November Recap

Hello Everyone!! 

I hope that it has been another great month for you all and that this email finds you well! So much has happened and I apologize for being a week late in sending this out. From my first time training at a zone conference to finally being able to drive, I have had a lot of trial and error as well as miracles attend the past few weeks! We even had two baptisms! 

I almost don't know where to begin. I suppose to start I'll talk about those who were baptized a couple of weeks ago. One is Josephine and the other is Viola (photos attached). They are both really strong and they have made a lot of sacrifice to know the truth and to follow it. Josephine would take time every day to read the Book Of Mormon despite the fact that exams were around the corner. As for Viola, we had a really cool conversion experience with her during a lesson we taught a few weeks back. She knew that everything is true about The Church, but she had been baptized twice before. We decided that we would reteach the restoration with an emphasis on the priesthood and the blessings associated with it. As we finished the lesson we bore testimony about how much God loves her and needs her to be a part of the great cause of teaching the gospel and living it. When we asked her what she felt, she told us that she knows that she needs to be baptized! It was a highly spiritual lesson, and one of the best of my mission. 

I have also been having the most spiritual and uplifting experiences of my whole mission lately. I say this almost every email, but this is without a doubt the work of the Lord. He has strengthened me in my weakest of moments and comforted me as I continue despite the challenges that attend teaching the gospel. I love the Lord and I know that He is there for each one of us. 

With this being the beginning of the Christmas season, I invite you all to think of what He has been able to provide for you and your families and to give thanks through how you treat others. If you do not know much about the Savior and what He has truly done for us all, then I invite you to discover these things this December. I know it will bring peace and healing into your life, and you will be blessed beyond measure with the knowledge you gain and the experiences you have with sharing with others the gift of gratitude and joy. 

I love you all and I hope you have an outstanding week!

-Elder O'Hagan

  

Transfer 10:3 Pumpkins, Blessings, and a Whole Lotta Change coming!

Hello Everyone! 

It has been a phenomenal week yet again! We saw a lot of blessings come through people that we have found, progress we are seeing as a companionship, and the hand of the Lord in our own lives. 

To start I got to go on exchanges with Elder Taylor in Mengo this week. He is such a great guy! It was a neat experience since we were able to teach really well together right off the bat, which doesn't always happen on your first exchange with someone. Nevertheless, it was cool. They have a lot of amazing people that are preparing for baptism in the coming weeks that they are teaching. 

I also got to go to an area called Kisugu to be on exchanges with the Assistants to the Mission President. I was with Elder Gilbert for the day, and I was really able to learn a lot about the work depends on our effort. We have to put our foot forward before we know which path to take sometimes, and this helped us to find some great people that are ready for the gospel in their area as well as in our own. 

Yesterday Elder Corbridge and I taught Gospel Doctrine as it was the missionary Sunday, and all of us were in charge of the classes. (I wish we could have taught Primary, but here's hoping for next time!) We had a great time and we had great insights from the members as we talked about the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. We were learning about the Gathering of Israel and how the Lord will write His law in our hearts when we allow Him to (Jeremiah 31:33). It was awesome to have a moment to reflect on how God has truly given us every opportunity in this day and age to know the truth and to live by it for ourselves and our families. I am grateful for that blessing and I hope that the work that we do each day can bring the equal opportunity to the attention of those we meet each day! 

Now, I have an announcement to make. With this being my last year on my mission, I want to give all of my attention to what we do here. With this desire I am deciding to move my mass emails to a monthly basis; sending emails to this group on the last Monday of each month. This does not mean that you won't know what is going on anymore, because I will continue to tell my mother what all is new with me each week, and I'm sure that the blog that she runs will continue to give these updates. This also does not mean that I don't love you guys! I'm forever grateful for your support and friendship, and I look forward to the day that I can see you again. 

I love you all and I hope that you have a stupendous week!!

-Elder O'Hagan

P.S. I'm getting a hang of this driving manual thing! 

Transfer 10:2

Hello Everyone!

It has been another fantastic week in Nsambya! We have seen a lot of good happen in our area and it has also been a crazy busy week! 

We have started teaching some cool people! One of them is named Zahara and she is a Muslim. She picked interest in the Book of Mormon and we are slowly helping her to understand how it can answer her questions about who Jesus Christ is and what exactly He has done for us. She is understanding it pretty well, and she prayed at the end of our second lesson with her, which surprised me! I hope that things work out there. 

