Finally Home!! June 26, 2019

June 24, 2019 - Mission week 103: kthanksbye

Hello everyone! This is the final email. 

I'm losing my mind. I as trying to think of what to say and thought of some of the questions people are probably going to ask me so here it is, I kinda stole this from someone else but it was a good idea.   

The food I miss most: Betos. I miss Betos. There are many better places but nothing that can quite match the feel f betos. I love many memories there and plan to make more

The food I love here most: spathlo.  The African burger, palony, chips cheese Russians, veinnas, suace chakalaka.  So many good things.  No one reading this will know what half that is, but I will make you all spathlo when I'm there and you will know of it's glory.

Fav comp, if you meet me you will know.

Hardest thing: solving people's family problems, it has luckily been positive because of the fact that the gospel is there purely to fix that problem. 

Yes I love Africa, no I can't speak the languages very well. No I don't have jungle fever.  

I will see you all soon.

Wrote this on a smartphone since I'm in the office with aps now. 

Going to temple tomorrow super hyped

Spent day with elder Robert at the mega mall Menlyn. So good day all around.  Going to play monopoly tonight. 

Renny had her kids get baptized in Nigeria and Godfrey from Soshanguve got baptized finally and I got to go.  

Life is good

and Lo I come quickly.

Kthanksbye. 

June 17, 2019 - Mission week 102: The End Almost

SO I again, don't have a ton to say (shocker) mainly so I will have a lot to say next week, but one thing is a super rad new guy named Raphael, who found the church on line and is just eating up what we are teaching him, he is a little older , but very energetic. He worked in marketing and media and you can tell, so that is exciting. 

Managed to have a pretty full week, went on a lot of exchanges, saw a ton of members, and saw a ton of birds. 

But life is good

Fathers day was this week and my dad said to say he is better then all your dads because he is the best dad. and he is right

so yeah...... 

next week will be LONG i got a really good idea.

kthanksbye

June 10, 2019 - Mission Week 101: Covenants

This week was pretty good  saw a bunch of members still.

Really just more of the same. Tenny went to the temple, which cured her insomnia. That was cool.

If you want to understand the importance of covenants better, go read the story of Jephtah in Judges 11 and 12. Also that story has some nice parallels to the life of Christ I suggest you read.

But hope you have a good week,

Next email is gonna be real long, I hope

I just hate writing at this point.

kthanksbye 

June 3 - Mission Week 100: HYMN 185

So this week was a week when I had a week full of a weeks worth of week. 

So a lot of missionaries I like went home, and for some reason I have been thinking a lot about the movie private eyes.  But otherwise living the dream.

Its been a bit colder down here recently

Had another week of visiting a bunch of members.

 

Just read this

1. 1. Rev'rently and meekly now,
   Let thy head most humbly bow.
   Think of me, thou ransomed one;
   Think what I for thee have done.
   With my blood that dripped like rain,
   Sweat in agony of pain,
   With my body on the tree
   I have ransomed even thee.
2. 2. In this bread now blest for thee,
   Emblem of my body see;
   In this water or this wine,
   Emblem of my blood divine.
   Oh, remember what was done
   That the sinner might be won.
   On the cross of Calvary
   I have suffered death for thee.
3. 3. Bid thine heart all strife to cease;
   With thy brethren be at peace.
   Oh, forgive as thou wouldst be
   E'en forgiven now by me.
   In the solemn faith of prayer
   Cast upon me all thy care,
   And my Spirit's grace shall be
   Like a fountain unto thee.
4. 4. At the throne I intercede;
   For thee ever do I plead.
   I have loved thee as thy friend,
   With a love that cannot end.
   Be obedient, I implore,
   Prayerful, watchful evermore,
   And be constant unto me,
   That thy Savior I may be.

if that's not inspiring, then go pray for it to be

I love this hymn

there is my spiritual email

can't be topped

kthanksbye

May 17, 2019 Zone Conference

Zone Conference of the Mabopane Zone (stake) of the Botswana/Namibia Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Montana Ward chapel in Pretoria North.

May 27, 2019 - Mission week 99: The final Countdown DADA DAA DAAAA

So I spent the week with a missionary about to go home, tomorrow, and we visited basically all the members on the planet. had a great old time. 

I really do not know what to talk about. 

I can talk about Transfers. I have 28 days, and so i leave kinda in the transfer, which they have all planned out, but I will be with Elder Edzeameh here in Montana up until i leave. 

church is true.

My dad is cool.

