Monday, February 27, 2017

Week 42 in Zimbabwe!!!

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week was a week of learning and growing for me. A week that I really needed. I learned a lot about repentance and how it isn't just for those who do major sins but it is for everyone too. We all make mistakes that take us from the straight and narrow path. For example: getting upset at someone, thinking a negative thought and so forth. Repentance isn't suppose to be scary, it is suppose to be joyful. It is to help us change to become something better and closer to Christ. I am grateful I get to help others repent everyday and come closer to their Savior. My companion and I got to go on exchanges with the STLs. It was so nice. I learned a lot about what kind of missionary I am and the missionary I needed to be. I realized that I need to always be improving and striving to do what is right. I was also able to watch the Missionary Broadcast. It was amazing and so uplifting. Some quotes:
"You can't teach repentance unless you practice repentance." Elder Oaks
"Always keep the Saviors name on your lips." Elder Anderson
"A testimony isn't what we say it is what we are!" Elder Bednar
I love these quotes because it shows us what we should always be striving to do. I love that a mission is the best school to improve and learn. Bro Ngwenya is progressing so well. He loves coming to church and he ACCEPTED to be baptized!!!!! I am so excited for him! Sister Nono is so ready for baptism. So when we taught her this week she pulled out a notebook with all her notes. She let us read them. She understands and gets so excited about the teachings. I am so excited for her this Saturday. We saw Maimaka and Pedzai this week. They are struggling with their families. Their families are against the the church and think we are Satanist. They asked us some questions and then testified to us that no matter what they know this is Christ's true church. I love this gospel. Even though trials may come the Savior is there to support us and guide us to our Heavenly Father. I am grateful I am a missionary for the true church of Jesus Christ and get to bear my testimony with my words and actions everyday. 

I love you all! Have a lovely week!

Sister Arbon 









Monday, February 20, 2017

Week 41 in Zimbabwe!

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was another great week in Zimbabwe. We started off with an amazing Zone Meeting! We learned about conversion and how important it is to plan effectively. I loved how we learned that conversion is a process and not just a one time thing. We need to keep converting ourselves to the gospel each and everyday. We do that by praying, studying our scriptures, going to the temple, fulfilling our callings, having faith, repenting, and partaking of the sacrament every week. With Planning we learned proper planning prevents poor performance. I have realized this throughout my mission. When you plan effectively and do it the Lord's way then it will work out the way it is suppose to. When we don't plan well we waste time and won't find the souls that are ready to receive the gospel. We got to see Bro Raiger this week. Unfortunately he won't be able to be baptized until he is legally married but he is excited to unite his family even more. I loved what he said about the gospel, "nothing is as interesting as this gospel." The spirit touched me because it is so true. The gospel is our source of true happiness if and only if we follow Jesus Christ. We started teaching Tatenda. She is the niece of Bishop Taurai. She is so cute and she loves the gospel. She already has an amazing testimony of the gospel and the Book of Mormon. She carries her Book of Mormon every where. It is amazing. I am grateful Sister Wells and I get to help her come closer to the Savior. Then we saw Bro Ngwenya. He is progressing so well. We were teaching him the Plan of Salvation and I was able to testify of the Atonement. The spirit was so strong and it helped me to build my testimony of the Atonement even more. Bearing your testimony helps make your testimony stronger and helps you realize how important the Savior really is to you! Bro Ngwenya came to church. It was so good to see him them and that he was enjoying. I love how the gospel changes and brings people joy! Pedzei and Takudzwa were baptized this past week! They were so ready for baptism. Their cute testimonies about the Book of Mormon and the joy of the gospel. It was so good to see and hear. I love being a missionary and seeing the atonement work before my eyes. Jesus Christ is our source of true Joy so turn to Him. He is only a prayer away! 

Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Sister Arbon 








Monday, February 13, 2017

9 Months in Zimbabwe!!!!

Dear Family and Friends,
This week was a crazy week that is for sure. First off the other sisters were in a car wreck when they were driving with our district leaders. So we sped to the rescue. One of the sisters and one of the elders got hurt so we rushed them to the hospital. The hospital was a little iffy but they got the care they sort of needed. They tried to make us stay over night but we were not about to do that. haha So we finished up the hospital the next day. Everyone is okay so don't worry just blame the combie driver. haha We had a lesson with Bro Raiger. We found him while fixing our flat tire when we first got into Mbizo. He has never missed church since that day. He is awesome! We taught him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. When we were testifying of the Book of Mormon, Bro Raiger added his own testimony. I have only felt the spirit that strong a couple of times on my mission. You know he is prepared to be baptized this next Saturday! Last week I fasted to stay more focused on my mission and not worry about the future after mission. This week has been remarkable! I have never been more focused in my life. All my thoughts are on my investigators, the scriptures, and doing what Heavenly Father wants me to do! I testify if you fast with faith, Heavenly Father will help you achieve what you want to achieve. I am so grateful for the many opportunities that Heavenly Father and Christ give us to grow each day: praying, studying our scriptures, fasting, partaking of the sacrament and so much more! Now, a great highlight of my week: Givemore and Tawanda were BAPTIZED!!! They were so prepared. I loved their testimonies: Tawanda, "This is my happy new year." Givemore: "I know it is true." ( Smile from ear to ear). I love being a missionary and helping my brothers and sisters make covenants with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ so they may be able to live with them again! I can't believe I have been 9 months in Zimbabwe. I am so excited for the adventures that are today and that I will get to have in the next 9 months.
Have a lovely week!
Sister Arbon
Funny: I got another new name, Sister Bone. haha





Monday, February 6, 2017

Week 39 in Zimbabwe!!!

