Transfer News....

Monday March 13th

well today was soooo much fun:) We drove into Durban,about a 30 minute drive, to play basketball with our entire Zone! it was so much fun:) the Chapels in South Africa are way smaller than the ones in the states, If their area is lucky enough to even have one. There is quite a few areas i this mission that I might get called to that have church in a school classroom or even a members house! Those are mainly in Townships or Lesotho.

but anyway, Today we drove in to Durban for a Zone Activity, organized by yours truly:) everything was going great; the Zone Leaders were there, The APs, even a few others that I didn't even invite! it was great! but then Elder Simonson and Elder harp head butted and Harp's eyebrow got a huge cut ad he had to go get stitches.... Then we called it a day. haha 

after that we all went to the mall and got burgers as a Zone! haha it was actually pretty darn good!!! Ive eatten some NASTYYY food at some members houses. theres this thing called Maas and Phuthu. its hard to explain but its like super dry rice, like its been sitting out in the sun all day.. then they add sour Milk to it. yeah, SOUR MILK. its terrible. but I ate it. 

but they also have some SuPER good food! mostly Curry rice and different kinds of meat!:) I once ate ostrich meat in some spaghetti! that was super good:) 

tuesday march 14th

oh today we went and taught our College homies! haha these guys ask super good questions! remember Chicco the guy that was shot 5 times? when we spoke at the University? well he invited even more people:) This area is Waaaayyyyy better than when I first got here, I'm really gonna miss it here:)

Wednesday March 15th

today we visited Sister Greig, shes the lady thats gonna be baptized on Sunday! and it turns out shes been an investigator for SEVEN years now! Im very honoured to be the one to baptize her. Her husband is getting pretty old, super nice guy, but his arm hurts and he wont be able to baptize her! So she asked me to do it:) I'm super excited.... but super nervous! I dont want to drop her! and she told me she has panic attacks when she goes under water, so i dont want her to pull me in!! hahaha

Thursday

well today we had our correlation meeting with our ward mission Leader, Jean-Louis. This is when we meet and talk about Toti! and this might be my last one so it was super cool. I thought back to My first meeting with him back in November and a LOT has changed in this area!

when we started we had about 3 Investigators, and Toti only had 4 baptisms in the last two years (besides 8 year olds). So the Last four and a half months Its really picked up!! Elder Lesueur, Schraedel and I worked really hard and we now have over 20 Investigators, teaching a Class at a college each week, were about to have our 4th baptism of the year, April we should have 4 more, and in May there should be another 3 or 4 as well, And I havent really told you guys about this but were starting a group in Kwamakhuta on Sundays. Hopefully it will pick up and in the next few years we might have a Branch or even a ward! which is something these people really need:)

Its been Nice because the members here have seen that they dont have lazy missionaries (which they've had in the past) so they trust us now (not easy to get). which means they give us names of their friends that we can teach:) Which i can understand I wouldn't tell a set of lazy missionaries that they should go visit some of my friends, but when they see that were working and that were cool to talk with they invite us over to teach them and their friends! Its awesome because were getting invited to members houses who have NEVER invited missionaries over before! haha

I really want to stay in this area because I've really come to love this ward and this area. I want to be here and continue to teach my friends here. They're like my new family:) I love these guys! sure it has its drama but so do a lot of areas! I feel like I was called to this area for a reason and I think I know why now. and I can definitely say that Im going to leave it better than when I got here:) im so happy for them! 

Friday

well today I learned how to make ties!! I made one out of a cars Pillow case haha Im gonna give it to a kid one of these days:) Which is gonna be really hard for me to do..... I really like it... haha

But I think Ive pulled the best prank on Elder Nielsen. well we might not see each other for a while and I talked with him for a while and through crafty word and wittiness I managed  to convince him to write in his journal LEFT handed for the rest of his mission. This was on Monday and hes STILL DOING IT! its been four days and hes only written left handed the whole time! hahahaha I told him that by the end of his mission he'll be ambidextrous! 

saturday march18th (TRANSFER NEWS!)

well I got my new area call! I know my companion, and my area! I actually know it pretty well cause its in the same zone... actually the same District!

*drum Roll please* Im Goingggggg tooooooo stay. with Elder schraedel in Amanzimtoti for 1 more transfer! Which Im actually super happy about:) I get  to keep teacing these guys:)))) hahaha

so yeah! im gonna do SIX MONTHS in Toti! haha which isnt very common for people in their first area.. but people have stayed 7.5 months and I even heard a guy did 9 MONTHS in ONE area!

Oh but Elder Nielson is leaving and going to Petermaritzberg, Elder schradel is gonna be my companion again, and elder Vaughn is going to train some new guy in Illovo! fresh out of the MTC!:))

Sunday 19th

DUDE! TODAY WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!

