Sister Berihane Shewandagn shares the news of her mission call."I am the girl from Ethiopia who had the article about me on your web page. I hope you know Susie [Augenstein, of the Parkway Ward]; she is a great example of positive thinking and charity, which is a pure love of Christ. She is helping me very much for my mission as well as for my future well-being. She told me about your group; I saw your page, and the article you had about me. I am very thankful for it.
"I received my mission call last Monday [January 22], and am going to serve in the Kenya Nairobi Mission. I am going to South Africa to the MTC and to receive my temple endowment. I am so excited to see the temple and to receive the sacred ordinances, especially to receive the endowment, which will so bless my life. I feel very blessed that they assigned me to go to the temple before my mission. I believe my faith will grow ever stronger and that I will gather fruit for life eternal. It is a great assignment and responsibility that I have been recommended as being worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel and official representative of the Church. I know that my Heavenly Father will help me to be fruitful with this sacred assignment.
"I still have some vaccinations to get, and I still need some other things that are recommended in the manual. I am emailing you to express my thanks and to ask that you please keep me in your prayers.
"It is my prayer that I can be a real instrument for many souls to make the mighty change and get closer to Christ by belonging to His true church. It is very important to build our foundation on the rock, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know by doing so I will bring salvation to my soul and will be blessed both spiritually and physically."
February 12, 2007
Sister Berihane Shewandagn of Ethiopia was featured in a Genesis newsletter article when a group of Relief Society sisters in Riverton, Utah, helped her prepare for her mission. Sister Shewandagn is excited as she finishes preparations to enter the MTC in South Africa.
"I love the name Sister; it reminds me to be sure that I have a brother in the Lord. Even though we are from different earthly parents, I believe we are brothers and sisters in the Lord. But to be true brothers and sisters in the Lord takes great faith and understanding according to the gospel of Christ. That is a great thing for me especially, because I don't have any brothers in my family; I was the only girl in my family, and my father has died. Now I have an eighteen-month-old sister from my stepfather. As a result, I am very glad and blessed that I have [the Genesis group members] who love me, support me, and care for me.
"I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father, who provides the way before me. I am just a simple girl; it is through His great grace you write to me.
"I am going to report to the MTC on March 29, but I don’t know the exact day that I will receive my endowment. I should be in South Africa for 19 days. I can't use email in the MTC; therefore, my mail at the MTC in South Africa is:
Sister Berihane Shewandagn Woldeyes"When I arrive in Kenya, my address will be:
Kenya Nairobi Mission
South Africa MTC
3 Philips Avenue
Discovery
Roodeport, Gauteng
South Africa
Sister Berihane shewandagn"It will be a great experience for me to serve my Heavenly Father. I believe I will treasure it more, as it is spiritually and physically a chance to get to know many people who have different personalities and positions. It will be a great college that teaches everything at the same time, both spiritually and physically. I know that my Heavenly Father will help take care of me. Please keep me in your daily prayers!
Kenya Nairobi Mission
PO Box 46162-00100
Nairobi, Kenya
June 4, 2007
"I didn't expect all of those sweet presents; it means a lot to me. I always feel renewed by the love that Heavenly Father has for me through your sweet personality, the pure love that you have showed me and are still showing me. I am so touched by the sweet letters that I get from all the kids from the Genesis Group; I am so touched. I really know that Heavenly Father loves me so much, and He knows me. I wore the "Charity Never Fails" necklace; everyone was asking me where I got it; it was so nice telling them that I got it from my spiritual mom. I am so blessed having you in my life. Please pass my thanks and greeting to your friend, Shauna, and her daughters.
"My mission is going very well, thanks be to God. Last Friday I had my first conference; it was so spiritual, because most of the missionaries are leaving—even our mission president—so there was a testimony program. I bore my testmony. I had a hard time bearing my testimony because I was crying, but I told them that Heavenly Father is doing more for me than even an earthly parent does for a child. I testified that part of the reason that I am on a mission is to give thanks and gratitude for the things that Heavenly Father does for me by sharing my testimony with my brothers and sisters. I testified about the Savior and His great Atoning sacrifice for each and every one of us, so that we can be saved if we will repent and apply His Atonment in our lives. I also testified of the restored gospel, that it is really the only source of true happiness and peace as we live through its teachings. And I restified of the blessing of having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.
One missionary who was sitting next to me said, "I decided not to bear my testimony, because Sister Woldeyes' testimony killed me!"
