What's In Your Backpack?

Area - Kanye, Botswana
Companion - Elder Dlamini
Letter #42

So I guess the speakers chart was a bad idea... Yesterday none of the assigned speakers showed up to church! One of them came 30 mins late but that's it haha. The second couselor comes and whispers to Elder Dlamini and I just as the sacrament is finishing and asks us if we can both give talks to fill the rest of Sacarament meeting. We both gave nice taks and filled the time but I didn't know what I was gonna talk about until I was already halfway to the pulpit! Funny thing is that this week was tough cause I had a lame cough the whole time so on Sunday I was super tired and was planning on committing a sin of ommission that is, not try to stay awake during sacrament meeting. God knows all and he was prepared! I won't do it again, promise!

Despite my illness we still had an awesome week. Last sunday two sisters randomly showed up at church, we got to teach them twice this week and they are preparing to be baptized on November 11th! Also we met another guy as we were walking to an appt. He was walking toward us and I said "Dumela Rra" he says "Dumela, what's in your backpack!?" haha. He said that he always sees us everywhere carrying backpacks. "I have some books" "Do you have Bible's" "Uh, yeah kinda, let me show you" I didn't have a Book of Mormon with me but I had a lot of pamphlets. He said "Man, I could read this in 20 mins. I was something I can READ." So i gave one to him and told him that we could bring the book of Mormon the next day to his house and talk about it with him. We came the next day and he was super excited to see us and told us he had read the pamphlet and it was nothing new besides "that Smith guy".  As we talked we found out that he loves to read because he is journalist. For the past two years he has been reading the Bible and really trying to understand the gospel. He had never been religious before. We taught him some of the message of the restoration and he had lots of questions and we invited him to be baptized. He said yes but the only problem is that he will only be around for the next week.  Turns out he is a blacklisted journalist and is moving to South Africa so for the 4th time this month we have to give a solid prepared person to other missionaries. As much as I'm glad that he's ready, it's so lame that the best people in Kanye are always leaving right after we meet them!

Well, I have no idea how I only have 5 mins left but time is up. :/ I have tons more to say and pictures to send and I have no time! Sorry.

Have a great week family! I love you and miss you!

-Elder Dirkmaat :D