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