Short letter but lots of pictures

Date:  March 27, 2017

Area:  Bloemfontein, South Africa

Companion:  Elder Mbangi

We had a great visit with an investigator named Auspicious.  She related to us how everything that happened at church last Sunday applied directly to what she was about to go through. At church I gave a talk about how the Book of Mormon had helped me find peace in life's trials. Then in the gospel principle class we spoke about the Holy Ghost and how we can receive answers to prayer. We spoke of the spirits role in our life. In Relief Society they spoke on prayer. That week, Auspicious got a call from her family saying that her brother is sick and because of the medical expenses they will be unable to pay for her school or food any longer. She was told she must find a job. She didn't know how she would be able to do that with her busy class schedule and so late into the semester. She was flustered, upset, and scared. She then remembered church and then started reading the Book of Mormon. She came across 1 Nephi 3:7 which tells us that God gives nothing unto his children unless he provides a way for them to accomplish it. She explained to us that after she read this she was calm. She got a call from her brother asking if she was okay with everything. She could honestly reply, yes, everything is fine, God is in control. She then just went on with faith. Not knowing how she was going to buy food for the month she moved forward. Trusting in the Lords promise. She then received an email the next day from a company she did an internship over a year ago. The email stated that they would like to pay for her tuition and also give her grocery money. She had not had any contact with this company for a year. She had told no one of her failing circumstance. It was a miracle to say the least. After that she really knew that God is in control and that he loves us. He will provide a way, if we just keep our heads up and trust in him, all will work out in the end.

We got to go to a Rugby game.  It was the Free State Cheetas vs the Sharks.

Rethabile was in Kimberley this week so we were unable to teach her but I think she is coming back today and we will get right back into it.

Nothing to crazy has been going on, just living life as a missionary! 

OOPS

Today for P-day we went and played vollyball with Auspicious and some of her friends it was pretty fun, next week we will play soccer against them. 

Always fun when we get to play soccer, this place has pretty nice turf.

I got letters!!!! from Hailey, Grandma Marry, and Taryn!!! 

Thank you! sure way to make a missionaries day!!!

Love,

Elder North

We also got to go to a museum.

Peace and Joy come through the gospel

Date:  March 20, 2017

Area:  Bloemfontein, South Africa

Companion:  Elder Mbangi

The gospel really does help us to just feel at peace with everything we go through in this life. Life is not easy.  At times you feel the world falling down on you. A story that I share often with people here as to how I gained a testimony is this:

One day while I was 16 I was just sad, lonely and a bit depressed. I felt like everything was on top of me and the weight of it all was to much, I felt as if I was beginning to lose my breath as the world crushed down upon me. I remember clearly as I began to cry. I didn't want any of my siblings or my parents to see me cry so I went outside. I sat against the wall of my house and just bawled. I couldn't stop. Life was just too much.... I decided to call my best friend. I just needed someone to talk to. Someone to listen, someone to be there. As we began talking on the phone, my friend asked me a question. She said, when was the last time you read your scriptures. I replied that I did not even know the last time I had opened them. She calmly and sweetly told me to read them, then call her back afterwards. I was not happy with that answer, I wanted immediate comfort. I wanted everything to just go away. I didn't want to read a book! I did it anyways. I sat for a few more minutes to wipe the tears away, then I went to my room, grabbed my scriptures and went back outside to sit against the wall. I opened randomly and began to read. As I read, line after line, page after page. My tears vanished and I began to smile. I felt the pressing, weight that had been so forceful upon my shoulders, lift and vanish. I felt happy, I felt assurance. I felt peace. I now know that I felt the spirit. Somehow that ol'book did it, and it keeps doing it.  Not just for me but for all who sincerely seek council comfort and love from God.  (Note from mom, it is here I could insert a picture I snapped of him sleeping during family scripture study, but I won't because of love this story and I do believe we really listen when we are ready)

I was talking to Emilee Skolmoski, and shared this story with her and thought it would be nice to share with all of you :)

I gave a talk in church this week about sharing the gospel. For me there are many reason why I share the gospel. No not just because I am a missionary.  Seriously why did I give up the past 20 months of my life to share the teachings and love of Jesus. 

Well really it's simple. Love. That's it, that's all there is and all there ever was to it. We all need love, we all need validation. For me it comes from the gospel, the knowledge that I have self worth because of a divine birth right. I am a son of God. You are also a son or daughter of the most high God! He will validate you, He will love you. 

