Sister Chelsea Gehring: Meetings and Mormon Helping Hands

Dear family,

Hello again from the magical land of Zambia! I hope you are all fantastic.

This week was a little bit different than normal weeks. We were doing a lot of things other than the usual. Which was a nice change. It started off on Tuesday. We had another Mission Leadership council. It was just a short one, not the long 2 day meeting. But it was still good to talk about things that are going on in the mission.

On Wednesday we had a Zone meeting all day long. It didn't feel long though. It was really good. We talked a lot about the importance of prayer both for us as missionaries but also the importance of having our investigators understand and use prayer effectively. It made me realize that even though I have been praying all my life, I still have a lot of work to do! The whole day was filled with great reminders. I also liked it because it brought everything back to the basics. When you first come on mission, you stick to the basics because you don't know anything else! That's why new missionaries are so powerful. But the longer you are out, the easier it is to stray from the basics. So that's a new goal of mine- stick to the basics! There is a reason we are taught to do that! Its because that's the way the Savior taught.

Then on Thursday we spent all day at a Mormon Helping Hands project! We were helping renovate and repaint a police station. It was a week long project so by the time we had a chance to go on Thursday, there was already a lot finished. I don't know exactly what it looked like before but I know it looked super nice with the renovations. Mostly I got to paint the curbs on the entrance and around the flag pole. It wasn't like painting a picture but it was still fun to be able to paint again.

Then today was crazy! We are the only sisters who have a car so we spent most of today driving people around for transfers. We had to go into inner city Lusaka again and go to the bus stop to pick some people up. Here's a tip for anyone traveling by bus in Zambia- AVOID TRAVELING BY BUS! The bus stations are super sketchy and dirty and confusing and chaotic. I'd be ok with never having to go back to that place again. But Luckily we made it out alive. Ok maybe im being dramatic but for real, that place was insane.

Speaking of transfers though, I got a call from the Zone leaders and........ I'm staying in Rhodes Park for yet another transfer! I was pretty sure I'd be moved but I guess the Lord has other plans. So Sister Fokoto and I will be together for another 6 weeks here in Lusaka. And this is my last transfer so I'll be finishing my mission right here. By the time I go home I will have been in this area for almost 9 months- half of mission. Crazy huh? Sister Lyon and I figured out that me, her, and one elder are the veterans of Lusaka. Every single other missionary that was here when we arrived in January, other than us 3, has been transferred outside of Lusaka.

One highlight from the week is that Oswald came to church again!! We were supposed to teach him on Saturday but he had to work late so we didn't get to. But he still came! He came 2 weeks in a row and he hasn't even had a proper lesson yet. That's powerful. We are really excited to be able to teach him this week. We have really high hopes for this man. He promised to come to church next week too. I pray he does!

My favorite scripture of the week was Luke chapter 24. In zone conference the APs read this to us. They had us close our eyes and pretend like we were really there. It was powerful. They used it to teach several different things. But for me it really brought the spirit. It made me realize that even if I am a missionary, if I don't pay attention and if I am not careful, I could miss the Savior! How sad would that be... It gave me a renewed resolve to do my best to make sure I have a personal relationship with Him.

Well once again, I hope you are all fantastic! Have a great week. I love you!

Love, Sister Gehring

Lusaka East Zone Conference

I miss real Mexican food...

Blueberry Yum Yum! This is the happiest sight to see when I open the fridge.

Delicious!

District before Elder Allred was transferred. Elder Allred, Elder Hill, me, and Sister Fokoto.

Us again. This time doing our ''strength'' pose. We're super cool.

Matilda, Yvette, Nancy, and their friend Martha with more mud phones. This time they used stickers to make the buttons. It was so cute!

Special thanks to Sister Riley for sending the stickers. They were so excited when I gave them to them. I told them that you had seen their picture and thought they were very cute so you sent the stickers for them. Then when we went back the next time, this is how they had used them. Thank you thank you!