Coming and Going

“Some people pass through our lives for a reason, to teach us lessons that could never be learned if they stayed.”
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I recall the discussions I once had with my mother, and others ​​​around the time of my adolescence. While I understood the reality of people coming and going, I never accepted its application. And considering the number of places I've been, and the number of people I've known, it's interesting to note that I'm still not used to leaving - or having other people go.

This past Saturday, as my companion and I were preparing the chapel for the baptism of a family we'd been teaching, the phone rang with a call from the mission president.
He informed me that my time in Chatsworth had come to an end, and that I was needed in Bethlehem. With the news still sinking in, I mustered myself up for the baptisms - and boy, what an experience!

The family's neighbour, as well as a close friend of theirs, came to show their support - the moment was tender and sweet. The Sunday following, both the father and daughter were confirmed (as the mother's a returning member), and their youngest (10 months old) was given a naming and a blessing. Seeing a family enter into the Gospel, united, is a blessing like none other.

As the day progressed, I began thinking back to the experiences I had in months previous - and the bonds that had been created. A family in Hillcrest (who I was privileged to teach) shared that another family that Elder Bryan and I taught are actively attending Church, and that they had made friends.

In this short time, I've seen the hand of the Lord in hastening His work. Even just a while back, while we were at the hospital, a man walked into me - purposefully and intentionally. And when I shrugged it off, he did it again - just  to get my attention. It was then that I noticed who he was - and he was there with his wife. They requested that my companion and I give their daughter a blessing, who shared with us concerning her father's baptism. Teaching them was an honour and to see them again, in the Gospel, has strengthened my testimony.

Chatsworth has been an experience of note - and as I leave the families I've taught behind, I feel my heart strings tug. But I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to be a part of their journey. I have witnessed two children of record being baptised and four converts in this area alone. I pray that the Lord keeps careful watch over them, and that He prepares the rest to receive of His glorious Gospel.
​Tomorrow I move up to Bethlehem, working as a Zone Leader with Elder Ncube. Perhaps I'm able to see another convert I taught in ​Kroonstad - but if not, home is not that far away. And for that, I am grateful. I have learnt a lot - and I feel still that there is more to come.

Everything is going to be okay.