Love
Elder Lusk
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Heading to Zambia, Not Sure if I'll see Malawi again, Where the Lord Needs Me is Where I'll Go, Listen With Love and An African Feast
Hey fam! So time has flown so fast and news came in and have been transfered to Zambia and I will be headed up to the Copperbelt to the city of Kitwe. (at least thats what we assume. I will get my offical assingment at the Mission offiice tommorow). The transfer came unexpected as they normally do but I was actualy looking forward to staying here in Beautiful Blantyre a little longer, but where the Lord needs me is where I'll go. I have really enjoyed my time here. This has been the most fun zone and companion. Shout out to my man Elder Day and the great times we had together. It's a little wierd leaving Malawi now after nearly a year and not being sure if i'll ever see this country again (we'll see what the next year brings). At the same time, i'm excited to serve in Zambia. I've heard good things about where i'm headed so this should be a good ride. As far as us this past week things went well. We had a great zone confrence where we focused on teaching individual doctorines. It was nice. you and your companion would be called up given the topic and an amount of time and would teach on the spot to another missionary then the whole zone and President would provide feedback as we discussed certain teaching methods and skills. Elder Day and I did very well. after 4 months together we had our teaching in unity down. In the area we had some great lessons and decided to really LISTEN and HEAR what people's concerns are. I've learned that in life we hear a lot, but we rarely listen to what people are actualy saying. The great thing is as you show love you can hear across and cultrual, socail, or any other barrier we have created. We had two of our long time investigators pass their baptismal interview yesterday and they will be baptised on saturday (after i'm gone). They are great one is a 19 young man and the other is a hard working single mother of four. They have both gone through so much in life, but the whole time had this innocent sincere desire to follow Christ and they where so excited to get ready for baptism. We have been teaching the for about 2.5 months here and it will be hard to miss their baptisms. It's hard to leave behind the people you have served and come to love, but that's life for you people come and go as long as you learn from them the lesson that God wanted you to by putting them in your path then they are really never gone. For fun stuff this week had a fun dinner appointment with a guy in our branch who served his mission in South Africa and me and Elder Day proudly cooked everything ourselves and produced a mighty fine african feast that they where all impressed with. (when you watch the moms in the area cook for 12 months you pick up a few things. So with the coming changes I'm not sure what's instore but I know in whose hands the future is held. This is Elder Lusk signing out from Blantyre, Malawi for the final time. Keep the flame alive!
Train Hard, The Spirit Flowed, Back to School Blessing, A Spot For All of Us and a Pancake Breakfast
Hey fam! another great week here in Blantyre. We had one of our most succsesful weeks with a lot of mini miracles and lessons learned. In our efforts to try to humble ourselves and improve our time here Elder Day and I went back to the roots and every morning we where practicing teaching before we left. Now, no missionary likes role plays, they're silly and awkward , but we went all in and were open on ways we can improve. I read a quote a while ago that said "You never rise to the occasion under pressure. you sink to the level of your highest training....so train HARD". After that preparation we saw a big difference in how we taught and how people reacted to our teaching. The spirit flowed as we taught truth and it was accepted. We have a man now that we are teaching who came to church last Sunday because he had been dreaming about the name of the Chruch and felt that he needed to learn why. He accepted the invitation to be baptised in our first meeting and I have seen his faith in action as he is trying to work through his limited material possesions to become something more. We got to teach with the district President for Blantrye and he was a very powerful enhancment to our lessons. We were able to meet some new investigators when we stumbled upon another rented home for some local University students so we are excited on adding to our Young single adult group here. On saturday we had a youth activity where we set up a mini Missionary Training Center and had the youth serve as missionaries and teach us about the Restoration. Sitting there reminded me of the kid who was learning to teach like them about a year ago and then I saw each of them with their potential to be a force for good and go out and spread the gospel to all the world. Then on Sunday I gave my first back to School blessing to a young man in our branch who is returning to a school outside of Blantryre. It seemed strange to be on that side of it and having someone my own age see me in the way I always look at Dad or other church leaders. The great thing about our Heavenly Father is he calls the weak and simple things of the world to serve in his way. If he can take some simple fishermen and turn them into his apostles then there truly is a spot for all of us in his army. We have our Zone Confrence on Wendesday so we are geeting ready for that. For fun stuff this morning we had a district pancake breakfast which was super sweet and I ate enough for breakfast and lunch. Love you all so much from the most beautiful corner of God's kingdom.