-siyabonga was ordained to the office of a priest!

-Emma, Sis Greig, and Xolani all got baptized, along with scelo from Illovo! ( they dont have a baptismal font

-we ate dinner at a new family's house that moved into our ward:)

I dont think it couldve been more perfect!

oh and Emmas family came to support her for her baptizm!!!!! her family is athiest by the way!

and guess what! they want us to start teaching them now! they loved the service:) it all worked out pretty darn perfectly!

20 Weeks in S. Africa

well Weve been pretty darn busy all week so I kinda forgot to write you guysss.... sorry Ill try and cover as much as I can remember... sorry guys.. just been busy telling all these peopleto repent here in africa. haha

well Monday.... lets see what I remember?

Oh we were late to our DA at the reises because a family needed help in KwaMakutha... I got to email you guys and that was super nice:))) haha

Lets skip to Thursday..

the last few days we helped prepare a few investigators for baptism because If they want to be baptized next Sunday they need to be Interviewed by the Zone Leaders 10 days before baptism:) so today we went on exchanges with the Zone leaders! I went with Elder Sithole from Zimbabwe and Schraedel went with elder hoopes from Idaho.. Schraedel and Hoopes interviewed all our investigators and Sithole and i visited a few of their investigators:)) it was super nice seeing a new area with a new companion visiting new people:) I made a lot of friends today hahaha Oh and we had 3 of the five people pass the interview:) Emma, Xolani, And sister Greig! Im super excited for them:) the other two still need to learn a few more things and they'll be good to go in April!! I love these guys so much:))

Oh and this morning when we met up with elder Sithole and hoopes we did a service project in Umlazi (their area) apparently there was a family and they asked their daughter or aunt or something to move out of their house and she got all pissed when they told her she had to leave. so she did what any normal person would do and set fire to thebedroom she was using!!! she lost almost all of her stuff too! imagine if you asked me to move out of the house and go on mission and I said no and when you kicked me out I came back and lit my bedroom on fire with all my stuff in it. yeah not a good idea1 hahahaha but all the houses here are made of cement and cinder blocks! so it didn't spread to the rest of the house! but it did leave her room completely black. so we sanded down the walls and got them ready to be re painted!

but Anyways i learned a lot today with Elder Sithole:) hes super cool! and Elder Hoopes is awesome as well.. he can throw rocks really far! and Hes gonna go to BYUI when he gets home as well! haha

Saturday 

well today was fricken AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

it started off in Bluff. so the Missionaries in Toti are also on the Ward soccer team. And I dont know if you guys know this or not but Elder Merritt is kind of a big deal.... In case you forgot...

so Bluff is our 1st game and also our biggest rival. the game started off nice, we had a great game plan, our spirits were high, wearing nice new jerseys, it was a nice sunny day, etc. but a few mi nutes into the game Bluff had a lucky shot and took the lead 1-0...  no worries its a long game were paying 40 minute halves we should do fin. Boom thula sends a booming shot into bluff nets. now weve got a game 1-1.

Im not really sure what happened the rest of the half cause I was still on the bench all of the 1st half talking to Elder Huntington thats serving in bluff.. but when half time came, my boys came off the field for a break Sweaty, tired, hot, and dispirited. they were down 1-3. but we still had one more half, I was full of energy desperate to see the field so I can assist my brothers. so I rise up from the huddle. I give them all the greatest pep talk of all time. People began to rise with me. at this point I wasn't sure If i was preparing them for a soccer game or a war. but i dont think it matters. we went in to battle full of the spirit! it was fricken awesome! 

the game began to pick up and I started back left on defense... I was quickly changed to a mid fielder because I lacked all knowledge and skill that was required to play there... so from here I still wasn't sure what to do. so I just kind tried to get the ball to the other side and in to their goal... Thats how you win right? yeah! apparently after repeatedly being told to move back to the center of the field.. apparently they got tired and so they moved me to striker! The position i was born to play. I repeatedly cheered on my team encouraging them to keep working. 

(Ill skip to the last five minutes)

after a long second half, questionable calls, boiling hot sun, and lack of water the game was tied 4-4. I was still at striker and the time was running out. I said a prayer in my heart and released my inner * insert super cool soccer player here*. I knew our team needed to win the game and after all my speeches it was Time I pulled my own weight and walked the walk. A young defender on bluffs team gave me the advantage. I quickly intercepted his pass. I popped the ball up and over their Final line of defense. the ball bounced behind him on the ground, then off my chest. Running down the field as fast as I can  took the ball about five yards from the corner of the fieldl on the right side. At this point *insert super cool soccer player her* had full control of my body. I crossed the ball to the center of the field to my friend Thula. my adrenaline was pumping, people were shouting my name, but nothing would stop me from my destiny. The ball, flying though the air, is the absolute perfect pass to thula, who heads it right in to the top left corner of their goal. TOTI takes the Lead 5-4. Everyone is screaming thula and i hug, we do a supper cool soccer slide on our knees as our teammates tackle us to the ground for a dog pile! it was absolutely beautiful. 

oh and I went to My first rugby game:) it was so much fun:) we got to sit in the 3rd row! I bought a hat for max! and I got to meet with some of the players:) and the best part is.... it only cost me $4 to get in, we car pooled with our ward mission Leader, the Mission President gave us permission, and i mean it was super fun!!! especially cause they won! hahaha

well thats just briefly what kinda went on this week! the key activities aside of teaching, going to appointments, and having people cancel on us...

