THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER FOREVER

 So this is gonna be short because I am short on time and because of
how long it takes to down load pictures :) but everything is going
good here and we are having a blast. We just came back from the Area
office by the temple because there is a person there who was given to
us as a referral. Our booth didn't work as well as well as we had
hoped but that's alright we were blessed with two referrals because of
our efforts haha. We had the opportunity to meet Elder Holland this
week. He came to do an area review for the South East Area of Africa
and he came and spoke to us. We each got to shake his hand and then
when he got up to speak he told us that in our hand shake he
interviewed us and told us that there were one or two of us that
needed to repent out of the 120 that were there (Powerful and
scary)haha. Things are going good though, I interviewed a man in my
district this week and he was very powerful and ready for baptism and
he was very focused on getting to the temple with his wife who is
already a member. There is nothing better than bringing families
together forever :)
My health is doing good and there isn't anything I really need, music
is always fun to get, the Mormon Tab choir has become a favorite but
that's about it anything you think a missionary needs put it in :). It
sounds like you will have an eventful holiday season.) Thanks for
the pictures as well its good to see everyone :) I will make an
appointment with the doctor probably next month and get my blood work
done again and see where I am at and Health wise I am doing great :) I
am also very happy and doing great and having a lot of fun and still
learning a lot. I have made it my goal to read the book of proverbs
this week and I am already half way done haha. I hope all is well with
you at home and that you guys are happy. I always pray for you guys
morning and night:) Have a great week and enjoy every minute of it
for life is a journey not a race ;)

A NEW PLAN HAS BEEN DEVISED

Things are going good here. We are just having to work very hard to find new investigators and its hard because we are not allowed to tract and contacting is rough because most everyone we talk to does not live in the city but the missionaries around our area love us for all the referrals haha. We have now devised a new plan to find new investigators though that will be both effective and easy :) We are setting up a booth in a park with a big poster that our mission has about the Book of Mormon and the Bible showing a picture of both. So we figure if we can find people who are interested ion the Book of Mormon then they will probably be interested in the Restoration :) Anyway my comp and I are giving up our P-day today to go set it up in a park and let the people come to us (I will take pictures there).
The Lord continues to show me my weaknesses, I never thought I could have so many haha that's pride for ya. But in my study today the familiar scripture came to me in Ether 12:27,37 and that brought some light of what I need to do. Weaknesses are given to us to humble us and cause us to depend upon the Lord and his merits and mercy and that is something I have been failing to do lately. I got too comfortable and thought I was doing everything that I should be doing but I realized after a powerful talk given by Elder Cook of the Seventy on Sunday that I was not following the spirit even though I thought I was but I happy to now say I am in the process of becoming fully dependent upon the Savior and his power. Life is good though and I am loving what I am learning and loving discovering what I need to learn more of. Elder Rakoto is great and a lot of fun. We work very good together and he is a great support to me when I get stuck in a rut. He knows the New Testament like nobodies business but he will always deny it so we made a deal that each comp study we would come up with a topic or principle and then we would have to give each other two scriptures that we know I give him from the Book of Mormon and he gives me from the Bible. We are becoming master Scriptorium haha (or so we think). Always smile :) I love you to the moon and back.

I need to remember is not a race, its a journey

Oh how I miss eating Chilidogs and watching the "best two years" every Sunday haha those are some good memories. ? Family is the greatest blessing that our Father in Heaven has given us, we can have the greatest joys together but we can also bear each other up better than anyone else can. I really miss my family I miss all of you but I know I am where I need to be and am doing the most good here. I officially have one year left before I come home. That is crazy to think about, I have been in Africa for a year now. Okay time for the Long awaited update. I am now serving in the City of Johannesburg also known as Jozzi Central :) My new companion is Elder Rakotondramanana, also known as Elder Rakoto, he is from Madagascar. The work is progressing slow but sure. We are having to rebuild our area but a challenge is always fun. The ward is big and are chapel is the second oldest LDS Chapel in South Africa. The city is crazy and as you could imagine is very dangerous and we are not allowed to tract or walk in certain streets. The city is very very wicked for the lack of a better term. I will have no problem walking anywhere in Portland After serving here. The members are very kind and fun, the return missionaries are helping a lot as well which is something that has never been the case in any of my areas. We are working very hard to find new investigators and to build our relationship with the members to gain their trust. We watched general conference this last week end and it was amazing! Its amazing how the Lord can speak to us so perfectly through His servants. President Monson never ceases to amaze me and make me laugh. I really enjoyed his talk on service and feel even more compelled to go out and help all I can through the gospel. I have a lot to learn still but I feel very grateful to have such great leaders to teach me what I need to become.

