Transfer 6:1 Uganda Be Kidding Me :)

Howdy everyone!! 

I hope that you are all just having a great day today and that you are having a great start to your week also! 

This past week has been one of sorrow for leaving behind ones that I love and care about, as well as excitement and humility as I have come into the Makindye Ward to serve them and those yet to be found in this great area! 

My companion Elder Tryon is a great guy! He is also my MTC brother, and so this has been a great reunion as well! It helps when you both have a desire to do the work and have the same sense of humor! I apologize for these letters be short lately, but the time has been somewhat far spent lately. However, I promise to make more time for these emails in the coming weeks, because I understand that you like reading these from time to time, and I love sharing my experiences with you all. 

The greatest thing about my time here so far has been the faith and strength of the members here in Makindye. We met with Brother Edwin and his wife last night. Edwin is the assistant Family History consultant and he ran a fireside for that on Saturday, which was amazing and I was privileged to be a part of it. They're conversion is strong and I'll be sure to share more about them and others in the weeks to come! 

Stay strong and return with honor wherever you go! 

Love,

-Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 5:6 Last Week In Rwanda

Hello Everyone!! 

This weeks email will be rather brief due to the fact that I am preparing to go to Uganda tomorrow! So I apologize for that, because truly we have seen many miracles and blessings this past week. I am sad to be parting from Elder Mdlesthe but I also know that he will continue to do amazing things for the people here in K3 as well as for his future companions. I have learned much from him and I have grown as a missionary from being his trainer for this short time. 

The greatest blessing that we have seen this past week has been finding those who truly desire to hear the gospel and who are ready to change. I know that the Lord truly prepares people to hear the gospel in all times and all places. That there will always be light at the end of the tunnel as you persist to walk the path towards it.

One talk that I have recently read that has greatly increased my efforts and faith has been “Finishers Wanted” by Thomas S. Monson. I highly recommend giving it a read!

As for my next area, I will be with Elder Tryon from Allen, Texas in Makindye. I cannot wait to tell you about it!

Also, enjoy these photos!

 

 Love you all!

-Elder O’Hagan

Transfer 5:5 Blessings for Blessings

Hello Everyone! 

I hope as always that you are enjoying life and that you are seeing miracles and blessing no matter how great or small in your day-to-day. 

This past week has gone by too fast and the transfer is almost over! I feel like last transfer just started!! Anywho, this week has also been one full of learning and growth opportunities! We saw some challenges, and we had to learn that it is through patience, gratitude and obedience that we come out stronger, not weaker. As a wise man has once told me, "The way that you react to the experience will be just as important as the experience itself." 

An interesting lesson that I have had to learn from this experiences is that we need to be willing to accept blessings into our lives to bless others and to be a blessing ourselves. Our Heavenly Father has given us many different talents and capabilities to bless the world and our fellow people that live here with us! How cool is that?! We each have a role to play to increase the joy and peace that can be felt in the world! (2 Nephi 2:25, D&C 58:26-28, Mormon 7:7, James 3:18, John 14:27) 

The greatest challenge we had was that it was Genocide Memorial Week here in Rwanda. This meant that we could not be out teaching people from 2-5pm every day from Sunday-Friday. While it was only three hours a day, it made a difference. It became difficult to visit people that we wanted to or to meet goals that we had set the week previous. However, I can promise that this was not the defining quality of this week. What made it all come together was that I started to see the compensatory blessings amidst the blessings I was seeking. Truly, we are not left alone. If you do the best that you can to do what is expected of you or that you desire to accomplish you will reap the rewards of what you sow. (2 Nephi 25:23) 

All it takes is a little patience on our part, mixed with faith, and with time your best of efforts no matter how small will build up into previously unseen success!

I love each and every one of you and I hope that you continue to work towards your goals and dreams diligently and patiently!! 

1) I made tacos

2-4) Service for Sister Redempta ft. Elder Mdletshe looking like a boss

5-8) Flowers we found in a rich neighborhood the other day

Love,

Elder O'Hagan 

Transfer 5:4 The More Light We Get, The Better We Shall See!

Good afternoon, morning, night, second breakfast, lunch, and/or tea time everyone! 

