Once Upon a Time.....

Hey Fam!
Once upon a time in the dead of hot season, two Elders were sent on a rigorous mission. Take a large area that has been left desolate for months, pour their sweat, blood, tears and prayers into it in hopes of a divine miracle in teaching repentance to its people. Who were these Elders? One, a brand new farm boy with a heart of gold and the drive that drove his ancestors across the plains. The other, a handsome, well tested veteran of many tough assignments throughout his extended tour of duty. They faced down the blazing African sun in defiance as they fearlessly and faithfully traveled the dusty roads, talking to all with their natural country boy charm, youthful joy and the unwavering strength of a lion in th efface of reveilers and challengers. Faithfully, on aching feet, they hit the roads before it happened. When the blessings of the their efforts showed. In one week they never sat but spent their days from sun up to dusk preaching and testifying. They taught more new people in one week than the veteran ever had before. Who were these people that they taught? Two brothers getting a new start at life, a women who had long given up on religion till a prayer that morning was answered with a knock at the gate, a dedicated grandfather full of love for all men, a new pastor seeking God's will, two Russians full of questions about America (yep, that happened) and a brother and his family long removed from the church due to living far in the bush. These Elders hit their knees late at the week's end thankful for the past days and hungry for more.
Oh, and my comp and I made homemade pizzas this week that were awesome.
Love you all
Elder Lusk

Only One Guard Dog, His First Nshima...and Then There was More, Excited to See the Miracles

Hey Fam! It was a busy week here in Kitwe. Elder Robins is the man! He came out pre-trained so we have gone straight to work here. So we have been opening up some new areas around our house. We actually had a lot of success with it and got in behind several gates and got about 50 numbers for people including a CEO of an international mine. All of that and I only had one guard dog nearly bite my arm off. Its great, though, and people are very receptive here.
We also met a super great guy who has been waiting his whole life for someone to come and share the gospel with him after he had some early signs in his life of the Savior's presence and plan for him and he even came to church with us.
On Tuesday we had dinner with our branch president. It was Elder Robins first nshima and we enjoyed a nice square meal and we were just saying thanks when his wife sets down two large plates of rice and beef in front of us...yes, we finished that also...barely! Also for Elder Robins birthday in line with our usual Sunday night District dinner tradition we went all out and had a nice feast which we super enjoyed.
We also had a great talk with our District President who thanked us for our efforts and told us that he can tell that we are serious missionaries.
We are excited to be here and turn this area around and see the miracles the Lord can work here through our efforts.
Love you all and have a wonderful week back in the beautiful fall weather.
Love, Elder Lusk

Heading Back to Normal, Good Ole Boy from Cache Valley, Sore Feet and Barrels of Sweat, Its What the Work We Do is All About

Hey Fam! This was a pretty great week and things are heading back to normal. On Tuesday morning, the zone leaders called me with the now all too familiar "you have two hours to get on a bus to Lusaka thing" Reinsert 8.5 hours of hot bus ride. Luckily this time good news was waiting for me there. The Lord knew I needed to learn from my mistakes of the first six weeks of being a trainer so he gave me a brand new missionary. My second new missionary is Elder Robbins, a good ole farm boy from Cache Valley, Utah. He's a great guy, hard worker (I will need a hard working companion since I have had two weeks out of the area and the rising heat wave temperatures) and he's dealing with the Africa transition a lot better than I did. We've gotten along great.
We went back to our flat, scrubbed it down and organized it and I have to say that Spirit of God was strong in our flat after that. Then we went and hit the dusty roads. We have a lot of potential new investigators. We also had a great lesson with a man that is a gardener for the church and he committed to baptism and then didn't come to church. We'll work on that but Elder Robbins did  a great job in his first lesson.
It's definitely going to take some sore feet and barrels of sweat but we can get this area back up to speed. We had a great experience with our recent convert, Brother Sydney. He's lived an interesting, long life but seeing the changes in him in the month since he was baptized is amazing, just seeing how he glows now, his smile, and hearing him speak of how the gospel is blessing him and his family is really what the work we do our here is all about. He got his first dress shirt and tie so he can prepare to bless the sacrament soon! Can't wait for that!
Hope all is well with all of you! All of my love
Elder Lusk

The drama continues, sweet baptism, Heating Up and All These Things will Be For My Learning

Hey fam. So the drama here continues. Our companions were not able to get Zambian visas so they got transferred to Malawi. I have been on permanent exchange with Elder Blanchard in his area and it looks like it will be Thursday or Friday before I can get back to my area because we are still waiting on transfer news.
We did have a baptism in Elder Blanchard's area on Sunday and it was a very sweet experience for that sweet sister who has been waiting patiently to be baptized.
Elder Blanchard and I have been able to get to know each other and I got to explore his area with him and meet the members of the Church in the branch here.
It's also heating up here as we head into another hot season and here in the Copper Belt is the hottest of any part of the mission we're in for a roasting the next two months.
Not much else to talk about this week but all is well in our service and I've got a lot to do when I finally get back to my area.
Thinking about all the challenges lately, I stumbled across the answer to prayer that Joseph Smith received from the Lord where he was told that if the very jaws of hell are open in front of him that it will be for his good and give him experience and learning. By no means are the jaws of hell open to me but I know all these mishaps will help me learn and grow in the long run.
Love you all so much!
Elder Lusk

