Weeks 17, 18 & 19-Why Does Africa Get So Cold

Hey everyone!

Wow it has been a minute since I've sent one of these.  Pdays around here have been crazy.  I know they're supposed to be a day of rest, but after shopping, handwashing laundry, and 3 hours of pros, there isn't a lot of day left haha.  But life in Zimbabwe is good!!  I'll just share a few highlights so that this email isn't too long:)  

Last week my companion and I were doing what we thought was a less active visit.  We went to Brother Mugebe's house and he pulled out his Book of Mormon and asked to show us his favourite scripture.  He started reading a verse from Jacob 5 and then talked about it with us.  Throughout the lesson my companion and I kept feeling like something wasn't right.  This  guy seems like an active member but there were some big doctrinal points that he didn't know.  So I ended up saying "Brother Mugebe, are you a member?"  And he said "I'm a member of your church, I'm just not baptised!"  Whaaaat??!!  So we ended up finding him in areabook and he had been taught all the lessons almost a year ago and was just never baptised!  So my companion invites him to be baptised and we go through the interview questions with him.  There were a few issues because it turns out he thinks that the Word of Wisdom means he's a son if God, and the law of chastity means that you respect women.  But after we re teach him a few lessons he will be ready for baptism!!

We called through every dot in our area book two weeks ago and ended up getting TONS of lessons!  One of them was with a man named Brother Takudzwa.  We taught him the Restoration and at the end of it I was bearing my testimony, we read Moroni 10:4-5 and I invited him to pray tonight about if what my companion and I had taught him is true.  He turned to me and goes "I'm not doing that....because I already know its true.  I can feel it." 

Last but not least!  Last night I finished reading the Book of Mormon.  This isn't the first time I've finished it, but this time through it genuinely changed my life.  Every transfer in the Mission we get to have interviews with President and Sister Judd.  In my interview with President last transfer I told him I was struggling and he invited me to spend an added measure of time in the Book of Mormon.  That night I took a new Book of Mormon and started reading it from the beginning, circling all the names for and references to Jesus Christ.  Last night when I finished it I realised that President extended the invitation to me exactly a month earlier.  Tomorrow President and Sister Judd are coming to Mutare for interviews and Zone Conference and its going to be amazing to tell President how his challenge went.  The biggest thing that I learned and that I want you all to know is that this book IS Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  He can be found literally throughout the entire thing.  He's in the 2 Nephi Isaiah chapters, he's in Jacobs allegory of the olive trees, he's in the war chapters in Alma, and he's everywhere in between.  My new favourite scripture is 1 Nephi 21:16 "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."  This scripture is the Savior talking about the Atonement.  He suffered for each and every one of you individually.  He quite literally has marks on his hands and feet as a permanent reminder.  Sister Treese told me something incredible the other day that changed my life.  After our Savior Jesus Christ was resurrected, he still had all of his prints.  The Saviors perfected, glorified body still has the prints.  

I want to bear my testimony that our Savior Jesus Christ loves each of you more than you can comprehend.  The Atonement was such a big event but it was also extremely personal.  There is nothing you will ever be asked to go through that won't be for your benefit.  He loves you so so much and he will never leave you comfortless.  Turn to him and let him help you!

I invite you all to spend some time this week coming to know your Savior.   Don't just learn of him, but learn ABOUT him!  Learn about his attributes and the kind of person he was and is and try to incorporate it into your life and see how it changes you and your relationship with him.

I love you all!

Sister Baker

(Something is wrong with my Google photos so this is the only photo for this week haha!)