We also had a great visit with some members of the ward the other night. We shared the message of the restoration with them and committed them to share it with friends that stayed around them. We are going back this Saturday to follow up, and they told us yesterday at church that they have some neighbors in mind already! So we are pretty excited about that!

 Oh! Our area has a truck and I started to learn how to drive again yesterday! It was a bit of a disaster, since I don't know how to drive manual, or how to drive on the left side of the road,and it has been a year, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon! We spent most of our week driving around doing things for missionaries or driving them to places. So hopefully next week there will be more to write about! 

The one thing I learned from this week is that we need to take time to understand why we are where we are when we are there. I know that might be confusing to read, but I feel that as we take time to really see how we can benefit those around us even when we don't understand why we have been placed in that situation, we can be the means of blessing many lives for the better!

I love you all and I hope that you have a great week!

-Elder O'Hagan 

Transfer 10:1

Hello Everyone!

Sorry for the gap (again) the power went out last week. 

This past week was transfers, so there was a lot of moving around for a few days. I am now in the Nsambya Ward with Elder Corbridge! It has been a very warm welcome from the members here and I am excited to work with them and serve them! 

The biggest highlight that we had was being able to watch General Conference! There were so many great talks given and I cannot wait to see what will come from applying the messages into my life. I really enjoyed Elder Rasband's talk about overcoming our fears and trials. I also enjoyed the focus on seeing others the way that God sees them; to withhold judgment and prejudice to instead love and care for them. 

Aside from that there wasn't much else aside from adjusting to the new place and doing the work! I should have some good stories for next week! I love you all and I am grateful for your support.

Until next time,

Elder O'Hagan

Living in Nsambya...

http://www.livinginkampala.com/area-guides/living-in-nsambya/

"Be Not Troubled", by Elder Ronald A. Rasband 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/be-not-troubled?lang=eng

Photo Courtesy of Okurut William, who ran into Elder O'Hagan
at the Mission Office last Monday.

Transfer 9:5 Preparation Brings Revelation

Hello everyone!! 

Sorry for the delay in email! We had a District lunch last week across the city and we didn't have much time for emailing! 

This past week since then has been pretty good! We have been seeing some success that is slow but sure in our area. While some people may come and go, we have ones that are more than willing to stay! For example, we are teaching a man name John Jonan who now wants to do ministering work in the Church even though he has only come twice! He comes to clean the chapel and he contributes in almost every class. He is a super cool guy. He gives me hope in the world. 

Aside from that we have been having a lot of fun, Elder Palmer and I. Unfortunately, this will be my last week with him from what I understand, but it has been a super fun transfer being his companion. Today we even went to a reptile farm with some other elders in our zone. Let me tell you, Cobras are scary! I've got some photos attached from the trip.

There is not much else from this week that I have to share. It has been so great to see the hand of the Lord in my life and in the lives of those around me. When we really need something and it is good, He will answer our prayers and give us the answers that we are looking for. Whether it is through scripture, the thoughts in our heart, or even through the words of his servants we are entitled to answers and manifestations of His love in our lives if we are ready, truly ready to receive it and act on it! 

Speaking of! We have got General Conference this week! I cannot wait to hear what new things are in store for us and to gain a deeper understanding of what I can do to be a better person and disciple of Jesus Christ. Whether you are a member or not, I highly encourage listening in this week to see what you can learn. Not only that, but to even go in with some questions to get answers to. I know that it'll be a great experience for you all. 

I love you all and I am grateful for all you do to support and encourage me. 

-Elder O'Hagan

https://www.lds.org/church/events/october-2018-general-conference?cid=HP_FR-28-9-2018_dPTH_fCNWSxLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng

Transfer 9:3

Hello Everyone!

It has been another great week in Makindye. We have been ale to find some good people to teach and we are moving along strong in our district as well. 

This week's email will be a bit short. Unfortunately, aside from the usual things we do and see each day, not much happened this week.

