Rachel's service mission

With an opportunity to attend the Johannesburg Temple with a group from her ward, my friend Rachel Sibanda made the bus trip from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 13-17 December 2010. The tall man in the pink shirt is the bishop with his wife. Rachel is third from the left in the print blouse. She is standing between two friends who shared a room in patron housing with her and the woman on the far right in red.

The young adults with Rachel (second photo) are youth raised in Bulawayo who came to visit with one another.

The woman with me in the third photo is Anna Chapindura. With Anna interpreting names and dates for four generations of her ancestors, we sat side by side for three hours at a Family History Center computer entering 34 African names into new.familysearch--a tender experience.







Realizing she could serve a mission from her home, on 1 September 2010 Rachel was called to serve an 18 month service mission as the Bulawayo Stake Magazine Representative. At that time virtually all subscriptions in the stake had expired. The stake president wanted her to get as many members as possible to subscribe and receive church magazines in their homes. Initially Rachel thought this assignment would be hard but confirms, "It has become so easy as Heavenly Father has opened hearts to my message."

Rachel focuses on one of the eleven units in her stake for a two week period. She prays to Heavenly Father to prepare the members for her arrival at Sunday meetings where she is introduced by the bishopric/branch presidency. She delivers a message about the value of having the church magazines in one's home and collects money from the members. In Zimbabwe a year's subscription to each magazine costs USD1.00. Many are not aware they can have the magazines come to their homes. To contact people not at church Rachel visits in homes during the week. She then attends the following Sunday to collect subscription money. Often people will donate a subscription to the Friend or New Era for a young child or teenager. Rachel then follows up with the parent for a subscription to the Ensign or Liahona.

The monthly church magazines are mailed from SLC to the Bulawayo Stake President. Rachel collects the magazines from him, distributes them to the eleven ward/branch magazine representatives who in turn deliver them to their members.

From 1 September to 10 December Rachel has obtained 309 subscriptions to church magazines. In the month 10 November-10 December she received 111 subscriptions. To expedite their activation, Rachel hand carried these subscriptions to the Area Office and processed them with materials management.

Rachel affirmed she has found great joy in this service and wonders what she was doing with her time before.