He got his first baptism!

Monday

well today didn't really feel like a Pday.. we started off the day by helping a family in the ward move in to their new house. they brought a moving truck with TONNSS of stuff in it.. so we helped them take it all up four flights of stairs to their new apartment building:) it was a lot of hard work from 7:30-1:00:) then we helped the Reises move out of their fish shop for a two more hours... they're closing their shop cause it wasn't making enough money... but they still build peoples fish tanks at their house so they have a plan:) then we went and emailed all sweaty and gross for an hour, went and showed and changed and made it to our Dinner Appointment on time! fun day! hahaha

Wednesday March 1st (Zone Conference)

Before I remind you guys what Zone Conference is I got my package today and I LOVE YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH!!!!!!! Its Absolutely Perfect!! haha Everything in it:) Of course I shared but everyone was super jealous! I did tear up a bit when I opened it so thank you so much:) hahaha I wouldn't have guessed that you put Dutch bros in it, that was really smart! and those are the exact right pens! both of them!! now I can start drawing again.... I mean writing notes to my scriptures.. haha OH! and thank you for sending my tooth brush. It felt AMAZINGGGGGGG finally Brushing my teeth with it! haha I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH:))) oh and I took the skittles to our Dinner Appointment and shared them with the Cebekhulu's, and they LOVED them:)) I like that you sent the "American flavour" haha:) thank you so sososososososososooooooo much:))

so Zone conference is when all of your Zone.. well they have a conference! and Im in the Durban zone, City boys by the beach. we also have the Lesotho, and New Castle zones as well.. so all the companionships from the Durban Zone come together and we have a Meeting and we are taught how to teach better and Improve our areas:) its kinda nice! I learned a lot, but it was allllllll day... Six hours!! but it was super nice to see my friends again:))) Ive made a lot of friends recently so thats super nice:) haha and I think Next monday, not this one but the next, were gonna go to Pinetown and Play BASKETBALL! they have a full court so thats nice, and nobody plays basketball here so I havent played since I've been on mission:)

OHHH and I ordered Max and dad something for when I get home:) THEY'RE GONNA LOVE THEM!

Thursday 

Well today we did LOTS of but more Importantly we went to visit Siyabonga before his Baptism.. kinda our last chance to plan with him:) but he wasnt home.. but his brother Xolani Was so we taught him some more! hes been struggling with his testimony and understanding certain topics in the gospel.. thats why hes not gonna be baptized with his brother on Sunday. So today we taught him the plan of salvation! which was PERFECT because Mom sent me a binder full of lesson Ideas, pictures, Diagrams, quotes, scriptures, and other stuff to really help explain the our heavenly fathers plan. So first time using it we managed to commit him to baptism on march 19th! I love this guy, and I love this Binder! it worked awesome!!!!!!!! I even learned a lot of stuff! hahaha

Saturday march 4th (Exchanges)

well today was awesome. I was in Toti with Elder Nielsen and we were gonna go teach Mary Jane but we got to their gate and her nephew came out with a HUGE BALL on the side of his neck... he had mumps.. and Im pretty sure its contagious so I faked a phone call and got out of there super fast... I felt bad but next week we NEED to be able to teach people before they're interviewed.... WERE GONNA TRY AND INTERVIEW FIVE MORE PEOPLE FOR BAPTISM. Ive been working super hard and March 19th is,most likely, my last Sunday In Toti and thats gonna be an INTENSE day. FIVE BAPTISMS + Illovo is having two or three as well...

