A new mission...

Well this is the hardest time in my life right now. I am home. I’m am crushed that I left my true home. Being on my mission was the greatest thing I could have done.

I learned so much, grew closer and closer to this gospel and now I am on another mission to grow closer and closer to Christ through the atonement. To fully change and fully become what the lord wants me to become. I have messed up and I have made some bad choices I deeply regret. But I am grateful to have gained a testimony and a deeper faith about the atonement and I find joy and peace knowing that I can be forgiven. I love this gospel, I loved my mission and I loved being able to serve the people of Africa and love and support them.

This is not easy for me, or for anyone that I may have disappointed, hurt, maybe even shocked. But I’m willing and ready to face the challenges of whatever may come. Because I am excited to be a new person and a better person, and a more valiant servant to our lord and redeemer. And through Christ and his atonement I know that I can be. This gospel and the teachings are so real and powerful and I can not deny them. The love and mercy that the heavens have for us is so real if we are truly broken and willing to give up our ways to the lord, and accept the ways that the lord wants us to go.

Thank you for the support and love and the prayers while I was on my mission. And I pray that that love and support may never stop. I love everyone, I’m am sorry if I may have ever hurt you, disappointed you, or have been a bad example. Please forgive me. This is a very hard and hurtful time, but I know that through it on I can find that pure and true joy that we all need in life. And turn those weaknesses into strengths. And I can’t wait to be the man the lord wants me to become!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone!!! 

Well, I finally did it! I was able to send pictures!!!

We were able to pick up two new powerful people to teach!!!! I’m really excited about this upcoming week as well because there is a little challenge I guess in the mission. On DEC 1 we are doing a day of contacting.... each person has a goal of picking up 40 new people...  received) and you know me that means some competition so heck yeah we are going to win!! but in the end  it's not about numbers it's about the individual who is on the path to eternal life!!! Anyways let’s just say that this week is going to be really really hard working :)

On Wednesday we had Zone training meeting in ladysmith. So we got to take a little road trip always fun ;)  we had a powerful meeting, I learned a lot. But something cool.... the mission goal is to have around 388 baptisms in December.... Isn’t that just awesome, and the thing is is that it's actually possible, especially with this contact day... all we gotta do is get at least 6 baptisms out of that. Plus the ones that we are praying for. The people, area is on fire, a lot to do and a lot of fun. 

On Thursday we had thanksgiving dinner at Elder and Sister Browns!..... OH MAN.... it was good and it was one of those dinners where you have to loosen a belt loop.... then all the sudden you have to cram down the apple pie.... like that is just a must everyone knows that!!! Ok but here is the thing.... after..... we had a basketball activity in the area... oh man I about died playing..... but its so worth it!! hahah

Me and Elder Legas have been having a lot of fun.... and we are going onto week three already in the transfer meaning we probably only have about 4 weeks left together..... freak..... Anyways everyone in the area knows us no lie!! The tall white guys! hahaha Elder Legas gets hit on all the time hahahah :) it is funny! I love training! It’s just something you cant explain just thinking about like when I was a greeny and came and was taught by mears hahahah man a lot of things that Iremember with elder Mears me and Elder Legas do! Elder Legas really does work hard and we enjoy it all. We have started a collection of like stickies... the toy that like suction onto a window or something well we have a lot... and we stuck them to the dashboard anyways its just stuff like that that we do that is really fun hahaha :) 

We also had interviews with mission president..... I love President Thompson hahaha He is funny and really really loves and cares for the missionaries and makes mission fun... i can totally be open with him about anything! It really helps!

I love my mission ill always say it... time is moving and to be honest I don’t like how fast it is going :) next week you will be receiving a letter about a miracle that happened this upcoming week because I can really feel something big is about to happen :) love you all be safe :) I hope you had a great thanksgiving :) And we will talk to you next week :) enjoy the pics cause its rare and hard to send pics :)  

Rains down in Africa!

Well this week has been insane with the weather!! Ok like lets just say I seriously thought the earth was going to flood again! It was like a flash rain storm and I had no idea that that much water could be stored in the clouds! There were rivers over flowing. Roads with cars stopped because the water was too deep. But with our bakkie we could have some fun ahhaha :) Then on top of the three feet of water on the roads out of no where it started to hail! And this is not what you think I mean these thing were small eggs hahah ok maybe not that big but all jokes aside they were about the size of a large marble! NO JOKE and it came out of no where. I thought the glass was going to break. It made chips and dents to the Bakkie but we pulled over under a tree. And being my crazy self I just had to get out and see what it felt like.... not a great idea. But I had to get some of the ground so that I could take a picture.

So..... Done with my 10th transfer on my mission and this transfer was pretty powerful! We had 5 baptisms this transfers and a lot of reactivation with less actives. Training Elder Legas had taught me so much I seriously love training and my companion! We have had a lot of crazy experiences that I don’t want to talk about on email, and a lot of very powerful spiritual and amazing moments as well! We have a wonderful branch who is super willing to work with us, which makes the work nice and more enjoyable. Because I wouldn’t say I’m getting bored of mission but like sometimes there is those days where you feel like you are just going through the motions so to do whatever it takes to switch it up is very very wonderful. They say that at a year you hit your one year blues, meaning like you are just down and are like man a whole year left i feel like I’ve been here for two. Now don’t get me wrong here I love my mission and I love everything about it. I guess I’m just kinda in that stage but its out good thing I’m training! Plus time is truly flying.  10 months left till home..... I never thought I would get here. Not there yet but kinda there. I have a lot of work to still do and a lot of things to still improve in! But everyone has something to improve in.......  

