things we're starting to do is getting the head of house to pray by the end of the lesson. We did that with one of our families Saturday night. The father knelt and gave the first prayer that I've heard him give. And the next morning he surprised us by bringing his family to Kololo for the district Conference. So the council from Elder Koelliker seems to be working effectively.

Our report was good. It was written in our own words. Elder Curran proof read it and said that it sounded a little too prideful. (Just the best trying to be honest). I've tried to follow the advice you gave to me at my farewell talk and not stand to amuse people. I admit, it is a bad habit. But the report was written in a very serious tone. I read it word for word, and still I managed to get people laughing. The Elders before us were a bit boring, so I tried to make it sound interesting. Anyways, everyone liked it and we convinced the mission that we do have the best zone.

Sometimes it's just hard for me to take things as serious as they should be taken. I wonder how good that is to always be able to look at things with a lighter sense.

I had a stupid moment this week. My companion opened with prayer during a lesson and five minutes later when I started to speak, I also decided we needed to open with a prayer. I never realized it until my companion pointed it out to me after the lesson. But the man was humble enough to allow us to have two opening prayers. So was my companion. I guess I just zoned out. It made me kind of nervous. I hope I don't make a habit of that. But it was a first, and hopefully a last.

You'll be proud to hear that I just had my suit dry cleaned this week. I only wear it once a week when I go to church, so that's been my excuse for never having it cleaned a single time since I've been here. But we found a decent dry cleaner near where we live, and I got it cleaned. 10,000 shillings only. When I got it back, I then realized just how dirty it actually was.

Lately we've had a lot of people tell us their dreams. Ugandans are very visionary people. The majority of them think that the only way God speaks to people is through dreams. I used to be very interested in some of their dreams, but after about twenty of them, they just start sounding fake. One of the members recently told me a dream she had when she was praying to know if the church was true. She said that she saw many men clothed in white putting up a large white tent and they urged her to come and enter. Another woman told of a dream she had when she was praying to know if she should marry a certain man. She said she saw the twelve Apostles dressed in white. Then in front of them was the man she was praying about, also dressed in white. Then Elder Nelson pointed to the man and said, "Follow this man and he will lead you home." So she married him. Unfortunately, I can't say I ever have any dreams that I feel are inspired. Most of the time I don't think I even have dreams. Maybe it's something I should pray for more.

We recently met and started to teach two more families who are part of Keny Armstrong's (our recent convert family) extended family. They seem very receptive. Well, the first time we met with Okello, he told us that he was Catholic and he was never going to change. I asked him what the Catholics had that no other church had. He stayed quiet. The next visit as we started to teach he said, "But we're confused. There's so many churches and we don't know where to go." Usually that's my introduction for the Restoration, but he gave it for me. Something we said the first time must have caused a stirring within his heart.

Have a good day.

ZAC