Pictures - November 24, 14

I had asked Mitchell about the blooming trees - It is spring there in South Africa.  He was good to take a picture of himself with a flowering bush by his apartment.

Sun Set in Vosloorus, South Africa

November 24, 14 - Week 61

Dear Mom,

Well again it is good to reach another Monday. Mondays are so nice, and they are just a refresher to the week. I love hearing from family and friends and just recharging my batteries. Some weeks are pretty tough and the break is nice.

Thank you for the good quote on change. Really as a missionary change is hard. Things seem a lot easier when you get comfortable. But really I think the work moves better, and we are better missionaries with change. It keeps us on our toes, and always relying on the Lord. That is fun that Amanda is back from here mission, I am sure it is fun to hear from those missionaries coming.
.“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” C. S. Lewis 

 I will be staying here in Vosloorus, and Elder Maraetefau will still be my companion. I am happy with this. It is nice to be somewhere comfortable for the holidays. I am also doing good with Elder Maraetefau. He really is just a bit in-mature, and I have to make him serious all the time. He doesn't know when to stop messing around and be serious. We do have a lot of fun together because that is what makes mission fun, but then we still have to be serious. I hope I can handle him this next transfer. I am sure I will do fine.

I saw something about the meeting at the Vatican when I looked on KSL news. That is really cool that President Erying spoke about making people understand the family can be together forever.

I guess something cool is we had stake conference yesterday. It was a broadcast where President Uchdorf spoke, and Elder Bednar. It was a special stake conference for all of Africa. They addressed some of the problems that members have been having, and it was awesome. They also talked a lot about how members need to help the missionaries to move the work forward. One big problem people here have is paying what is called Lobola. It is like a bribe price to get married, like the 7 cows for your wife thing. People here still do that, but they have to pay like ridiculous amounts of money. The members also still do this. It is something many among the black culture. It basically hinders people from being married, and then while they are paying they can live together, so basically they are breaking the Law of Chastity. Both Uchdorf and Bednar said they need to discontinue paying Lobola. It was just really cool to see them come with change. They also talked about how change in the church is good. That we shouldn't get upset if things aren't done the same way as they have always been. That is why we are a living church receiving revelation.

I am glad you saw Remi. I still email him every once and a while. He is going to school right now. I don't think he is going back out on a mission. I think he is still trying to recover fully. He still has to go into the doctor for checkups periodically.

That is cool that Marcus is getting married. Is it the girl he has been dating for a while? That is crazy to think the twins have already completed there missions and be home by the first of the year.

 My health is great. I am still feeling very healthy and well. I am still exercising and that helps. I have been lacking on my diet this last week. I try not to eat unhealthy foods. I think I will do better this week though.

Well my investigators are doing great for the most part. We got a wonderful referral this last week from a member. It is a girl that is a friend of his that has been coming to church for like 5 weeks. We didn't know she was an investigator. We went and met her on Wednesday. She already loves the church, and she is super excited to learn more. She already asked a bunch of questions about the Plan of Salvation. It is so fun and fulfilling to find people like this to teach. Those that have truly been prepared for the gospel. It is so nice when members give a referrals to teach because they are really the investigators that progress the quickest.

We had a few investigators that we normally see a couple times a week that were super busy this week, so we didn't see them at all. Like Pumz and Mpo, both females. We finally got to see Kgalo and Manthole this week. They are doing good, but they need a lot of change before they are ready to be baptized. They love the gospel, but they really aren't super serious about it. I guess we are still doing well with teaching. Again the problem is finding new people to teach. This is always a battle in missionary work, we are constantly finding and dropping people that aren't serious.

I guess some good news is I finally got a few letters. I guess a few letters are getting through. They are from August though. I got your letters from August 14th &22nd. I got a letter from Grandma dated August 18th. Not sure if anything else will get through or not.