Actually, I have changed my mind. We had exchanges this week and we saw a lot of blessings come in! I got the privilege of working with Elder Asante, who is one of our Zone Leaders. He taught me a lot about how I can become better at finding new people and how to allow talking to random people to be a great experience rather than something that can become commonplace. As a result, we were able to meet with a lot of people and we are still meeting with more that we found that day! It is cool how our Father in Heaven can take the things that we think we know and show us that there is so much more to it than we think. 

The only other thing that stood out this week is how we got locked out of our apartment last night when the key accidentally feel inside of the window where we hide it. Fun fact, using super glue and a wire is not the best idea. Luckily our neighbor had a magnet. 

I thank you for your love and prayers and I send mine to you as well!

-Elder O'Hagan

Week 52

Hello everyone! 

I did not imagine that this time in my mission would come up so fast, yet here we are! It has been a privilege serving here for this time and I look forward to the time I have left. The people of Rwanda and Uganda are wonderful and each day I am blessed to get to know them and to be able to share the gift of the gospel that has changed me so much with them. 

This past week was busy! We had quite a few people to teach, and we also had Mission Tour. We were visited by Elder Joni L. Koch, a General Authority Seventy. His message to us really opened my eyes to help me see how I can be a better missionary/person as well as teach the gospel in a way that will bring a deeper change of heart into peoples' lives, including my own. Below is a photo of all the missionaries in Kampala, Gulu, and Masaka (good luck finding me.)

As for blessings we saw in our work this week, they are two seemingly small things that I personally seek for every day that I am here. The first has a story attached to it. There is one person that we received as a referral from elders in Minnesota named Godfrey. He already had a testimony of the Book of Mormon and of the Restoration before we had even met with him! He accepted a date to work towards for baptism and we had a follow-up appointment planned. Unfortunately some things with his job got in the way and we awaited the next chance that we could get to meet with him. When the time came, we shared about God's plan for us and he was so happy to learn about the Spirit world and was very surprised that the gospel is being taught there (1 Peter 3:18,4:6) It was during this lesson that we also learned that his wife had been battling with cancer for three years and was in bad condition at that time. He told us that the message that we share really gave him comfort amid the stress of his demanding job as a manager of quite a few markets in Uganda and taking care of his wife. He looked forward to our next visit and we did too. Then a month and a half passed as we called and tried to set programs with him and his family. This last Friday, we had some of our appointments fall through, so I started making calls to see who we could visit. I felt inclined to give him a call. When he picked the call I greeted him as usual and asked how he and his family were doing. After a brief pause he said that they were not fine, and that his wife had died just four days before. This hit me hard. He always talked about her and how great she was and how they always read the Book of Mormon together. Without delay Elder Palmer and I went to comfort him and his family with prayers and a brief message. We chose to talk about the Temple Sealing, and that he can one day be sealed to his wife and children forever, and they would never be apart. At the end of our visit, he told us that the things we have shared with him are the reason why he invited us back, and that he wants us to keep coming to strengthen his family. 

This is what I love about what I do. It's not me or my companion that brought us back, but the message that we share. (Alma 26:12) When the Lord and His ultimate sacrifice are at the center of focus in a lesson and throughout our visits with people, I could not be happier. I have changed more than I could have possibly imagined within this passed year. I'm still the goofy me that I am, but I have seen what really matters, and the Lord has provided me so many things for me to grow. What makes this better, is that I am not the only one who has gone through this! Every missionary and disciple of Christ does. For those of you who have not had the opportunity to hear what we proclaim, I urge you to at least listen to the missionaries or your friends who are members of the Church. I can promise you that it will bring something great into your life. I can tell you that because that is the reason why I am still out here. 

The other blessing we received was the opportunity to push a cargo truck up a hill. The vehicle had blown something and was leaking in the middle of the road during rush hour traffic. So Elder Palmer and I ran over and offered to help push. On our own we could not get it to budge, but soon other onlookers joined us. As Elder Palmer and I talked about it afterward we noticed that all it takes to see the good in people is for one person to do good, and that the rest will follow. However, the trick is for that one to manifest themselves among the crowd. 

Well, that is all for this week! I sure am grateful for your love and support! I love you all and I hope, as always, that you have a great week! I even challenge you to make it a supercalifragilisticexpialadocious week. I don't know how it will happen, but I am sure you will find a way :). 

-Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 9:1

Hello Everyone!

Another transfer is upon us! And boy have we seen some miracles! It has only been one week, and Elder Palmer and I have found double the amount of people to teach than I have in a long time. It has been truly amazing.

