Good Things & Bad Things

Area - Johannesburg, South Africa
Companion - Elder Mabuza
Letter #53

Good morning family!

I did hear that Obama won. bum deal. I know missionaries aren't supposed to talk about politics but lets just say that I don't wannna come home anymore. Haha. It's all good cause as long as we still have the prophet as the President of the church then we should be okay!

That's super cool that Eric is going on mission! Did he have long hair up until last week?? Hahaha. I'm excited for him and hope to hear from him. He's gonna be a solid missionary. I wrote him a letter a few months ago. Do you know if he ever got it?
Nate never emails me back so I have to ask you...Has he started his papers yet or is he waiting till he gets home? Sara says she is starting them this week!

It has been a pretty good week for Elder Mabuza and I. Transfers are tomorrow but we're not going cause he's staying and I'm not training! That means he will be until dad's bday and then most likely leave that day. We shall see if I will train. Everybody says that I'm going to but that's what they've been saying since I was a greenie ha.

We had quite a few lessons this week. We'd been getting 15 or 16 but we got it up to 18 and we've had 9 referrals in the past 2 weeks! We are starting to work a lot on creating the ward mission plan for 2013. the mission plan for this year was going well until about July/Aug so we have to make another good one and the important part is going to be that when a new missionary comes into the area he knows what the plan is a doesn't go doing other things. The goal for this year was to have 22 baptisms and right now we are at 15 so probs not gonna make that but hopefully we will have Frances and Nokwanda and even yesterday guy named Steward moved from another stake and has been taught everything and had his baptism date for the 25th of this month so hopefully when we got to visit him on weds he will still be on track for that! We are not allowed to tract in our area so it's super good that we are getting many referrals! It's interesting how Frances and Nokwanda are both basically members in all ways except for the fact that they are not baptized and don't have a calling. Frances stays with a member and has been coming for like 3 months straight now and Nokwanda used to stay with a recent convert and has been coming since January! I really think that they are both very close to baptism though. The spirit that we can feel as we visit them and especially the way that they are applying the gospel principles to their lives shows that they are there. Nokwanda just needs parents approval as she goes home this holidays and Frances says he still needs an answer. Which I think he has.

You said you also wanna hear the bad things? OK. A guy almost beat Elder Mabuza and I on Tuesday! Ha. He walked up to us with a stick in his hand and started yelling and cursing, more especially at me. He asked if we know how to pray and suggested that we start praying now before he changes his mind about him wanting to beat us, more especially me. he was angry that he had to see a white guy and was saying that I think I'm a God. Then he started talking about how he was angry at God and wanted to hunt him down and kill him. It was really scary the things he was saying and I was praying hard! HE had alcohol on his breath but I;m not sure he was drunk. Finally after like 10 mins he just said "thank you very much" and quickly walked away.

I'm enjoying this area a lot especially that I now know the members a lot better and know what the area is like. I think there is going to be tons of success in the near future! We are still in the finding process but lots of those we have found are starting to progress and come to church and everything!
I'm also really glad that Elder Mabuza is staying another transfer cause we have a good time together and I get to learn a lot from him. He is a recent convert of about 4 years so it is super cool to see how strong his testimony is and help him to learn more about the church even as he is a missionary and teaching others. H is kinda like how I used to be where I was nervous tot alk to people and hated to talk on the phone. During lessons I am usually talking a lot more so I just gotta be quiet so that he can be more comfortable talking a lot! I did better on that this week.

Have a super week family! Love ya!
-Elder Dirkmaat :D