This email is pathetic. i was just drawing the next level blank. 

so yeah

kthanksbye

May 20, 2019 - Mission week 98: New place place

So this was a good week, 

Managed to meet, and become Ultra Homeys, with a Indian member named Niven who just moved in. He's way cool. works as a vet, wants to be more active then he used to be. Really cool guy. 

most of the rest of the week was spent meeting with members. 

Had zone conference, mostly talking about dilligence and having the faith to push through problems. 

Had a way cool experience though

a recent convert named Tenny lost her job and got way sick right after we baptized her, and so she was stuck between paying rent, and paying the hospital bills, and didn't know what to do, since both had to be payed, so she prayed for help, then appearently we called, gave her the june liahona, (which we 'happened' to get early) and looked at the article, fear not i am with thee  by Elder Bednar, which she said was a sign from God, we got her hooked up with the bishop, who helped her make her choice, then the next day, her job retuned and she made enough money to pay the other bill on time. Moral of the Story, Act in faith, random thoughts usualy are the spirit, and just try your best

Thats all I really have to talk about today. Most everything else i just whatever. 

Hope you all have a good week, saturday Is my last transfer news haha. 

kthanksbye

May 13, 2019 - Mission week 97: I still drove around to much

So yeah, more errands for the mission pres, spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, going back and forth to Pretoria East, so This email won't be the most...... full. 

But Tuesday, I was on exchanges with Elder Asay, we served around each other when he was in my District in Witbank, so we had a good old time. Everyone pretty much canceled, so we did a bit of finding, but he wasn't feeling to well, so we didn't do a lot. Stupid Flu. 

Wednesday, Was pretty normal, did our best to see who we could, but more of our area being difficult, we only really got to see Sis. Izabel, the familiy history Senior sis. Missionary, who taught us about Family History as always. Then we went and saw the extremely energetic Dhlamini family, had a nice talk about how the gospel is going to perfect us. 

Thursday night, after all the driving stuff we made waffles with the Manzini family. which was nice. No such thing as maple syrup here for them though. 

Friday, we saw the Lubumba family We discussed Alma 26:21-22 and the spirit. I recommend pondering over those verses a bit, they are very nice.

Saturday. Again, driving then the Olisa family, and more meat then i could handle. We discussed those same things about the spirit, and talked about some stuff from ministering and come follow me as well 

But yeah

 

Skyping home for mothers day was nice. 

We went to the Chameleon Village for probably the last time in my life. it was fun, but that place can be tiring. Especially when you only want like 1 thing

But things are good

Zone Conference later in the week

then 1 week of the transfer.

then my last transfer news.

then you know the rest

kthanksbye

Memories of Grandma - May 10, 2019

Upon hearing of the death of his Grandma Walker, Jack sent this memory to be read with the other "Memories of Grandma" at her funeral, held on Friday, May 10, 2019:

Well a good memory i have with Grandma is Sager and I playing skipbo and other games, and her always saying that sager learned how to cheat from Calvin and me laughing since I was cheating just as hard to keep up, but she didn't catch me! Also just the fun of the whales and the sleepovers and yatzee and all the games. It was just always fun to go to Grandma and Grandpa Walkers. 

May 6, 2019 - Mission Week 96: A week of weeks

So this week, was odd

Monday and Tuesday were taken up by a trip to Botswana for MLC where i ate crocodile at african rodizio grill. It was a fun drive, we talked about how to look after peoples spiritual welfare.

Wednesday, we got some new people to teach, from zimbabwe, they work at the hair salon that Freddy works at and one of them knows the church at least a little, they didn't come to church though, but they probably had to work. 

Thrusday, i was with my "grandson" / District Leader Elder Deem, we had a good time, it was good to finally really get to know him. Had a halfway decent day, got a lot of names

Friday, i was Biking around Mabopane, seeing old faces, interviewing some people for baptism, BIKE all day, it was nice

Saturday, we helped someone move, and tried desparatly to find people to teach

Sunday was just a nice fast sunday, had interviews with the mission president, maybe my last normal interview, and got stuck in accident traffic

Today, I golfed a bit, did only a bit bad.

but things are good here in South Africa, I am very much enjoying misison

I have been focusing more on Come Follow Me, i havn't been the greatest at doing it, so I am playing Catch up, and it is soooo good. If you want to better understand the gospel do Come Follow Me. The Church is true, they know what they are doing, listen to the prophet.

kthanksbye.

haha

but yeah, i'm just happy to be doing what i'm doing. Missionary work is very rewarding, especially when you get to really see the fruit of your labor, While I was back in Mabopane, I visited Beauty and Kaletso, the first converts I taught, and they have  been to the temple, are super active and have brought many others to the truth and it was pretty much the greatest thing ever. 

so yeah

lift up your voice

be happy

kthanksbyeforreal

April 29, 2019 - Mission Week 95: ON THE ROAD AGAIN

So yeah, more driving, they keep having us be errand elders, which is fine and good as long as they tell us before hand. 