Elder Lusk
Monday, July 17, 2017
Monday, July 10, 2017
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Sidelined for Two Days, The Love We Try to Give Comes Back to Us, I am Young but I know What I Stand For, Faith Unshaken and KFC!
Hey Fam! First off, Happy Fourth tommorow go extra hard for me please! This week was an interesting mix. We were blessed with many miracles in our area, finding wise. On the down side, I was also sidelined for two days sick as a dog. Luckily I pulled through , but it didn't help the frustration of staring at the ceiling when we could be in the area working. It was super sweet though when some of our recent converts and investigators that live by us heard I was sick the brought us food. So awesome to know that I am loved and that the love I try to give is felt by those we work with. The miracle was with two days down we found so many great people this week. We were finally able to contact a woman we had talked to on the phone when we first got here and it turns out she was supposed to be baptized in January , but wasn't and still has the desire to learn. We also met her super cool 8-year old son, her sister and two of her nieghboors. We also had one of our members little sister come to church for the first time since we started teaching her. We have two baptisms scheduled for the 15th of July for two more of the college students. They are progressing so much! Elder Day and I had an interesting expreience the other day. We were walking through a nice part of our area and saw a nice looking young man and started talking. He was an ideal contact spoke great English, studing at University and all asking good questions. Then suddenly he turned and went on a striaght attack on us. The usual "I have figured out the world, you're young and misled, we don't know the Bible, we believe whatever..." Not that this is new to missionaries in general and we have both been around awhile so we had seen this before. Usually I'm like whatever he's not worth my time. This time it was different Me and Elder Day both felt a strong impression to stand our ground and Testify of Christ. I remember one of the Brethern said defend your beliefs with courtesy, and compasion, but Defend them. If this guy thought he could tell me I didn't know this was true and was too young to know, he couldn't have been more wrong. I am young ,but I know what I stand for and why I am here. I have seen and felt too much. Plus why would I come all this way and give up so much if I wasn't sure if I knew what I was teaching was true? I come to understand now more than ever that trials really do make us stronger. The more someone tells me no, the more they throw fuel onto the fire inside. I am 100% sure that nothing could ever shake me from my testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. That's all my fire this week. Tomorrow, we all throwing in $ and were going to get a couple of buckets from the KFC here (only American thing we have) and eat together. I love you all so much! time is flying by so fast I can't believe it's already 11 months.