We turn every which way in this life looking for comfort and guidance. We search high and low, far and wide and seem to come up with all sorts of directions. They take us many diverse ways and sadly we never end up making it very far. Our directions always seem to end right when we meet another fork in the road of this path we call life. We have though, in our hands directions that will lead us safely to warmth, love, joy, and peace. Directions that will keep you on the path of comfort, and hope. It's called the scriptures, the love of God, or the gospel. 

I am a people person, I just like being around lots of people. I tend to try to make them smile and laugh, at times to my own embarrassment and humiliation. I have been known at times as the stupid, crazy and silly one. I do this on purpose though. I want to see people laugh and smile. Sometime the only way I know how to do that is by making a fool out of myself. At the end of the day it is still worth it for me because someone smiled. It is for this same reason that I share the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is what makes me smile, it is what makes me happy and it is my only source of hope in this ever darkening world. I love the people around me I am compelled to share this with them. 

I have the antidote to cure hatred, sadness, racism, envy, anger, and guilt! its Jesus! So simple, it's beautiful! What kind of person would I be to just keep that to myself! Anyways I feel like I am beginning to ramble so I'll just stop with this, I know that God love you. At the end of the day, with all the people I come in contact with I just hope that they can feel that I love them. That I genuinely care about their feelings and hopes. I think I care because I know we are all Gods children, brothers and sisters, all of us! I want my big heavenly family to reunite on the other side I hope that people can catch a glimpse of Gods love and light through me. I pray to the kind of person capable of such.

I am so thankful for the examples in my life of pure love and Christ-like desire such as my mom who would be there for me at the end of a long day of school with a smoothie in hand, just wanting to hear how my day was. Or Hailey with her never ending patience and encouragement, her incredible example of faith, dedication, devotion and love. Tina Skolmoski for her time in the living room, talking for at times hours, about the extraordinary events to the mundane. My Father with his work ethic and wisdom of seemingly everything. My big sis Amber with her constant invitation to be better and love the life we have, and so many more wonderful people that God has place in my life.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!!!!

Here is a poem that I heard a long time ago and was shared with me recently

HOLES

I had been in that hole for a very long time
In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime.
The shaft was above me; I could see it quite clear
But there's no way I ever could reach it from here.
Nor could I remember the world way up there
So I lost all my hope and gave in to despair.
I knew nothing but darkness, the floor, and the walls
Then off in the distance I heard someone call:
"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter.
Take rocks and old sticks and build up a fine ladder."

This had never occurred to me-- had not crossed my mind.
But I started to stack all the stones I could find.
When I ran out of stones, then old sticks were my goal,
For one way or another I'd get out of that hole.
So I soon had a ladder that was sturdy and tall
And I thought, "I'll soon leave this place once and for all."
I climbed up my ladder. It was no easy chore,
For from lifting those boulders, my shoulders were sore.
I climbed on up the ladder, but soon had to stop
For my ladder stopped short-- some ten feet from the top.

I climbed back down my ladder and started to cry
I'd done all I could do. I gave my best try.
And in spite of my work, in this hole I must die.
And all I could do was to sit and think, "Why?"
Was my ladder too short? Or my hole much too deep
Then from way upon high came a voice, "Do not weep."
And then faith, hope, and love entered into my chest
As the voice said to me that I'd done my best.

He said, "You've worked very hard, and your labor's been rough,
But the ladder you've built is at last tall enough.
Do not despair. You have reason to hope.
Just climb up your ladder; I'll throw down my rope."
I climbed up the ladder, then climbed up the cord.
When I got to the top, there stood the Lord.
I couldn't be happier; my struggle was done.
I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son.

I fell to the ground, His feet did I kiss
I cried, "What can I do to repay thee for this?"
Then He looked all about Him. There were holes in the ground
They had people inside, and were seen all around
There were thousands of holes that were damp, dark, and deep
The the Lord turned to me and He said, "Feed my sheep."

Then He went on His way to help other lost souls,
And I got right to work, calling down to the holes:
"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter.
Take rocks and old sticks and build up a fine ladder."

It now was my turn to spread the good word.
The most glorious message that man ever heard.
That there's one who is willing to save one and all
And we've got to be ready when He gives the call.
He'll pull us all out of the hole that we're in
And save all our souls from death and from sin.
So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope
Just build up your ladder; He'll throw down His rope.