OH OH OH I FORGOT TO TELL YOU THIS. Ok so there are these ant things that live under ground right...... ants....... under ground.... pretty obvious hahaha.... anyways when it rains they come out.... And they grow wings.... so after a rain this is like there life.... they come out fly around and annoy people and then mate and lay eggs and die..... all in like a matter of 74 hours. Now this is not like just 500 or 1000..... IM NOT JOKING millions! like it looks like its snowing! Now its freaky ok.... like they land on you and fly in your face and man if you get a tennis racket you can have some fun..... or you can be like some people and catch them break off there wings and fry them up for a little snack.... haven’t tried it don’t worry.... I might not sure hahhah probably not. 

So we have some powerful investigators. Lindokuthle just got baptized but we are planning on around maybe four this transfer. We gotta shoot for higher so lets say five. Anyways we have a family who really like to read the book of mormon. We have a lot of little kids that love to come to church and the older ones are really interested as well. Im really excited for this week because we got a referral from the church so like that is a gold mine!!! Our main focus in this area though is the less actives so we are working hard with that as well. 

Well I’m happy I’m alive I’m working hard I’m just me. 

Well love you all. Thank you for your emails!

I Can't Handle the Heat!

Hey fam and friends!!!

Ok like honestly I hate the heat hahahah :) it has been super-hot here about 102 on average!!! I really can’t wait to get back into the Utah snow!!! 10 months.... weird hahah anyways I’m still alive and kicking :) sorry I’m bad at main emails lately I’ve been pretty busy here I guess hahha :) that’s a good thing right?

Well anyways the last two weeks have been amazing!!! Let’s me just say this...... by the end of this transfer will be five baptisms this transfer... we had 15 investigators come to church 11 yesterday. We find new powerful people to teach on the daily! The district is having a lot of fun and really really working hard! Me and elder legas are best friends hahahh :) he is seriously like my brother!

Well now about some interesting stories..... so I hadn’t dry cleaned my suit since lesotho ok so it was time to actually ​do something about that. So i took in my suit on a Friday. Expecting to pick it up that Saturday. Well ok usually stores close at about 5 on the weekends.... but I guess that the dry cleaning store is in its own little world and closes at 1..... like what is the point of that..... open from 10 to 1..... just stay closed if that is the case. So I didn’t have my suit for that Sunday which was weird because we wear our suit every Sunday.

Well the area is growing and is actually really interesting. You have the sketchy parts and the parts where you don’t even half to lock up because it is so secure! Its nice a lot of variety I guess hahah ;)

Fun little story..... so there was an investigator that we had in thaba nchu.... well about two weeks teaching her she randomly moved..... and guess who I ran into the other day. THE SAME GIRL. She lives right next to the other missionaries boarding! So now the other missionaries are teaching her and progressing with her.... Small world small world!

OH AND BY THE WAY HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Last one on mission ahhaha :) that’s so weird ahhaah still got some time though!!! Someone go get a lot of candy then take a picture.... and send it to me.... as well as the candy!!!

Hmmm what else to talk about.... oh so.... there are a lot of little kids in the area that love us... and so we stop by often on the way to appointments and just say hi.... we there is about a solid 13 of them.... they all came to church one day.... randomly not expected hahahah and now they love it there and have friends. So we are starting to teach the older ones and are going to be putting a lot of other people on B date soon. THE LORD HAS PREPARED THIS AREA!!!

On Saturdays every morning at seven we go and play soccer on this small turf soccer field!!!! ITS CRAZY FUN!!! I’ll have to take better pictures and send them..... I’ve been super lazy with my camera and with my journal...... Sorry mom.....

I know that there was more to talk about but I can’t remember....... OH GOT IT

So Elder Palmer from the 70 came to the mission.... AND IT WAS POWERFUL! We had a zone conference and he taught us and man just gave energy into the mission. Also during the leadership meeting.... Man I thought I was part of the 70 the spirit was crazy thick hahahah :) Then we had a fireside in our area later that night and his focus was on less actives and returned missionaries and just from that fireside about 6 less actives are now active again! IT IS AWESOME TO SEE!!!

Stay safe and scare someone for me hahaha :) Happy Halloween! The church is true the book is blue Christ is a Mormon too and Satan hates your face!!!

Back to Zulu!

When I was transferred I was sad but excited for the next experience on my mission :) So far I love the area. It is hard starting all fresh but it is all ok. Especially because I have a really really cool companion!!! MY SON! literally my mini me! He loves football, basketball, having fun and working hard. He actually is going to play Quarter back at BYU when he returns home!!!! So we throw the football around often! The work is a little slow but will soon be picking up when we introduce the reactivation program into the Madadeni branch (instruction from president Thompson) So I know that the branch will soon be picking up :) I am a district leader and training. It is kind of  hard then on top of that we are fresh missionaries in the area so we literally have to start from scratch! So that is a little stressful as well :) But it is a lot of fun!

It is a really crazy experience to going back to the zulu language! I know a lot of sesotho and jumping back from forth from sesotho to zulu language is mind messing hahah :) but I love it... oh and I missed the zulu food.... ITS AMAZING its like the guys dream food! Rice..... and meat!!!!! Who wouldn’t want that all the time :) I’m excited for this upcoming week we have a lot of work to do and on top of that IT is elder Legas Birthday on Tuesday so you know we are about to party hahah :)

 I’m safe I’m very healthy!!! And I love my mission more and more every day :) Sorry that this was short but I will make it up to my family and friends and my blog followers hahah :) Whats Up Bloggers??? Anyways love you guys have a great week:) And just read read read read the Book of Mormon!!!!!!! And also the talks of conference because dang was this conference extremely great!!!!! Peace out from the one and only South Africa Durban Mission:) love you guys:)