Dear Family and Friends,
This week was a week full of miracles. We had a zone conference/ mission tour with the general authority Elder Ellis. I learned so much from my mission president, Elder Ellis and Sister Ellis. A couple of quotes:
President Mkhabela: You only have today!
Sister Ellis:
Faith = Power
Obedience = Price
Love = Motive
Spirit = Key
Christ = Reason
Joy = Reward
I loved these quotes because they are so true. We truly only have today to do our best and serve the Lord. Sister Ellis's quote is truly what mission is all about. I have seen these things all throughout my mission. Now to the many miracles the Lord was so merciful to let us have this week:
1- Baba Ngwenya opened up to us while we were teaching him this past week. He had an incident that didn't go so well. So he is worried that people will judge him if he goes to church. I felt honored that he trusted us to open up to us about such a topic. We discussed prayer and the support and love of the Savior after he told us that. The spirit was so powerful that lesson. He didn't come to church this week. I know it will take time but I know he will come. 
2- We got our car stuck on the way to picking up the sisters to go to zone conference. Thankfully men were walking by when this happened and were so willing to help us. One man had a shovel that helped dig the car out of the mud. A man walking along the road with a shovel... I think it is a Zimbabwean thing or just African. haha Then a guy pulled us out by tieing a rope to his truck and our car and tada our car was set free. 
3- So we had everything set to teach two of our investigators that can't speak English with great member presents but they didn't show and their phones weren't working. There was a guy at the church that suggested we call a returned missionary Brother Ngwenya to help us. He is usually very busy though but we still decided to call him. Low and behold he was free for the perfect time to come with us. Heavenly Father sure blesses His missionaries. We had a very powerful lesson with the grandpa. Baba Shava was asking all the right questions and had such a great desire to be a member. We committed him to be baptized!
4- It was raining real hard one night after we were visiting a member and as we were driving home there was a huge river (we called it the river Nile) haha That we gunned it through. We made it over the river. Then there was this mini lake (the great Salt lake) haha So we decided to gun it because there wasn't another way home. Our car got submerged and almost shut off in the middle of the lake. Then we somehow kept going through the lake and made it through. I know TJ was behind our car pushing us through so we could make it home safe. 
5- Givemore, a cute 14 year old, is getting baptized this Saturday. He is a miracle though. When we first met with him(Bro Titus's son) and his family(Brother Titus's family) he refused to come to church and be baptized. Then the funny thing was his family made him come to church the first week and has never missed since. He is the only one in his family that is on time to church and will do all in his power so he can be baptized. I love how some people at first may not seem ready for the gospel but they are. They just need a push and some guidance. 
6- Brother Tawanda, is another miracle. He is a nephew of one of our amazing families in Mbizo. He comes to church every week and loves the teachings. We just felt he wasn't ready for baptism quite yet. Then on Sunday he comes up to us and tells us he is being baptized on Saturday. We were like okay but we need to teach you all the lessons. He was like lets do it. I am so excited for him. 
7- Bro Hondo is a stubborn old man. He really wants to be baptized but he doesn't want to leave his church. We had a powerful lesson yesterday with him. I asked him what he thought about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He was describing it and I could tell he knows it was true. The spirit took a hold of me and testified to him that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Christ's true church! That if he trusts the Savior, the Savior will help him every step of the way when he is be baptized and enduring to the end. I started crying because I do know the church is true and I want Brother Hondo to live with God again. 
These miracles show that God loves all His children and that He wants all of them to return and live with Him again. I am grateful I get to be a missionary for my Savior and help my brothers and sisters learn of His love and the way back to live with Him again.
Love,
Sister Arbon
Funnies: A combie driver said, "will you show me the love of Jesus and kiss me?" Of course we said, "in your dreams" and invited him to church. haha 
Our member present Victor's quote: I am not zing, I am original. Thought it was funny. haha
Have a great week!!!





Week 38 in Zimbabwe!!!

Dear Family and Friends,
This week was another great week to be a missionary in Mbizo. The members are amazing. They gives us so many referrals and they help us teach those referrals. It amazes me how when the members and the missionaries work together the work goes so well and many family members and friends become truly converted. Sister Wells and I got to go find a lot of referrals this week. We got lost a lot but we found them and others who are prepared to make a covenant with our loving Heavenly Father. I received a referral from a friend in one of my past areas and when we met him for the first time I felt we had a special bond that I cannot describe. I am so excited to help him and his family come closer to the Savior. We were able to see this cute gogo and her daughter this week that are members of our ward. They were so excited when we asked them if we could visit them. We went to their house and we shared a mini message about charity. Sister Sibanda started sharing her testimony about the Book of Mormon. I started to cry. The spirit hit me like a train! The Book of Mormon is true and can bring you closer to Christ if we live the teachings in it. Then we met a referral from our ward mission leader. The referral is named Brother Loud. He is so prepared. We discussed repentance with him because he had questions about it because he struggles with drinking and smoking. He was like I thought repentance you had to stop the bad sin all at once. This can be done sometimes but repentance is a process and takes time to become fully sin free but don't worry the Savior is with us every step of the way. He is there to encourage us and pick us up if we stumble. I am grateful for the Atonement and the opportunity to try again and be able to become clean from my sins. I am also grateful that I get to help my brothers and sisters on the road of repentance on the way to eternal life. I love being a missionary. I am grateful I was called to the amazing land of Zimbabwe and to meet the amazing people that I get to see everyday!
Have a great week!!
Sister Arbon