Elder Stefan Lusk
AL
Audrey Lusk <lusk.family@outlook.com>
Sun 7/2, 8:51
Two American Boys Doing The Best That They Can...and Heavenly Father Makes Up the Rest, Even When You Don't See It, The LineBacker Missionary and eating Cheesecake and Rat
hey family! it has truly been a week of lessons in patience and seeing the small victories everyday. First things first, our investigator Chimwemwe ( means happy in chichewa) was baptised and confirmed on Sunday! She is so strong and awesome. She is a single mom who is working her way through college and the sweetest thing. From the first time we met her till her baptism was three weeks to the day! #Golden. It's amazing to see that somehow in wandering Around the streets of Blantyre someone was prepared for the Gospel of Salvation and somehow two American boys just happened to meet her and then Heavenly Father in his greatness did the rest. I love that he has a complete master plan for us and the lives that we will touch. We also got to have a great talk with a member of ours who is having s tough struggle and were able to give him some peace at that time. That was the good because the whole week before that we had about zero success. . Starting Tuesday and going into Saturday almost all our lessons fell through and there were many moments of Me and Elder Day standing on the street corner going.....ok...well....don't worry have faith the next person will be there....nope. Finally on Friday we were pretty done so we went out to a spot in our area and told ourselves for the next hour we stop everyone who passes. We say a prayer and wait. If you're listening to this talk in church you would think that it ended up we found a whole family who had been waiting for the gospel....nope. Of all the people who passed they stayed outside our area, didn't speak english, were Muslim heading to prayers. Out of one hour we only met two people who stayed in our area. As we walked away to get lunch after our area, a funny thing happened. We didn't feel discouraged. It wasn't that the people we met were super golden or anything, but we felt good. Sometimes the outcome doesn't matter. Even when we don't see it, good is being done. I wasn,t called to teach everyone I was just called to go and work the best I could. After that we had a member come with us to see some investigators we haven't seen in awhile and they came to church. Lesson: when in the Lord's service you will be blessed if you do your part. That's not saying you get everything but you get the perspective and peace of mind of meaningful service.
For fun this week Monday night we went out for cheesecakes to send off some transferred missionaries and then tried the local dish of Imbewa. (Rat) Jk none of us were able to actually get it down but the video was pretty good. We also got some great new Missionaries in this zone. I got to catch up with Elder Almedia who was in my first district for 6 months which was cool we also have an Elder here with a scholarship to play linebacker at Utah State..the guy is massive. So I think good times will continue here in this zone. Well it looks like we have a great week ahead and i'm excited for it. Love you all.
For fun this week Monday night we went out for cheesecakes to send off some transferred missionaries and then tried the local dish of Imbewa. (Rat) Jk none of us were able to actually get it down but the video was pretty good. We also got some great new Missionaries in this zone. I got to catch up with Elder Almedia who was in my first district for 6 months which was cool we also have an Elder here with a scholarship to play linebacker at Utah State..the guy is massive. So I think good times will continue here in this zone. Well it looks like we have a great week ahead and i'm excited for it. Love you all.
Elder Lusk
A Special Messenger, The Atoning Power of Jesus Christ can Transform Lives, Opposition Makes us Stronger and BACON!
hey fam! it was a pretty great week here in Blantyre. Transfers came and Elder Day and I get another six weeks here so we're excited. Things in our area are doing well and we have some baptisms lined up. This week, though, started super rough with dropped lessons one after another. Wendesday we where heading home having all our plans for the day fail and little succsess contacting so needless to say I wasn't really in a mood when some random guy walks up to us and says "Man I love you guys your doing a great good" then quickly walked off again. It was a special moment for me that ensured me that whatever happens Heavanly Father SEES YOU. He knows what you need. With that, we went home relaxed a bit and prepared to hit the streets with fire and we did. Over the next few days we meet 5 new investigators, had someone commit and be interviewed for baptism for this saturday, and had a lot of fun doing it. Back to our baptism this week, it really is a miracle. We have been teaching this woman for two weeks and she is completley 100% ready. From the time we met her till now I have truly seen the miracle of the truth of the restoration. Nothing but the truth can truly transform a life so fully tn than the atoning power of Jesus Christ and I count myself so lucky to be a witness of that. It's awesome. We also had an interesting experience with my first professed athiest here in malawi. One thing i love about Africa is there is a strong culture of faith in God...whatever the belief may be. So this was actually a first for my mission. Anyway this guy was all science and how can God actually exist? Too me it's really simple and in the moment I asked him one question "How did it all turn out perfect? Speaking scientificly how did everything in the universe, earth, anatomy all just happen to turn out exactly perfect and this life exist? Simple, the same reason every society in the world has held some belief in a higher being....it's because we do have a Father in Heavan. To me that conversation we had just strengthened my faith kind of like Jacob contending agaisnt Sherem in the Book oF Mormon where he says his faith became unshaken when he was opposed. Oppostion just makes us stronger. For fun stuff this week this morning to say goodbye to some Elders leaving on transfers we went went to a little american style diner we found for breakfast...and they had BACON! I have too say I wasn't supper obssessed at home but after nearly 11 months you learn to miss things. Well lots of love I hope your week is bright my best wishes from all the great members here in Blantyre that send there love.
