Hurt and Happiness

My morning started out as usual, prayer, scripture reading, journaling, and going over my planner to see what all we had scheduled for the day.  As I looked at the appointments we had scheduled for the afternoon, I remembered that I hadn't heard back from a lady who I had already sent 2 other messages to last week, as to when would be a good time for me to come visit.  Thinking that she might be working out of town this week, as sometimes happens, I sent her another SMS (that's what they call texts over here).    A few minutes later as I heard the phone buzz, I discovered it was her answer.  However, it wasn't the answer I had expected.  Instead of seeing a suggested date and time, I saw, "Hi Sister Baxter, we are in town.  My husband and I feel strongly about not being visited.  It's not personal.  Thanks".  I was stunned!  We have been working with this family for the past 7 months.   He is a returned missionary, and  she is a past Relief Society President.   He told us first thing that his wife wasn't active.  No explanation.  The first time we visited her at her gate, she seemed friendly and also told us that she wasn't active, then added, "maybe I'll share that with you one of these days."

She has gone from not answering the calls, to speaking to me, accepting appointments, being there for appointments, bearing testimony about some of the messages that have been given, and last time we were at her home, she thanked us for the Primary C D, and said how good it was to listen to the Primary songs again, and her husband said how much he enjoyed the spiritual message, (which sometimes he has acted totally bored).  I was thinking, "At last we are making some headway--even though they're just baby steps.!"  Needless to say, I was heart broken, not only for them, but for their darling 10 year old daughter who never gets to come to Primary!  Well, we all have our agency!  I'll keep praying and maybe a miracle will happen down the road!

Later that afternoon, we left for our two appointments which were about an hour and a half away.  The first one, Jennifer a single mom, was very grateful for our visit.  She is the one who lives in a house on stilts so the snakes can't get in, and has no electricity and no water.  She has a large green tank that holds water.  All her washing is done by hand in tubs outside and much of her cooking is also done outside on a propane stove.  When she runs out of propane, she makes a fire and cooks in the outside fireplace.  She doesn't complain.  She keeps praying for water so she can start "farming", or raising some vegetables to sell.  She needs a well so she will have access to water enough to water a garden. She has been a member for about 2 years and though she has very little, she saves her money to have bus fare to make the trip to church or any church function.  What a strength she is to the branch!

The other single sister we visited, Thundiwe, lives about 20 minutes away from Jennifer.  Her house is also on a back road that is seldom ever driven on because no one has cars.  There was a dirt path there, but the road had rocks and ruts, and tall grasses, taller than the car, which made it almost impossible to drive on.  We couldn't remember which direction we were to turn on with all these little paths, so we asked two people walking down the path.  They couldn't understand English, so we thanked them and drove on a little farther, while trying to call her to see if we were on the right path.  She came out to look for us and sent her 5 year old boy to look in the other direction.  We saw him, and he got in the car with us and pointed us on the right path.

She was so happy to see us!  She just hugged me and started to say how she had been waiting for us and looking up one road while sending Tabiso down the other path to see if he could see our car.  When we got in there, she just kept saying how happy she was to see us.  She has been a member for  less than 2 years, and is looking forward to receiving her Patriarchal Blessing and going to the Temple to receive her endowments.  She recalled our last visit to her home and said, "After you came last time, whenever I had discouraging days, I remembered the lesson that Sister and Elder Baxter tought me, and I thought, "I can do this!  I remembered the things you said, and it helped me!!"    We had a very nice visit as we shared a lesson, talked about Visiting Teaching and Patriarchal Blessings, and the fun that her 15 year old daughter had at Youth Conference.  Her daughter,  Nolwazi, brought in juice and cookies for us, which her Mom bought especially for us, but for their dinner they were having chicken feet and rice, which the young Elders say they love and eat often.  As we left, we were thankful for a full moon to light the roadway so we could see the path for sure because of the tall grasses and rocks.
I thought about the contrast between the family who has been in the church for a long time, but is refusing our visits; with these two single sisters who have been members for such a short time, but are so thankful for the gospel, for Home and Visiting Teachers,  and for their very existance.  I think I felt a
little of what our Savior must feel when, after He has done so much for each of us, we reject Him and His teachings at times, just becaue we don't want to be bothered to get ready to go to church, or we'd sooner watch a ball game or go shopping rather than do our Home Teaching or Visiting Teaching.  I felt major rejection this morning, but later felt that our day had been productive and well spent despite the many miles we drove to make the visits and the kind of roads we drove on to find their houses.

I guess its all in a day's work in the life of a missionary.  I'm thankful to be a missionary so I can help repay my Savior for all He has done for me!

This is Thundiwe, her son Tabiso, and her daughter, Nowalzi

This is the road - path to their house.   

Those grasses were taller than our car in some places.