Mission Week 40: Literally just almost didn't send this. - April 9, 2018

Hello everyone. The week has been very good, got Elder Mbir sent off to Namibia, and got Elder Coka with me here now. He's from Albania, and we are having fun. Should have 2 baptisms this week as well, so that will be nice. Nonfumoneko and Sharron.

The rest of the week has been kinda average, The only real things to talk about are that we finally got to meet with a less active family named the Ackermanns, who invited us back to play games for Family night, and that'll be fun. I also bought a way cool shirt, but forgot to get pictures of it, so that'll come next week. Pictures aren't uploading well right now anyway. We have mostly been introducing Elder Coka to people. Today we are gonna go to that Family Night, get haircuts, and eat food. Happy to get another 6 weeks in Witbank, happy to finally Finish Conference Yesterday.

I left my list of things to email about in the flat, So I apologize this is a short one.

Temple in India is nuts, Russia is Nuts-er. Bye Home Teaching, Revelation is real, this is a new chapter in church History.

I love you all, Live Well.

kthankbye

Mission Week 39: only a little late - April 2, 2018

SO  I have a lot to talk about, not a lot of time, so this will be a jumbled mess as I read all the things off my list in my planner basically.

I've met Elder Soarres, he came to the mission a bit ago, so that's cool

I havn't watched sunday afternoon yet, with the temples and home teaching thing, but enjoyed the rest a lot.

I encourage everyone to say 'I am a child of God' 10 times daily

"I am not mighty in writing as in speaking" like Nephi

Sushi here is way good

Buying stamps in the most annoying and impossible thing here

Hypno-pastors. I won't say much about that

Zimbabweans, from Zimbabwe, are like the coolest people, theres a lot of them in Witbank, like The branch pres, like 7 members and our new investigator Youlanda.

Good Friday and Easter are HUGE here, everyone travels and stores close, hence the day late-ness

I finished Jesus The Christ again.

Ok now the week

Monday, nothing really, just Ping-Pong

Tueday was mega- exchanges. The Zone Leader Elder Voyles, The District Leader Elder Critchfield, and I all together. Had fun, got sushi, not much to talk about

Wednesday, we walked around dhuva all day, got 1 person to see, Youlanda the awesome Zimbabwean. then we saw Sis. Pat, which is always fun.

Thursday, I don't even remember (I have a new planner)

Friday, everyone left for holiday, spent the whole day knocking on empty houses.

Sautrday, Conference was awesome, Pres. Chadambuka came to interview Nomfumoneko, so she should be baptized this coming week. A few notes in that regard: President 'Plot Twist' Nelson, The solemn assembly was awesome. Lynn G Roberts talk on failure was very inspiring, we all have Today to live, Trust in God, The Atonement of Christ is pretty useful, and We need the Spirit of Unity, are a few things I notice, I'll talk more about my notes next week.

Transfers are Today, I'm still staying, but Elder Mbir is going to Namibia, and I'm getting Elder Coka, from Albania, He was in my first district, and he's a fun guy. Excited for the next 6 weeks.

thank you all,

life is good

kthanksbye

Mission Week 38: Hand towel vs Actual towel - March 26, 2018

I had left my towel in Pretoria since I was there 3 weeks ago, and just now got it back, and I have been using a dish towel to dry off, and it felt really good to use a real towel again.

But the week went as follows.

Monday we played Ping-Pong and went with Kwa'Guqa to there YSA FHE, which was very fun.

Tuesday, It rained all day, and we got some new investigators, namely this blind guy named Ace and his family. They seem to really be interested, so we'll see how that goes.

Wednesday, as usual, everyone cancelled, but we did see Nomfumoneko (the lady who accidently came to church, loved it, and wanted to join. Literally our best investigator.) and her sister, Precious, and Daughter, Khaziwa. Had a good lesson as always and put khaziwa on date, Precious wont agree to a date yet. Nomfumoneko was on date for yesterday, but she needs to be interviewed by the mission president, so it will be after conference instead.

Thursday, was more cancellations in Middleburg, not much to eally talk about

Friday was Zone Conference, where I finally got my towel back. It was very good, talked about the improvement from last year we have made so far, and talked about how to better invite people to be baptized, as well as a lot of other things.

Saturday was pretty normal, saw Ace again, as well as a few other people, had a good lesson with a lady named Follen, we'll see how she goes. As well as on Saturday I put a bunch of stuff on my wall, because I felt like it, and the white walls are boring.