Love Elder North

(He said sorry no pictures this week because the internet is really slow)

Great Week

Date:  March 13, 2017

Area:  Bloemfontein, South Africa

Companion:  Elder Mbangi

So we taught a new Investigator named Auspicious this week. It was such a cool lesson. So we were busy talking about prophets and how God had called prophets through out time such as Noah and Moses. How God used these prophet to tell the people what God wanted. I made the example by having her reach out her hand in a fist. I told her that her fist is us, people on the world. Then I held out a pen. I said that it was the prophet. Then I put my other hand in a fist saying it would represent God. God speaks to the the prophet, so I grab the pen, and the prophet speaks to us. So she grabs the other end. I then asked her if she had ever seen God. She said no, so I told her to close her eyes. I then said that we could follow God if we hold on to the prophet. As I moved my hand (resembling God) hers followed because we were connected by the pen (prophet) then I took away the pen (prophet) and asked her to close her eyes and follow God (my Hand) obviously she could not do so. She then started clapping! Exclaiming that it just makes so much sense. She became so excited as she learned about the importance and calling of prophets. it was cool! It doesn't all end there though. As we ended the lessons we opened the Book of Mormon to its introduction page and started talking about the book. She then asked where she could get one. Our response was that the one in her hand was hers to keep. She didn't believe us at first but after a short confirmation that it indeed is hers she then asked how much it coast. We let her know it was free and she just couldn't believe it! She told us that Christmas had come early! We then talked about how important the Book of Mormon is and that if the book is true then God does have prophets today, even a church! That the message that we share is indeed true!

We also met with Rethabile this week who was at church last week. We had some great lessons with her. I have never met someone with such a clear understanding of the restoration from reading the pamphlet we give. She knew everything! There literally was nothing more we could teach her on the subject, It was so cool! she is awesome. Both Auspicious and Rethabile are scheduled for baptism next month. We will see how things go.

It was a great week over all. Finding new people who are prepared makes staying motivated a lot easier. Mission is a blast and there is so much to do and experience. I really do get to meet some of the best people in the entire world!!! South Africa is too cool!!!!

Love 

Elder North

What a great week!

Date:  March 6, 2017

Area:  Bloemfontein, South Africa

Companion:  Elder Mbangi

We had several great lessons this week but the one that still really stands out to me was an experience that we had with a young women named Mulondo. She is Vender and from Limpopo. (Limpopo (UK: /lɪmˈpəʊpəʊ/) is the northernmost province of South Africa.) We have been meeting with her for awhile but it's been a process to really teach, there have  been questions, or she has been sick or just rescheduling so we finally were able to string together a few good visits and we invited her to be baptized. We were not sure how she was going to take the invitation because she attends church with her friend who constantly invites her and we know she dosn't want to leave her friend but she accepted! She replied with "That is why I was asking about baptism". We then invited her to come to church and she actually came! Wow it was grand. (Hey he sounds like Amber saying Grand!) We still have a lot of ground to cover but she has the desire and that is what makes all the difference. We are going to swing by her place today to wish a happy birthday to her and her friend we also teach. She turned 21 last week and her friend Thsaman turns 20 today. They are super cool girls though and we enjoy teaching them

GREAT message!

Another great event of the week happened while we were street contacting near the university. We met a lady named Rethabile, when we stopped her she told us she was from Kimberley. (I started my mission there) So off the bat we began talking about Kimberley and then she asked if I knew this guy. I said yes I do! How do you know him? She told us that she has visited church in Kimberley before and is good friends with this guy. She also knew a few other people that I knew there so that was cool. She even used to visit with the missionaries, but this was two years ago. She told us that she started a church search way back then but got side tracked with school and life, but that she is still looking for a church to call hers. We saw her this week and taught about prayer and then invited her to church the following day. She came as well!!!! That never happens, two new investigators coming to church in the same week! So needless to say it was a great week. It was actually really funny how we met with her this week. We had written down on Saturday that we were seeing Rethabile. We met another Rethabile this week and we were supposed to see the other one. We didn't realize it because we called the first one on our list and asked if she was home. She said sure come over and everything just worked out perfect. The Lord is in control haha I think it was just right for us to come on that day to help answer her questions.

We have made some plans to get referrals and we are going to start giving Book of Mormon's to people at church asking them to hand them out to friends or family. We are hoping this way we will get to start teaching part member families as well. Unfortunately, we were unable to get three member referrals this week but we did get half of one. A members cousin who came to church said that she would not mind meeting with us, but they say that this girl is a bit unpredictable so we are still trying to set up a time to visit at the members home if possible.

