01/25/2016

   Hello everyone!

       I am not as rushed for time this week, so I will be able to write a decent email. This past week, I reached a milestone. 5 months left as a missionary. Such a crazy thing to say, yet it's true. The reality of returning home is not too far away, but I am not going to let that deter me from the missionary work I have been called to do. With that said, I am looking forward to coming back to South Carolina when my time as a missionary is over. Much food will be consumed. Many football highlights will be caught up on. The best part will be seeing my family again.
Anyway, here is what happened this week:

  On Wednesday, my companion was sick, so we were at home for most of the day until later when we went to teach one of our newer families. Thursday, we had district meeting. I led a discussion about what makes a great missionary and how we can all be great missionaries. Then I went on missionary exchanges with another missionary in my district.

  On Friday, all of the Tana missionaries were at the mission office to watch a missionary broadcast about the work of salvation. The specific focus was "Preach Repentance and Baptize Converts". Several authorities spoke on how to be more effective missionaries. One of the focuses was that we, as missionaries, sometimes mistakenly believe that we are the teachers and the Spirit is one of our tools to convert; in reality, the missionaries are the outlet, by which the Spirit teaches investigators. Missionaries are not the real teachers.
   On Saturday, our zone had an activity at a Catholic church. We were giving supplies to people whose homes and belongings had been destroyed by fire. It was a good opportunity to serve these people who had lost so much, and I could tell that many of them were truly touched and grateful. Hopefully, they felt God's love for them, through us. We got back sort of late, so we were not able to teach, and we went to a member's house for dinner. Yesterday, we had church as usual. It was actually ward conference, so our church attendance was higher than it has ever been since I have been here. 

   We also took a taxi ride last week and we were casually talking with the taxi driver. He said that he used to attend church many years ago and that he had been a branch president,  but someone offended him, and he stopped attending. He said that he still believed the church to be true but he was just searching to find the truth. We told him that he needed to attend church again. We had a really good discussion with him. We gave him a Liahona in Malagasy and he said he would read (he was sort of surprised to find out that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet now). Yesterday, he drove by us and asked for our telephone number, which which hopefully, is a sign that he may be ready to return to church.

    I finished reading the Book of Mormon here for the fourth time this past week. It never fails to uplift my spirit. Moroni's invitation for all to read, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon is something that all must test. 

Ok, everyone, Have a great week!

 Elder Pinson