Some highlights of the week are that Asiimwe Victor, the one whose baptism photo was in last weeks email, was confirmed yesterday! He got up during the testimony meeting and recounted his entire conversion process and how the Lord has blessed him to be able to receive as many blessings as he has and has helped him become the man he is today, It was truly remarkable, and I'm so happy to be his friend. Another great experience that took place this week happened just before transfers. Elder Crankson and I were on exchanges on Wednesday, and we decided to do some contacting in a part of our area that we have never gone to before. We not only found a lot of people eager to learn the gospel, and we also had a really interesting lesson. We saw this really nice house and decided to knock on the door even though we both felt that they might say no. To our surprise, a Congolese woman opened the door and saw that we were missionaries and welcomed us in! I was super happy, and then I turned the corner through the threshold and saw a European man. Now, for a quick background on this, most people that aren't from Africa that are here are usually quite rude and don't like us very much. So my warning light went from 0 to 100 really quick. However, while he didn't have much interest and politely declined listening to us, his wife, the woman who greeted us, was more than happy to listen to what we had to share. Elder Crankson and I felt inclined to teach about how our families can be together forever through the plan of salvation that God has given us. Not only did the lesson go well, but the husband also started to listen even though he didn't want us to know that he was. We gave them a pamphlet and our number, and I hope that we get another chance to hear from them and to share more with them! 

All in all, this is such a great work to do! I hope that you are having a great week and that it only continues to get better! I love you all!

Alma 5:60-62 and Philippians 2:2

-Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 8:6 You Can Make the Pathway Bright; Fill a Soul with Heavens Light

Hello everyone! 

Sorry for the email gap lately. We have been pretty busy as of late.

This past week has been a great one! We have seen a lot of people that are prepared cross our path and I know that many of them have true desires to learn more about Jesus Christ! As this transfer comes to a close, I have began to truly realize how grateful I am for Elder Bimpeh. While it was only six weeks, it was a time of great humility and focusing in on the Spirit. He has deepened my understanding of these key attributes and I know that he is going to do great things in Njeru. As for me, I am going to remain here in Makindye for my fourth transfer! I'll be with Elder Palmer, who is a great guy and a runner! That last bit excites me the most because it has been a year since the last time I went for a morning run! Boy do I miss those. 

Anywho, I am not sure what to share with you since this past week was mostly spent finding and following up on people. I feel that the one thing that I should share is that you've got to believe that our Heavenly Father is going to bless you and guide you! Don't for a second think that He is mindful of everyone but you! He knows you more than you know you, and He has His arm reached out continually towards you! We cannot do anything alone, and He is always near to you as you become nearer to Him. He loves you. 

While I am not as great as He is, I love you all as well and I feel your prayers strengthen me each day! Thank you for your love! I hope that you each have a splendid week!

-Elder O'Hagan

Also! here are some photos from the transfer with my District and my comp, Elder Bimpeh.

Transfer 8:4 Fear Not, He is with Thee

Hello everyone! 

It has been a hot minute due to a lack of internet cafe yesterday, but today I have got some good time to write you so here I go! 

This week is always the fastest in the transfer since it is one filled with the Zone Leader exchange on day, and then Zone Conference the next along with DDM and weekly planning! With all of that put together, we saw a lot of good and I learned a lot personally. I realize now that I say that almost every week, but it is true! Missionary Work is like taking a spiritual human resources focused psychology class that gives you the experience you need to handle life and I love it! 

So, on that note we were able to have some good lessons and A LOT of finding to get things going here in Makindye. One of the people we are teaching, Victor, surprises me every time that we meet him! He found the Church through Google searching "the gift of the holy ghost" and found our chapel within a few days! He also had already learned about and read some of the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price before we met him, and said that he believe s in them being real scriptures also, so that was awesome! He is preparing to be baptized this coming weekend, and I am really excited to see him follow the Savior to fulfill the knowledge and gift he has been looking for his whole life!

Brother Andrew, another person we have been teaching received the Holy Ghost this past Sunday and he could not be happier! His son has been a member for years and now they are united in the gospel! I've really been able to learn about how a happy family that is united is truly the greatest gift and blessing that anyone can have! 