(Except maybe not tea because, well... you know) 

I hope that you are all having another splendid week full of joy, and if not I hope to be of some assistance!

This past week we have really seen some miracles! Particularly from the Book of Mormon! One specific example of this came from one of the new people that we are teaching. His name is Jacque and he has a great family that is strong in their faith. When we started talking with him at his home, he asked us a strange question. "How do I convince people to come to a Church?" Elder Mdletshe and I exchanged glances in confusion, but answered the question the best we could. We told him how we invite people to come to Church and that we promise blessings. He thanked us for the answer and we moved forward in our planned lesson of explaining the Book of Mormon. After we had read the Introduction to the Book with him, we asked him what he thought he would need to do in response to the invitation at the end. He thought, and then replied, "I need to change my heart so that I can come to your Church for the right reasons." This really stood out to me! After this lesson he now plans to come to church to learn more and he greatly desires that change in his life. 

It truly is a unique privilege to do this work and to see the changes that people are able to make in there lives. Jacque's experience is just one example of how this change is seen each day. However, I'd also like to bare my testimony to you all about this wonderful Gospel and how it has inspired me greatly. 

The reason why I love this Church so much is because it creates an environment of self discovery and development. We countlessly invite people to ask God if these things we teach are true. We don't want people to get bandwagoned into the restored gospel. We want them to feel completely confident in their choice and in what the Savior wants for them. I want them to feel loved and part of the Church family, my family, and our Heavenly Family. As many people could be, I was once confused about where I stood with my faith and understanding of the gospel. I know that it is through great parents, leaders, friends, and diligent study that I was able to find my way to get where I am now. That testimony and faith has been tested and tried these past 7 months, and I can honestly declare that I know these things I teach are true independent of anyone else! 

 

1) Elder Hunter and Myself. 

2) Picturesque Breakfast

I love each and every one of you and I hope that you can continue to be the strong people that I know that you are! 

Keep on keepin' on and I know that all things shall find a way to work out for your good!

-Elder O'Hagan

Transfer 5:3 What a Rwandaful Week...

Helloooooooooooo Everyone!

I hope that all is well with each and every one of you and that you are having a stupendous week!

This past week went by super fast and a lot of things have happened. 

Tuesday: We had Zone Conference today and I learned a lot about how I can become a better missionary as well as how the Book of Mormon can be better applied in our lives and in other peoples' lives as well. Let me tell you, the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God and answers so many questions that one can have about life. 

Wednesday: Today I had the privilege of going on exchanges with Elder Yemoh! He is a very powerful leader and missionary, and I was able to learn a lot about listening to the Holy Ghost and following the counsel I receive. We visited some great people and I even got a Kinyarwandan name. Muhire.

Thursday/Friday/Saturday: These few days were pretty normal as far as events go. However, on Friday we taught some powerful lessons about faith to some of our investigators as they prepare themselves to make the expensive and somewhat long trip to attend church at a rented community center in the city until we can secure a building in our area. The spirit was really strong in these lessons, and the members that came with us each day truly were prepared to share their testimonies about how faith empowered them to rise above the poverty that they lived in to get jobs that can support them and help them to live the gospel fully. This work truly is changing lives, and I'm grateful to be a part of it.

Sunday: PASCAR! Or Easter if you don't speak Kinyarwanda. Church was great and we were blessed with seeing the gratitude that those we teach have for their Savior and what He did for them. In our Priesthood Meeting at Church we talked about how the church doesn't use the cross because it is a symbol of Christ's Death when we are focused more on the fact that He still lives. I was reminded of something that I love about the church. The symbol of our Church is the life of each of it's members. The more we act like the Savior and follow Him, the more the rest of the world sees what we believe. 

Again, I know that this work is sacred and that it is the means of bringing our Heavenly Father's love to each and every one of His children. everyday I feel you support and your prayers, and I am forever grateful for your love. I hope that each of you may take some time to think about our Savior Jesus Christ as you go from day to day this week. I know that doing so will help you see many blessings in your life, and that for some of you may even open doors to learn more about Him :)

I love you all greatly,

-Elder O'Hagan