Investigators progressing, finding others and doing the Lord's work through service

Email #30
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Kwabaisi

Hey Everyone,

Another week came and gone. It goes fast until Thursday and then it feels like an entire month the rest of the week. But now it is finally a new week. We had a good week. We did a ton of finding because a lot of our progressing investigators are being baptized and we need more new and better people!! We had stake conference yesterday and it was a huge hit. There were so many people there and we had some investigators come as well. There are two that are on date and three that are not. So that experience was definitely needed for both of them!! We had a good lesson with Amanda and her family, the lady that owns the crush. She said to us that they read the Book of Mormon together and that every time that they open the book and just read a chapter, it speaks about baptism and repentance. So they said that it may be a sign that God is answering their prayers about whether or not to be baptized. So that was something that we have been waiting for. It has been some time now that we have been teaching them and it just keeps getting better and better each time that we go and visit with them!!!

We have been finding this past week and the members are also working and will soon have some referrals for us hopefully!! It goes so much easier when we get referrals, because they actually progress and want to hear the truth. We are teaching that one guy that I talked about last week now and is on date for the 8th of June. That will be 5 being baptized on that day, so the work is going well!!!!

We painted a less actives home this past week and we are going this week to finish up! We are also painting her sisters home as well this week. We have more service to do at the crush where we did last time and that will definitely help Amanda and her family!!!! We are also washing a members car this week as well, so we are loaded and busy with service. No complaints, because it helps the time just go like that!!! My companion and I are really getting along and just laugh with each other about the dumbest things. Other than that not much else this week so have a good one and know that the Lord loves you!!

Elder Bryner

Baptisms... and seeing the fruits of our labors

Email #29
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Kwabaisi

Hey Everyone,

Great week, but kinda slow! no worries because we had a baptism!!! Yeah the first one in a while. I sent some pics home so hope you enjoy!! Brother Mfano and Lucille Mbonambi were the two that were baptized and they are married and have 2 children. One is 4 and the other one is 14 and attends another church, but now that his parents have found the true church and have made covenants it is just a matter of time. The son will find the truth and join his family!!! There was another man baptized and he was a white guy. You will never find a white guy in a township, but the one that was in Cosmo City we found him. The other Elders were the ones who taught him, but it was amazing to witness such a thing. They each have such powerful testimonies and now they are part of the kingdom!! We have more baptisms coming on June 8th. We might have 6 and the other elders might have 2. So now we are going to have to go and do more finding and many more referrals from members. We have found that the best way to find the best investigators is thought the members and that way they have someone to fellowship them as well!! The work is really starting to progress now and we are finally seeing the fruits of our labors!!! The church is true and there is no doubt in my mind about that. We went to a lady that has Thyroid cancer and we gave her a blessing. She will just have to have faith that the meds that she takes and the hand and power of God she may be healed from such a terrible trial. We also gave a priesthood blessing to the daughter of the people who were baptized. She was developing tonsillitis or however you spell it, but she wasn't able to talk when we went to give her the blessing. When we came back 2 days later, it was like that she was never even sick in the first place. I see the hand of God in every aspect of my life and I pray that he never ceases to put His hand in all of our lives!!!! Training is going so well and I am definitely enjoying it so much. It does take patience, because of the things that he asks are just common sense, but hey who am I to compare I asked the same questions to my trainer as well!!!!

Another random person showed to church and said that they want to be baptized. The day of the baptism on this past Sunday, he was there and he said "Is there any way that I could be baptized with those people?" So God is just placing people in our lap and it just makes the work so much easier. One of the guys that was baptized Peter, the white guy is just giving us referral after referral which is so so nice!!!! The food is great and I don't mind just eating rice and chicken now hhahahah!!!!

Love,
Elder Bryner

Elder Bryner and Elder Kwabaisi with the new members.

Elder Compton & Elder Ajei with the new members

Elder Bryner dancing with the kids at the preschool (crush)

Mothers Day phone call & Skype.

