This week has been so amazing. On Wednesday we had zone conference. Elder Klebingat of the Seventy came and talked a lot about our role in gathering the House of Israel and how that role came to be. So we talked a lot about the pre mortal life and what happened. That man was a legend when it came to knowing the scriptures and pretty much the whole time he was quoting them. We went into some pretty deep doctrine which was so epic and I learned so much. President and Sister Thomas also talked to us about how important the Book of Mormon is in the work of sharing the gospel. So we had an amazing discussion about how amazing the Book of Mormon is and how much it can help not only those we are teaching but also ourselves. We also discussed a bit about the mission, goals we have, and what our focus should be. So our baptism number last year as a mission was 2500 which is amazing. Elder Klebingat wants us to double it and get 5000 in this next year. But not only baptisms. We want to get convert baptisms. So we talked a lot about how our focus should be on really helping the people we are teaching to become converted to the gospel and Jesus Christ. And making sure they have their own strong and amazing testimony before we baptize them. We should make sure they are converted to Christ and His gospel, not to the church or the missionaries. Cause thats a really common thing here. The investigators tend to stop studying with missionaries once “their missionary” gets transferred or goes home. So I’m excited to see how this is gonna go because I’m so excited to teach people and watch how they grow their own testimonies and become converted unto Christ and His gospel. 

Throughout the whole week, we’ve been teaching a lot of lessons and meeting a lot of new people, recent converts, and the members. It’s been so awesome to see so many different faces and getting to know them better. Now on Sundays when I see them all I can actually say hi and have a conversation with them which has been such a blessing. The new friends that we’ve found have been awesome and been so willing to study with us. Even our investigators that have started to reach out to us and ask when we can meet again so it’s been amazing. In fact, this week we’ve been inviting a lot of people to come to stake conference on Sunday. So when that time came, we were anxious to see how many would come because it was raining that morning. As it always does here in Liberia. Whenever it rains on Sunday, no one shows up to church or pretty much anywhere haha. So we were so freaking excited when we had 8 of our new investigators and a few more others show up! It was so awesome to see them all there and see what our church is like. There were some amazing talks during the conference that I was so happy our friends got to hear them. So that was a HUGE blessing for me and Elder Batila. 

Overall it’s been a pretty epic week and I’m excited to see how this next week and month goes. Cause we have some amazing new investigators and I’m hoping by the end of my training a few of them will be ready to be baptized! The work is so amazing in Liberia and I’m so excited to teach them all about this amazing, powerful restored gospel. 

Spiritual thought of the week: I was reading an old letter from my pa, and decided to read the scriptures he gave to me again. Alma 31:32-38. Alma and his boys were praying to God asking Him to help them convert the Zoramites back to Christ. So after they prayed, in verse 37, it says “taking no thought for themselves”and then later in verse 38, “and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.” So I know that as we pray in faith, put our selfish behaviors behind us, and strive to do everything in the right, we will be able to help others come unto Christ and have our hardships swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Full time missionaries or not, we can help others come closer to Christ! So invitation time: go ministering… enough said. Just do it and I promise you’ll be happier as you help others. 

Love you all! Send me pics and emails! 

-Elder Good Man 

1) the boys of Virginia and Tubmanburg 

2) a few of our investigators that came to zone conference 

3) yes I joined the stake choir, I know big surprise but it was epic 

4) we were lucky enough to go get ice cream in downtown after zone conference, so clutch 

5) me and Elder Batila after zone conference, we just too saucy