All the testmonies I heard from the missionaries and the mission president increased my faith that I have in my Heavenly Father and His Son, my Savior. I don't worry about anything; He is mindful of me and of my future life. What I really need is to fully convert to the gospel. Conversion is a long process, and I am working on it as much as I can.
"The people of Kenya are good, though it is hard to tell much about them after being here such a short time. I have met some good Saints. I am really enjoying my branch; there are some cooperative members who help us teach investigators; they help us so that we can have a lesson with a member present. And even the investigator can feel the friendship that he will have in the Church. when we contact people they listen and receive the pamphlet, and some of them run away from us when we tell them that we are missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is so sad; they have a misunderstanding about the Church. They think we are devil worshiper. But there are also many members who came to find out weather we are devil worshipers or not, and they ended up being baptized and they now have a strong testimony of the Church. Sometimes it makes you cry when you see these kinds of situations, but I am so grateful for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. He is always there for me, even in the sad situations. I know that one day they will come to know that this is the true church of Christ, which God revealed to a young boy, Joseph Smith, who he called to be a prophet and an instrument to restore the very church Jesus Christ himself established while He was here on earth. I hope that then they will repent and partake of the blessings of the restored gospel; that is my prayer.
"We are blessed with six people who are preparing to receive the ordinace of baptisim and confirmation."
September 10, 2007
"The people here like Ethiopians very much, and they always tell me that I am pretty and that they are in love with me—even sometimes the elders. What makes me wonder is how all these people can fall in love with me within such a short time just by seeing me on the outside, but without knowing me on the inside. As I thought about these things, I wonder how I can find a righteous husband who truly accepts me for who I am, both my strengths and my weaknesses, who really seek my inside beauty and who will be close to my heart.
"If I didn't have the gospel in my life, I wouldn't be who I am now. Once we have the gospel in our life it keeps us from going astray, from being deceived by men's flattering words. No worldly things can win us. We don't look at worldly quality, but we seek deep spiritual qualities. Heavnely Father blessed me with confidence in Him. I always strive to apply what D&C 6:36 says; it is a great scripture for me. Even though it is short, it includes all the things we need to strive for to walk rightouesly.
"The great foundation to be a righteous child of Heavenly Father is His gospel. God is our eternal father, and Christ is our personal Savior and Redeemer. He suffered and died so that we can have joy and peace in this life and even in the life to come as we strive to apply His Atonement in our daily life. For me, the Atonement means not only His suffering and death, but the life He lived here on earth to set for us a great example of how we are supposed to live our life here on earth in order to be a partaker of the great promised blessings that enable us to have true happiness and peace.
"I had such a wonderful week! Yesterday we had a stake general conference; it was so inspiring. I learned a lot. I met one mother who has two daughters. She is a single mother, but she has such faith and love for her Heavenly Father. She really made my day! She told me that she is the only one who teaches her two daughters, pays rent, and buys food and other expenses. She told me that she walks a long distance to get to work, but she says that she has such a great blessing. Though she doesn't have money for transportation, He gave her legs and good health so she could walk get to her work. She also said, "He gave me two very good daughters who are very concerned about me and who know God." I cried thinking about us who complain because we don't have extra things we want in life . . . how many of us appreciate what He gave us and the many blessings we enjoy?
"I am so happy I made the decision to come on a mission There are many peple who seek and are ready for the gospel, but who can't find it because they don't know where to get it. Heavenly Father made as instruments to show them the way.
October 8, 2007
"I am so grateful to be able to serve my mission here in Kenya. I am learning a lot, more than I ever have before. He knows this is the place that I treasure most, both for things spiritual and physical, and it is the place where I learn and grow spiritually.
"My love for my Savior increases each and every day. I am seeing God's hand in my life since I came on my mission. This Sunday was so powerful, filled with the Spirit. I was inspired and gave my testimony, and I was able to control my tears this time. I truly know with all my heart that the Church is true. I know God lives, and He loves us so much.
"Whenever my love for the Savior increases, it helps me get closer to Him, and I have a great opportunity to show the love I have for my Savior by striving to live and overcome what I am going through. I know Christ didn't come only to die for my sins, but also to show me the way I am supposed to live, so I keep striving to live my life the way He showed me. As I strive I have had to ask for forgiveness more than once, but the Spirit is always with me.