Aside from those two, I learned a lot from Zone Conference and from my exchange with the Zone Leaders. The biggest things were that we truly need to not fear and trust in the Lord and His timing when it comes to the promptings we receive through the Holy Ghost. Trusting in His timing not only means being patient when what you pray for doesn't come immediately, but also that we need to be ready to act on what is given, sometimes abruptly, into our lives. Then, at our conference I learned that with the remaining year and a month I have on my mission I need to have an eternal perspective on what I do and what I focus on. I personally feel that a mission is a 2 year version of what our life is like. We have a brief period of time to choose between good and bad choices that will affect the rest of our life. Truly, every thing we do and say determines our destiny, whether it be in the immediate future or in the next life on into the eternities!

I hope that each of you are finding the light in the world and that your torch of faith is burning brightly as you run the race of life! I love each of you and I am grateful for your prayers, they bear me up each and every day. 

-Elder O'Hagan

(Zone Conference photos courtesy of President & Sister Collings)

Transfer 8:2 Ghana Keep on Keep'n on

Hello there!

It has been another week of work and sunshine here in Makindye! A lot of lessons learned and lessons taught this week. Elder Bimpeh is a really cool guy and I'm learning much from him each day. The rest of the district is also great! Elder Crankson is teaching me their language (Twi, Chwee) and sign language! So that's pretty cool. 

This past week we had interviews with the mission president and it was amazing! He truly is inspired and his counsel is helping me to become a better leader each day. We also had chocolate chip cookies, which I haven't had in almost a year, so that's always a plus! 

Another cool thing that happened is that we had an opportunity to give a lady we are teaching a priesthood blessing when we went to check up on her. She has been suffering a lot of pains lately and was grateful that we came when we did. Now, for some background on this experience. 1) we had just been discussing with President Collings after interviews about when and where we should give blessings, and he had helped us to understand that if we feel that it is right and we are getting promptings to do it, we should. 2) Sister Teddy, the lady we are teaching, does not know much English. However, she understood almost everything we said before, during, and after the blessing! Miracles really do still take place! Even if they are small in nature. 

Aside from that we had a pretty normal week of teaching, finding, and being turned away from those who don't want to learn. Which is okay! Thankfully, most people here are polite in telling us that they aren't interested in learning about our beliefs. It has actually been cool for me to see how just being kind and human with people about the gospel, or anything really, allows for them to be the same towards us. People are cool. 

Now for a funny and weird experience that I had, to close this email. Elder Bimpeh and I were buying some food for dinner one night when a drunk man came up to us and started talking to me in Luganda. Aside from him saying Mzungu a lot, I had absolutely no idea what he was saying to the shop keeper. I did what I usually do and played along and smiled and laughed with him. Then the shopkeeper, someone else we are teaching and that we are good friends with, gave us free crackers with what we bought. As we turned away and wished them all a good night, Elder Bimpeh and I thought that we should share the crackers with the man since we could tell that he was asking for food since he had no money. This was where it got interesting. As soon as he saw what we were doing, his eyes got huge as he grabbed the treats, and began praising God. Then, he fell to his knees and grabbed both of my arms and started praying for me by making the cross with the crackers we had just given him over my chest. He then did the same to my companion and said "I don't know, no problem" and then got back up as if nothing had happened. Just goes to show the many different things you get to see in the world I suppose! 

I love you all and I hope that all is well!

-Elder O'Hagan

[Photos below courtesy of Sister Collings] 

Transfer 8:1 Ghana be a great transfer!

Hello all! 

As always I hope that you are doing swell and that there is a smile on your face! For us here in Makindye things keep on getting better! I have a new companion as I mentioned last week. His name is Elder Bimpeh and he is from Kumasi, Ghana. He is a really cool guy and I cannot wait to see what we accomplish this transfer. The rest of my district is also from Ghana, and so that has made things a lot of fun for me to learn more about their culture and language. 

This past week was filled mostly with helping the new elders adjust to their new area as they white-wash. I had the opportunity to get to know Elder Crankson pretty well as we were on exchanges for a couple of days so I could help him find new people to teach and members to visit as well. He is a cool guy!

Aside, from that not much else happened. But, since this is a pretty short email, I'll add something cool that I have learned this past week. 

