No Coronavirus Yet (03/16/2020)

While Sierra Leone still doesn't have a recorded case of the virus lots of people are still freaking out. The announcement that church was to be cancelled yeaterday didn't help either, most people here don't get the concept of make precautions so thwy just assumed that it was here. This week there was a lot of cars driving around with a PA system and a local pastor preaching about how the people of Kailahun need to pray to God because that is the only way the Coronavirus won't enter Salone. I justed laughed and thought it would be more useful to be preaching that everyone needs to wash their hands with soap and water. Just gives y'all an example of why it hard for a lot of people to grasp the Restored Gospel. Everybody believes in God and how his grace can save us, but the part they don't really get, and the part we try to help people to understand is that, true His grace can save us, but after all that we can do. We need to do as much as we can, like washing our hands:)

Even though church was cancelled, we still were able to proselyte the full amount of time. But it was odd to teach and not invite them to church. We used church as our best way to track the progression of a person too. When we ask a person if they have prayes or read a passage that we left for them, 99% of the time they will says yes regardless of if they actually did it. So their attendance at church was one of the very few ways we could test if they were actually keeping commitments and progressing. But I guess we will just have to find another to really test the people we are teaching. 

This week was the end of the transfer and friday night we received transfer news. Elder Gittins and I will stay together for another transfer and that will mean that I will spend more than half of my mission in the bush. I wouldn't say that I am elated for that to happen but if I have learned anything since being here it is that Heavenly Father knows best and has something in store for me to learn. So here is to another 6 weeks. 

This week while reading Doctrine and Covenants section 121 and studying how I can become a better Priesthood holder something stuck out to me. In versus 41 and 42 it states about how we maintain our Priesthood power, and what stuck out to me is where it states "by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul". The Priesthood authority from Heavenly Father is the ultimate source of knowledge and understanding. Whether it is ordinances preformed by that Priesthood Authority that help us make covenants with our Father in Hevean, or just the pure knowledge of God's presence and love you feel when receiving a blessing. This section states that we cannot handle the Priesthood authority from God unless we have knowledge and understanding, but I learned that while we exercise or witness this power, how can we not grow our knowledge and understanding! And how grateful I am that I grew up around so many examples of how to handle the Priesthood upon principles of righteousness. Watching and learning from my father, grandfather, uncles, cousins, and leaders. 

This past Saturday morning I received some heartbreaking news that my previous companion Elder Schwenke had passed away that morning. He had been battle cerebral malaria complications and they were trying to get him to a more developed country for treatment when he slipped into the spirit world. This was a shock to me as just 6 months ago I was his first companion as he arrived. He had an incredible ability to make people laugh and smile which will be missed. But our Father's plan of happiness should not be overlooked. As Elder Schwenke has left this earthly life, he will live again. Elder Schwenke was adopted at a young age and one of the first things I remembered after hearing this news was that his birth mom had died when he was small. So while members from Tengbeh Town have called me crying I was able to share with them that he and his mom are together. I can't imagine the pain his family back in Samoa feels but from a young age my parents taught me to think of the reunions that would be had in the Spirit world, and I think that that one was a grand reunion. He will be missed, but I know he is still doing the Lord's work and we'll meet up again one day. 

Elder Hendricks 

1. Picture with one of the members

2. Elder Gittins and I having fun 

3. Our zone from last conference 

4&5. Pictures to remember Elder Schwenke