Bundles of joy!

Date:  24, 2016

Area:  Richards Bay, South Africa
Companion:  Elder Mupumha

This week was a pretty decent one. its getting hard to make sure we are staying dedicated because Elder Mupumha goes home next week but we are doing our best!

We met some new investigators this week so I am excited to see where they end up.

An awesome experience this week was this:

So I met this lady in a SupaQuick (car place like a jiffy lube) and she was also getting something fixed on her car, of course I started talking to her and we got her contacts and what not. Well, we tried calling for like two weeks and she would always be super bogus and say she was busy or this or that or what what. super lame right! Like who doesn't want to sit with the missionaries!?!? Well I decided I should try again, usually we just drop these types of bogus but for some reason we hadn't given up. So I dial, and give her a bit of a ring. She answered and we started going down the same old road, "Hey, this is the missionaries, We wanted to set a time when we can come and see you this week and share more about Jesus Christ and how His gospel can help bless our lives ect. ect." her reply " Oh.... Ya, well I have work this week and this and that and I am busy and eish theres this thing and ill get back to you" (they never get back to us.... its sad) Me "Well what time do you knock of work, we do this everyday from 9am to 9pm, so we can work around your schedule." her" okay I am just not really good company right now, I just lost a really close friend and I dont think we should visit." Me " Oh, I am so sorry. You know, one of the messages that we share is that we can be with our families forever, and that we can see our loved ones again. That death is not the end." I barely finished my sentence when she excitingly exclaimed "REALLY!" me "well YES, haha" her " when can I meet you"  the end.... so ya that was quite the phone call. its amazing to see how the gospel fits so perfectly into each of our lives. when great truths are brought to us in our time of need, it really is just exciting. We meet with her this week, I really hope she comes and we can have a good lesson. I know this gospel will help her to find peace and joy in life. and comfort beyond anything she has ever experienced.

We also had another great lesson this week with a new investigator. So we were on our way to see this guy names Vusi, we got to his house and saw a young women, we asked her, Ucon Uvusi? she replied ageko, (is vusi here? no he is gone) so we then started talking to her about  what we do. we sat down and began to get into teaching and then she started asking us if God will always forgive us. we spent the next hour talking about repentance and the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and how we can repent and recieve forgiveness from sin. it was a power lessons and she had so many great questions. It was stellar! look forward to seeing her again.

Then we walk into church on Sunday and I see a young women sitting down, 15 yrs old, I start talking to her and then come to see that its her first time at this church, she lives across the street and her parents go to separate churches so she usually goes to one down the street but today she decided to come and see what this church was all about. it was cool, she seemed so focused all throughout church and I hope she enjoyed it. we have a meeting with her this week as well and I hope we don't get bunked.

Well that's a bit of my week for ya! its was pretty good :) It's super hot some days and really humid  soo... eish..... but its also been rain quite a bit.

Love you all!!!

Elder 

Guess how my week was...

Date: October 17, 2016
Area:  Richards Bay, South Africa
Companion:  Elder Mupumha

Well fam, guess how this week was.

A) Good

B) ight

C) Cold and miserable

D) So fliping fantastic I want to jump up and down and sing all day long because I love it all so verry verry much even if it was super hot and humid some days!!!!!!!

If you said D, you were almost correct because it was even better than that! :)

Why may you ask!?

Because we found a way awesome family! Ya that's right a family, and not just a family with a mom and some children like we usually find but one with a father, and no not just a father who isn't too interested in his family like the rest of them, this guy was different, this guy was power! He has six children, ya I know right. sooooo many. At least this side that's a lot of kids to come from the same mother and father.  (It is a lot this side too, it is just we have tweaked our children by having nine) He loves his family. We went to follow up with him and he didn't read the pamphlet... boo.... buuuuutttt, I aint given up on him, not by a long shot. This guy is future bishop I can see it. All we gotta do is just get him started, if he reads the book of Mormon, He will know it is true and then its easy from there. If they read, it all just goes so smooth, the struggle is to get them to really read and pray. anyways I am super stoked for them and hope and pray that they progress.

On another not, I feel like I am changing... not in a 12 year old boy kind a way, but in a spiritual, emotional, what what kind of way! I don't know, I have thought a lot about what if I come home and haven't changed at all, what if I am the same me, still making the same mistakes, and doing the same stupid things. then did I really do everything I could? well I feel like I am now starting to notice changes in myself, in my desire to serve and all that good stuff. I guess I am still learning how to be a good missionary after 16 months but hey. Maybe one day Ill get there. (it may take a few more missions in my senior years to get their ;) )  But I guess what I am saying is that I feel like I am learning and growing which is super sweetness! And makes me happy about serving a mission. I mean that's part of the reason we are here. So goes the famous saying you can't convert anyone beyond your own conversion and that you will have at least one convert on your mission, being yourself, because we do come to to become more like the Savior and try to encourage others to do the same all along the way. You learn from sharing and you grow by teaching. its super cool. :)

Well I look forward to another great week in the bay as the heat starts to come in.... hope I don't melt.

Love ya all,

Elder North

Now in the Bay

 Date:  October 10, 2016

Area:  Richards Bay, South Africa

Companion:  Elder Mupumha

I got transferred to Richards Bay as you all know, commonly known as the Bay. 

So where to begin? I left Lesotho for a two hour drive to Bloem, we then boarded a 11 hr bus ride to Durban, immediately after we got on another bus for three hours to go to the Bay.... yikes.

