July 2, 2018 - Mission Week 52: not gonna make the bon jovi joke everyone makes

So Yeah. I hit a year in 3 days. So that's fun. 

So Monday, I We just spent the day saying goodbye to people. Then had food. Don't really remember much. Feels like its been a while since I was in Witbank. 

Tuesday, we drove. and drove, got to Polokwane at like 6:30, ate food, and I unpacked. Met the member that is with us almost all the time named Lesego, who is going to the newly split zimbabwe mission in a month and a half. He's pretty cool

Wednesday, we did a lot of finding. 

Thursday, we did a lot of finding. 

Friday, we had district meeting, then did a lot of finding.

Saturday, We did a lot of finding.

I think you get the point. 

Some highlights though, are the investigators we've been able to get. Most of which are gonna be followed up on this week. The Don't really have a lot to say about them though, hard to remember who was members and who was investigators since everyone is new. The members here are great. and I still don't know what to say. This is just me hitting a major mind fart. I'm just gonna keep typing what i'm thinking in the hopes to give people something to read from my fairly boring week. 

Sunday, We had a district conference. since we are in a district not a stake. Also its a branch. 

Its was good. Had some good talks. then had way to much food. 

So yeah, don't really have a lot of things to talk about, but I do have a lot of random thoughts.

• Witbank was cold enough to see my breath, which is something at least. 
• Never give up never surrender.
• Go read 'Till Seventy, Times Seven' from conference.
• Hitting a year, gotta burn a shirt, since i stained it with ink.
• I forgot the tshwana women when they get old, grow beards, been around zulus to long
• Lesego 'papa-keys' and his magic mic
• Don't read the Eternal Marriage student manual, it messes with you.
• A 16-year-old asked to have my babies. 15 minutes after meeting her on the street. Twice. 

So yeah, that's the new area, so far. I'm sure I'll have more to talk about going forward, Elder Chokoe is great, we are having a lot of fun, The district is cool. Got Elder Winterton from PG. so we just talk about the people we know in common. but yeah, i say yeah to much. 

kthanksbye. 

June 25, 2018 - Mission week 51: Leaving Witbank to go to cleaner Witbank, aka Polokwane

I had finished writing this and i accedentally hit delete instead of send. So hear we go again. 

I already mentioned the War for the Planet of the Tigers, so Ill just move on

Tuesday, we had Exchanges. Saw Moses. Saw Nonhlahla and Aubrey who are still very into the Idea of Eternal Marriage, but are hesitant to switch churches. then we saw some other people including Nomfumoneko, which is always fun, shes going to the temple with the branch at the end of the month. so WOOHOO!

Wednesday, we went to Middleburg, saw Sis. mavis and her Kids, watched some Mormon Messages, had a good time, Dont really remember what else we did, since I left my planner at the Flat. 

Thrusday, was a good day. Went to middleburg agian to help Sis. Petzer move some furneture. then saw our Golden boy Vincint. He still is progressing awesomly, has perfect questions and keep commintments. He already has a friend at church so he'll be baptized when he's ready, whcih will be very soon. He keeps having University tests on Sunday though, so that is really getting in the way. Then we went to the Ngubanes for Dinner, And I included a picture of them. They're short. 

Friday, was pretty much awesome. After doing district service in KwaGuqa we saw Allen who told us that after like 4 years of being a member, and a lot of being less-active, he is finally going to the temple worthily. So that was awesome to hear, then we went to Phola and saw Brian and Sharron, and others, but when we came back we saw Sis. Pat, who tearfully told us her husband wants to change and get baptized so they can be sealed. So that was pretty much the greatest thing that has happened in te 7.5 months i've been here. 

Saturday, was Zone Conference, I forgot my notes, so I don't have much to say about it, other thanit was very uplifting and motivating. and many jokes were said. 

then we came back and saw some people, Mainly the Gakaka boys. Who are still going World Cup Crazy. Then we got Transfer News. I am leaving like I said, to Polokwane, Which is in the Limpopo province, about 3 hours away from Pretoria. so like 4 hours from here. Ill be going from Elder Çoka (choke-ah) from Albania, to Elder Chokoe (choke-way) from Johannesburg, South Africa, He was in mabopane 1 durning my second tranfer in mabopane 2, so we know each other, and are gonna have a lot of fun. People describe Polokwane and basically just a cleaner Witbank with Pedi people instead of Zulu people. So that will be fun. gotta learn a new language again. 

Sunday, had a good time at church, gave a goodbye talk, and then spent the rest of the day saying goodbye to people, which is also what I'll be doing all day today, sicne I've been here a while and know a lot of people. Saying goodbye isn't very fun though. 

So yeah, random notes. 

The Afrikaans filler things of Cheers and Howzit have worked there way into my vocabulary which doesn't help the fact everyone thinks I speak that language. 

The Atonement of Christ is a tool for Change.

Ndalo, the ngubane 2 year old, like to flush things down the toilet, much to her parents dismay. 

There are like 5 different kinds of dust in this place and you gotta know how to clean them all differently.

The accents here make Eternal sound like Internal, so prayers can be funny to me. 

Saying goodbye sucks.

Pictures: the Ngubanes, A Spatlo dinner, A very small cat, and Elder Andam. 

so yeah, 

Kthanksbye

June 18, 2018 - Mission Week 50: I fought 2 tigers today, and they bit a hole in my pants.

I am not even joking about that subject line. I litterally went to this place called the Farm Inn, Pretoria, where for R200 you can get in the cage with 2 baby tigers and play with them. So me and 9 other missionaries did just that. And one bit me and tore my pants. I'm not injured, but they tore my pants. I'm not making this up. I litterally wresteled with Tigers. I have 200 pictures and plenty of videos to prove it. 

But since that and some other stuff took most of the day, I only have a short time to email, but we can go email tomorrow morning as well, so Ill send the pictures then. 

SO that was one of the most African and insane things I've done in the year I've been here. So that's a lot of fun. I really just can't believe I was petting, holding, and fighting with 2 tigers today. 

The rest of the week, is really bland in comparison, except for the Branch Activity we did. Again, sending pictures tomorrow, but it was a ton of fun. Lots of food, lots of people, and lots of Sports. I have spent way to much money this week, but these last 3 days have been absolutly insane in terms of things i'll remember forever. 

I am still very proud of what i think is the funniest email i've ever written, which I sent last week. 

happy to hear from those of you that actually respond to things. 

Hope you all have a wonderful week, Probably will send another email tomorrow when more time is there, but for now. Heres the Random things I wrote in my planner this week

• Happy Fathers day to my dad. He's the best dad, if you disagree, you're wrong. 
• Stress-less at sacrament meeting.
• The world cup ended all our appointments. 
• The Nike Swoosh is hard to draw sometimes.
• What even are traffic laws anymore. 

SO yeah, thank you, love you all, talk more tommorow my time, midnight most of yours.

Kthanksbye