Email #28
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Kwabaisi

Excerpts from Dad's email:

Yeah that was the best experience to be able to Skype!! It felt like I was right there in the room sitting with you guys!! To bad the video wasn't more clear, but then again we are across the world can't complain that God let us even be able to do such a thing!!! Yeah the mannerisms are definitely different that is from all the people and I noticed that my companion does some of those things haha so when you live with someone you pick up what they do!! ... Couldn't be more grateful for those people yeah that family said they are coming in 2016 to Utah and said they need a place to stay... Yeah after talking to you guys it just gives me a boost and a recharge in way you just have to experience it to know how it feels like!!!!

Excerpts from Mother's Day phone call:

Today we did a lot of walking.  We walked from one end to the other and then back.  There are six extensions in our area.  One extension is from our house to the stake center.  We were able to contact one man today.  We found him and referred him to another set of elders because he did not live in our area.  We were walking and stopped to take a break and these two drunk guys walked up to us and said "Ahhh pastors...you teach about Jesus?"  Yeah we teach about Jesus. Then they just start saying a lot of funny stuff...Elder Kwabaisi has a mom, dad, brother, and sister.  He has been with his girlfriend for two years.  She is putting in her papers to go on a mission. He is a convert and was baptized three years ago. After his mission, he is going to go to the University of Utah to be a lab technician.

Elder Ajei & Elder Kwabaisi in the background.

Zimbabweans shacks

Elder Bryner, Elder Kwabaisi & Elder Ajei

Elder Bryner, Elder Kwabaisi, Elder Ajei & Elder Compton with kids from the branch.

Dombollo, this is something they eat.

My new 26 year old son

Email #27
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Kwabaisi

Hey Everyone,

So I got a new greeny and so far it has gone by really slow, but it is really good. I have enjoyed it so far. I think it is going by slow because it is the beginning of the transfer and he is a new missionary. I have to show him everything there is to know about missionary work. It is hectic at times, but then that would mean that he knows everything and he doesn't need trained. He is from Uganda and has a strong testimony about the Gospel and all that is within it! He is a good guy and it is just going really well. Patience is required when training, because questions are asked and you just have to bare it well and know that the Lord is teaching both of us. It is really picking up and we are having a baptism in a couple weeks with a husband and wife that have just finally accepted the gospel into their lives. We put them on date when Elder Perez was here and now they come to church with their daughter and she will be turning 8 soon so the father will get to baptize her. They know that this church is the only true church on the face of the earth and they are willing to follow all the precepts of the Book of Mormon. We have a lot of progressing investigators so we plan to have more baptism next month as well.

Everything in a lesson just goes as planned and is just taught by the spirit and we have had some really cool spiritual experiences. The lady that showed up to church and wanted to become a member, we taught her and she has 2 kids and one of the friends were there and we taught all of them and they all were really receptive. They are progressing as well and want to be baptized, but they need more time to think about what they are doing. The commitment that they are getting into and to make sure that they are truly looking for the truth and that this is where they want to be. They are simply looking for the truth and with the Book of Mormon that is where they will find all the truth and all their answers can be answered. Looking forward to telling how everything goes with the up coming baptisms!

Love,
Elder Bryner

Excerpts from Mom & Dad's email

Wow what an experience it is to be able to train! It is so different and so much is relying on you as the trainer and it is just overwhelming at some points, but it is what the lord wants me to be doing at this point in my mission so I am enjoying very much. ...Pres told me what ever you share and teach and everthing that you do is on you and his tactics, his way of doing missionary work relies on you to teach him the proper way of doing things. His name is Elder Kwabaisi and he is from Uganda and he does know a lot, but considering emailing haha he has no idea haha right now he is just typing really really slow and just using his index fingers to type and it is just to funny and he is 26!!!!!!!!!!!! 26 years old and serving a mission that is definitely dedication. He is really a good guy and he is a good first son... He is also a doctor and received a certificate for being a laboratory guy that takes blood and examines it. He determines if they have any diseases or anything so he is smart, but not to street smart. When we were picking up the new missionaries waiting for them to come and they each bear testimonies and when he got up and did his, whoooo I thought it would never end. I said to myself that is my new greeny right there and what do you know it was him. Crazy how things like that happen you can feel that you know who they are before you even get assigned to each other!!!

My new son, Elder Kwabaisi hahaha

Elder Kwabaisi is coming to the U to study after his mission.

Elder Perez stuff getting ready to move out.