Guarding the Church and Embracing the Truths, On My Knees, Setting Mission Records, We're Never Alone When We Reach for the Savior

Hey Fam! This was a bit of a crazy week but pretty standard. As far as the area goes we have a lot of work ahead of us. All of the current investigators we've meet have not shown any real signs of progress so we are pretty much starting over in regards to the teaching pool. We did however have a baptism yesterday which is special because that is Elder Jonah's first ever! Our convert is a great man who works as a guard at the church. He's lived a very interesting life and was so prepared to receive the gospel. Apart from that there were plenty of frustrations this week and moments where I was pretty exhausted both physically and mentally and then in the midst of that I found myself on my knees asking for some confirmation of success that day. I had read a scripture that said that "Love endures by diligence unto prayer". With that in mind we went out without a single planned lesson for the day (after a frustrating morning planning session where nobody answered there phone) and started walking. We ended up at the church and were lead to a golden contact. The man runs a construction company that is working on the meeting house and agreed to sit down with us. After teaching him he look straight in our eyes and said that this was what he had been looking for in his life for his family for years!  I'm so glad that Heavenly Father knows where we need to be and when. I can't wait to teach this wonderful family. He is also looking out for us in other ways I set a record for my mission by having four dinner appointments this week! So despite my frustrations and the times I feel like I'm just walking the hot roads of Kitwe aimlessly I really am being looked out for! So too anyone that feels alone....don't!  The Savior didn't do what he did so you would feel alone ,but that we would never have to be alone if we reach out to him! Love you all so much and can't wait for the week ahead.

Elder Lusk

Teaching A Pastor, Discussing the Bible with Missionaries of Another Faith, Teaching A Guard, Let's Talk About the Savior, and Stepping Up My Game

Hey fam! this was a pretty exhausting week but a good one at that. So we are learning our way around Kitwe and realized we cover like half the city and surrounding area so for the past week we've been walking upward of six-eight miles a day (looking forward to hot season) and spending more than a little on transport. But we had a lot of positive lessons and meeting this week. Among the highlights there was teaching a pastor who requested a Book of Mormon, having a constructive Bible session with some missionaries of another faith, committing a guard at the church to baptism for this Sunday, an unexpected dinner appointment, conducting my first baptismal interview, and getting to watch the live broadcast of Elder and Sister Renlund from Ghana with the youth. On top of that there where many times this week where I learned a lot of lessons in patience and humility. Training a brand new missionary isn't easy especially when they come from a very different back ground than you.  One thing I love about my greenie though is he is bold in contacting people. He just loves to stop everyone we pass and share his testimony of the savior. He's making me step up my own game in following his example. After spending my whole mission around old missionaries this has really been a learning process for me where in mind my I have gone back to my own experiences with my trainer and tried to follow the example he gave me. I have also learned that when those days come when you wake up and aren't feeling it. Just go out put on a smile and show one person love and by the end of the day you'll feel the joy that you have helped spread. There is real power behind positive thinking and actions that follow those thoughts.Not much else to say this week I love you all!
> Elder Lusk

Not Sure Where to Begin, Glad I'm Not Training...Just Kidding, President's Hands, I Needed a Kick and Some Humbling, and I'm a District Leader

Hey fam! well I'm not really sure where to begin.. I am here in Kitwe Zambia after a lot of travel. So, on Tuesday I flew from Blantyre up to Lilongwe and had a really great conversation with a nice Muslim man about my mission faith in general and he ended up inviting me to dinner at his home (unfortunately I had to turn it down).

 I spent the night in Lilongwe with the zone leaders there then flew to Lusaka on Wednesday morning. So for the first time since my first day I am back in Zambia. I ended up waiting in the airport in Lusaka for over an hour turns out there was a miscommunication on when my flight was.

 Anyway, at the mission office I was told that I wouldn't be leaving till Friday and I would just sit in on the meeting for new missionaries and trainers the next day. So, I sat there in the meeting looking at all the new missionaries thinking about how far I've come in a year. Anyway the meeting ends and I'm "thinking well that was all well and I'm glad I'm not training" when president's hand lands on my shoulder and calls me as a trainer and new district leader on the spot. Apparently there had been some last minute revelation. So I am now training Elder Jonah from Nigeria. He's got a great heart and really wants to work. He's a convert of about two years and he comes from a very very humble background. He's one of  two brand new missionaries that I am looking after in my new district here. The Lord must have known I needed a kick in the rear and some humbling because I am definitely feeling the weight of my new responsibility.

 On top of that we are practically white washing the area. There is another missionary here to show us around for the next two weeks then he's wheels up on the flight home and safe to say his mind and effort are already gone. That being said, I have a lot of hope for this. Honestly I've already white washed twice and all my new areas have been in a state of decline when I got then , but have been blessed with success. We got here on Friday after a seven hour bus ride from Lusaka so I'm still catching up on all the travel and lack of sleep. Kitwe is nice though. the only thing is our area is super huge so we can't walk it all and bus fair is high so where going to need to work smarter and find the key places to work. I hope everything is going great back home for everyone and things will all work out. Love you all!

Elder Lusk