(This is the story of Zazu.)
It was dark, his skin, just like the strike of midnight, his eyes bright as two moons. He was leading the hunt, a common practice of the people of Zambia. He used to be a slave owner, but he was called noble for the release of his slaves. Now they hunted as equal men, him leading them as a like man.
They walked with their prized meat, heading toward the village. They scattered as a leopard suddenly pounced from the trees, falling upon the leader of their pack. They fought, the leopard gouging the man's legs with its claws, but the man being full of adrenaline caught the beast in a choke hold. The leopard struggled, but the man did not let go. It began to wheeze as it writhed. It's back heaved and heaved. It was getting weaker. This unrelenting man did not loosen his hold until he heard the last of the leopard's breath. It was dead. He was alone, wounded, and the village was still more than half an hours distance.
The hunting group arrived back, thinking their former master was now surely a former friend. There was no way he had survived. He was not the largest man, and leopards were fierce creatures. They consulted about what to do concerning the body, whether to return and see if there were any remains and when to do it.
As they counseled they heard a shout. They looked an saw a figure, a man carrying a beast. It was him who they called dead. He was the hero standing on a hill.
That was his name ever since.
I woke from this dream. ...That is the translation of my name... That dream was an actual event of my grandfather's life!
I called my mother. As I told the story my mother began to thank me profusely through her tears, thanking me and God. Why was she acting this way?
"Thank you Lord! Yes Zazu, that is your grandfather's story! I was told never to speak of it to you, but that you would call one day having received a vision of it. Thank you God!"
So it was. I had received a vision. And that was not the only one.
Where this all started, was my grandfather. He married someone unique. Why did he do this, I do not know, but he married the witch doctor's daughter. It's a bad magic, and it is bread in their children and unlocked when the time is appropriate, and he knew this. These are my ancestors. I have been dealing with these issues since that time.
I am blessed with many siblings. two older brothers, two older sisters, and five younger sisters. from the time I was very young, I have had this spirit in me. It was only now revealed in my mind in a vision that this happened and confirmed by my mother.
My sister was sick with a fungus on her toe. It was not getting better. I was only five, maybe younger. I took herbs, and rubbed them on her feet. That is all it took. She was better. I didn't even know what the herbs were. I just grabbed them and did the good dead.
I was a bad kid in school, I always got a whoopen from my mother! It was good for me. She liked to use a long branch. Wpsh! Wpsh! I would be picked on and I would get angry. Before I knew it the kid would be on the ground with two black eyes. I wouldn't have a scratch on me. My mother would take care of that. Wpsh! Wpsh! This would always happen. This because I was schooled in the martial arts. I did work up to the black belt level. They wanted to exspell me from the school because this was always happen. But they were the ones who would always instigate me.
In tenth grade I had a friend. He was a bad kid. He wanted to work out one day during our lunch break of school. We were walking, him, and me, and another, the three of us. "This isn't the way to the gym," I said. "Yes it is, I have the weights in my bag."
We sat on this field. He pulled out of his bag this drug. I didn't know it was a drug. It was a type of weed. He rolled it up. It was long. We all took turns smoking it until it was gone. Everything was fine until we stood up. Everything was spinning. Nothing was right.
I went home, and my dad knew. He didn't say anything, but as he turned the paper it was like it was smacking me with the words, "you're high!" No... I'm not high.. "You're high!" He had some words for me that day.
When I went back to school, the one who had the weed in his back was not there. It was said by everyone that three went out to smoke, and the facts were clear that one of them ended up dead. My 'friend.' That could have been me... It scared me bad. From that point on I determined I would have nothing to do with drugs.
The other who was still with us ratted me out. We were exspelled. I was sent to a private bording school elsewhere in Africa where it was build in you to survive. My father sent me here to teach me how to be a man.
There was drama between the head boy and his girlfriend. They framed me and long story short sixteen boys came against me. All I knew is that when I thought something, it happened. If I thought about kicking two people at once, it happened. I was granted with the same strength as Samson. Every jaw was broken. I messed them all up.
They put me in prison for awhile. But the charges were dropped when it was concluded as self defense. I was out. My father asked me where I wanted to go. I told him america. And that's how I came to the United States as a young adult.
Since then, I have been hearing this voice, speaking in the language of the king James Bible, more and more. "I am the light and the way. Heal this man." Say what? "Tell that man to buy flowers for his wife." Hey, buy flowers for your wife. God told me to tell you. So he goes. He obeys. He contacts me and says I have saved their marriage. No no! God saved your marriage! I have just been his tool.