SO this week was nice. We thought our Recent Covert Tenny had litteraly died, since she told us she was in the ER sick, and they her phone started not to exist. but it turns out it just broke, and she came to church and told us about how not dead she was. 

We also got a decent amount of new people. A bunch of people from the DRC. one guy was was cool named Perfect, he is a believer in the End Time Message (look it up) and sings gospel music for a living. He played us a few songs after we taught him the restoration, and he is really really good. 

Other than that, it was an average week of visiting lots of members and basically begging for referrals. Had a good time all around.

Today, I am driving up to Bots with all the other Zone Leaders for MLC, since for some reason they decided to do it in Bots this time around, so that kills our Monday and Tuesday.  But hey, I get to see Bots one last time, and this time, I'm not the driver, so I can get tons of pictures. so be excited for that. 

This morning we went Mountain biking with a guy named Brother Schmit. it was was fun, but I am so out of shape I can't believe. i got thoroughly wrecked. but we did 13ks. and it was fun, but its a good thing this a driving area since this probably would not be nice walking with how sore I am probably going to be

But yeah thats about it. Elections are coming up here in SA so thats ecxiting. 

7 more of these. 

kthanksbye

April 22, 2019 - Mission week 94: I DROVE A LOT

Hello everyone! how are you?

I have like NOTHING to talk about, 

we had an improptu drive to Bots and back to take some missionaries up there, as well as transfers the day before, and then the holiday weekend.

But I do have lots of pictures to send to make up for my short email

and i will talk a bit about how you all need to go read D&C 19:16-20, and think about easter

thats what I did

The savior did that for us

He went though ALL THAT, so we wouldn't have too. 

all he asks is "repent" 

so do it

kthanksbye

April 15, 2019 - Mission Week 93: Staying around for once

SO this week, I didn't get transfered, and my comp is actualy staying with me, so that hasn't happened in a while

We started teaching this guy from the Congo named Freddy who is pretty cool, and our super golden family of Mina and Franse finally came back to town, 

Other than that, the only things of note were my 45 minute interviews with the mission pres where he told me like everything ever. it was nice

A nice quote from fast sunday was "I know I will sin, but i will sin in the church, I'm not going anywhere" and i thought that was pretty profound

Things are starting to cool off. winter is fianlly coming. never gonna have to deal with the deadly lazer that is the african sun.

Just want to talk a bit about the unique docotrine of I am a child of God. 

Most people think that is a label that is earned and as such, not feeling good enough, they don't think of themselves like that. So share it with others. That is one thing everyone should know, regardless of there status in the church or life, We are all children of God

sorry its short, just don't have a lot to say

kthanksbye

April 8, 2019 - Mission week 92: The Band of Brothers

So before i even start to talk about conference, i gotta say other things or I'll forget. I get typing and then... pffftt

SO I got roped into the ward choir for the same reasons I always do. And we as missionaries have been asked to watch some new safety videos called THE SAFETY ZONE which are really really funny. 

And I finished Isaiah, and let me say that the last like 20 chapters really are probably what they mean when they say that one gets a better understanding of the Atonement of Christ when you read Isaiah, since thats the 'good stuff' so to say. Really recommend you go read that. 

OK CONFERENCE. 

honestly, as you could guess, Every missionary here was going nutzo about potential conference changes to the missionary program, but since getting my flight plans I had been in the party of "its not happening" and lo and behold. It didn't. but regardless, this was probably what I would say is the best conference I've participated in. It was soooo good, I didn't take a ton of notes, since I like to watch, but I cannot wait for the Liahona so I can get INTO these talks, they were all (havn't seen Sunday afternoon yet) so good.  A few things I got from it really

• Give people the Front Row seat of your life
• Where is my Heart?
• Priesthood playbook
• the second coming is near
• REPENT YE REPENT YE
• Don't get distracted by good
• Go for it. 

But that's all i really wrote, but I loved President Nelsons talk, Repentance has been something I have really been striving to do more of, and this was just answers to prayers honestly, not just his talk, the whole thing. 

I don't really know what else to say, I want to say more, I just don't know what

Things are still good here in Montana, still slow, but we making headway a bit. 

Transfer Ends on the 16, and then its my last Full transfer since i'm leaving 2 weeks early because of the mission president change. So things be crazy

I love Africa.

I love the Church

Yes, that was my mission president annouced as an area seventy, yes he will finish his time as mission president.