One thing that I have continued to learn through serving as a missionary is how easily we can break down the "walls" that we build up in our lives through our attitude. There are plenty of times in our life where those around us do things or make decisions that push our buttons enough to build up resentment or judgement. I know that while these things may seem impossible to get around, we can truly make the difference ourselves as we reach out with hope and look inward. When we look at our own actions with correct judgement, we can truly receive a great light of wisdom and knowledge that will not only help us to see others as they truly are and love them for who they can be. We can also gain a greater sense of confidence in ourselves as we know that we are doing the things that even the Savior did, to forgive seventy times seven. 

I love you all very much and I am grateful to have the support of those who have helped me to become who I am today and who help me to become even more so daily. 

-Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 7:6 Blessings in the nick of time

Hello!

This week was a very busy one for us! That being said, we have seen a lot of great things happen in the midst of it all! 

Some highlights from this week are that we have been meeting with a man named Godfrey who was being taught in Minnesota before moving back to Uganda. He is a very humble man and his family is wonderful. This past Friday was our first time meeting with him in his home, and it was a great lesson! As we taught about the plan of salvation, he couldn't believe that after years of studying the Bible intently that he had never before heard of Christ ministering to the dead as it is mention in 1 Peter 3&4! This strengthened his testimony a lot, and he said that this means so much to him that he now knows that he can be with his family forever! 

Another miracle that took place was the Baptism of  Kennedy Savio. We have been teaching him for a very long time, since I arrived in Uganda come to think of it. we found him as we were leaving our apartment one day and we greeted our neighbors. He is probably one of the humblest people that I have met, and he has had a great deal of faith when it comes to learning about and following the Savior. When we first met him he was without a job and he felt a bit lost. As we visited with him, we promised him that if he took what we invited him to do to heart and if he would study and apply the teachings of the Book of Mormon into his life, he would see his life change for the better. In fulfillment of that promise, he now has a steady job, a closer relationship with family and friends, and always has a smile on his face! Unfortunately, there were unforeseen circumstances that postponed his baptism, but through his faith and patience he was able to be prepared for the day when it finally came! I love watching how peoples' lives are changed through the things we teach! I know without a doubt that it has changed mine, and that even though I am not a perfect person, I have it as my support no matter what comes my way. 

A lot of good things are on the horizon here in Makindye! I'm excited to tell you about it as it all unfolds! 

Oh! transfers are this week! Sadly, elder Tryon is going to Kabowa and Elder Wailagala is going to the MTC to officially start his mission. However, my new companion seems to be a really cool guy and he is from Ghana! His name is Elder Bimpeh. The rest of my district will also be Ghanaian with Elders Crankson and Boglo. So I will be the only Mzungu now. That being said, I know that that will be super fun and I look forward to working with them!!

I love all of you and I am ever grateful for your love and support. Know that I send it right back to you as well! 

Also, I know it has been some time since I've sent photos! Below is one of my friends who has been elusive until we finally got pics yesterday, and the other is of Ken's baptism. It goes: Elder Wailagala, Me, Brother Laurence, Kennedy, and then Elder Tryon.

Love,

Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 7:4 All in the Lord's Timing

Hello Everyone!

Sorry about last weeks email being super short, but this week should make the difference!

As always I hope you are well and that you are enjoying life! 

Here in Makindye things have been moving really fast. I was on exchanges twice this past week and we also had Zone Conference! Even though the week seemed to fly by, there are a lot of cool things that happened and that I learned. 

Perhaps to start we taught a man from Somalia on Tuesday. His name is Mukhton and he is a great guy. He had decided to leave his country to become Christian, and last Sunday he felt prompted to walk into our Elders Quorum meeting and has decided since then to learn more and even wants to join one day. The thing which is difficult in teaching him, however, is that he doesn't speak much English and he doesn't know any other language aside from his local language. That being said, he has already taken steps to learn by getting a dictionary to translate the books we give him as well as to understand the Book of Mormon! It is also really nice because the way he speaks English is similar to how the people in Rwanda speak it, so I am able to understand him pretty well when we meet with him. The Lord qualifies in interesting ways.

One exchange that I went on during the week was with Elder Mukaro, who is my Zone Leader once again! It was a great time and we both got to see how we have changed in the way we teach since we have returned from Rwanda. We were able to focus more on teaching by the Spirit, and this lead to some fantastic lessons which were able to strengthen the testimonies and faith of a mother who wants to follow her children's example of following the Savior as well as someone who felt that they weren't getting answers to prayer. It was a powerful day to be sure. 