That is fun to hear about the swim team. I wish I could be there to see them. I guess next year. That would be awesome if they had a chance at winning state. You will have to keep me updated on peoples times and stuff.  

That is fun to hear Evan and Carol are now making home base in Cedar. That is fun to have so much family around, and I hope you are enjoying it.

I guess there isn't really anything else interesting to tell you. I am glad that they don't celebrate thanksgiving here or it would make me miss home more. It is nice that they don't celebrate the same things here cause then it doesn't seem like I am missing anything. I hope that you have a fun thanksgiving! I will also enjoy my week!! I miss and love you.

Love

Your Son

Elder Mitchell Brown

Nov. 9-16 Pictures - Elder Maraetetau

Elder Maraetetau - Public Toliet in Township

November 16, 14 - Week 60

Dear Mom and Dad

Had a good week.  The Primary Program took place in our ward this Sunday and it was a wonderful spiritual experience.   I love hearing the kids sing and present their parts. The primary here is pretty small I guess, like 30 to 40 kids. I just love the simple messages that they shared about the importance of the family, and how we can be together forever. I love the primary songs, they carry such strong gospel messages.

I think I am having spiritual experiences come I guess every day. I really can feel the spirit every time I tell someone we are teaching the gospel is true. I have such a strong testimony of the gospel now. The spirit testifies to me the truth of the things I am teaching almost every day. It is pretty cool to have that happen.

The baptism was very fun. I am glad you enjoyed the pictures. I took a few more this week that I will upload later today. I haven't got any pictures by a jackaranda tree yet, that you asked me to look for.  I will try to see one this week, they are a beautiful purple color right now.  Blooming trees like we have in US in the springtime.   I really enjoy pictures, and so I will try to take more and send to you. 

So those toilets I sent pictures of are in most people's back yards in township. Most people in Vosloorus all have toilets inside now, but then another in the back. We just decided to take pictures by it for fun. I think most townships at the beginning of Apartheid did not have plumbing, so they had these public toilets they put in to help clean up the townships. 

   

I am doing alright with Elder Maraetefau. We have fun together, and get a long pretty well. Sometime his English is a not super good, so he says things that are not correct and I have to help him.  But other than that we are doing great together.  I don't think you need to feel obligated to go to Elder Zebe homecoming. I just thought it would be fun when he was my companion. He will be coming home next week.  He will be going up to Utah State the first of January , so maybe he can just stop by the house and visit you.

It's fun to hear you are starting to have winter weather and getting snow this early in the season. I know last year you got barley any snow. I am sure the cold weather is no fun. I think I will die when I get home to the cold weather. I think like 40-50 is cold. I put on a sweater when it is like 60 degrees haha!! Speaking of the weather we have been getting a lot of rain this past week. Only a few days that it didn't rain. The days we didn't get rain it was pretty hot. It gets probably like 80's-90's the days it doesn't rain. I can tell the hot summer weather is on the way.

Still going strong with the cello recitals. I am glad you got it over with, and that everything went well. That is fun that you saw the Gunters there. I hope they are doing well. I need to send them an email. I still talk to Marshall every week.

It sounds like the swimming is going great. You and dad are still officiating. I hope you aren't too tired from that. You are good parents to do that. It sounds like Calvin is doing amazing with his times. I can't wait to hear more about his progress, and especially see him swim next season. You will have to wish the team luck for me this next week as they are swimming.

Thank you for the scripture thoughts. They really help, and especially as I am not getting your written letters. I miss your scriptures and spiritual thoughts.  That is cool to hear that missionaries are continually leaving from our ward. I am sure there are a lot out from our Mesa Hills ward now. I am glad that you enjoyed the two farewells.  

I feel bad about not being able to get mail and packages for Christmas but mainly because I know you feel bad.  I will definitely buy myself a Christmas present. I would rather you but that $150 in my account so I can just buy things. Like last week and this week I am paying elder Zebe for thing he is selling me that he does not want to take home.  In December I will also probably buy a suit and I will wrap it up as my Christmas. 

