Elder Mikel North: March 2016

Date: March 29, 2016
Area: Maseru, Lesotho
Companion: Elder Woodland
Week 40

So I guess I get to send a short lil email today :) (Yesterday he got on and started replying to some pictures when I got this message, "sorry email shop clossed on us so I cant write, next week I guess... :(" So happy he got a few minutes today.)

Lets see where do I begin on this week, well first off I really feel like I have only been in Lesotho for about a week but yet we are going through my fourth week which really does just blow my mind.

We had exchanges with the AP's (assistants to the president) it was awesome Elder King came with us, sadly I forgot to take a picture to show yall, but he is such a power guy, We had some nice conversations about life and home and who we are so that was really cool. He is from Montana is a strait rancher type of guy, big, strong, and works hard. We contacted a lot of people and were able to even enter into their homes on the first visit and teach them the gospel. Now its just getting a second appointment and then getting them to actually come to church!

There is a member called Lucky who leaves for his mission in Bostwanna this week which is weird being a missionary already and seeing someone leave, He is going to be a good missionary though and I am way excited for him. We got to go to his farewell party which was interesting because it wasn't like the farewells back home, we played music and danced and it was like a normal party but then we all gathered round and each person gave their thoughts and last advice for Lucky's mission, and we recorded the whole thing so he could take it with him on mission.

Still knocking a lot of doors this week and next and prob the week after just trying to get some of them to progress and I pray they do.

We had a good DDM (district development meeting) I taught on Christ-like attributes and we played a kind of jeprody game with it so it was a lot of fun, we learned and just enjoyed so that was really nice. My district is awesome, I have Elder Vanwinkle and Odhiambo, Vanwinkle is from Arizona is a country man, loves his country music and so we get a long on that, too bad he can sing and play the guitar as well which of course makes me jealous! Odhiambo is from Tanzania, he says dang it all the time and laughs so loud, they are our zone leaders and they are the best. Then there is Elder Tsuma from and Sithole from Zimbabwe, they are fun, I have been around Tsuma before so we already know each other well and Sithole is still a newer missionary but not really green anymore because he is done with training. Over all its a good bunch of missionaries and seems to be all of us are working hard in the Lords vineyard.

Thank you all for your prayers and love!

Elder North

Date: March 21, 2016

Cool kid in the street

Area: Maseru, Lesotho

Companion: Elder Woodland

Week 39

Fam and friends, howzit. (howzit is a common saying in SA same as izit)

It has been a fantastic flippin week if I do say so my self! We have been on bikes for the past week and a half. This area has not had their bakkie for about four months because a previous elder drove it into a ditch.....Ooops. But good news! we got our bakkie back! Oh boy do I love it. There is just something fulfilling about driving a truck, especially a manual haha. It has helped a lot with the work because we can now stay out latter ( previous on bikes we had to be home around 6 because it gets to dangerous when we are out later than that) and we can work in rain or shine! We were able to go to a bit further places which seemed promising in tracting and were able to knock some doors done that side. I work in an area called ha tsetane or something like that and work in the neighboring towns and villages.

Here are some pictures of my new boarding! Pretty good but the washer will only go on HOT.

Doing who knows what at my desk.

MAIL, I love mail, happily enjoying reading.

Cool story of the week is that we were approached by some guy in the mall who teaches at a emt college. He asked us if we would be interested in helping him teach a morals class. We gladly accepted his offer and get to meet all the students later today. We will be teaching a two hour class of about 85 students once a week about morals and ethics and of course Jesus Christ! We are stoked about this and think we will all learn from the experience. I am praying it all goes well!!! The area is starting to pick up, we didn't have anyone in our investigator teaching pool but now we have a few and are continuing to make it grow. We hope to soon be so busy with appointments that we come home and fall asleep before we get to the beds.

Here are some pictures of my area.

This is a high school.

The branch that I am serving in is such a cool one, the members are nice. The only problem we have is a lack of priesthood holders. There are a lot a lot of sisters in the branch. We have an attendance of about 140 on average.

Elder woodland and I have been doing great, we already have so many inside jokes and its like we have been friends for a long time. I have been blessed with a fantastic companion that we both enjoy to work laugh and play! :) Its a good thing I am off of the bikes now because sleeping was becoming a problem, not that I slept to much but lack there of due to stupid back aches.... (gents take care of any pulled/tore muscle now and dont hurt for it two years later...) It's getting pretty nippy at night where I actually need a real blanket and not just sheets like I have been doing in KZN. You can feel that winter is on its way but for the most part it is still hot, short sleeve weather.

I wake up every morning with more and more mosquito bites. They are starting to really get on my nerves. the worst is when you wake up in the night because you can hear them buzzing right past your face and its loud! curse you infernal pests!!!

Some youth from the branch.

So Elder woodland and I are becoming quite the chefs, we don't get fed by any members here so you cook a lot. The other night we made some chicken and it was awesome. We put it in the oven put some garlic, lemon, and spicy chicken flavor sauce over it and flipped it every 30 min for about two hours. The chicken was soooo goooood!!! Lemony and a bit of kick at the end due to the perri perri pepper spice we put on it. ah to die for!!!! Well that is my week I guess. Lesotho has been grand thus far.