New Area - Vosloorus!

Area- Vosloorus, South Africa
Companion- Elder Martin
Letter #70

Hey wena's!

i am now in Vosloorus! I can see Joburg from here. Vosloorus is a township in the Bedfordview Stake. My companion is Elder Martin from Switzerland! English is his 4th language after Swiss, German and French so sometimes i have a hard time understanding what he is saying haha. We are having a great time though! We have taught 17 lessons together so far and 14 of them were to different people and I still have more people to meet! I am still lost as to where they all stay. We live like 15 k's away from the area so we drive there everyday and there are 4 missionaries in the ward. We just split the area. It's gonna be a great area! being a district leader is also gonna be a great experience. Like all the responsibilities in the church, it is an opportunity to serve. basically the missionaries in the district report their weekly doings to me and I report it to the zone leaders and I jsut help the missionaries in my district find ways to improve their areas and become better missionaries. Now instead of helping investigators and my companion i also have 4 other missionaries to help that I have a responsibility for. It's pretty cool. I think I will enjoy it!

Yes! That was a great lesson on Sunday! Isn't it cool that the church is the same around the world and I also got to learn the same lesson at church!? :D I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. Don't forget who you are and what you can become! It reminds me also of something that Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said once. "The creator of the universe is the father of your spirit." And then he said something about our potential to become and create just like Him.

When I think about the joy and happiness that I feel when I learn eternal truths I wonder what other people feel when we teach them the same things. There are so many people that we teach the truth and they reject it. It's hard to understand how they don't feel the same way we do. That's the hard part about missionary work. Missionaries are always trying to become better teachers and to have the spirit with them so that the people we talk to can feel the way we do. It's hard! But the happiness that is felt when somebody else recognizes the spirit and allows it to enter their heart is unforgettable and pleasing to our Heavenly Father and that's why we do it. The restored gospel is 100% true! I'm not the greatest teacher and not everybody wants to accept what we teach but I do know that what I am doing is right. I want everybody in the whole world to know the truth and practice and be ready to meet and live with God someday.

I still have lots to learn and things to do as a full time missionary but I always wonder what it will be like when I am home. Will I be a missionary like I hope and see myself being? I can't wait till Nate gets to go on a mission and feel these things in his life! Committing to serve a mission is the best decision he has ever made in his life so far. It's the best decision I made!

I hope you have a great week family! Do some missionary work! I know you are and it's awesome! Makes me happy :D

Love you!
-Elder Bobby Dirkmaat :D