Elder Lusk
He Blesses Us when we Reach Out to Him in Faith, The Poverty that Plagues this Beautiful Place and Tacos
Hey Family! Chimwemwe Tsikko (Happy Day)! Things are great here in Blantyre! We had a very succsesful week. We were able to have some very great lessons and finding activities this week. We had a sweet lesson with the sister of our new branch mission leader. We had met her a few weeks ago but kept missing her at home. We finally sat down with her and she had read the whole lesson in the pamphlet, then we watched the Restoration video and then her brother started bearing his testimony and it was awesome! It's great to see this young man's example of his faith to testify to his own family. Then our sweet investigator who had a super rough week last week told us on Tuesday how Monday morning after she had come to church the day before things started going right and she felt peace again. How awesome it is to see Heavenly Father bless his children when they reach out in faith for his help. Right now we are helping her to find the right time for her to get baptized as she continues to pray and come to church. What's even better is we are currently teaching four of her friends that she introduced us to which is fantastic.
Sunday was a great day for us. Our recent convert, Nelson, blessed the sacrament for the first time and I couldn't be more proud of him. He is great. We visited his clinic for the first time and he has the conference Ensign in the waiting room, a Book of Mormon on his desk and referred his secratary to be taught! He's so golden.
Elder day and I were also teaching the perspective Elders class and I have never seen a more dedicated group of young men. Over the years I have sat in many sunday school lessons with teenage guys and usually they are dosing, texting, and just not really bothering to learn. But these guys were amazing. We were reading D&C 4 about the attributes of missionaries and we had an amazing discusion. I mean the guys understand their priesthood responsibility to LIVE the gospel. After that lesson, I made it a goal this week to study those attributes and to specifically pray and strive to live them more in my daily life.
Sunday night we where having a zone birthday dinner at the senior couples house and me and Elder Rose our Idaho cowboy senior missionary had a great talk about the poverty that plauges this beautiful place. Honestly it can be tough to work in. It wears on your soul each day to see the conditions these people live in and their reality of little to no future. As hard as it is, Christ is the only one who can take the slum out of a person. I realized that I was trying to suffer for these people but ultimatly I can't. My suffering doesn't help them because someone already has and that is what makes all the difference. The atonement is real and it does change lives and that is why I am here.
For fun stuff this week, my comp made pancakes the other day which rocked and the Elders in the zone pooled our money and we had a taco night complete with homemade tortillas.
Sunday was a great day for us. Our recent convert, Nelson, blessed the sacrament for the first time and I couldn't be more proud of him. He is great. We visited his clinic for the first time and he has the conference Ensign in the waiting room, a Book of Mormon on his desk and referred his secratary to be taught! He's so golden.
Elder day and I were also teaching the perspective Elders class and I have never seen a more dedicated group of young men. Over the years I have sat in many sunday school lessons with teenage guys and usually they are dosing, texting, and just not really bothering to learn. But these guys were amazing. We were reading D&C 4 about the attributes of missionaries and we had an amazing discusion. I mean the guys understand their priesthood responsibility to LIVE the gospel. After that lesson, I made it a goal this week to study those attributes and to specifically pray and strive to live them more in my daily life.
Sunday night we where having a zone birthday dinner at the senior couples house and me and Elder Rose our Idaho cowboy senior missionary had a great talk about the poverty that plauges this beautiful place. Honestly it can be tough to work in. It wears on your soul each day to see the conditions these people live in and their reality of little to no future. As hard as it is, Christ is the only one who can take the slum out of a person. I realized that I was trying to suffer for these people but ultimatly I can't. My suffering doesn't help them because someone already has and that is what makes all the difference. The atonement is real and it does change lives and that is why I am here.
