Exciting News from Blantrye

1. All eight of the people that were baptized. Three from Blantyre 1st Branch and Five from Blantyre 2nd Branch (the branch that we are over).

2. The Gopani Family. Fatima, Charpen, and McLarin. Dad was supposed to be baptized as well but work took him away.

3. The guy on the end his name is Christopher Sitola. Michelle might know him. He knows her. He baptized the boys and then Elder Hill baptized Sister Gopani.

4. My hair after I took it out. I look like a lion. :) :)

Question: Can anyone be denied the ordinance of baptism just because they are not normal? (was sick when he was younger and it affected his brain) He understands but just can't explain it. He was baptized but I was just wondering because our DL told us that he probably wouldn't be able to be baptized because he wasn't normal. As much as you all know me you know that that didn't sit well with me. I have had too many Special Ed classes that I know that no one is normal. Then our DL told us that he would be able to go to the temple even if he wasn't baptized?

 

The baptisms were super good. I had a coughing attack during the talk on the Holy Ghost (yep caught a sinus cold, it is mostly gone now) but all in all the baptism was super good. The Lord's hand was definitely in it. Last Sunday, 21st the Gopani family was interviewed for baptism and Sister Gopani and McLarin passed and understood everything but Charpen we weren't sure if he would be able to be baptized. He was super sick when he was younger and somehow it affected his brain and learning, understanding, and especially explaining things are hard. So when the DL would ask him a question he would answer something completely different so we weren't sure. Then on Friday the DL came out to the house while we were there to interview them again, I guess just to make sure that they were ready for baptism the next day. Again the mom and younger son passed but we had a problem with the older son. Even before the interview the DL wasn't sure if he would pass just because he wasn't "normal". During the whole interview I had a prayer in my heart that all would be well and that the family would be able to be baptized together, minus the father but he was at work. He is a guard, like almost everyone that we meet, so he was called away to work somewhere else and so wasn't able to be interviewed for baptism. He knows it is true and has that super strong desire to be baptized so when he gets back, I think on Saturday, the interview and baptism will follow. Then the next step is preparing for the temple. Which usually takes longer than a year jut because funds have to be saved up to travel to and from South Africa. Makes having a temple, well actually around ten temples within six hours definitely a blessing. GO TO THE TEMPLE OFTEN!!!!

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 The church is growing like crazy. I heard that by the end of the year that we will have 90 missionaries just in this mission alone and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will have close to or over 90 thousand.
Crazy to think that it all started with a young boy and his question to God in 1820. I love the opportunity that I have to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to truly know that no matter what we experience in life it is ALL part of Heavenly Father's plan

 

Thanks for everything  Love all of you  Sis Kelsey Webster