I am able to copy pictures and letters from email.  So then I can just read them later. So you can send Christmas letters that way. That would be great to have family and friends forward Christmas messages by email. 

Well transfers will be next week on Tuesday, so in 8 days. I am really not sure what will be happening. I want to stay here with Elder Maraetefau for one more transfer and Christmas, but I might get transferred. I will get transfer news this week on Friday, and I will let you know next week on Monday.

We really have no plans for Thanksgiving. I guess I will probably just go out to eat or something like that. Thanksgiving is not celebrated here, so no one know what it is.

Well I guess everything else is going well. Not really anything exciting going on, just the same old stuff. The week has been good, but our investigators have been cancelling on us a lot. Like Kgaogelo and Manthole, are investigators that where to get baptized the end of November, we didn't see once this week. We normally see them 2-3 times a week. I guess we will see if they are ready for baptism by the end of this month. It is just stressful to determine if someone is actually ready to make covenants or not. I will keep you updated on there status. Other than that the week has been pretty good.

I am glad to hear all is going well back home. I was looking at a globe yesterday, and it is still weird to think I am all the way around the world!! I hope all continues to go well there. I look forward to hearing from you next week about stuff. Love you and have a good week.

Love

Your Son

Elder Brown

Baptism of Sister Mbali. Vosloorus South Africa - November 9, 2014

Elder Maraetefau, Sister Mbali, Elder Brown

November 9, 14 - Week 59

Dear Mom and Dad

Well the highlight of the week was the Baptism of Sister

Mbali. She was baptized yesterday. She asked me to baptize her, and I

told her I would be honored. It was a really cool experience. She is

the most converted of any of the people I have baptized.  I

got some good pictures of the baptism, so I will send those.

I guess we did have a bit of a slow week with teaching lessons. We had

a lot of lessons cancel on us. It is always hard when that happens

because you were expecting to teach, then you have nothing to do. We

taught only 18 lessons total this week. We are normally teaching more

like 25.  Manthole and Kgoagelo are on date to be baptized for the 30th of this month, so we will see if that happens. They are still coming to

church, but they have been ditching our appointments lately. They are

cool guys, and I think they will be baptized eventually.  Pray that they can stay true to their commitments and hope they can keep baptism date.  We also have a cool guy named Mandle. I have been teaching him since Elder Zebe was here. He has come to church like every week. He really loves the gospel, and he is gaining a testimony quick. He is supposed to be baptized next month. We are also teaching this cool lady named Mapulo. She lives with one of our members Mama Dikobe. She has come to church the last 2 weeks. 

We did a lot of driving this week. On Monday we had to drive to this guys house on that takes care of the cars to get a bike rack on  the car.

We lost our phone on the way there, so we had to drive back to the

mission office on Tuesday. It was a bit of a hassle to loose our phone,

because we lost everyone's number from our phone. We then went to the temple on Friday. Going to the temple was an amazing experience. I really love going to the temple, and getting the strength from there. We had to get up early to get to the temple. We went to the 8 o'clock session, and they want us sitting down by 7:00.  So we had to leave our flat by 6:00 a.m.  to beat the traffic. So I was super

tired. Also after the temple we went to Burger King. Not sure if I

told you  but in February a couple Burger Kings opened here. So that is

cool to go there because it is like home.

I hope by the time you read this email you have got some rest.

It sounds like you have had a super busy weekend, but when don't you. You are such a good lady for all the help you give to others. From doing everything for the swim team, a Suzuki thing, and the primary program, that I'm sure was above and beyond.

I have always looked up to your kindness and compassion, and you always helping with everything. As dad would say "you can never say no." I have always admired that.

Well that is fun that the swim season has kicked off again!! I only

have to miss it one more year. I think it will be really fun when I

get home to go to the High School meets and watch Calvin and Carson

swim on the team. That is cool that Calvin still has the same times

that he had at state. That means he can improve a lot through out the

year. The first meet always seems to be the slowest times. I am

excited to hear more about his meets and times. I bet he is glad to

have that Ferley Invitational over. That was a pretty stressful meet

because there were so many people there.

That is really cool that you got to go see the Rebers speak. That is

nice that Bishop Hulet invited you. His son Josh Hulet played

water polo with me.  He swam with me and

Blake. That is also a connection I had with the Reber's. I am sure

they did a great job with there talks, and I am sure it was a cool

experience for you. I am sure they had a fun time talking to you. President and Sister Reber were wonderful to me in the MTC and made a big difference in helping me adjust to mission life. 

Well I am glad the Dunn's are keeping you informed on the mail and postal strike, becauseI haven't heard anything. I don't even know what is going on with it.I guess you can try to take his council and not send anything. ReallyI can buy stuff here just fine. Like today I will be buying my African Gown, and stuff from Elder Zebe, so I will already be spending a lot of money, and then if I buy a suit later. You can just save the money from the package and I will just buy things.

Well the weather has been pretty nice this last week. It hasn't

been too hot. It has been really pleasant, and it has been raining a

lot. We even woke up to rain today. It is into the rainy season now. I

guess the days it doesn't rain though it is pretty hot. I am pretty

used to it now though. Our flat doesn't get too hot. We have two fans,

and there are enough windows to keep it cool. We have a window in each

room. If I am every hot is out in the area in the sun, not inside the

flat.

That is awesome that people are still asking about me. It seems like

because I can't remember many people from back home they don't

remember me. It is really nice to know that there are so many people

supporting me and mindful of me. That is cool that Michelle Gross had

her parents serve here in South Africa. That is cool that they brought

things back.

I am planning on getting a lot of souvenirs before I come home

because they are super cheap. I'm not sure if I can find Christmas

ornaments, but I will look. The Chips, or crisps as they call them here(chips are french fries)are mostly the same. They have Lays potato chips, and Dorittos. That was nice of Michelle to give you an ornament, and south africa chips ?? haha 

That is cool to hear that the Senate is majority republican now. I saw

on my calendar this week that is was election day. I wasn't sure what

election though, so that is good I now know.

I am doing well with my companion.  He also doesn't understand English super well still, so I am still teaching him more.  I guess the rest of the week was just the same old boring stuff.

Nothing really new. Just the same old mission routine.

You asked if I go to gym like in Sucunda.   We don't go to the gym, but I basically have one in the flat. We

work out almost every night, and I am still dieting pretty well. It

feels really good to work out and diet. It gives me more energy and

makes me just feel good about myself.

I didn't get many pictures this week , but I will send what ones

I got from the baptism.  I love you and I am always thinking about you. Have an amazing week.

Love,

Your Son

Elder Brown

Pictures - November 3, 14

Self shot of me on p-day.  Eating out for lunch.  

Elder Maraetefau and myself on P-day.  Like our baseball caps.  

I am eating healthy mom! 

Week 58 - November 3, 14

Dear Mom,

It has been a good week.  I am now adjusted to Elder Maraetefau.

I guess one funny thing about Elder Maraetefau is his English. He still doesn't know it super well. I guess he can speak just fine, but he uses the wrong words a lot. He speaks French (From Tahiti) . So I guess I am trying to teach him more English. His family is all members. He has 3 siblings. An older sister and brother, and a younger sister. He has been on his mission for 5 months, and this is his second area. He is still kind of learning how to teach, so I am teaching a lot of the lessons, but trying to include him.

 Elder Thompson from Utah who is a Nephew to Dave Terry, and Mike Thompson of Cedar, was the district leader, and was over the 4 of us in Vosloorus. Elder Puis that replaced him was just called on the spot as a district leader, and didn't go to the training meeting at all. Elder Brown and Elder Puis are the other missionaries in Vosloorus 1. They are a bit hard to get a long with. Puis is from Kenya, and Brown from Ghana. It is always hard to get a long with the African missionaries, especially from west Africa. We are doing all right though. Neither of them can drive, so Elder Maraetefau and I have the car every day, which is super nice!!

