IDAHOMIES!

We had another sister in Blantyre go home for some emotional health issues so now I am companions with Sister Porter!!!!!! I am finishing her training which I am so excited about. I have always wanted to train and the Lord truly grants the desires of our hearts. Its been quite a hectic week with a lot of changes that have been happening but it was SO wonderful.

FHE: We headed to our other area and had it with the Frank Family and Hanna Witness ( a recent convert). We asked Evelance to give the lesson and she ended up reading the entire Word of Wisdom pamphlet but nonetheless I was really touched by her desire to share her testimony and teach us. We played a super simple clapping game with them and they were all laughing SO hard and were getting so into it. Then we pulled out our cake and Sister Arok was telling them how I worked so hard to make it (it was a from a box) and so they all started chanting my name. On our way home Peter Frank (17 years old) escorted us home because it is sort of a sketchy area at night and it was good for me to just walk and talk with him. He struggles to speak English but was trying so hard and we actually were doing really well. He was so excited to tell me about how he went with the other young men to visit some less actives. You should have seen how excited he was to tell me. Missionary work brings so much light to our lives!!

FHE at the Franks!

Our mission has been counseled again and again to seek out the rich and the learned to help establish the Church. It can be difficult at times but we have been so blessed this past week. We taught someone with a microwave in their house! I have never had that happen before. I have mentioned this before but we have been very diligent in praying for families but recently I have been praying specifically to be lead to find priesthood holders. This week, at the end of one of the days, I all the sudden realized that the entire day we had taught potential priesthood leaders! I was so grateful for the many prayers that we have given that have been answered! We have Tom who is doing so great! He has had a lot of things come up and has to go out of town but he really loves the Book of Mormon. It was during his lesson, when he understood so well and was so in tune with the Spirit that we all just realized how short our time is here and that we need to seek out the prepared. We need to have greater faith that the Lord will prepare more people for us. Tom even has been sharing with his family and has given us a couple of referrals! We also have Willis. The man who covered his Book of Mormon with plastic. He is quitting his job so that he can come to church on Sundays. We met a father named Julio Gama....for some reason I thought he said his name was Yo Yo so I accidentally call him that all the time. Anyways he is self-reliant and so smart. We are teaching the Nkhululu family who also is of the rich and learned. This week we were able to reap the rewards from our finding efforts and also were able to witness the hand of the Lord in our work.

WE WENT ON SPLITS!!!! Never would I have thought we'd be able to do that.....but last week during our weekly planning we called President Kupu and asked if it would be ok since we have so many people we need to see. Soon Wednesday morning, Sister Porter and I went and taught together while Sister Arok went with a member. We saw Addsum, our recent convert, and he is incredible. We read his family history and under the section about himself he wrote that he wants people to know that he loves sharing the gospel and that he keeps the Sabbath Day Holy. How sweet is he. That afternoon, I went with two different members on splits while Sister Arok and Sister Porter went together. I went with Regina who has a difficult time speaking. It was a lot harder than I expected it to be as I had to do most of the teaching. It made me SO grateful for the blessing of companions, especially the companions I have. But at the same time, Regina would add in a few times, or would read from the pamphlet and the entire time she had the biggest smile on her face. It was one of the highlights of my week. At the end of the night, we went to meet up with the other member to go on splits and she was late. We could not a hold of her either! I started to get really stressed because we had 2 families we really needed to see. I said a silent prayer and dialed one more time. Instantly she picked up and we were able to go teaching!

 Splits with Regina!

Deborah, Joseph's niece, is doing really well!!! This week we followed up on the scripture that we left her...she read half a verse. Half a verse! hahahahah I could not stop laughing. We don't know why she didn't finish it but at lease she read half. She is on date for November 6th and this week she shared with us that she thinks her dad may not want her to be baptized but no matter what "I will be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints". I continue to be amazed by the faith of youth here in Malawi. Mutual was so much fun!!! We taught them about the importance of education and then played Capture the Flag. At one point I just stopped and laughed at myself for getting so into it. Here I am, a missionary playing capture the flag. Anyways we are planning a big etiquette dinner this Friday for the youth and they are so pumped!! 

We were walking to our appointment one night and it was dark and guess what I did....rolled my ankle. It was pretty bad but we made it through the rest of the night. I was really worried about it so I asked the elders for a priesthood blessing. I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood and that it has been restored. It eased my mind and calmed my fears and my ankle feels great! I woke up Sunday morning with it pretty swollen and I still have got quite the kankle but it doesn't hurt! I know that Heavenly Father does watch over and bless His missionaries. As I kneeled in prayer that night I was touched as I thought of my family who pray for me to be safe and healthy and to find success. 

Classic Sister Bingham

yeah i rolled my ankle once again.......

Sunday was wonderful as always! Lyson passed his interview and will be baptized next week! Joseph blessed the sacrament for the first time!!!! This was by the far the best part of the whole week. I was sitting in Church, stressing over our area and who wasn't at church when I felt a quiet whisper to look up. I had been so caught up in my own worries that I had failed to see Joseph sitting in front at the Sacrament table. He was wearing his new white shirt the Hulls had given him and looked so happy! The prayers were extra special for me yesterday. It is difficult to explain how much joy it brings to see your recent convert, serving in his priesthood duties. He has been REALLY nervous to say the prayers because he is afraid he will mess up. He did so well though! Another moment where I just thought to myself, "Can I just be a missionary forever?" The time is short that we serve but I was given advice this week to keep focusing and make the most of each day here. There really is so much work to be done! Can't wait to get to it!!!

Ndimakukonda Kwambili,

Sister Bingham

 Mutual!

 Malawian Sunsets