The thing which stood out to me most this week was a scripture that I read as part of a week-long study on patience. The scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 31:9, "Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast." 

What impressed me most about this verse, along with the rest of my study on the topic, was how patience is a key attribute which Jesus Christ has. As He suffered through the Atonement both physically and spiritually He patiently awaited the Father's will that it might be done. He endured everlasting pain in the Garden of Gethsemane which has become a means for us to overcome our emotional and spiritual pains each and every day (Alma 7:11-13, Mosiah 4:6-7). His patience in this moment is beyond what I can imagine myself ever having. Yet, we can obtain this level of long-suffering as we read the scriptures and gain understanding of them through fasting and prayer. Even after one week of studying every reference to Patience in the Old Testament, New Testament, The Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants; I have come to a better knowledge of how the Savior is able to enable us through His Atonement, as well as how I can become a more patient individual that has a greater sense of hope in this world and in the promises of the Lord found in His word. 

While no one is perfect, we all can become perfected as we patiently wait for those around us as we serve them and keep ourselves strong and steadfast in the gospel of Christ. As we take time to examine ourselves and begin to diligently and sincerely change the quality of our own life through the light which we have in ourselves, we can see the Savior's grace empower us to do more and become more than we could ever imagine. 

I know that each of you are full of this light and that each of you are powerful beyond measure! 

I love each of you and I pray that you may continue to light the world.

-Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 7:3 A Week of Miracles

Hello everyone!

I hope that you are all having a great day as always!

This past week has been filled with spiritual experiences for us and we have also found a lot of people who are ready for the gospel! So naturally, I'm pretty stoked about that!

Sadly, I have two minutes left on my internet right now. So this will be short!

Know that I love and care about each and every one of you and the light will always shine in the darkest times.

-Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 7:2 Catching Up and Keep'n On

Hello Everyone!

I want to start off with an apology for the lack of email these past two weeks! The first week I had little time and last week the internet worked for 5 minutes. 

Nevertheless, I hope that you are all having a great week and that your lives are able to feel joy from this email and through the grace of our Savior. 

This past week has been crazy. We had interviews, exchanges, 6 baptism interviews to conduct, and a surprise baptism at our chapel!

First, let me introduce the news of what has happened this transfer. Elder Tryon and I are still companions, and we are also training the same missionary, Elder Wailagala (Wah-ee-lah-ga-lah, it took me a while). He is from Mbale in Eastern Uganda and he will be with us until his visa to serve in South Africa goes through! He is a remarkable person, and I just wish that you could hear his testimony of the gospel and the Book of Mormon! Truly amazing! In addition to that, I am also the District Leader for two areas now; Kabowa and Makindye, which are about 45 minutes apart. The Elders there are also in a tri-panionship and that made exchanges very interesting. 

During the exchange I had the privilege of interviewing 6 people that the Elders in Kabowa are teaching for baptism. Each person was ready to keep the covenant of baptism in their lives, but the one that stood out most to me was an elderly woman called Mama Sarah. She was going to be baptized along with her two daughters and two of her grandchildren, who I might add are wonderful people. Mama Sarah bore her testimony to me at the conclusion of the interview, and I was not only able see how what she had been taught had changed her outlook on life, but also how it had united her with her daughters in love and care for one another. I have no doubt in my mind that they will continue to share the gospel together as they grow in their learning and understanding of our Father in Heaven's plan for us and that they will bless the lives of those in their family for generations to come. 

The last thing for this week that was remarkable to me was also one of the most frustrating to me at first. I want you to imagine with me a good nights rest followed by a morning where there is enough food in the fridge this time to make a decent breakfast. You've ironed your clothes near perfect and you feel good about it. In the hours that follow you have a satisfying study of the scriptures and an effective planning session where you have made great plans to visit people you want to see. You then leave the home to go to lunch and start the days activities. You eat another decent meal of beans and chapati and watermelon, when you pick up the phone and see that you first appointment has fallen through. You're not too worried because you have a back up plan to visit a member not too far away and you plan to help them in their missionary efforts. And then, two hours roles past and you have to rush to the next place to meet with others you have planned. As you power walk down the road you receive a phone call asking you if you baptism font can be filled in an hour or so for a baptism from another area in the mission. You notice that you just so happen to be walking near the chapel, and so you offer your help and get to work. Then the next thing you know, your plans for the rest of the afternoon are gone! This is what happened to us this past Friday, and like I mentioned earlier, I was a bit peeved in the beginning. However, as we continued to help these Elders prepare the font and the baptism service, I realized that we had been exactly where we needed to be when we needed to be there. 

