mulibwonji mozingos! It was a great week and great end to my first six weeks in the field. First of all, i cant believe my first transfer is over it went so fast. I am totally different from that wide eyed kid that stepped off the plane six weeks ago. Sister Kupu, {our mission president's wife}, told us our first day that Africa changes you and she is definitely right. I love it! The other day my companion and i stopped by our new favorite nshima stand where we get lunch a lot. The lady who runs it loves us now because we are there a lot. So i come in and order a big plate of nshima and start pounding it down with gusto and this guy on the other side is like man this mozingo loves nshima like a Malawian! For some reason people always think it's crazy the white people eat nshima but then i was like "Brother I am a Malawian"! I also need to give a shutout to Brother Bruton and brother Hasledon for pounding scripture mastery into my head last year. I was in a lesson with and investigator who is doing good he just struggles with keeping the Sabbath day holy then suddenly i was transported back to seminary last year recite the words of Isaiah on the blessings of the Sabbath and was able to use them to share with him! We had a great week and were able to commit two more people to baptism! We also celebrated the end of the transfer with a district BBQ complete with steak, chicken and Nshima. The real high point came yesterday during fast Sunday. Fasting has always been hard for me especially on a mission where you're walking as much as I do. The day started with a great testimony meeting and then i got to participate in conferring the Melchizedek priesthood to five Brethren in the branch which was very powerful. Then our recent convert was called a branch missionary! Then i taught a gospel doctrine lesson on obedience which went very well considering i was given all of 30 seconds heads up. We also had two of the elders in our branch baptize a family of six which really was special to see the work of salvation come to them together. We also got to talk to a Japanese member who was visiting who has 3 p.h.d's and speaks 12 languages. Then we headed out working. At this point, i was tired and hungry but little did i know the miracles that would come. First we saw a man we had been teaching but hadn't been too serious with but then he came to church and when we sat down,he said "i need to be baptized".....silence as me and Elder ketchum try to realize what just happened..then we had a great lesson and put him on date for November. Then we went off to meet a referal from the other Elders and we met a smiling middle aged women. We got back to her house and she started speaking Chichewa and handing us a piece of paper. On it written in broken English was her life story and it was the most heart wrenching thing i've ever read. Under her bright Malawian smile was an honest and desperate cry for deliverance to us as representatives of Christ. I truly saw her as a daughter of God and wanted to do everything i could to help her. Unfortunately there isn't much we could do to help her temporal needs ,but the branch president is working out some support for her. We did however testify to her of God's love for her and that deliverance and grace do come when we have faith. I walked out of the house humble as the dust that covers this beautiful place feeling an inner resolve to do all i can to "feed his sheep" with everything i had. After that we had finished the day and gotten delayed waiting for the other missionaries and we where tired but we where far from home and most buses stop about 615 and it was already 7. None of us had the energy to walk the 45 min back home and i said a quick prayer when suddenly the lights of a bus came in a time and place they normally aren't and i was like man i love fast Sunday blessings. I am so glad to be here int the warm heart of Africa the church is growing and the people are ready. The past six weeks i have really learned so much that i never knew. I went from the scared, homesick elder the first week to loving every second of Africa-even the heat but especially the people. Seeing how much ive grown im excited for the next 22 months
love Elder Lusk
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