Thursday, August 16, 2012

It Snowed and Everyone Went Wild

It did snow and everyone went wild. It was so fun to watch all the kids get out of school and start playing in it. For most of them it was the first time they had ever seen snow. I don't have my A1C yet I will get it today. I have put off calling the doctor because we have been so busy and having fun :)
So here is the weekly update. Things are going good here in Protea Glen. We are tracting a lot and trying to find knew people to teach which is pretty fun in a township :) Lots of great, funny, drunk, happy, and Religious people :) Friday and Saturday nights are avoided because mostly every man is drunk. I feel like Manti when he emailed me and told me that people in Jamaica struggle with the Law of chastity except here people really struggle with the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. Other than that though the ward has called a new ward mission leader and a new assistant ward mission leader. They are both very powerful members who are excited about the work and are ready to hit the ground running :) Life continues to move along swiftly. I cant believe how much time has gone by and how little time I have left (14 months looks really short from my point of view). I love being able to work and have fun. Learning is my favorite thing to do now which is weird for me haha but there is nothing better than a good book especially the scriptures because there is so much in them that I thought I knew that I realize now I know absolutely nothing (for the most part). Its weird how happy I am right now. I am tired and I know it is gonna be a crazy week but I am just happy. Its really weird I am sitting here smiling and I don't know why. Life is good :) This last week we had our Zone Conference and our Zone Activity. For our Zone Activity we barbaqued and played Basketball, soccer, and dodge ball :) The only bad part of all of it was my Companion when throwing a ball threw his arm out of its socket and now is not allowed to play sports the rest of his mission but other than that it was fun. Elder Sibandze's spirits are high and he is doing great. His arm feels much better but he is now sick with a cold. He's had a rough start to his mission but he is loving his time right now. At our Zone Conference President Omer talked about our Stewardship in taking care of our Flats, cars, bikes, and Allotment money. He also talked a lot about receiving personal revelation which was awesome. There is no greater feeling or experience than being taught by an inspired leader. Sister Omer is the best as well. She talked mostly about using our money wisely and told us to stop eating out as much haha She told us she was tired of getting phone calls from missionaries telling her that they are out of money halfway through the month. All in all it was a very rewarding experience and I learned a lot!
One day all three of us will get to bless the sacrament together it will just have to wait 14 months :) Things are all good here and I am sending a letter today :) I hope you have a great week and are starting to realize you might be moving to Rexburg in a few years haha Love you to heaven and backI knew that I realize now I know absolutely nothing (for the most part). Its weird how happy I am right now. I am tired and I know it is gonna be a crazy week but I am just happy. Its really weird I am sitting here smiling and I don't know why. Life is good :) This last week we had our Zone Conference and our Zone Activity. For our Zone Activity we barbecued and played Basketball, soccer, and dodge ball :) The only bad part of all of it was my Companion when throwing a ball threw his arm out of its socket and now is not allowed to play sports the rest of his mission but other than that it was fun. Elder Sibandze's spirits are high and he is doing great. His arm feels much better but he is now sick with a cold. He's had a rough start to his mission but he is loving his time right now. At our Zone Conference President Omer talked about our Stewardship in taking care of our Flats, cars, bikes, and Allotment money. He also talked a lot about receiving personal revelation which was awesome. There is no greater feeling or experience than being taught by an inspired leader. Sister Omer is the best as well. She talked mostly about using our money wisely and told us to stop eating out as much haha She told us she was tired of getting phone calls from missionaries telling her that they are out of money halfway through the month. All in all it was a very rewarding experience and I learned a lot!
One day all three of us will get to bless the sacrament together it will just have to wait 14 months :) Things are all good here and I am sending a letter today :) I hope you have a great week and are starting to realize you might be moving to Rexburg in a few years haha Love you to heaven and back

Monday, August 6, 2012

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY

-- Here is the weekly up date. We continue to see the Lords hand in our
lives and in our area. We have been studying the Book of Mormon and
Preach my Gospel so much lately that I have realized that I have a lot
to improve on. We are being asked by our mission president to focus a
lot more on Families that have Fathers. Africa is struggling to be a
more established area because of the lack of worthy priesthood holders
in the ward and branches. So it was a blast in our last district
meeting to discuss what we could do better in our finding efforts and
in our teaching to hold onto Father Led Families. I have found that
there is such a sweat spirit present when a whole family is actively
listening and learning about the gospel. It was a great district
meeting and the spirit was so strong :) I love being a missionary!!!
We are teaching an awesome family right now and we have had some very
spiritual lessons with them the past couple of weeks. They are the
Zondo's and they are a couple in their early thirties with two young
children and I hope and pray they can feel the truthfulness of our
message. We are still seeing Thabong Moanakwena and he is doing great.
He is a recent convert of about two weeks now. He was the first person
that I taught from start to finish and then baptized. He is doing
great! He's in the choir now and is preparing to go on a mission in a
years time :) There is so much I could go on about but I am a slow
typrist and we have a busy day ahead of us. I would like to end on a
more spiritual note though. I am learning more and more of the Love
our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us. I am learning that
there are things that we could never hope to comprehend in this life
concerning the designs of Him who created us. This much I do know, we
are son's and daughter's of a very real Father in Heaven, Who loves us
more than we know. He watches over us, He cares for us, and He wants
us to be happy. He provided a way for us to become like Him to enjoy
perfect Happiness and Exaltation with our Families forever. He is
willing to speak with us and to listen to us. He knows our sorrows and
He knows our pains and He is willing to come as close to as as we are
willing to come close to him. The veil that is over our minds is a lot
thinner than we think. I have been learning so much since I have been
here. I have learned more about my Father in Heaven and His great Plan
of Happiness for us, I have learned more of my Saviour, Jesus Christ,
and the true role He plays in my life. I owe them both for everything
that I am and everything I hope to be. The thing I am most grateful
for is that I am learning about myself and what I need to change to be
more like Them. I was so blind before I came to South Africa to what
really mattered and what meant the most to me. I see now what I need
to change and slowly, very slowly, the Lord is purifying me and I pray
that I may ever let Him. There are three scriptures that I have
committed to live my life by. They are D&C 122, Malachi 3:3, and
Moroni 7:48 in that order. I know each of us has a divine potential
that we can reach if we are will to step aside and let the Lord help
us get there. These past ten months have been the hardest of my life
but they have been the most rewarding and wouldn't trade them for
anything. There is no end to love and there is no end to progression.
We are more than we are led to believe and are capable of more than
the mind can imagine and with the Lords help we can be who we are
meant to be, as our Father in Heaven is we can be :) I know That Jesus
is the Christ and that He has suffered all that we may return and that
He lives. May we all hold dear to our hearts these truths that are so
precious and go out of our way to share them with all who will listen
and obey.