9 months to go.

New Hair 

Date:  September 26, 2016
Area:  Maseru 1, Lesotho Africa
Companion:  Elder Shinga


So this week was awesome! Wait did I say that last week???? Okay then this week was spectacular! Wait maybe the was what I said two weeks ago, fantastic? Nope used that one already, flipping, fetching wow, sweg, swoosh swap, slam dunking, goal scoring, crowd cheering, incredible week..... ya.....

So why you may ask? Well to start off I am serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! How could it not be incredible!?!? rhetorical question, because the answer is that you can only have amazing weeks as a missionary!

Why? Because while you are serving people you just get a big ol smile when you see them smile.

Dinner at a member house

Why else? Well because I am serving in Lesotho Africa meeting some awesome people who I can't understand but I am trying to learn the language and enjoying making them laugh as I say the little Sotho I do know.

Another reason you ask? Well simply because as a missionary you get to see peoples lives change as the gospel and spirit of God enter into their lives!

Still want more? I'll give you more! I get to see people who are so lost in this life and so confused, find such peace and calmness through the simple truths we share!

Cute kids and check out that tie!

Keep going you say? Okay! I get to smile everyday, I am healthy, and strong (compared to a 12 year old girl) Because as a missionary you get to be a light, a light in darkness and a light in troubling times for people you don't even know but some how love them so deeply. I believe that if you feel the spirit while you are with someone, you will love them! You just gotta love em!

Okay so now you can see that mission is great.... Oh you still havn't gotten enough..... okay well let me say some more about why mission is incredible and why every day I feel so blessed! On mission you change if you allow it. Now I don't feel different and I don't think I have change much but whenever I meet someone who knew me when I started my mission or even just 8 months ago then they tell me of the change that has happened to me. Now change can be great because I know I am becoming the person who God intends me to be. I hope I can become that "man" by the end of my mission. I hope I don't miss out on any opportunities to learn and grow.

On mission you get to be filled with love as you serve with all your heart, might, mind and strength!

Elder North and his mission president,
 President Thompson.

On mission you get to feel in a very real sense that we have a loving God and a Savior who is Christ the Lord. You get to know them, feel them and love them!  

On mission you see miracles all around you. If you diligently serve and look, you will see how much God does for His children! What a profound and great truth to hold on to. We have a loving Heavenly Father, God, who does everything he does out of pure love and the hope of our progression towards eternal perfection! WOW! Isn't it just WOW!

Well let me start talking about my week....

So we started the week of with a great lesson with a member named Neo and his wife who is not a member of the church. They live in a building with three houses room to room. His house is about the size of my room. In that they have a electric stove, buckets of water to shower, cook, and drink, a tv, a bed, and a dresser, and some cabinets. That is it. The room/home next door is separated by a concrete wall but the space between the wall and roof are not entirely closed off. His neighbor does tattoos and loves to play his music loud and smoke a lot so our great lesson with Neo was accompanied by Lil Wayn, Drake, and all the hip hop pop artist and the looming smell of much weed... haha it was interesting to say the least. I think through the haze of the smoke and intense beat the spirit was able to penetrate into our hearts and confirm the message to be true. Sadly she still didn't come to church though :/ next week I hope!

Pictures I snagged from Sister Thompson's blog.

Mission Leadership Council

pizza...missionaries love pizza especially when it
is bought by the mission president!

check out the matching ties!

Zone conference

Another awesome thing that happened this week is that an investigator from Bloem called us and told us to visit and teach his girlfriend. That is cool and investigator bringing us more people to teach! We had an awesome lesson with the two of them sitting on the floor of her home much like the one describe above. One room and they both came to church!!! yes yes yes!  

Well those are some great things this week and the work continues to grow this side. I am loving it and I am tired at the end of every day. What a great feeling!

Peace and blessings!

Elder North

Ummm, I think it is pieces of the body of
the statue thing on the side.  I don't know.

Homes

Soul food - good for your soul

sharing is caring

Noah's car...ark...hey wait

Lesotho Africa

Eating some pap with milk for dinner

Date:  September 19, 2016
Area:  Maseru 1, Lesotho Africa
Companion:  Elder Shinga

This week I had the great opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Depriest in Leribe. It was a blast, the day started off pretty rough as we went to a lesson where only one out of the 6 spoke English. The lesson was long and choppy and a rough start to the day but things quickly picked up as we continued to the streets to contact some new people. I am really loving street contacting a lot more than door approaches. When you knock doors you spend a lot of time at empty houses waiting for no one, but on the street you just talk to everyone! The streets are nice because you can also be a bit selective on who you talk to. So we shared some messages on the road side then continued to a late appointment. We had an amazing lesson with this mme and her sister, about halfway through a friend of theirs joined us as well. We were able to commit them all to a baptism date by the end of the lesson. It was a strong lesson and I know they felt the spirit.

About to head into a persons house

That is a big bottle!

I love the spirit, don't you? The comforter, the Holy Ghost, the Testator. He is a great companion to have with you all the time. What a wonderful gift we have the opportunity to receive after baptism. We can have the presence of Deity with us at all times, in all things, and at all places if we are but willing to stand as a witness of Christ in such instances. The spirit is the key in missionary work. I don't really teach anyone, sort to say, but I try my best to create an atmosphere where the spirit can act as a conduit of the message of Christ from my heart to theirs. My soul to their soul. I have always said that when the lesson switches from mind to mind, too heart to heart. that is when you really have something. The Spirit testifies of the message of the Book of Mormon so clearly and powerfully as to the baptizing of over 15 million people.... wow.... power.... 

I like cute things

and there is not much cuter than
a little girl and teddy bear!

Elder Mashava an old comp of mine use to tell people not to make the mistake of reading the Book of Mormon, because then you will know its true... He was right ;)

Mission is great another great thing about mission and the spirit of the Lord is that I meet people who have trials, struggles, heart ache, and pain. All of which I cannot see, but the Lord does. Through the spirit several times I have been blessed enough to understand and see things in people that otherwise would have remained unknown to me. I have been blessed to speak words of comfort and truth that previously had not been known to me. I have seen the Lord work through me to teach, bless, heal, and love His children.

Just driving around

We had some investigators come to church this Sunday and that was super exciting, even Seneti who can't walk came! We got her wheelchair and rolled up to sacrament meeting. Sadly they had to leave early but I pray the spirit had touched their hearts while they were there.

We also had two  baptisms from my area this week!!!! woot woot! We are hoping to get 5 next month. I am excited for next Sunday when they recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost to be their constant friend, support, and guide throughout the rest of their lives as they live according to the commands of God.

Elder Shinga teaching our EMT class

I have been trying to get better at Sesotho the past few weeks and its gotten a bit better but eish. Ha ke tsebe haboe Sesotho.... (I dont know how to speak Sesotho.) but when I say that they just tell me that I am speakings so I reply, oa hlayna! ke soa soa, ha boe sesotho anyane. (you are crazy! just kidding I only speak sotho a little.) then I ask Le tsatse leho nelele jwang? How their day was and so far and so on. 

We have had great opportunities to teach in all places and to all people this week and we are really seeing this zone become something spectacular. I am excited to see the growth through the next couple months here.

Dancing at a members house

I cant believe its already week 5 in the transfer (missionaries move from area to area every six weeks.) and I feel like it just began, I have had no time for anything, writing letters, not even extra time to do my extra study at night because I am too tired. It's a good feeling to know that you went out into the world and did your best to share the love of Christ with all those you see. I am forever grateful for this opportunity I have to learn as a missionary. I hope I can soon learn what I am doing and how to be a good missionary because there is just so much to learn and do! But I am getting better, day by day. step by step. and that's what's important.

Some quotes from the past weeks:

"go to work!"

"when fleeing from sin, dont leave a forwarding address."

2 years to serve, eternity to look back"

"feel the joy of it!"

"brotheren, you need to ponder more!"

"There is a reason why weve been blessed with 2 ears and 1 mouth"

"Mission has everything to do with us, but has nothing to do about us."

"You have been so caught up in what you dont have, you have forgotten what you do have.

I just Love you all so much and I am happy right now. Things arn't always easy and arn't always up beat but I have found when the going get tough, go. and go and go until you get a smile on your face.

I pray for you, miss you, and can't believe I'll be home in less than 9 months. The time is far spent there is little remaining to publish these glad tidings.

This is ok right?

Love,

Elder North

Another week in Africa

Date:  September 12, 2016

Area:  Maseru 1, Lesotho Africa

Companion:  Elder Shinga

Fam!

It was as always the best week ever!

So I guess I haven't told you much about my comp Elder Shinga, He is from Zimbabwe and amazing. He is a quieter guy but an awesome teacher and so so so humble and sincere. He has this big ol smile that’s always shining! We are really working hard together to try and lead this zone to the top of the mission. Um I don’t really know what else to say about him. But ya he is great! (maybe next week we can get a picture of them together)

So this week was fantastic we even got to go on exchanges with the AP’s So Elder Adams was with us for the day. He is amazing, really and truly an inspired dude. We taught some powerful lessons that day. We drive up to a place called Roma once a week to teach some people up there so that’s always a fun little drive.

This house looks cool

We had a great first lesson with this new Mme this week. Her daughter has this chicken pox thing that comes around every year, but this year is worse and when they went to the doctor they told them that the chicken pox had entered into her blood stream and flown up to her cerebellum, she is currently unable to move her leges, most of her fingers. Her arms have limited capability along with minimal movement in her neck and head. We were able to share the message of the restoration and you should have seen this 18 year old girl bed ridden glow with an amazing smile as we testified of the love God has for us and that his gospel has been restored to the earth. We left them with a blessing and a smile on all our faces.

We are trying our best to just contact everyone we see. We set a new and high goal to get 35 referrals a week and to get 12 new investigators a week. Eish it’s a big number but with the Lords help I think we can do it. I have come to a strong sense of how many people we as missionaries let pass us by All over the place. We are to be as a witness of Christ in all things all times and all places. This means even while shopping, eating or doing whatever. We are ready to testify and teach the love of our Father in Heaven. As we have really been working at talking to everyone and sharing with everyone we have notice a new spirit in the work, a sense of urgency is coming through and we are hitting the ground running every day and the bed exhausted every night.

Eating lunch at Chisa Nyama

This is where they cook your meat.

High Schoolers getting ready for a cultural celebration.
The member we were with made us take a picture.

I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Dooley this week as well, he is a new missionary starting his 3^rd transfer and from north Carolina. They got in a pretty bad car crash this week so they are now on bikes. So it was a good workout for me to bike throughout the mountain kingdom.

I love they hymn Improve the shining moments. It makes me think of the time I have left on my mission. Some people my say 9 months is long but it is so so so short! I love being a missionary and I love serving my God.  I pray everyday that we may be blessed wit opportunities to testify and serve with all our heart might mind and strength and may you do the same. The church is true the book is blue!

Love you all,

Elder North

Our chapel

We have a super nice chapel

Around Lesotho

mullet

It is not what it looks like

Ok, maybe it is.