January 7, 2019 - Mission Week 79: The Sprinting Leg.

I'm now officially in what President Chadambuka calls "the Sprinting Leg" of my Mission. So time to sprint. 

things are still good here in Soshanguve. Still working on getting more member Involvment, and still recovering from the drain of the hollidays on our Teaching pool, but we are doing some quality work and things are looking up. 

Monday and Tuesday were pretty Useless, since we were locking inside since New Years, but we had some Fun and called every number we had on record. 

Wednesday we walked around a lot trying to get some new people to teach, and that night we went up to Pretoria, to stay the night or MLC in the morning. 

Thursday was MLC fun times. Got nice food, talked about the mission. Very Spirit filled meeting. President is an Inspired Man. Then Drove around dilivering Supplies the rest of the day. 

Friday, was more walking. trying to get more people, and somewhat succeeding. 

Saturday, we had a great lesson with a Less- Actives friend named Pretty, who as we were teaching, kept saying she could feel God telling her to learn more, and then she came to church the next day. So she's looking good, and she brought the less- active guy, Lifa, with her, so that's good, been trying to get him to church again forever. 

Sunday, was weird 2 hour church. it was nice though, gave us more time to teach, which turned into walking after everyone canceled. 

Looking foreward to what I can do these last 6 months. Hope That I can End as the Missionary God wants me to be, and then come home and continue on as such. 

As they say in here, The Last Year (and a half) have been Nice Nice. Cant wait to see the Future. 

Kthanksbye

Working on uploading pictures, internet sucks. sorry

December 30, 2018 - Mission Week 78: Profound "New Year" Email.

2018 has not seen a day of me not being a Full-time Missionary. and now 2018 is over. 2019 will see my Return to America. So that's weird. I remember always thinking "I go home in 2019" but now it is 2019.

I found a nice missionary scripture. Moroni 7:31. Pretty much outlines the purpose of The Church of Jesus Christ, since it is, in the end, a missionary Church. So go read it. 

Holiday week, so we haven't really been able to do a whole bunch, but we did have some pretty good lessons. Finally found a Father led family, my second of my whole mission. Guy named Henry and his Wife Grace. They are very self relent, live by the chapel, and are looking for a new, true church, So super happy about that.

I've never been one for poetry, but I heard this in a Hank Smith Devotional I listened to recently. 

Out of the night that covers me,
      Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
      For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
      I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
      My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
      Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
      Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
      How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
      I am the captain of my soul. 

And I just think that is a perfect thing for the New Year. We have control over our own fate. God has given us that power. So just GO. Believe in Yourself and Do what you dream of, become who you want to become, God will help you if you ask Him and Follow His Guidance. 

So there is my New Years inspirational Speech, thank you all for attending the conference, refreshments are at the back. 

kthanksbye

(sorry no pictures, this is the only email place open and these computers run Windows xp slower than ever)

December 24, 2018 - Mission Week 77: Gonna eat a good burger tomorrow.

I really have like 0 things to talk about.

The Work is going super slow, since everyone is out of town, and finding all you meet are drunk people. But we are still having fun, even though we are bored and it is super hot. 

We had some good lessons on Tithing with a few people. Made me really appriciate how much of a blessing that Commandment really is. So pay your tithing and you will never go off the path, it keeps your priorities straight and your humility strong. 

Went on Exhanges to Mabopane on Friday, saw a lot of old faces, one of our Investigators form a yearish ago is finally getting baptized, Beauty (the first person I baptized) is teaching Gospel Principles, and her kids are getting baptized and shes been through the temple, which makes me WAY happy. Nostalgia is a funny thing, espessially with old areas. Weird to thing its been over a year since I was there, and people still remember me pretty well. 

But I hope you all have a merry Christmas, and Enjoy your lives and what you are doing. 

Remember to Be GRATEFUL for COLD WEATHER. Hot Christmas is not a nice. 

kthanksbye

December 17, 2018 - Mission Week 76: The Designated Driver Seat (DDS)

So I am still driving a Ford Ranger, but we are the only car in the zone, so we have to use it to solve everyone's problems. So that sucks, were doing that all of Tuesday and Wednesday, since some phones got lost in taxis and people need supplies and our zone is big. 

but driving around the zone has been a huge nostalgia tip. I haven't been around a lot of these places since I was trained. So its been fun for me

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, was a blur of walking, putting people on date, and contacted. Its Holiday time now, so everyone is drunk. so contacting has been fun, people love my name, and are very 'verbal' about it when they are drunk. Had some cool experiences teaching a pastor, people are a slippery as ever, when it comes to appointments. Really don't have a ton to talk about. really was just a ton of time in the car. 

Something nice I read recently is Isaiah 58. it has some WAY cool passages about fasting, and it has totally changed my view on the whole thing. so go read it. I know its Isaiah, but trust me on this one. 