There was one instance where I got connected with someone over the internet, someone in England. She was stricken with HIV. I felt for her. So grieved. Then I heard. "Heal her." I asked if she had faith she could be healed. "She loves money. She must repent to be healed." I warned her of what God said. She said ok. "Go to these three doctors. Take all three tests. You will be healed." She did. They all came back negative. She and I rejoiced.
But it was short in the living. She sued those doctors for false diagnoses. She wanted the money. She then contracted another incurable disease. I asked her why she did it, she was warned. She just loved money too much.
These voices and promptings began to be too much. I felt it was a demon that I could not escape. I went to different church leaders, wanting them to cast this demon OUT in the name of Jesus! But they all told me that I was blessed, that the Lord had given me a gift, not a demon, and sent me away. So many times this happened.
Demons I have found, do not possess me. But they work through the people I am close to. I have four children, all daughters, with three different women. My little Nala I have kept close to me. The others are with their mothers. Nala's mother, when Nala was just 18 months pointed a gun at my face. I knew it wasn't loaded, but she didn't. She pulled the trigger. 'click.' We seperated that night. I took Nala with me.
When Nala was three she kidnapped her. I hired a lawyer. They could not do anything until her mother came back into the state. I fasted every day from sunrise to sunset so that she would return. I have never gained back my weight. I was working in the oil field at the time, on a fracing crew. I lost it, went blank. I could have killed someone. They knew what was going on with me. I know the only option was to have them let me go. I picked up a truck driving job. Five months after the kidnapping the voice spoke. "You will receive a call. Don't get angry." I received the call. I was fuming. But I was obedient. I did not show my anger. She came back for Nala's medical papers. I won Nala back, haven't seen the mother since.
This is my story. I long for a women who can be a mother to Nala. She is almost eight. She needs a mother in her life. I am looking for truth and right. I have made many mistakes and repentance is so unattainable it seems. Please sisters, send some prayers to God for me.
What a story Zazu has!
As far as this week goes, this is an update on what went on in the form of president's letter:
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| The Near Kids |
Dear President,
With sickness always comes a lack of motivation and a struggling to get back on your feet. But we have been able to hobble this past week to teach seven lessons and we are now standing stronger again! So that is always good.
We have been very concerned about the people we have on date- Charity (24th) and Jaffar (17th). We weren't able to have a single lesson with either of them this week, and neither of them watched general conference even though they both had solid plans to! :( We didn't contact them Monday or Tuesday, but we had tried every day since Wednesday, and we reached Jaffar once and we were able to stop by Orlando and Charity's on Saturday before they had to leave somewhere so we at least got to check up in person. Charity's been staying strong with not smoking!!
Neither Jaffar nor Charity came to church because of work and sickness respectively, but Orlando came without Charity! Which is huge! He has done a great thing in proving his devotion to the Lord! Good thing though is we have appointments with both Orlando and Charity AND Jaffar lined up for this evening, both member presents. We pray that they follow through. Especially since Jaffar's date is in less than a week. It's still possible, we just need to meet with him nearly every day this week! But it will all work out the way it's supposed to.
But lots of people came to church this week, including three people who haven't attended before! One of them was a referral from the elders (he lives in our area) and we have an appointment with him on Wednesday. :)
Things are plugging along. We will do our best with Jaffar's baptism this week!
Also... Sister Lewis and I got our flight plans in the mail... ah!
We take off from the Bismarck airport and about 11, then we have a layover in Minneapolis, then I fly into the Sky Harbor airport and land at 3:13pm!
So that's crazy.
Poor Sister Lewis has an additional layover in Huston, TX before she flies home to Louisiana.
She's not getting home till after 6:00pm.
I told her I'll be playing video games before she gets home. haha.
This is a fitting tribute to Sister Lewis! :-)
And I just can't get
enough of those kittens!
"Why do I put up with this?
"Oh yeah, that's why...prrrr."
We went over and saw Sister Awesome with her newly adopted girl that she's been working for two years to bring home from Ukraine! 
Sister Lewis's ear was hurting, so she bought these ear candles, so Orlando's parents helped us use them!
This is Elias and Mr. Kiwi. Mr. Kiwi has been Elias's roommate from when Elias moved here in July. They used to live in an apartment with a few other people and everyone poked fun at Elias for meeting with us and converting. Mr. Kiwi always joked about him being baptized and played it off like he wasn't serious. But now that the other people are out of the picture and it's just Elias and Mr. Kiwi living under the same house roof, he totally really wants to be baptized, and for US to get him there! His heart has been softened! It's so cool!
Sunday:
