The Appocalypse

It's Cold Up Here,
but Next Week All This Snow Will Melt,
as it will be 40 degrees

Don't worry, I spelled it correctly.

Not it's not about the world ending, or about the later days. This is about the apps on our missionary phones. 

So we have an app on our phones that controls/restricts what we can do. To be more precise, it make our phones, Corporate phones, meaning the head of the Corporation AKA the church can see everything on our phones at all times and has only approved certain apps for missionary use. One of the most important apps in the missionary work is what we call Areabook. This app in particular contains the records of all the people we work with like: lessons, contacts address, phone numbers, a map of the area with dots that show where people people live and much more important stuff that we need for the work.

So here is the problem. I don't know what they were doing, but for some reason we all got an update that took all of the apps except Gospel library (our scripture app) off. This made our phone about as useful a paperweight with additional scripture reading resources. This lasted for the majority of the day. None of the missionaries I know could have even look at their schedules or even call to confirm appointments for that time. It really frustrated the work. It is all fixed now and we were lucky to not have anything too important during that time.

Not the best bathroom picture, but it works

Besides the Appocalypse, some good things have been happening as well. Not much in the English work, besides the people telling us that we have helped revive their relationships with Heavenly Father. Many of them have started reading the

 scriptures on their own now, and even pray daily.

Swahili work is doing great! They have all been diligent in their scripture reading, and when we ask what happened they give us details of the parts they read. They have no problems coming to church as well. In fact, one of the family's we work with are apart of a singing group back in Africa and they do special numbers at church once every so often. It's Amazing! 

We were able to get a lesson with a person who has been hard to track down. He just has such a busy life and struggles to find time for his family. (I guess that applies to all the Swahili people we are trying to teach. They work way too hard and end up not having enough time for other things) Anyways finding this guy, at this time was a miracle.

We had a cookoff today. 
Rice was the theme. 
Ours was the favorite.

We had a lengthy conversation conversation with this guy, many times him asking us for honest answers. Most of his questions included: "Why are you guys doing this?" or "What is the dark side of the church?". At the end we asked him what he thinks we could help *him with. He told us that his faith was failing him, that he was afraid go wayward in the world of today. We were able to secure more visits for the future with him. He is now more exited to meet with us and will soon be making covenants with heavenly father, becoming more and more prepared for the next life.

There seems to be a recurring scripture this week. It is the story of Alma, when he lead his people out of king Noah's land. They got captured by the Lamanites and were made slaves. Given heavy burdens and hard labors to perform, they tried to pray for God to help them, but the leader of their captors commanded that they should be put to death if they were found praying.

New elder in the apartment has a fake face -
the pranks will soon begin

So instead of praying outloud, it says that they prayed in their hearts, pouring out their souls in hope that God will help them. Mosiah 24:13-14

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

For what we read here we know that even when we are having a bad day, the lord will still visit us and comfort us. He will still even lift and ease our burdens. I know he certainly has been there for me when I am having a bad day. What a blessing it is to know that someone understands you perfectly, and can perfectly comfort us in any and all affliction. As you come to rely more and more on him, you will see more and more of His hand in your lives. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.