Lets see what else........ Well Elder Mbangi is great, its like he has been on mission for a long time. I really don't have to train him, He knows his stuff so that makes it a lot less stressful on my side. He loves laughing as well. 

One of the most important things I think in missionary work is love. Of course you need to have a love for the savior and want to serve Him but also you need a love for the people you are teaching. I really love the people we sit with. I love South Africa. The cultures and the diversity are just amazing. In this area I meet, Sothos, seTswannas, Afrikans, Zulus, Xhosa, Shonas, Indabeles, Vender, Tsongan, Swati's, Spede's and its awesome even if I don't understand any of the languages they speak haha.

If the people I meet with gain all but one thing I hope its that they feel the love I have for them. I hope they feel it and that sparks something. I want them to know that I am not here for myself or for my Church but for my Savior and for them. I wake up every day and talk to people all day because I love them, because I love them I have to share what makes me happy. And because I love them I pray for them, because I love them I stress way too much haha but really its just because of love. They call a mission the labor of Love and its so true, its hard but you are always willing to sacrifice for those you love. It is out of love that I leave the ones I love at home spend all my time with people in a foreign land over 16 thousand kilometers (Ahh he doesn't use miles anymore, he has made it his home there) away from home.

Its really hitting me now that I have less then 100 days out here. Less then 100 days to give everything I got. To serve, To love.  These 100 days are going to be the best 100 days of my life!!!!

Love you all so bad!!! 

Elder North

The Book of Mormon is True

My son Elder Mbangi and I

Date:  February 27, 2017
Area:  Bloemfontein, South Africa
Companion:  Elder Mbangi

We had zone conference and interviews this week which is always fantastic. Any time that we get to spend with the mission president always leaves me motivated and encouraged. He is such an inspired dude! Our zone conference was centered on teaching the Saviors way and we learned a lot. I really learned about active listening and how to better understand the questions people are asking by putting it their emotions. I keep thinking though of something president once said in MLC "You have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason" haha so true, a lot of us could be better off if we did twice as much listening and understanding as we did talking. 

We finally got our new schedule change that every missionary has been talking about. Really nothing has changed though except we do some planing in the morning instead of night but we still go to bed at the same time, wake up same time and all of that. so not much really changed. but its good.

This is my group!  20 months out and 2 more transfers

We had an awesome lesson this week with three wonderful sisters we have been teaching for the past couple weeks. They haven't really started progressing a ton but they do keep their commitments and read what we leave them with. They have just been struggling accepting the book of Mormon and gaining a testimony. We spent a good hour testifying of the love the Jesus has for us and His sacrifice that He made for us. We testified of the Love of God and His plan. Eventually as we stumbled through the lesson we invited one sister to close with a prayer and ask God here and now if the Book of Mormon is true. She prayed and pleaded that we would feel of the spirit to know if it is true. By the end of the prayer we all said amen and sat in silence. time went buy as we all just listened. I turned to the one next to me and said how do you feel. "happy, and I don't know why" she said, I looked across to the other and asked the same question "I just cant stop smiling" she explained and then to the last she simply said "the spirit is here" We all could feel that peace and joy that comes from God. We could feel it and it was strong!!! 

Elder Adlard's birthday

That was the highlight of the week! ah mission is good

I love you all! thank you for your support,

Elder North

Selfie with my mission mom

Sorry no e-mail last week

Date:  February 20, 1974
Area:  Bloemfontien, South Africa
Companion: Elder Mbangi

Sorry I didn't get the chance to send out an email last week. We were having some technical difficulties with my sons email account.... Still havn't gotten it sorted so that's a bit of a bummer.

Its been raining a lot lately, actually a ton, quite different for Free State area but its been good for the crops, we have been praying for rain for years this side. I think it might have to do with the dineo storm hitting the coast. It is sometimes hard to get motivated  to go out and tract in the rain, but nothing can stop us!

Anyways yes my son is Elder Mbangi from Cape Town SA, he is Xhosa. Maybe I will be able to learn a bit of xhosa now, xhosa is like isiZulu but has even more clicks. When I speak Zulu a fluent Xhosa can pick up the jist of what I am saying but when it comes to me hearing anything in Xhosa its over!

He is 19 yrs old, just a week younger than me and is the only member in his family. He is a power dude. He already is a great and powerful teacher and loves the book of mormon and the gospel. We both share a strong testimony of our Father in Heaven.