One of those five is Sister Greig. shes a stubborn Lady thats been married to Brother Gordon Greig for a few years now... like 10 or so? Gordon has Lots of stories of him hanging out with General Authorities and Apostles and all that so he has a STRONG testimony and really Knows his stuff. Anyway, Sister Thembi Greig has been Investigating the church for a loooonnnngggg time. Every single elder that came though Toti or Illovo Knows about her. I love her so much:))) the missionaries have been seeing her every week for years now. shes been asked Probably a hundred times or so if she wants to be baptized. and, Long story short, she finally agreed today with Elder Nielsen and I:) we pulled out our secret weapon; Moms Binder.... I almost said "Mom's P.O.S. Binder but it didnt look right! hahaha) the Plan Of salvation Binder you Guys sent me just a few days ago has already been used to commit TWO people to Baptism:)  Keep it up mom so far its worked 100% of the time! I love you haha:)

Sunday March 5th (My 1st Baptism)

Well today Siyabonga was baptised and it went AMAZING! super smooth. I love that guy:) Hes 24 and super funny! hahaha 

today we also had a few investigators come watch the baptism so it was super nice for them to all watch because their hopefully gonna be doing that two weeks from now:) IM SO EXCITED:))))

oh and I finally get to eat my sour patch Kids that you guys sent me in my care package from christmas! I was saving it to celibrate My 1st baptism:)

4 months in the mission field!

Monday Febuaury 20th

well today we emailed and I got to talk to my family! wow. it was great! haha

then we went to FUNLAND. They have a super good deal for 120R you get a Meal, Tokens for the Arcade, Free Bowling, and Bumper cars! it was so much fun! I got the High score on one of the Arcade games soooooo... Im kind of a big deal down here in Africa and all...

Tuesday 21st

today I found my scriptures! hahah I lost them three days ago and I just now found them... for some reason I put them in my pants cubby and then covered them up with more clothes! hahaha

but today was Nice:) we taught tons of lessons and we called the Zone Leaders so they can come down and interview Mary Jane and Siyabonga for Baptism:) Im excited:))

Thursday 23rd

today we went on exchanges.... when we switch companions, so I went to Illovo with Elder Vaughn (hes from salem oregon).. Hes a pretty cool guy I guess:) we taught a bunch of people lessons and... Oh siyabonga and Mary jane had the baptismal interviews!:)) Mary janes not quite ready so were gonna keep teaching her, no worries! but siyabonga is ready to go!! March 5th! my first real baptism! Im super excited for him!! haha hes a super cool guy! remember the guy I asked to be baptized on our first lesson, and he asked me why he had to wait so long to get baptized! hahaha well thats him! great day!

well when we got back to the boarding we unpacked and the other two hadnt gotten back but they left us a present. they stacked all of the beds ontop of each other so they touched the ceiling! sounds familiar doesnt it? thats cause I did that to Nielsen a few months ago. not gonna lie, I didnt see it coming today! hahaha well I had to get him back so we took Nielsens bed, blanket, journal, and shoes down four flights of stairs out the door and into our garage. Then when they opened the garage door to park their car for the night BOOM they get some sweet sweet revenge! MWAHAHAHAHA

yeahhh that made me laugh.

Friday:

well we started the day with weekly planning.. thats a lot of fun. *heavy sarcasm*

but then we went to the mall for lunch with The illovu elders and we got sushi! it was actually pretty good:) Elder vaughn needed a new white shirt or something so we went to a store called edgar. while we were there I found a reallllllyyyyy nice suit that I like A LOT!!! Im still torn if I should get it one of these days or not? its light weight and not very excpensive? maybe when I hit six months or so? maybe Ill get it to celibate my first baptism? no Im fine I have a suit? ughh..... anyway, we can come back to that another day...

OHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! GUESSS WHAT HAPPENED TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well I forgot to tell you this but a family moved into our ward a few weeks ago and their dad isnt a member.. we went and talked to him and he wants to be baptised. HOWEVER, their not married. so guess what we did today! WE HAD OUR FIRST WEDDING:) Im so happy for those guys hes such a cool guy:) we had a nice small wedding at the chapel and the bishop and 1 counselor did all the paperwork stuff and we asked the relief society president to halp bake a cake and the whole wedding thing was super nice:)) haha oh and i was in charge of their kids and the closing prayer, and my companion played the piano:) it all went pretty smooth! now we can baptise leroy! IM SO EXCITED FOR THEM:)

I think thats a good excuse for a suit!? hahaha

so later friday night we taught some lessons then went to play soccer wih our ward! Im still pretty bad at soccer..... but Im getting a little better! I want these guys to play rugby one of these days! but whats nice about doing this is a lot of investigators come and play, kids bring their nonmember friends andd then we invite them to church! its lecker!! (thats Afrikaans for äwesome, good, cool, etc!)

tonight Schraedel and I pranked illovo and took glow sticks that his mom sent him, cut them open, and sprayed them ALL OVER THEYRE ROOM. we tested it on ours and it was actually really cool, so we did theirs. whats cool is in the light they had no idea that it was there but when they turned them off to go to bed it all lit up! it was super cool!

saturday feb 25th:

Im soooo sore from soccer last night and we had to go play soccer with Illovus ward this morning. my feet hurt. but i had two goals so that was awesome:)) I guess I am getting a little better... then again the oldest kid besides the missionaries was probably 13 or 14 years old:/hahaha nah theyre adorable and realllllyyy good here!