Time is flying by and I feel there is still so much I need to accomplish but I need to remember is not a race, its a journey and I need to enjoy it and use the time given to the best of my ability. Love you mom and know that you and everyone else is in my prayers :)

My new Companion is Elder Rakotondramanana

I am so happy that Grandma got that letter. I felt so impressed I needed to write her and I am glad that it did some good. I can't believe Caity is considering going on a mission! When she does go she is in for the spiritual awaking of a a life time haha. I am now in my new area and things are going great. My new Companion is Elder Rakotondramanana or Elder Rakoto for short. He is from Madagascar and is awesome. He learned how to speak English in six months and is just a fun guy to be around. I am now in the City of Johannesburg also known as Jozzi Central to the mission. Church was awesome on Sunday and we will be watching conference this week end. We get conference a week later here but everyone was talking about the change in the mission age at church. I am very excited for that and couldn't help but laugh a little because I had wanted to go when I was 18.

Elder Holland is coming to South Africa this month and he will be addressing our mission on the 25th. I am very excited to hear and meet him. Things are good though and I am loving being here in Johannesburg. There is plenty of work to be done and we are having fun while doing it :) Thank you so much for all of your love and support, I know I would not be here if it weren't for you :) I hope you have a great week and enjoy every minute of everyday. I am really so grateful to be serving in South Africa right now and I hope I can serve as the Lord would have me. I almost cried when you told me Grandma's response to my letter. I cant but feel closest to my Father in Heaven when I am able to lift someones day especially someone in my family. I love you so much mom and know that you guys are in my prayers everyday.

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

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.

I Feel More Empowered Than Ever Before

 This last Sunday we had a baptism of a young man of 21 years old. His name is Thabong Moanakwena and he is a great powerful new convert. He tells us that he wants to serve a mission so we are still working very close with him and are gonna start involving more members in the recent convert lessons. Elder Sibandzi and I have been studying Preach My Gospel very in depth lately and have found a lot of things that we can be applying in our work that would help us so much! We have also been watching the District video segments as part of the New missionary training program and we had a very powerful study yesterday. We focused it on working with members and I about kicked myself in the pants because we have not been using the members as effectively as we could! So we have some big plans that we are gonna put into action this week and it should start making our work a lot easier and flow so much better. Training has definitely made me see what I can improve on. Last night I told Elder Sibandze that we were both being trained together haha. I cannot believe what new insights keep coming and how much I am learning. There is absolutely no end to intelligence that can be gained throughout our lives. Its so funny to look back before I came to Africa thinkig that I thought I knew a lot about the gospel only to realize that I have learned so much more now and that there is still so much to learn. I can truly say that my mission means everything to me and will define who I am when I come home. I am loving every minute of my time I have here. Last night, before we came home, we were having dinner at a members home and it was a great time. There were three different families over for dinner and one of our ward missionaries and it was just one of those times that I don't want to forget. Khwazi, the ward missionary, and I volunteered  to do the dishes after we ate and while in the kitchen I looked to where everyone was sitting and laughing having a good time and for a split second I felt as if I was at home. I felt like I knew each of them my whole life and I could not imagine leaving them. It was a great feeling to have. I love this work, I love the gospel, and I love the Church. I still wonder sometimes how I have been so blesssed to be in a family who honors the Covenants we have made to have a mother who is a perfect example to me and a father who always encourages me and puts me strait when I am out of line. Its a funny thought but these are the things I remember most from my life thus far. Its the fun I have had with friends, the moments of counseling and teaching from my older brother, the lessons learned from being a good and bad older brother, the tender mercies of the Lord that have flowed throughout my life, and most of all the love I have had from family, friends, teachers, and leaders through my life. I can look back anyone moment and feel the love of that time or the sadness. All of these things have prepared and shaped me for this time. I feel that I am being held in the refiners fire and at times it is more painful than I could have imagined but at other times I feel more empowered than I have ever felt before. It is my prayer that we always remember who we are and our divine potential and then focus our efforts on achieving that potential.
I love you Mom and I hope you have a great week. I am loving my time here and we are gonna have a great week. Love you MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!