December 24, 2007
"I am doing great. I am very happy to celebrate the birth of my Savior while I am doing His work. It's a great opportunity to ponder about the life of my Savior and His great Atonement for all the children of men, and personally for me, so that I may have eternal peace and joy as I strive to follow His living example. As I strive to apply the Atonement in my life by daily repentance, my heart is full of joy. I have never felt the way I feel now during a Christmas season; it's a great blessing serving a mission.
"My love for my Savior keeps increasig each and every day. I feel His sweet love always in my life, and I am so much grateful that I am here on my mission so I can help others feel the sweet love of the Savior that I am enjoying in my life, just by believing in Him and by striving to live in faith."
January 14, 2008
"I am doing great. The last few weeks have been so sad because the political problem. I feel so sad as I see the people who are displaced and whose houses have burned, but I know God is mindful of all these things. Hard times helps to us focus on what is really important in life again, and give us an opportunity to increase our love for the Savior and for those whom we serve as we strive to reach out for help.
"I have learned so much. I have seen great faith, which has made me cry as I talk to the people who are affected. Their faith is still alive. What a blessing it is to serve a mission and meet so many wonderful people who increase our love and faith in the Savior. I am so grateful to serve, and I love the people I am serving.
"Some members still ask about the Black issue, and they are grateful for President Kimball. We try to help them by telling them that we need to convert into the culture of the gospel of our Savior. I am so grateful for the DVD that is available about Blacks in the Scriptures. I know it helps a lot."
January 21, 2008
"I have been thinking about remembering our covenants. We need always to remember and live the covenants that we make with our Heavenly Father when we are baptized and when we receive our endowment in the temple.
"This week a group of members went for a temple trip; it was good to see their excitement. They are well prepared. I am very happy for them. I pray that they may feel in a very special way the love Heavenly Father has for each one of them while they are in His house.
"The people who got baptized are doing great; they were confirmed yesterday.
"The day was great yesterday. We didn't go out beginning on Wednesday because there was a demonstration followed by shooting, so we were told to stay inside. We didn't do any contacting, but Heavnely Father blessed us with a wonderful couple who came by themselves. They live 40 km from the chapel. They made my day! We were doing splits, so I was teaching with a member present. The couple said that they had visited many churches, but they had not found such dedicated sessions and such teachings. The wife was crying in the middle of the lesson. In the middle of the lesson when I asked her if she will pray to know that President Gorden B. Hinckley is a prophet of God in these last days, she said in a very tender voice, "I do believe." It brought tears to my eyes. We have an appointment with them next Sunday."
February 18, 2008
"Heavenly Father gives us little exams in our life for our own blessing. Since I came on my mission, I have learned so much. I was just pondering about some of the lessons that I have learned on my mission. I have learned that PATIENCE is the gateway of virtue. I think the rest are the fruits of that patience, and God is patient as well.
"I would love to encourage all to fast as they feel they can do so. My favorite scripture about fasting is from Isaiah 58; the whole chapter is wonderful, but I especially like verses 8–11. It always inspires me to fast, and it's always new every time I read it.
"I have really felt the blessings of Heavenly Father on my mission. We had a lot of people to teach, and we found all of them from street contact. On Tuesday we had only 30 minutes to contact. Within that 30 minutes we made a golden contact. So all our new investigators for this week came from that contact. God's way and our way is always so different, sometimes it really makes me wonder how He prepares His children to receive His restored gospel. It's not because we talk a lot about the gospel, but the little we shared—the very simple but sincere sentence—can touch the heart of the person we are talking to, and cause a mighty change, only if we have the Spirit. "There is a paster we are teaching. He asks a lot of questions and knows the Bible very well. He is a kind of stubborn when we teach him. I like his questions, so I always pray when we teach him so that he can listen to us, and he does. You can see when the Spirit testifies to the truthfulness of the message we are sharing with him and it touches his heart through his deep breathing. My companion and I are so eager to baptize this man, because once he receives his own firm testimony that indeed that this the only true church with all the priesthood power and authority for our salvation, I know he will make a great leader. He is progressing very well and keeps his commitment to read and to pray about the Book of Mormon.
"All the people we are teaching are very ready for the gospel. They share their testimonies, the change in their mind and heart, and it feels so great to hear them.
"It was hard for me to feel that indeed President Gordon B. Hinckley has died. I love him, and I wish he could have stayed a little longer. But I know where he is. This is one of the great blessings, having the restored gospel in our life."