I know I have probably mentioned it before but Ill do it again and it probably wont be the last time. Who is God? think about that! He is the creator, the reason for everything the one who showers us with blessings right!? well that is correct, He is our creator which makes Him our Father. He is a perfect Father and because of that all He wants to do is bless us. He only wants the best things for us. (Matt7:7-11)  When we truly begin to understand that God is our loving Heavenly Father it answers just about everything! Why am I suffering, well if you know that God is your Father and loves you perfectly and would never do anything to hurt you then you begin to realize that these trials or sufferings are for our gain, our learning, our benefit in every way. If a parent was to scared to let their baby fall down while trying to walk, would the baby ever learn to walk? NO! We learn through trials. it just seems to be the nature of humanity. Even Christ himself learned through suffering (Heb5:8) 

God is perfect right?

-yes

Him being perfect can He make mistakes?

-no

So, every thing he does is??.....

-Perfect

Exactly, God our Father being perfect can not make mistakes, He can only make perfection, all He does is perfect.

So, who made you?

-God

And if He cant make mistakes that means you are perfect, we are all divine, we all have the potential for perfection, we were made destined for perfection. (Matt5:48)  You are perfect just the way you are! Not while you are trying to be someone else or do things to fit in, you, just the way your are is literally perfection. Because the way you are is the way God made you and we dont have to try to conform or change to feel acceptance or self worth. When we know that God is our Father than we already have an infinite worth and self value. Your Father is the greatest King known to all of humanity and you are his son or daughter. You are all Prince's or princesses! and the best part is you dont have to do anything to be that. you are just that. Perfect. I love knowing that we have a Heavenly Father who is there for us. just like the baby who falls down trying to walk. He picks us up. and encourages us to move forward.

Elder Mbangi and I have been continuing to try and find new investigators to teach. its going okay. We have had a few set back this week as some people have decided they would not like to visit with us anymore but hey, such is life and it just moves on and so do we. 

We are really excited about the people we do have though. Today we get to go see three young women we have been teaching for a little bit. Boy do I love them! I just love how excited some people are about the gospel. It makes me excited and so happy. I love seeing people smile and find joy and I think thats why I love being a missionary, because I just get to help others find that in their lives!!! its wonderful!

We will be teaching them about Faith, Repentance and baptism today. I am excited, they tend to ask a lot of interesting questions. like, What tribe is moses from or, Why was marry chosen to be the mother of Christ, or other wonderful and interesting biblical questions. I love them but we are going to try to shift the focus on to the things we have prepared to help them progress more.

I love kids! We are teaching this boy Nati who is a recent converts child. he is 8 years old and teaching him is a blast. We are hoping to get him baptized the beginning of the month but we will see. Kids just have this extra light about them and when they learn something new or for the first time you see that spark just fare a bit and its the coolest thing ever!

I see more and more why Children are the kingdom of heaven! (Matt19:14)

Sindi is also doing well, we just finished all the missionary discussion and will now be focusing on more direct principles and ordinances. She still isnt ready for baptism but I hope and pray she will be soon. It gets hard when you grow to love the people you are teaching so much and then they dont progress like you hope. It literally hurts my heart and just makes me super sad. Everyone has their time though and no effort is ever wasted, no good deed goes without reward.

I am excited for this week, we will see how everything goes. I am trying my best to keep up the energy and enthusiasm. Its a great feeling coming home at the end of the day just so tired that you dont even want to plan for tomorrow. The only thing you want to do is sleep so you skip cooking dinner and just go to bed.

oh that reminds me haha we made an awesome dinner last night. So like normal we get home about 9 to 9:30 and then we plan for tomorrow. this takes us to 10 we then have to cook to eat dinner. so I started boiling the chicken and then realized we had potatoes so I started boiling those as well. through some frozen veggies in it as well. Started to boil the rice. and then make the beans. We then baked the chicken to crisp it up and put it all together. It was a really thrown together meal because I started the chicken and rice not knowing what we would eat it with, then I realized we had potatoes and veggies but still we didnt have anything to make a nice chicken stew so then we found some beans and started those and by the end everything turned out nice and delicious. so we eat at 11 and then go to bed. I am used to eating late, my son is getting used to it now after two weeks. we eat lunch around 12 and then dinner around 10-11 somewhere in their. so its quite the gap.

Anyways I love you all and pray you are well,

Elder North

Pictures from the end of January

So apparently the pictures didn't come through from the end of January so here they are.

We look high and low for people to teach!

Kayla, on the left and Philda Williams on the right

Sister Dah

Making phone calls