Once upon my mission

         LANGUAGE

"She heard me talking to my language and she got interest to talk to me"

Throughout my first year on mission, I have been finding it difficult to find people to teach by myself, I preferred receiving referrals from members and they are the one to introduce me to those people I have to share the restored gospel, the work has been working with me in that aspect and many of the people who were converted at that time are the fruit of the members referrals, as I have received a call of transfer to a different place, things changed people were difficult to approach in fact I was the one fearing to approach them, after observing for a while, I noticed that things will not work for me if I will continue like this meaning staying without my ability to talk to people, here is what came to my mind as I was pondering about this matter. I said to myself Elder Lono, you can't share this wonderful message except you find someone to teach, talking to my companion about this inspiration, we had to study The preach my gospel chapter 9, How do I find people to teach during our companionship study.

Wonderfully we found this: Nothing happens in missionary work until you find someone to teach.

Nothing will help me fulfill my purpose as a missionary to invite people to come unto Christ except I find them or i approach them and teach them. That has been my commitment, our companionship commitment.

We had much success in applying this but this method has been the best that led me to talk to much people: on one occasion in the car while returning to our area, I received a call from a French missionary and then we were talking in that foreign language to the Nigerians, after the call ended, I had the feeling of talking to a sister near me but she first asked me even before I opened my mouth, which language is that??? French I replied... She got interested in asking me too many questions just because she heard me speaking my language and she got interest to talk to me... During our conversation I let her understand that I was a missionary representing Jesus Christ and his Restored Church here in Nigeria and that my purpose was to invite people to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ through Faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End, Her name was Sister Patience, after introducing myself and the Restored Gospel, She accepted the another testament of the Jesus Christ as the evidence of the restored truth. A very Good step in conversion

Beloved brothers and sisters this happened to sister Patience because she heard a language and she got interest to talk to me, LANGUAGE in the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the important arm  we can use to participate in missionary work, it's not only a French language but might be also divers ways to speak publicly, I came to understand that our language, our expression or what we say has an impact on those who hear us and can cause them to get interest to listen us like sister Patience coming closer to us. While speaking to the Ephesians, Apostle Paul taught: let not corrupt communication proceed  out of your mouth but that which is good for the use of edifying that it might minister grace unto the hearers. as we have the restored gospel, it requires all of us to be involved in sharing this to the world, our language can best influence people to draw closer to us and then to their God. As a missionary coming from a French speaking country, using my language has helped me to find more people to teach and help them draw closer to God, we can do this again and again, we just need a Christlike language, Christlike tongue and Christlike voice. I know the Lord delights in plainness for after this manner do the Lord God work among the children of men.For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding for he speaketh unto men according to their LANGUAGE unto their understanding. May we use our LANGUAGE to share the Restored GOSPEL in whatsoever places we might found ourselves, may we do this and be blessed for being part of the lord's work on earth, I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, it's has been Restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that The Book of Mormon stands as the evidence of the Restoation and that today we embrace the word of God through the living prophet in the name of Russell M Nelson whom I will join my testimony to his own that God lives, Jesus is the Christ we are his people in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.