Realize that everything is in God's hands

Email #43
Area: Secunda
Companion: Elder Wilombe

Hey Everyone,

Another good week, we saw a lot of the recent converts and less actives this week. We got a new investigator named Ugene. He has been taught by missionaries awhile back and yesterday he came to church for the first time. He said just like everyone does, the first time that they try something new that it will take some time to get used to. He likes the churches with all the band and drums and stuff, but we are far different. We saw Synthia again and she is doing really well and she is getting her house built and has been really busy, but we manage to see her still. She told us that she is going to open a gas garage and you have to be pretty cheesy to open one of those. She has four cars and a huge house in the making, so yeah we could say that she has some money. The Lord is blessing her and helping her so much through all the struggle she has gone through. We also met our on date guy Jerry and we taught his cousin as well and now she is interested. She told us she goes to church already and she told us that the service is held at her house. That wasn't a surprise to me, but it is something that will be hard to change for her. We went on splits with the zone leaders on Friday with Elder Ranjato from Madagascar. He is a cool guy and goes home is three months, so he is scared but excited. We had a good day at church. The other Elders spoke so yeah we do speak in church sometimes, but I haven't been asked to speak yet and my companion got asked to speak this Sunday. I didn't so we will see what happens. Transfers are next Tuesday, so that will be sweet! This transfer went by really fast and it will be one more until I hit HUMP DAY, so I am super pumped for that! It is so crazy how fast time is going and it doesn't even feel like that I should be this old on mission yet. I am not complaining, but I do miss the past areas I have served in. But all is well and I am doing alright. The air here in Secunda just smells all the time, because there is a refinery here so it always stinks like rotten eggs here especially in the summer time. The passed few days have been really cold in the mornings and throughout the day, but I can feel summer is coming. The members told me that it is colder here than in Gauteng, so that is a relief kinda. I hope everyone is doing well and having a good one. Good luck to those starting school this week, Live it up because it goes by too fast. Don't let a moment pass you by! Love you all and have a good week!

Love,
Elder Bryner


Excerpts from Mom's email:

That woman is really something she knows God and has no doubt that He is behind her in everything, I just hope that she will see that just knowing him isn't enough. You have to be apart of his kingdom on earth and some people don't realize that here. They just think that if they have accepted Christ as their savior, that they are automatically saved and everything is good. Then we tell them about what James said that "Faith without works is dead" and you do believe, don't you think that God would want you to exercise that faith. People have a different way of thinking here, but it has taught me something.... you can't and won't have true happiness if it isn't within this church. My happiness compared to other people here is off the charts. When I tell people that is the reason why I am here, they sometimes accept and sometimes don't but no effort is wasted. You can't force anything on anybody.

Excerpts from Dad's email:

You know I have come to realize that everything is in God's hands and that what ever happens it is for the benefit for other people. I have learned that in order to be strong you have to test your strength and test your capability. Synthia is a great example of someone who has exceeding amount of remarkable strength. It is hard to hear such stories, but it just makes me more grateful for the knowledge I have about everything. Those missionaries that died because God chose to take them away, but just think of the place they are now. Far better than this place. They are teaching and continuing their mission where they are needed... This is teaching me a life lesson or lessons and one of them is that no matter what happens to not be scared, because it is all for the benefit of our salvation. I don't know what I can say to bring you at peace but I am at peace and I know that God is watching over me and what ever happens it is all in his hands and he knows what is best for us. We are not meant to stay in this life forever and it just brings happiness to me knowing that the second coming is getting closer although it will get harder it is because God know we can handle it. Remember when you told me no matter what happens stay out there? No matter what happens never lose your faith! Don't worry about us, we are okay just put your trust in God when you do that all worries will go away.

Not much happened this week and actually we saw the same exact people and everything was pretty much the same. We had 17 total lessons this past week, so the amount of lessons are growing and this area is getting better slowly but surely it is happening. It has been cold here the past few days but it is nice I would rather have that than hot and rain. In the summer it is hot and then it rains like crazy like flooding the streets but it is different in each area.