Dear
Mom,
It has
been a good week. It has been a bit slow, but we still taught some great
productive lessons. The week has been pretty nice. We have really been trying
to work more with members to get referrals. Referrals are so much more
effective than knocking doors. We don't have a lot of investigators right now,
and we are trying to work on that. It is really hard to get motivation to go
and tract, knock doors. I really don't like doing this, and I feel like it is
just a waste of time. I think we will have to end up doing it this next week
though. We have had a lot of free time this last week. The good thing is we have
really been moving forward with Willamina and Ester.
It
sounds like you have had a crazy week/weekend, especially with all the cello
stuff. I am sure you are relived to have festival over! I hope that all your
students did good, because I know how much you think it reflects on you. I am
sure they all did great though. That is good that Carson memorized his pieces
last minute! good for him.
Well I
am glad that Blake is still surviving school. It sounds pretty tough. I am not
too excited to get back into school, I know it will be pretty hard. That is
great that Ashley is at her new practice, and enjoying it.
I am
glad you are making dad take a break and doing something fun for his birthday.
I think that would be fun as well to take the family up skiing as well. I
miss that.
I am
also grateful for the members here. I am so glad that they are sending you
pictures and they are so great to us. They have been really good to feed us and
take care of us. It really does make it feel more like a family ward with more
love.
Well we are
still teaching mostly blacks. Our only white investigator is Jackie. I do miss being around the black culture
in a way, but really I don't miss township at all. I like nice towns
better.
I do
miss learning the African Languages, it was fun to be learning Zulu, but I can
now learn a bit of Afrikaans, the white language.
The few investigators we have are doing well. It has been hard
not to have a lot of people to teach. We have been struggling to find new
people to teach.
Monday we
went to Bruma African Market on our P-Day. It was fun, and Elder Peterson just wanted to get some
souvenirs. This is right by the eastgate mall that I would go to every week
when I was in Vosloorus. WE then saw the Taim family that sent you some pictures.
Tuesday
was a good day. We taught a few investigator lessons. We teach a recent convert
named Prince, and he is a cool guy. We then taught Willamina and Ester. They
are great. We put them on date to be baptized on my birthday, April 19th. It
would be sweet if they are ready by then, and I can have some baptisms on my
birthday. They are coming along well. Willamina had a concern with her husband.
He lives back "home" in Limpopo. he is a pretty worthless guy it
sounds like. He just sits home and does nothing. He just relies on Willamina to
provide for him. She is wondering if she can get baptized when she doesn't like
her husband. But we got that shorted out, and she is still up for
baptism. We then saw another one of our investigators named Nurse. She is
doing all right, but she has trouble understanding. We finished Tuesday night
with sister Masters. She fed us a nice dinner of chicken and vegetables!
Wednesday
was just normal. WE went singing in the morning at Abby Cross old folks home.
That is getting kind of boring because the senile people just want to sing the
same songs every week!! Sound
familiar mom. We then chilled
there and talked to the other missionaries for a long time. Elder Robins
actually got in a crazy car accident, but he is fine. Some girl came whipping
around a corner when they were stopped at a stop sign, and she just hit them
head on and crushed the front of their car. So we talked about that for a
while. We then taught Jackie that night. Jackie is doing good, and we have now
finished all the lessons with her. She is still struggling with smoking, so I
don't know if she will make the end of this month for her baptism. We are
really pushing her though.
Thursday
we served Jackie at her tuck shop for a couple hours. We also saw Willamina
again. We then finished the night with a less active family that is cool. They
are black, but they have been struggling. The wife is a recent convert/less
active. She hasn't been befriended by members, so that has pretty much made
them go less active. They did come to church this last week though!!
Friday
was a good day. WE had our district meeting. WE then ate at Subway for lunch.
Elder Peterson had an appointment with the Doctor at the Area office, so we
drove there and I hung out with Sister Peterson, the doctors wife, and she is
really fun. They are from Richfield. He is the Area doctor, like psychiatrist.
Elder Peterson has been doing a lot better with his depression, and it is
great. I am proud of him WE also went to Sandton city on Friday night to eat at the Hard
Rock Cafe. It was really fun, but it felt weird with all the loud music as a missionary.
But I will send you the pictures I got from there. It was just fun to find a
Hard Rock here in Africa haha!!!
Saturday
and Sunday were pretty slow. We did go see sister Masters and just hung out. We
busted out some of her old records, and I fixed up her record machine for her.
It was a lot of fun, and she was happy I fixed the record player.
Elder
Peterson and I are doing great. He did just open up to me this week and told me
everything he hated about me, it helped, and we get a long better now. So I am
happy for that actually. I am glad we are running as well. I guess the only bad
thing is I think I have gotten a shin splint. It has gotten pretty painful. I
have been icing it, and I actually bought a compression sock to try and help.
Do you have any other advice where Randall used to get shin splints??
The
month of miracles was good. I guess I did feel a bit restricted, as we where
challenged to follow every mission rule, obedience is good. I have done ok with it throughout my
misison, but I will admit there are a few rules I would like to not follow. I
have been trying harder though! I guess it was a good thing for the mission. WE
are still just trying to continue the obedience into this month as well.
You
asked about mail. Other Elders
have been getting mail and packages. I think that the mail is getting through
great now. I have not seen any of your letters though. I will keep watching,
and i will let you know when they get here. I think you can send a package now
though. Today we are supposed to go to some cool gardens for our P-day.
They are called the botanical gardens. I guess they are really cool, so I will
get some good pictures there.
I guess
I am doing well though. I am still enjoying the work. It is just hard though
when it gets slow. I have been loosing motivation some days, and I just don't
want to do anything. I am sure you have days like this that you don't want to
work or anything, but you just have to push through.
I am sorry you cried seeing grandma
leave, and the plane. It really is not easy, and I know it is pretty hard on
you to have me gone. I am not going to lie it is still pretty hard for me too,
but I have just gotten used to it. Some days I really do just want to come home.
I guess I just keep pushing on though. It is such a relief though to only have
5 months left!! I really is cool to think I will be back that soon. I hope that
you can keep feeling the comfort of the spirit. I know what I am doing is
right, even though it is hard. I have learned so much, and especially gained a
great testimony of the gospel. I really have learned to do hard things. I love
you and hope you have a good week.
Love
Your son
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