Elder Ryland Earl Rash: Week 56: Zone Conference with a General Authority

So it has been a pretty slow week. We had a lot of meetings and a Zone Conference and we had a visit from Elder Ellis, and that was super neat and super inspirational.

So on Tuesday we spend quite a bit of time in the Royal Police Station here in Swaziland. Elder Chirchir has been asked to work on getting a police clearance report from the government here so that he will be allowed to go to Mozambique when he receives his Visa, which should be soon. So we had to go to the Police station for a LONG time... Inefficiency. That is the only word I can use to explain my experience there.

On Wednesday we had a boat load of meetings with the Zone Leaders, District Meeting, and a Zone Training, then we cleaned the Chapel afterwards, celebrated some birthdays, and went out to lunch. Because of all of this, we didn't leave until about 3 o'clock to our area.

On Saturday we had our Zone Conference! That was really a spiritual experience, also a stressful one. In preparation, we were running around like chickens with their heads cut off to fix last minute things that had been forgotten, or misplaced, or weren't working. It was pretty hectic. But after everything was sorted out, we were able to relax and enjoy the spiritual training that we received from Elder Ellis. The biggest thing that I took away from his training is when we studied John 10:1-14. We learn that Christ is the Good Shepherd. As we read this scripture, we applied it to ourselves. How we can be "Good Shepherds". We need to know our sheep and be known of our sheep. We need to love our sheep and give our lives to our sheep. If they trust us and know our voice, they will follow us, and no one else. But also, people will follow who treats them right. If a sheep knows the voice of a Bad Shepherd, it will still follow him because it knows his voice and will not follow a stranger. We can also apply this to parenthood. Whose voice to our children follow? Who is their Shepherd?

I also have a pretty funny and frustrating story that happened to us yesterday as we were contacting some houses. We saw a man sitting outside by himself, and we thought we would contact him. So we approach him, introduce ourselves as missionaries, and he replies, "Listen guys, I went to church today! I got there at 8, and was there all the way until 8:30 am! I have my church, I worship God. Thank you very much, but right now I just want to enjoy my Beer. So get out of my sight!"... "How Christlike," I thought as I walked away so furiously confused as to how people can worship God one moment, and then later that night get so hammered drunk that they don't remember any of it the next day. You cannot serve God and Mammon.

Well, that is how my week was. Today we have a 4th of July Barbeque with the whole Swaziland Zones, so it should be a blast!

I know this work is true. I know God lives. I know he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet of the living God. I know that The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, is a true record of God's dealings with his people. I'm proud to be a missionary of the Lord Jesus Christ and Proclaim His name as the "Sound of a Trump."

Elder Ryland Rash