Elder
Moses Simiyu
From
Kenya
Uganda
Kampa Mission
January
16, 2017
I
was born 1st December, 1995, by poor parents who brought up five
kids. I was born in Luanda, Kenya. When I completed my Primary School level, my
mother took me to high school with every resource she would get. I reached form two and the fee was not
available and I dropped out of school..
Embarking on small jobs to get a living for myself and the family, (my
brother was suffering from sickle cell so my mother had to care for him, and
could not get enough time to search for food).
I stayed out of school for a whole year.
One day when I was walking around the streets, I spotted a Children’s
Home. This was the start of my hope
again. The manager at the Orphanage
decided that she could give me a chance of one year to complete my high
school. It was very hard for me to make
up my mind since I saw it not possible having been out of school for a year and
I had skipped one grade (class). This
made confused even the more, but at the middle of the night, I said to myself,
“chance only comes and goes once, use it.”
I studied hard in school (covering Form three and Form Four Syllabus at
the same time). It was at that time
time, a couple from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met the
manager of the orphanage. They sponsored
the orphanage, but at some point, they were sent away with the notion that they
were “devil worshippers”. This thing
made me to have many questions in mind and one of the things was, if these
people are devil worshippers, why have we not died by eating the food they
bring? The clothes we are putting
on? Medication? Later, when I completed my high school I had
to look for them and inquire more about the church.
After
I completed my high school I went to a place called Milimani where I was told
they were living. When I went there, I
saw their truck going out, and I stopped them.
After that they listened to me, and I told them about the orphanage, and
they remembered me. After which they
welcomed me for dinner. That is when I
asked them about the church during dinner.
They gave me a Book of Mormon to read.
I did not find anything wrong in the book. I read the 1st chapter of Nephi
while I was there. They gave me an
assignment which was the Book of Mormon Seminary Manual, and a notepad. I went
the following day I had read up to Chapter 10 in 1st
Nephi. I felt that the book was
true. They encouraged me to read more in
the book. During the day we went
shopping and they bought me some clothes and shoes, a new mattress, bed sheets
and a pillow. They also paid for a place
for me to stay. My parents could not
afford anything for me. In 2015, 22
February Ist was baptized by their grandson.
Their grandson came to visit and baptized me. The couple was Elder and Sister Flake from
Utah. After I was baptized they decided
to pay for college for 1 year, so I could acquire the skills to be self-reliant. They paid for my driver’s license, and electrician
school.
My
parents rejected me when I joined the church.
They thought they would be sacrificed in the church for wealth. I decided that it is okay. I will go on my own. I continued doing jobs with the skills I had
gotten from the college. This missionary
couple gave me food, when I could not find jobs.
In
2015, when I was almost finished with college,
I was 19 years old. Though I
struggled to ends meet, I never lost hope that one day I would become a
missionary. I spoke to my branch
president, and we started a passport application in February 2016. I went to the immigration office 3 times in
Kenya. And they denied me the
passport. The fourth time they
accepted. I started check-up with the
doctor, and filled out the medical form.
In July I submitted the forms.
But there was still a problem. The branch president sent the forms to
Nairobi. They were returned. We corrected the mistake and
resubmitted. We had not attached the
police report. I waited for 1 month, 2nd
month, and in November I was called on the phone by two full-time missionaries that
my call packet had come. I was happy! And I prayed and thanked my Heavenly Father
for that! I had lost hope that I would
never serve a mission. The call came on
Friday. They brought the papers on
Monday. They were full-time
missionaries. I was happy with any
mission I would serve. I did not open
it, until I was in my house. It was
Uganda Kampala Mission! It was one of my
favorites because full time missionaries from Uganda once taught me. He is a returned missionary by now, and he is
my friend.
This
very couple missionaries made me who I am today! A missionary!
People are looking for truth but don’t know where to find it and that is
my role’ telling people the truth. My
parents and other family members rejected me because of joining the
church. The Lord has been good to me
because He has always provided me a way to get my living going on. I miss my family sometimes, but when I remember
the sons of Mosiah among the Lamanites; my strength is renewed. I came on mission because I want my Christ
family to grow. It is my prayer that the
Lord’s favor will be upon all missionaries and make them obey His commandments
to dwell in his vineyard; remember our purpose to “invite others to come unto
Christ…..”.
Though
I might not have a family that cares for me or a place to call home; the Lord
has all the answers to our problems. He
always told us that when we are in the service of our fellowmen, we are in His
service. I know that the mission will
bless my life and gives me hope. One day
it will come to pass that all problems have gone away. I love my parents because were it not for
them I would not be here; the Lord of mercy will soften their hearts to know
this message of restoration. Many years
may pass, but the Savior remains to be faithful to His servants. He will bless them with the knowledge as He
did to me when I was blind-folded by the High School I learned in. The restored Gospel has been my eye-opener to
see the goodness of the atoning sacrifice of the Son of our Heavenly Father.
I
have a testimony that the Lord loves us all.
He really does. The gospel has
been restored again by prophet Joseph Smith and in this last dispensation the
Lord guides His people through the living prophet. In the name of Jesus Christ even our
Savior. Amen.
Elder
Simiyu
Kenya
love this story too. Thank you
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