For fun stuff this week, my comp made pancakes the other day which rocked and the Elders in the zone pooled our money and we had a taco night complete with homemade tortillas.
Love you all so much have a great week and never give up ever! life is great!
Elder Lusk
Corrupitng Him With Cheeseburgers, Turning Into A Cry Baby, Christ's Infinite Love, And Famous French Toast
Hey fam! We had a great and very busy week. To start our week we got to spend a day teaching with a young man who is preparing his mission papers. He's a great guy and he loved teaching with us. To thank him, at the end of the day we treated him to a cheeseburger and chocolate shake. It was his first expreience with it and we've corrupted him to the world of junk food now.
We are currently teaching two young women right now that room together and attend college. They are just progressing so fast! I've never seen someone grasp the Plan of Salvation so fully and quickly as them. One of them ended up going through some very hard personal issues this week. It came to a moment when we were sitting in a lesson and she started crying when we asked her and so we all sat there and cried with her. (I swear mission turned me into a cry baby). We ended up having to seriously offer some comfort to her and testify of Christ's infinite love. She ended up coming to church and brining two friends and after the meeting I saw a look of complete peace on her face. It was a sweet moment of seeing divine intervention to save a struggling soul.
On Friday we had a great zone confrence and Sister Kupu gave an amazing discussion on Jacob 5 and for the first time ever I finnaly understand it's message now that I am a full time laborer in the vineyard. It was just a very strong conference with the Kupus. I also had a nice interview with President who said he is happy with my effort and progress after 10 months and the work Elder Day and I have done resurecting an area that has been suffering for a very long time so that was good. Then on Sunday we were walking to church for our District confrence and one of the kids we know (and give candy to sometimes) walks up to me and says I'm going to church today Elder Lusk. So we walked with him to church. But the confrence was super powerful and it was so great to see the growth of the church here in Blantyre. President Kupu fully expects it to become a stake within three years.
For fun stuff this week,we are going to have a district breackfast featuring my now famous french toast. Funny the very first time I ever made it was about two months ago. So I loving life right now! this has been my favorite time on my mission so far and I hope it continues. Love you all. Elder Lusk
We are currently teaching two young women right now that room together and attend college. They are just progressing so fast! I've never seen someone grasp the Plan of Salvation so fully and quickly as them. One of them ended up going through some very hard personal issues this week. It came to a moment when we were sitting in a lesson and she started crying when we asked her and so we all sat there and cried with her. (I swear mission turned me into a cry baby). We ended up having to seriously offer some comfort to her and testify of Christ's infinite love. She ended up coming to church and brining two friends and after the meeting I saw a look of complete peace on her face. It was a sweet moment of seeing divine intervention to save a struggling soul.
On Friday we had a great zone confrence and Sister Kupu gave an amazing discussion on Jacob 5 and for the first time ever I finnaly understand it's message now that I am a full time laborer in the vineyard. It was just a very strong conference with the Kupus. I also had a nice interview with President who said he is happy with my effort and progress after 10 months and the work Elder Day and I have done resurecting an area that has been suffering for a very long time so that was good. Then on Sunday we were walking to church for our District confrence and one of the kids we know (and give candy to sometimes) walks up to me and says I'm going to church today Elder Lusk. So we walked with him to church. But the confrence was super powerful and it was so great to see the growth of the church here in Blantyre. President Kupu fully expects it to become a stake within three years.
For fun stuff this week,we are going to have a district breackfast featuring my now famous french toast. Funny the very first time I ever made it was about two months ago. So I loving life right now! this has been my favorite time on my mission so far and I hope it continues. Love you all. Elder Lusk
Washed Clean As We Are Baptized, The Rising Generation Looking to Christ, Eating A Chicken Head And Who Are We Going to Become?
Hey Fam! We had an amazing week! a great combination of hard work and fun. The biggest news is Nelson got baptised on saturday! It was awesome! we combined our baptism with two other sets of Elders and had a total of 5 baptisms together. It was one of the most spiritual baptisms i've ever been to. He's such a great man and I really felt that he was being washed clean as he was baptised. Then on Sunday I had the honor of ordaining him to the Aaronic priesthood. I know the Lord just got a powerful servant in that man.
We met some new investigators this week through one of our members who attends one of the local colleges. I love teaching college students because they are so ready to learn and they keep there commitments to help them learn and progress. It's great to see the rising generation looking to Christ for answers to life's questions when so much of the world choses not to.
On Sunday we had a specail fireside put on by a visiting senior couple that works for the church's public affairs for the Africa southeast area. The fireside was all about using social media to help spread the gospel. That's something the church has been working on the last few years but is still catching up on out here. It was a great presentation and I feel like that could be a great tool for the work in this area. I got talking to the senior Elder and he's been around. they had served their first mission in Cambodia and he had served in Army Specail Forces back in the day. Really neat guy. This coming week is pretty crazy. We have exchanges, zone confrence on Friday, Baptism for one of our amazing investigators named Eddah saturday morning, and District conference on Saturday and Sunday. I'm looking forward to it despite the crazy schedule.
For fun stuff this week, this morning we went to an international trade show with a ton of craftsmen from various African countries and that was pretty cool. Funny story. So the other night we were eating dinner at another missionary's flat and we made fried chicken. So it get my plate and I have a stranged shaped piece. I've eaten enough village chicken to not care to much so it start eating and it's super tough, bony, and has wierd stuffing in it. Turns out those guys gave me the chicken head to see if I would eat it. Well I can now say I've eaten chicken head.
The other day I came across a quote about missions. "You had eternity to prepare for it, you'll have eternity to reflect on it, and only two years to live it". Put that into perspective and you realize how short of a time you have to serve and the question my companion and I pondered durning comp study the other day is "who am I goning to be when I step off that plane". So to each of us: who are we going to become with what we have been given? Think about it.
We met some new investigators this week through one of our members who attends one of the local colleges. I love teaching college students because they are so ready to learn and they keep there commitments to help them learn and progress. It's great to see the rising generation looking to Christ for answers to life's questions when so much of the world choses not to.
On Sunday we had a specail fireside put on by a visiting senior couple that works for the church's public affairs for the Africa southeast area. The fireside was all about using social media to help spread the gospel. That's something the church has been working on the last few years but is still catching up on out here. It was a great presentation and I feel like that could be a great tool for the work in this area. I got talking to the senior Elder and he's been around. they had served their first mission in Cambodia and he had served in Army Specail Forces back in the day. Really neat guy. This coming week is pretty crazy. We have exchanges, zone confrence on Friday, Baptism for one of our amazing investigators named Eddah saturday morning, and District conference on Saturday and Sunday. I'm looking forward to it despite the crazy schedule.
For fun stuff this week, this morning we went to an international trade show with a ton of craftsmen from various African countries and that was pretty cool. Funny story. So the other night we were eating dinner at another missionary's flat and we made fried chicken. So it get my plate and I have a stranged shaped piece. I've eaten enough village chicken to not care to much so it start eating and it's super tough, bony, and has wierd stuffing in it. Turns out those guys gave me the chicken head to see if I would eat it. Well I can now say I've eaten chicken head.
The other day I came across a quote about missions. "You had eternity to prepare for it, you'll have eternity to reflect on it, and only two years to live it". Put that into perspective and you realize how short of a time you have to serve and the question my companion and I pondered durning comp study the other day is "who am I goning to be when I step off that plane". So to each of us: who are we going to become with what we have been given? Think about it.
Logve you all so much
Elder Lusk
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