Sunday, I had to give an Improptu 10 minute talk on faith, Sharron once again couldn't come due to the fact the roads in her village flooded. and we watched the Joseph Smith movie with Nonfumoneko and her family.

so yeah. That's about that, don't  have much else to talk about

so I'll end with a Quote from the lesser known Emma Smith movie

"Strength isn't something you have, It's something God helps you find, but sometimes being strong can be very lonely"

so yeah, sunsets are nice

kthanksbye

Mission Week 37: A months worth of Pictures - March 19, 2018

Medicine here tastes like rootbeer, which is why no one here likes rootbeer, and thus it doesn't exist

Hello everyone. I have realized this week, that most people have been saying my name as Foonk. Apearently the 'un' sound in Funk is very, very hard for people. I don't really have a lot to talk about this week, it was probably the most average week of my mission. We saw a lot of people, had a lot of cancelations, and had some fun. The highlights being, putting Nomfumonekos Sister and Daughter on Date, Having Allen come back, Actually having a member present, and 3v3 playing soccor in the Kwa'Guqa chapel parking lot, with chairs as goals, and it raining on cobblestone, so it was fun. Lowlights being sharron once again not showing up to her own baptism due to transport problems, having the (sadly normal) large amounts of cancelations, mainly because of rain, and peoples normal "eish, I'm tired, I was about to take a nap, or I'm busy (with nothing)" But its all good, the people we do see are awesome. 

The main thing of joy is the fact I finally got my camera cord back, and am able to send pictures, so there will be several emails worth of that (since you can only send 4 or 5 per email and I have 33 pictures to send, and thats just the highlights, not all of them) 

I highly suggest if you can find it, watching the movie "Emma Smith" its basically a way more in depth version of Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration  from Emmas perspective. Same actors and same company, even some of the same sences, but I enjoyed it very much, more made for people who know the church history than  Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration was.  

kthanksbye

Week 36: back in my area - March 12, 2018

"it's to hot to read"- lady we were following up on. on a pretty normal, not that hot, day.

SO to start of with the sad thing to make it end on a good note, I left my Camera cord in Pretoria, So once again, no pictures......... but next week for real. 

This week was mostly a blur of the Flu, and getting caught up with everyone after being gone. We had a lot of people ask us the popular question of "is it O.K. to worship our ansesotrs, if we are already saved?" to which the answer is obvious.

So I came back Monday after Emailing, and then Tuesday, we had some people cancel, but managed to see most of the people, pretty normal day.   

Wednesday, we saw a decent amoung of people and got some new investigators, in a part of town called Duvha. 

Thrusday was Middleburg, pretty average, not a lot to talk about

Friday was also pretty averrage in Phola

Saturday, we cleaned the chapel and put a lady named Precious on date, she is the sister of the lady who should be baptized next week named Nomfumoneko. 

Sunday we had no power at Church or at our Flat, so we had a very shouty sacrament since no mic. that was funny. 

not a lot much else to talk about.

so

kthanksbye

Week 35: still not in my area - March 5, 2018

So I continued on in Mamelodi with Elder Voyles, while Elder Mbir and Elder Ruben took control of Witbank, so at least someone would be there. We had a lot of fun, while we were getting our car washed, we stopped in a Pawn shop called Cash Converters, where I found a berely used, iPod nano, for R300, so like $20. So I called the AP's to see if we are allowed to have those, and we are, so I bought it, so thats nice, gonna be a lot easer than listening to music off a Flash Drive. The rest of the week was pretty normal, we had a huge zone activity, and went to this Huge Afrikaans (the white settlers) monument, and took the tour, learned a lot of South African history, then we went a played Dodgeball, and Rugby (which I am learning to love the touch version of.)   I really don't have a lot to talk about, and since we are emailing later, the place is crowded and the upload speed doesnt exisit, so sorry no pictures again, we'll see if I can get any, before we have to go, but otherwise, there will be a Whole lot of pictures, next time, many of the Monument/museum, from today. I go back to witbank tomorrow, since I can drive again, so that will be good.

on a more uplifting note,

I was thinking about stuff, and talking with E. Voyles, and he metioned something cool. 

We are told to be LIKE Jesus, not to BE Jesus. He set the Example, he is a not a template. We are all unique. Just think off math the Example Problem was usually different than the ones in the assignment, but it showed us how to handle the things in the other problems. Christ showed us what to do with the numbers, signs, and variables in our own lives. It's not us doing everything he did, exactly how he did it. You solve 3x5 differently than 7x+4=y.    so a little food for thought cool thing.

Mission week 34: not in my area - February 26, 2018

So monday we came down to see the Doc, and long story short, the medication I'm on means I can't drive, and my Comp has no license, and we had to go to the Doc like 4 times in a week, and we live an hour away from said doctor. So we have been doing basically long term exchanges with the zone leaders in their area, double teaming it. Me and Elder Voyles have been in the west side, and Elders Ruben and Mbir in the east. It's been way fun, but there has been no one in my area. Not much else really to say, that was the whole week.

Sunday was a nice stake conference.

Today, we played Rugby all morning, and I got an amazing sliding catch to score. Play of the Game. Then we all went and got some great ribs at a place called Square Time. Then we Jammed out in a music shop right next door, the first time I'd played drums since Home. Now we are emailing.

President will be calling later today, because of more tests in the future and the whole lack of driving thing complicating that. So I honestly have no idea when we are going back to witbank, one plan is to send Ruben and Mbir back there, and have me and Voyles stay together till we get a better handle on things. But it's all good. The Mission President knows what he's doing, and I'm finally getting Fixed. So whoohoo.

Sorry no pictures, I forgot my Camera at the zone leaders flat. So there will be A LOT of pictures next week I promise.

Lifes good, thanks for the Prayers. 

live well

kthanksbye