I miss the Temple

I've come to realize that I'm farly sure its Satans fault people don't understand the "scriptural" versions of language. like thee thou and whatnot. "Deep English" as they call it here. He is probably Casualfying language so people wont understand the Word of God. So learn your language, so you can truely Understand what the Scriptures are saying

Transfers got all goofed up since some guy didn't show up the MTC, so thats fun I guess.

That's really about it

Africa is still hot

I'm still Alive

The Church of Jesus Christ is still the Path to Exaltation

and I still got pictures. 

kthanksbye

Gouta's Daughter Asa in Kanye

nice veiw of the township os Soshanguve

my comp

my desk setup

December 10, 2018 - Mission Week 75: Back to the past

This week has been good, managed to get some nice new people, mainly siblings of people we are already teaching. 

Got Transfer News, Back to SA, Soshanguve, same zone and district as my first area, with Elder Spence. So that will be fun. 

Sadly, the Mangoes on our flats Mango trees didn't ripen in time, so no fresh mangoes for me. 

On Tuesday I had to take Elder Norton to a Doctor in Gabs, for his "severe throat infection"

Wednesday- Saturday, nothing really special. Dont have a ton of time to write today, got a lot of file stuff to mess around with and backing up things. 

go read about the Sripling Warriors in Alma 53:20-21 Specifiacally.

Also go read D&C 78: 16-17. and "Trust that God knows how to Exalt you"

Botswana Round 2 was a great time. 

sure I only got 6 weeks in each area, but it was much more fun, and got a lot more done and wasn't dying. Botswana is a Beautiful, but exceedingly HOT place. the Batswana people are very nice and loving. Gonna miss this place, cant come back as a missionary now, since visa refresh time is more than I have left. 

Christmas time is here, and it all just feels weird. 

Hopefully there is some more Festivity in SA than up here. 

Mitochondria is the Powerhouse of the Cell

kthanksbye

mangoes at our flat

cool clouds( they dont happen that much)

transfer KFC

nice view coming down the mountain of kanye

our water tank

December 3, 2018 - Mission Week 74: Creative Food Poisoning

So i got food poisoning, but i'm almost over it now, stake conference was fun because of that. 

so things will be short. 

I made a lot of nice things, like drawing and even sculpting. really really bored thats why, and we couldn't go out with me having things to take care of every hour. 

we had a youth fireside on Friday, that like 80 kids came to, mostly non-member friends, and that was nice, but most of them stay in the Kanye 2, the other Elders Area. 

James 1:6-8 is very nice, esspecially since i'd always only read James 1:5

Also Elder Gongs Conference address was really inspiring. 

so random notes 

• THE Church of Jesus Christ, not A Church of Jesus Christ
• 7 months left
• Record spiritual promptings so that you can better recongnize them and recieve more. 
• Go light the World

yep, sorry its short, and sorry no pictures, internet sucks and I am very tired, but things are great, the gospel is true and I'll be fine tomorrow. 

kthanksbye

November 26, 2018 - Mission week 73: "It stressed me out, but it worked"- Sis. Tatla

So this has been another week. 

Had a good time down in Pretoria on Tuesday, after the meeting President Chadambuka took us out to a way nice restaurant by the office called square time cafe, and all of us ate way to much food. 

We got back on Wednesday morning, did the usual stuff. and had some pretty good lessons. 

Met an RMs best friend and started teaching him, saw Wendy again, but she's running out of time before she leaves for the Holidays, had a WAY good lesson with Gouta who told us she knows the Book of Mormon is true and is working on scheduling us to come and teach at her workplace for the morning prayer thing that they do. so that's awesome, hoping to get he baptized before I go. I haven't gotten to take place in the baptismal service of an Investigator since Mothers day. 

Thursday, was also standard, but at night we went to Gabs for the zone Thanksgiving with President Manganela (1st concelor in the Miss. Pres.) way way fun time. love that guy. lots and lots of ''African Food"  I have had both of my Mission Thanksgivings in Botswana, so thats kinda cool 

Friday, everyone canceled.  Walked.

Saturday, the same thing.

Sunday, the same, had some people come to church, had a good time, had branch council. tought Gouta about Temples because she really wanted to know. 

Today, President Chadambuka will be here for Interviews, which is why I'm emailing a little sooner than normal. 

Only 2 weeks left in Bots, then probably back to SA for the last 5 transfers. Enjoyed my time here a lot. been in all the districts of Gabs now. 1 transfer per district. so that's fun

• Finally got Conference Liahona, so finally can study this amazing conference on paper
• "Understand People as they are, and Don't Understand them as you are"- Elder Robert C Gay, Sunday Afternoon session Oct 2018
• Sometimes good can be heavy
• Border Patrol is annoying

hope you all have a good week

remember who you are and what God stands for. 

kthanksbye

Elder Tatla asleep in the back

Kanye by day 

 The Former Elder, now Brother Ditshai, who served in this mission, is now our Branch Mission Leader.

Kanye by night

A pic of me when you reach terminal capacity and Square time cafe (from Elder Spencer)