Zone Conference

Dear Family,

What a great week that I have had.  But it sounds like Ripon just had to one up with the W over Escalon.  So happy to hear that I was.  It is wierd to think that I played along side of Nick Price my senior year.  The kid is a stud.  It also sounds like Andrew Wood is coming in like a honey badger blocking punts left and right.  Congrats to the team.  Not only is Ripons army kickin but, but God's army as well.  (Look at what the little poet go!)

This week has been go go go!  Last monday I was emailing you from Antsirabe where we had a great zone conference.  But let me tell you about the day before.  Possibly one of the best days on my mission.  Elder Obioma came up for the zone conference from Fianarantsoa.  We decided that the two of us would go out together just like good ole times and teach the people that we taught when we worked there.  We went and found some teenagers that we baptized from a part member family.  They were happy to see us.  Then we went to visit Bruno... a man that we tracted into who is already baptized.  You should have seen him laugh almost to tears as he saw us walk into his little "yard".  He had three little girls that all came and met us with hugs... (they were no older than 6 so its ok with the hugs...) and then we just were able to chat with them and we found out that their 20 year old son is now starting to learn.  I just thought to myself, look what is happening all because one soul was brought unto christ.  Oh the gospel is so great.  Then we went to probably our favorite member family.  I knocked on the door and little 10 year old miora opened the door and she gasped a little.  Obioma was hiding at behind the door trying to see what would happen.  I played along. 

I walked in and Hasina (the mother) jumped up and started to clap.  She told me how happy she was to see me and then asked where Obioma was as she had heard through the vines that he and I would be stopping by.  I pulled out my teenager skills and started to tell her that he wasnt able to make it and that wanted me to tell them that he was way sorry and would try to make it another day.  Then she asked what any member would... "wheres your companion..."  ohh that moment when your dad asks you where you have been all night and why you are home late hit me hard.  I paused and looked out the door.  Obioma walked out and the family went nuts.  Louder than when BYU scores at the Cardoza household.  The young girls started to cry and clung to him.  It took them proabably 20 min to calm down.  We sang songs and played that board game that we had made for them.  It was a blast.  Obioma and I will be friends for a long time. 

We had a great zone conference that focused on finding the elect and helping our investigators progress.  We ended up talking a lot about the holy ghost and how there were many people that were chosen before this life to do great things... (joseph smith, moroni, peter) and how they were all prepared during this life to complete God's work.

One last thing that I wanna share.  We are now in Tamatave.  We went on splits with some elders this week.  I was going to get my first ever oppportunity to work with Elder Davis (my MTC comp).  I was way excited!  I started out the day working with his trainee, Elder Nolan.  Sometimes working with brand new elders is hard... the language barrier is real.  So it was nice, but we met up with rigby and davis to switch.  Elder Rigby wanted to get these two elders working a little bit harder.  So he puts a challenge on the table.  Davis and his comp go out and try and get as many times before the night is over.  Rigby and I would go out and try to beat them with times.  We were running.  I had worked the area before so I went to an old investigators home.  What an experience we had.  A young husband and wife with one 9 month old baby.  We had this great lesson about the book of mormon.  we talked about why we need it and he told us that he still reads... we asked if he prayed... thats what he hadnt done yet.  He told us that he didnt have a good enough relationship with God to recieve an answer.  We got down on our knees right then and there and prayed.  Then we talked about the holy ghost and how we recieve answers.  Coolest lesson.  The challenge that we had running never once came to my head as we taught them.  We left and all of the sudden it was back.

We contacted for 20 min until I remembered a less actice family that we could visit.  We RAN.  We got to the house and the husband was not home...  Not possible right?  Well... Ill tell you what we did.  We went around asking males if they could sit in on a lesson.  We literally went to a bar and found a non drunk to sit in with us.  He just happened to be related to the family.  All the better.  I led the lesson in talking about our work here on earth.  Man was the spirit strong.  We were able to talk about our baptismal covenant and the reasons why we endure.  I shared that the greatest blessing that they could recieve an eternal family if they had faith, repented, kept baptismal covenants, and endured to the end.  Elder Rigby testified and we left.  That was the first time that Elder Rigby and I were able to work together.  It was amazing. 

ohh man, I love this work.  I love my God.  I love my family.  I love being a missionary!

All my Love

Elder Herrin