It was fun though on our 11 hour ride we sat next to some girl who we talked to most the way and around 1 o'clock in the morning we taught her the restoration of the gospel. it was cool. Then we all tried to get some rest. For some reason me and Elder Harper had some problem sleeping and kept getting pretty rambunctious.  

The best part was the next bus ride, the three hour ride from Durbs to the Bay. we got on the bus and sat near the back of the top floor. We took our seats and began to get comfortable. About 5 minutes after leaving we heard a women crying a row back and across the isle. We were not sure what was the cause of her crying and I just felt terrible. I hate seeing other people sad. Those of you that know my silly, obnoxious personality know that about me. I act that way because I like to make other people smile and laugh, even if its at me. So I was pretty dishearten at hearing her sobs. I was praying for an opportunity to just talk to her. But how!? I felt awkward to go and just sit next to her. I don't know why because I do stuff like that all the time as a missionary but it was harder this time. So we continued for another 5 minutes as my heart just ached for this pain that she was feeling and I didn't know what the problem was or who she was. Then she asked if I could take a picture of her with her phone. I gladly accepted the invitation and knew that I had a way in. I then asked a few basic questions, about where she is going. If she has family and kids etc. the basic BRT (building relationship trust) She talked a bit but obviously was in no state to have a cheerful conversation. I then asked if I could come sit by her. She accepted and I sat their for a bit in silence and then just put my arm around this women. Probably in her thirties, she started sobbing again and just opened her heart to me. She had been going through a rough time and recently tried to take her life for what appeared to be the tenth time. She was scared laden up and down her arms and she confided in telling me her history, how she was into drugs and alcohol. How she used to be a prostitute, how she had to give her children up for adoption because she could not give them the necessities of life. She grasped my hand, with the other wrapped around her. My heart swelled for this woman at this low in spirit women time in her life.  I have never felt such a love for a complete stranger in my life. As she asked me why, why God has kept her alive, and her confusion it what to do with her life and how to find true happiness in love. I could see her as a divine, pure, and precious daughter of God. I knew of her mistakes and hardships, her shortcomings and let downs. All of it seemed to matter very little. Actually, not at all. I saw her for her. A daughter of God with devine potential and every right to be perfect. We sat together for the next 2 hours as she continued to tell me about her problems and mistakes. We shared tears, smiles, and a warming comfort of the spirit. This bus ride had been the best and most spiritual experience of my entire mission thus far. I can't explain it. I sat for hours listening to the pain this women had gone through and endured and I was just filled with love that I have never felt before.

Now onto some stuff about my new area.

My area is a town area but with some township as well. The town of course is hard and they probably are Afrikaans and the township is Zulu. I don't speak any Zulu anymore.... its terrible..... eish.....

I stay in a 4 man boarding with Elder Reed, and Waeni, and my comp Mupumha. It's pretty nice and the senior couple are religious about cleaning... dang it... (Me guesses that means that they have regular cleaning checks and can't get by with anything.  Yippy, that makes a momma happy)

We live next to the beach so we go running down by the beach front sometimes. the other day we were down their and their were a group of young adults singing and dancing. I of course decided to jump around and share a laugh and as we left some of the girls came and stopped us saying that we needed to come back and play spin the bottle..... I ran...... I ran far far away... it was scary....

My comp is going home in 4 weeks so I am killing him. He wakes up at 5 and begins lifting weights every day... eish..

W

ell tha tha tha thats all folks.

Elder North

Moving to Richards Bay

Date:  October 3, 2016
Area:  Maseru 1, Lesotho Africa
Companion:  Elder Shinga

What an exuberant week.

Sooooo Transfers came and….. I am going to Richards Bay! (Back to the coast, area 5 on the map) Its in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. I am super excited and I will get to be able to start practicing my Zulu again,(me looking it up it says they speak Afrikaans, so we will see what he ends up speaking most) but its going to be hard to not speak seSotho with everyone I see. 

President said he wants the same flame that we have ignited here in Lesotho to also start in Richards Bay, and area known for not being liked by missionaries. I am excited though, its going to be grand.

Cool elephant door

This little boy made a kite with sticks and plastic bags.

So this week was interesting because a lot of schools were graduating so we couldn’t see anyone which was a boo. And also we had to take elder king to south Africa because he is going home from his mission. (Watch out Montana) So we spent the whole day in SA and when we tried to come back to Lesotho we were met by the worst traffic I have ever seen in my life. We wated almost 4 hours at the boarder when our mission president then told us he didn’t want us waiting through the night and we had to drive an hour back to where we came from and spend the night. We also had a member with us from Lesotho so it was quite the experience. The next day still took three hours to get through the boarder. I never want to relive that experience again….

Member but I don't know her name...esh..

I spent all day yesterday saying goodbyes and I leave today. Its sad to leave the branch because I have been there for 7 and a half months but it is time to spread my wings. Its hard leaving the area because we now have lots of baptisms coming as well… eish…

Sis Lerato, Me and Sister Liako

Sister Khaleso and I 

Brother Mohau

I confirmed him in church today.

Me with BoMe

My old neighbor from Ha Thestsane, he is an awesome kid.

My Sister Mampho Bridget.

She is like a sister to me.

Love this we are both Sassy

Sis Ntsala in a traditional print dress.  I love these!

This is Elsi and she will be baptized soon.

I am stoked for the new area and new challenge. A good change in scenery.

Some guy with too much money.  Complete chromed his jaguar.

Also had two body guards

Playin some cards

I love you all and am thankful for your support.

Elder North

Coke is nice

myself, Elder Depriest and Moore driving to get some KFC.

Nothing more manly than using a chain saw!