We had our birthday celebration for a member.  That is when I baked the chocolate cake.  It was for the Tsese family have told you a bit about. They are like our family that we go hang out with. So it was the two twins birthday, and they were turning 16. I tell you every time our daily schedule is about the same, it is pretty boring. We try to make as many appointments as we can on each day. We have an appointment on the hour every hour from 11-7. If we don't have an appointment we will normally go check on people we haven't seen in a while, or that cancelled on us the days before. Also when we don't have appointments we go finding, this is my least favorite thing to do. To find we walk around the streets stopping people and talking to them. We try to set up appointments with them as we are talking to them for later in the week. This really isn't the best way to find good solid investigators. The best way to have solid investigators is to have them referred to us by a member.  Like Mbali  that we plan to baptize soon, was given to us by a member, and we teach her at that members house.

This week we taught a lot of lessons I guess. Like 14 investigator lessons, and more member and recent convert lessons. We had over 20 lessons this week, which is good, but really for our area we should be teaching a lot more.

Mbali is still on to be baptized this next Sunday. We taught here about tithing this last week, and watched the John Tanner story with her, not sure if you have seen that. It was wonderful, and she is super ready. All she has left is her baptismal interview and that will happen this week.

Kgaugelo that was supposed to be baptized this upcoming Sunday as well  but didn't feel ready, so we pushed his date back to the end of this month on the 30th.

Manthole also will be pushed back because he hasn't been ready, so we aren't seeing him until he reads and attends sacrament meeting.  

I guess all our other investigators are progressing well. We had 10 people at church. Not all the people that we have on date to be baptized were at church, and that is very disappointing.

It sounds like Halloween was super fun. I will take a look at all the pictures. I am sure you were happy being able to dress up and give out candy. I hope the boys enjoyed. I think you asked last week if the people here celebrate Halloween. They don't at all. I guess they have like big parties because they say it is Halloween. But no one dresses up, and they don't have like trick or treating. 

As you said the postal strike goes into its 14^th week, and no end in sight until the first of the year.  I miss your weekly mail. 

That is cool you might be able to send a package for Christmas through a different delivery service.  I just hope it won't cost and arm and a leg. If it is going to be super expensive then really I will be fine without one. I can get everything I need here. But if it would make you happier to send a package then I would be very grateful to get one. You will just have to let me know what you find out. 

You will have to tell grandma thank you for the effort of writing letters. She has been wonderful to write me throughout my mission. I didn't receive an email from her this week. 

That is fun to have Evan and Carol so close to being all the way moved in. Hopefully the rest of the process moving in will go smooth. 

Well I guess I have seen through my mission it is really up to the missionary whether they go home a few weeks early for school.  I was planning though on asking President Dunn about it next month during our interview. I guess one thing is my visa expires in August. I'm not sure if it can be renewed, but i think it would be easier to just come home then and start school. I guess my thinking is to just start more with general classes to get back into it, then start harder classes in January. I guess I will keep praying and thinking, and also seek President Dunn's advice. 

Well thank you for all the updated today in the email. It is always fun to just hear random little things that are happening back home. It sounds like all is well, and that makes me happy. I hope that you can be happy with the colder weather, especially the shorter days. I know you don't like them. I am enjoying it staying light longer now. It gets dark now around 6:30-7. I guess it still gets dark early, but not as early as normal. I hope that you have a good week. Know I am always thinking about you, and constantly grateful for your support. I get to go to the temple this Friday, so that is pretty exciting. I always look forward to going to the temple. I hope you still get to go every once and a while to the temple.  I have learned so much since I have been out. I know I will continue to learn more that will prepare me for my life. Have a good week. I love you

Love

Your Son

Elder Brown