I feel that this is something many people face in life. We feel that everything will be great when our goals and plans going as we have expected them to. We will feel accomplished and we hope to even have our success seen by others so that our accomplishments shall be even greater! However, true success always comes when we make goals that can help us to serve others and bring peace into their lives. We can feel content in life as we set goals to understand who we truly are as Sons and Daughters of God, and that we have divine potential to become more than we feel we can be. Each person can truly come to know Jesus Christ and God as well as we know the parents that have raised us and cared for us. I can promise you with all of my heart that this relationship with them and knowledge of them can come to anyone who diligently seeks in faith through prayer. (James 1:5) As we do so, we can not only bless multitudes, but we can see true peace and happiness come into our life as our ability to be strengthened comes through strengthening others. If we had not been where we needed to be, two people would have had to wait for the eternal joy found in the waters of baptism. I know that this is true, and I testify that the Lord often blesses us through his disciples, our friends and family. 

I love each of you greatly, and I hope to hear from you soon! 

-Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 6:5 There is Peace in Christ!

Hello All! 

This past week has gone by so fast! This transfer too! 

Anyways, This past week we have been able to see some great blessings come into our work and our lives! 

Throughout the week the greatest message we were constantly sharing was about the Godhead and how we can literally reach out to them through sincere prayer. 

One person we taught this to was Susan. She is 16 years old and she wanted to know how to be able to pray. She told us that she wanted to say many things to her Father in Heaven in verbal prayer, but that she also was at a loss for words each time she attempted to do so. We started by explaining how praying to our Heavenly Father is just like talking to our parents about our life from day to day. However, it is so much better because He is perfect, and we can truly learn from counseling with Him about our struggles, or even expressing our sincere love for Him! We then moved to the Savior, His Son Jesus Christ. He Atoned for us! Meaning that every pain, temptation, or feeling of sadness that we have ever had or will have in this life has already been felt by Him, and He pleads with the Father for us to be able to have second chances! He is literally our advocate with the Father, and as we pray in the name of Jesus Christ we can be ensured an answer as he takes our plea before our Father. This lead us to talking about the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit. The role of the Spirit is to teach, comfort, and confirm many things for us. (John 14:26 & John 16:13) While we might not get the answer to our prayers in the way we wanted or at the time we wanted it, we shall always receive one. The voice of the Spirit is not one that we regularly hear from people each day, though that may be a way of receiving an answer. Rather, the Spirit brings feelings into the heart and thoughts to the mind that can help us know what we can do regarding our trials and concerns in life. (Galatians 5:22-23). 

As we taught this to Susan and many others throughout the week I was able to feel and see how precious this knowledge is and can be to those who receive it. In Susan's case, she texted us days later thanking us and informing us that she now knew what words she could say to her Father in Heaven and she also felt that she could now pray to Him about anything! 

With this in mind, I also know now more than ever before in my life that the world is filled with countless tragedies and disasters. Whether they be in our own life or in the world around us. Regardless of what we see day by day, we can be rest assured that there is truly Peace in Christ. I invite you to listen the the Mutual Theme for 2018 that was released by the Church titled Peace in Christ whenever you are having a rough day or you feel that the world is at all ends against you. As you listen and think about the various blessings that you have received by the Savior; and that you can even give to others through following His example, I can promise you that you can finding abiding comfort swell into your heart. I know this because it has done the same for me as I daily strive to serve him who gave us life. 

I love each of you and I am forever grateful for the impact each of you have had in my life. I hope sincerely that you each will be blessed with peace in the coming week!

Much love as always!

-Elder O'Hagan

P.S.

Today I went to a crocodile farm and to the equator as a part of our Prep. Day! It was awesome and I got to hold a baby croc! However, The computers here have viruses that prevent me from sending the photos :(