Yes i know the band of brothers, i've met 3 or 4 of them, I've been to, but not served in Mochudi, and all that happened like 10 years ago, so I wasn't here for it. But because of the band of brothers they were able to create Botswanas first stake, which led to the creation of this misison 7 years ago. So thanks to those great men. 

Thank you

kthanksbye

April 1, 2019 - Mission week 91: Amsterdam

So I got my travel Itinerary thing. Gonna be home at like 7 on June 26th, but odly, I'm flying through Amsterdam to get to Salt lake, so to LONG flights. wohoo. But having my Itinerary is tripping me out hard. I really don't have much time left here. 

But in other news, things happened this week.

I realized that just because I desire something, doesn't mean i'm going against god. 

We can use our car again, 

we went to chameleon village again, but i got like 5 minutes to write this whole email. 

Watch your step

Zone conference president chadambuka talked for 2 hours about his life story 

Things are awesome

I love life

Africa is great

Kthanksbye

March 25, 2019 - Mission week 90: Elder Donald Trump

So this week was SLOW. 

Tuesday, we only really saw Tenny, but we had an absolutely fantastic Correlation meeting with the brand new Ward mission council. This ward is so insanely... functional, for lack of a better word. They do their callings so well. Things are gonna blow up here with the plans we have in place. 

Wednesday, we got a call about our car. Basically the Area office had told us that the 'out of area kilometers' would not count toward our monthly total of a strict 2000. which is no problem. 

but then they called us and said never mind, so we have like 300 ks for the rest of the month, and 250 of those will be used by zone conference on the 29th, so we have been walking since that call, and that makes things much harder in this area, but it's all good, we have been figuring things out. 

Thursday, was Human Rights Day, so everyone except Tenny was either Drunk or Gone. 

so that day was kidna a bust. 

Friday, was District meeting and I went on exchanges with the Atterideville, walking, which was pretty fun, they live in a 4 man flat, and so life is a party. taught a bunch of people and whatnot. 

"The word of wisdom means to eat carrots, and all thing pre-requisite thereto"

Saturday,........................... was nothing. i hate saturdays. 

Sunday was the best though. My first Baptism I've actually gotten to be there for since MOTHERS DAY 2018. It was so insanly smooth the ward took care of everything, I didn't really know what to do with myself since I'm used to being in a panicked rush. But Tenny is now baptized and I am a happy boyboy. 

In other news, the pre scheduled black out, called Load Shedding have been getting BAD. like 7 hours out of the day bad, but this week they say they should be minimal. 

I have come to realize something I've always had an issue with. 

I have always thought that because I want to do something Really bad, its the natural man and i shouldn't do it. But I've really come to realize the truth of Moroni 7's good and evil discourse. If that thing is good, which they are, its a Godly Desire and not the Natural man.

SO i'm gonna be flavorblasting through like 30 things i've always wanted to do in the next few years. 

Get hyped

here is some pictures of me, since i never send pictures of me. 

kthanksbye

March 18, 2019 - Mission Week 89: Birds

There are like 30 bird parks here in Pretoria North. I want a bird

but in more missionary related news: We wern't even in our area for real 4 of the 7 days last week. 

Monday, was pretty boring, and then our FHE canceled. 

Tuesday, was a whole lot of trying to find people. 

Wednesday, we had to get our bakkie serviced, and it took till 5 and we were just stuck there at the ford dealership. so we walked around that part of town a ton, 

Thursday was MLC and that took all day. 

Friday, we had to move the Saulsville missionaries into a new flat, with only our Ranger and no trailer, which made it take like 7 trips and thus the whole day. 

Saturday, we had a great lesson with our only progressing person who didn't leave town for the holidays, Tenny. She is from Nigeria, and is honestly one of the most truly repentant people I've ever  met. Anytime you give her anything to read, she actually reads it, and then comes back and tells you all about how she has changed her life to follow it. We gonna fast track through a few things by seeing her every day the coming week so she will be good for baptism next week. Which we be the first time I've been at the baptism of someone I taught since MOTHERS DAY. its been far to long since I haven't been transferred the week before the baptism. So that's nice

Saturday, we had a few appointments, but nothing to noteworthy, just the usual. 

Basically, this areas biggest vice is simply having a decent teaching pool, its way hard to get new people, even will the ward being super useful, and in the end that is what makes things so slow. But i'll see what we can do in the next 3 months. 

Things are good, I'm good. 

