Today we traveled to Famagusta in the Northeastern section of Northern Cyprus (or Turkish Cyprus) to visit with our good friend and member Destiny. Today her friend Godwin (also from Nigeria) came as well. Destiny is feeling much better than the last time we visited, she had been ill with anemia. She said today that after the blessing she received last month from the elders she felt better almost immediately. She certainly looked much better. (Below is a picture of Godwin and Destiny)
I'd like to tell you a little bit about Godwin. He is a friend of Destiny and Jolly (who left to go to school in Denmark last month). As members of the church too often we take for granted our membership and that we feel free to walk among the saints and serve in the kingdom of God here on earth. Well, Godwin cannot be baptized because he lives in the Turkish sector of Cyprus and missionaries are not allowed there yet. The brethren in Salt Lake City are hard at work trying their best to open up all Turkish lands to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Right now Cyprus is not afforded the same blessing as Istanbul, Turkey. Godwin has read the Book of Mormon and knows the church is true, he asked again this morning if the elders could baptize him, but alas, we had to deny him that privilege again. We did have Sacrament Meeting and partook of the Sacrament, although Godwin did not partake of the bread and water because he is not yet a member. Members of the church are not even allowed to pay their tithing to the church if they live in Turkish Cyprus. We were amazed at the strength of character Godwin exhibits, especially because he attends our meetings but cannot yet be baptized. He said he wants to be faithful so that when the time comes he doesn't have to realign his life with the teachings of the church, he will be living them fully when the time comes.
Elder Vargas and I were the two speakers for our little Sacrament Meeting and Elder Vargas and President Fulton (our branch president) prepared and blessed the Sacrament for us. Elder Christensen conducted.
No comments:
Post a Comment