Bush Village, Testify to Muslim and My Testimony

Hey so this week in Kennema has been so sweet and is just finished and gone!!!  This week we taught so so many lessons and people!  I couldn't believe it! so this week I want to share what Kennema looks like.  So the place where my area of Kennema is, is more like "bush" type.  We have a couple of villages and things here that are really cool to see.  When I say villages yes I mean like the things that you see on TV and the things that when someone says Africa you think about!   Its so sweet and such a humbling experience  we recently had a recent convert who we were talking to and he asked us for a priesthood blessing with some things that were bothering him concerning some tribal issues. I can testify that the gospel has changed his life and he is such a sweet kid.  The people in his house and area (in this village) all see his example and his change, that they to want to be a part of what he has. He is now our Deacons quorum president and leading with such a testimony!! the place is flat! to get to his house we have to walk through rice fields and jump over some streams and even balance on these logs so we don't get our feet all wet. Tomorrow we are going out there and I'm going to take a video of what it looks like and send it to my dad so all can see!! 

Picture from Mission Blog Site Not the actual Village of Elder Hales Area.

Its getting "cold" at nights and I'm even starting to wear my wranglers and things again!  But during the day its hot hot hot and dusty!  Our shirts turn yellow just about everyday!  That's just a good day of work here though!! So this week we also had this contact with a Muslim man. This certain man was a very very cool guy!  Super old and energetic and wanted to "challenge us" and talk about Christianity and Islam .  So we setup an appointment with him. Two days later we went and saw him. He wanted to know why there was many many churches and religions and things. I said sweet, lesson one companion.  Well this man could not read English only Arabic.  So we talked and started on lesson 1 and I tell you what that man fired question after question after question and really wanted to "finish us" people even from around the area were gathered and they all knew that this man liked to challenge other faiths cause he kept saying "look new challengers"  But as we told him of what we knew to be true we got through the lesson and let him know our purpose.  Poor guy posed that he knew the Bible but me learning much in my little 7 months of mission pulled old testament scripture after scripture and finished him!!!  It's not good to say finished...but what really told this man the importance of our message was our testimonies! I love what Boyd K Packer said in 1986 I think he said " nobody can over power a strong testimony, nor contend with one" my companion bore his. I bore mine.  We invited him to read and ponder the book of Mormon.  We committed him to come to church and to pray about our message.  But pray in the name of Christ!   My heart was just racing at this point and time.  He accepted and just started praying with his eyes open and looking at us almost making fun of us!!!  I was like no!  I bore testimony of the seriousness of prayer and even told him that he was disgracing god by doing that in prayer.. he humbled himself and came and said sorry.  Then we committed him that if god answers prayers will he be baptized by that authority  he accepted!!  Then he prayed and he prayed wonderfully!!!  Such a sweet lesson and I was thinking about what went on and things.  I just want to tell you all that a testimony is better than anything you can share with someone.  Something that nobody can over power nor deny! -- I want to bare my testimony to you all that I know that god lives, I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God he lives to this day!  I know that Joseph Smith truly saw God the father and His Son, restored the priesthood power on the earth and brought forth the everlasting gospel that we enjoy!  I know that the book of Mormon is true.  I pray that all who has a testimony of God and questions his power and asks him in faith if the church is true, cause I have done that, I received an answer to my prayers and I know that he will answer your own.  This I know to be true and I leave with you all in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ amen

--ELDER HALES--

P.S. Also this week I tell you I've been working so so hard with my companion we want to see 10 conversions in January and its tough to do all that work getting the people prepared they are so ready but we're doing all the work to get them there and its wearing me out. I love it!!!  I am gyming every morning and every evening and can do about 100 pull ups in the morning and 100 push ups.  gym! scriptures! testify! gym! scriptures! bed! ( but my bed is crappy)  that's all our lives are.  The companionship in the apartment is so sweet and I love everyone in the district they are really really different from me and my background but I have learned to love people no matter what.  I just cant help but to care for every single person and desire to help them! I love this!