Loving the area

Kthanksbye

Our Dutch Reforemed church chapel that is now a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel

Eisben, (pork ankle) people feed GOOOD here 

my new bead ties 

March 11, 2018 - Mission week 88: Isaiah

o I have finished the Book of Mormon once again. Its still true, don't worry, and now I will be studying the Book of Mormon again, for the last time before I return, I also will be reading the Doctrine and Covenants again, but this time around I will be reading Isaiah. *gasp, not Isaiah* yes. Isaiah. As i have read through the Book of Mormon I have felt the need to read Isaiah, after many of the prophets and Christ Himself have said that the Words of Isaiah are important. 

so pray for me I guess. 

But as for the things of the week 

I stuck a butter packet in my pocket (don't ask why i needed butter) and then forgot about it. 

this area has a ton of white people and its super different culturally from litterally every other area in the mission 

Our chapel is an Old Dutch Reformed Church chapel, so it has a crazy old cool pipe organ.

University strikes make our life harder

and we met the most golden family I have ever taught.  Franse and Mmina, have been coming to church for like 2 weeks and we finally got to go see them. They are so Prepared, self-relient, and fun. they are going out of town a bit, and might move to Polokwane, but its all good, they love the church, want to join and  they are the best 

But yeah, thats about it for the week. We have set some big goals as a zone and we are going to be working hard the next few months. 

So i'm a happy Bafana

kthanksbye

March 4, 2019 - Mission week 87: On the Road Again

So this week was a little different.

namely Elder Koch from the Area Seventy came a we all had a good time talking about how we need to gather the Elect and build the church on a solid foundation here. Talked a lot about how we need to make sure people Truly Repent so that they are truly converted. Which is true, without somone feeling true joy from the gospel, they will eventually fall away. He is a pretty straight shooter, just telling it as it is, and I love that. 

We also had to cram our entire zone of 12 missionaries into one ford ranger, so the drive to mission tour was a party. 

We spent most of the week tracting again, still working on getting more people

Transfer news came and I am once again moving, not far though, just to the zone leader area of this zone, so Motana aka Pretoria North. I'll have a car again, and this is the whitest area of the mission, so lots of afrikaans and just different culture, so that'll be cool. go get the other side of south african living. 

Things are otherwise good, got a funny story for you:

I've been searching for weeks for a post office to send some letters, and now, the day before i leave here, i find it, only to realize i have walked past it ALMOST EVERY DAY for the last 3 months. so i'm a fool 

i thought that story would take longer. 

but life is good

the work is true

I am running out of time to do this. 

Repent ye repent ye

kthanksbye

February 25, 2019 - Mission week 86: Day 600

Today is day 600 of my missionary service, which i think is pretty cool stuff.

had a cool moment of being guided by the spirit. we were trying to see a former person out in the boonies, and i could not remember where her house was for the life of me, and she doesn't have a phone, so i remembered where a member stayed and then the person we were looking for was there. I think the spirit didn't help me remember her place, so that i would go to the members and remember their place and actually have time to see both of them. "the spirit brings (or doesn't) bring things to our remembrance so we can do God's Will."

Taxi contacting continues to go well and we are finally getting some new people to teach and putting people on date. 

It only took 10 weeks but we are finally having success here, just in time for me to probably get transferred next week like I always do when things start going good. 

Something random that makes my laugh here is that whenever you say the name of Christ around an old lady who isn't a member, they usually clap there hands and start dancing. I really wish I had video of it, its usually the funniest thing ever. and like every old lady does this.

Go Read Helaman 5. 

and I end this short email with a question, which is easier, to die for something or to live for it. I've been thinking about that, since someone told me a quote form Nelson Mandela that is something like "I will die for my cause and if nessisary I live for it". which I think is way cool

kthanksbye

February 18, 2019 - Mission Week 85: Missed Venture

So they have these local taxis that are called Toyota Ventures, and they are awful cars. But Thats what we take to get anwhere we want for like a dollar. But we didn't get one in time to avoid getting all of the skys water dumped on us. so that was fun. 

this week was still more endless tracting, we are still having trouble with people actually being at our appoinments, leaving us with nothing to do each day. So once again I don't really have much to talk about.

Gonna have to figure out this whole "can talk to parents" craziness. 

Life is good, i feel bad about short emails, but i really got nothing. 

I do have pictures though, since we are emailing up in pretoria north and have waaayyy better internet. 

so I will end with a quote from Brother Jaysons talk on Sunday 

"All the past doesn't matter. The Church is true, we are children of God, we know what to do."

So have a good week, and go help someone. 

kthanksbey

 OTHER STUFF FROM CHAMELEON VILLAGE

Djembe Drum i bought

 My collection of STUFF

some bracelets i bought at chameleon village 

we keep having power outages, so candles 

my face 

the best drink ever 

Sunset