Pretoria on Fire!!

Area- Pretoria, South Africa
Companion- Elder Louw
Letter #76

Wait for me to get home before you fix the car! I wanna help and learn! Elder Center was a diesel mechanic so he has told me lots about cars. Now I just need to experience it.

I am setting Pretoria on fire for sure! In fact, the whole world! We have been getting tons of referrals lately so we are happy. Hopefully some of them pan out. I really do enjoy being a zone leader. We teach a zone meeting once every transfer based on the things that we learn in a meeting called Mission Leadership Council with President and the assistants. This transfer the focus was on the gathering of Israel which was a powerful topic. I won't be able to explain it all now so you'll have to remind when I get home to teach you what I learned but basically it was all about how we have been chosen to be here at this specific time in this specific area and that we were foreordained to hold the priesthood (Alma 13) and to be part of the gathering of Israel. The only 2 promises in the Abrahamic Covenant that have not been fulfilled yet are that Israel will be gathered and that Jesus Christ will come a second time. The Book of Mormon was a sign that the gathering has commenced (3 Nephi 21). When God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet and to translate the Book of Mormon he was thinking about gathering His lost sheep by first going to the gentiles and then from them to Israel. Just thinking about how important of a role we play in that great plan is a powerful thought. The missionary work is starting to roll forth in a way that it never has been before. It is being talked about more during conference and even President noticed that there has been a pattern over the past few years that the general authorities are addressing the mission presidents more and more about the the gathering of Israel. 

"A great and a marvelous work is [going] forth among the children of men!" Thanks for sending me that part of my patriarchal blessing. I have often thought about what those words mean and if I have accomplished it to some degree or another. I feel like I have but just like you said, there are still more people in darkness whose light needs to be kindled! 4 more weeks! That part of the blessing and Alma 13 go hand in hand with one another and I never realized it until you quoted that.

I hope that you have a wonderful week! Be examples to everyone and find every opportunity to be a missionary! Thanks for your support and love. Can't wait to see you! 

Love you tons!
-Elder Dirkmaat :D