We had a great week!

Hey Mom and Dad,

First of all I loved the joke dad sent me, it was really random but funny, and that is so awesome you get to go to the U.S Open! Not many people get to do that, I really like golfing… I remember before my mission I would go to the driving range quite a bit, I’m still terrible though, I think it’s a good sport to get good at though because it seems like one of the only ones you can play when you get older. So we will have to play more when I get back. Sounds like work is going well with both you guys, you going to the U.S open and mom getting an ipad, sounds like you guys are living the life:) woo woo.

Yes I’m excited to talk to you guys, it’s really weird when you said that this will be the last time I talk to you guys on the phone. Just hit me, kind of weird. I’m not sure of all the details yet, I think we might have to come back another day and let you know. But I’m pretty sure before church would work better. Half 10 is a bit late. I’m not sure of the code and things you need to enter to get into the country and what not. But either I’ll come back and email more details or I’ll give you guys a call on Saturday quickly.

But we had a great week, we were able to teach about 20 lessons this week...I know that probably means not much to you guys but that's really good for town areas, usually your lucky to get like 7-8. My companion and I get along pretty well, Elder Coon… no problems. We have, just like I said before, been focusing on lots of less actives at this time. We are seeing this older lady named sister Masters, she is awesome, from the U.K and the only member in her family. She is super nice and we just had dinner there last night and watched between heaven and earth, the temple movie, it was really good. She is now a retired cop and was telling us some crazy stories last night of some things she has encountered. Probably things I’ll have to wait to get home to tell. She does not really seem less active in my eyes though, it’s funny when we go there she just seems like a great member, yesterday her car was stolen so she was not able to make it to church, a pretty valid reason I think. Also seeing some sweet guys Carl and Shepard, who are members, they are sweet.  Carl is one of the sweetest investigators I’ve had my whole mission. He is so interested in the gospel and reads so much in between visits. Also something that I have noticed is having quite an effect on missionary work is the elections. I don't know how it is in the states but people here really now Mitt Romney and that he is a member of our church, both investigators and members (Obviously) it’s actually so far had quite a good effect on are church at least in Africa, which is actually pretty sweet. I’m not sure how it’s been in the states.

A really cool story though I wanted to share with you guys is this week we got a ref from the mtc, turns out this guy wanted missionaries to come and teach him as soon as possible. So we called him up and set a time and went and saw him, when we finally found his work place we got to sit down with him and talk to him. He began to tell us how and why he came to wanting missionary's to come and visit him. His story was one night he woke up at 2:25 AM  (he remembered the exact time) and got the impression to go type in "temples" in his computer. When he went and did that the first thing that popped up was our temples and he found out that there was one close to where he stayed. So the next morning he went to the temple and walked in the distribution center and got a card with the Joburg number on it and that how the ref came through. Pretty cool a… now this guy is like super legit with a great job, good education, a nice car, and just everything you want your investigators to be. The sad part is as we were teaching him we found out he actually does not live in our area, he just works in our area, which was quite lame but awesome news for the elders in that area, which is so close to us. But I guess we got to be the first ones to teach him and hear his story. I hope everything goes well.

But I guess I don't need to say too much, I’ll be talking to you guys in 6 days, so love you guys a lot and talk to you soon!

Justin    

I love my new area!

Hey mom and dad,
Well as you know I’m now in my new area, and I’m actually in Joburg, the city is about 15 min from where we stay, I’m in a town called Randburg and Sandton, both heavily rich towns. Sandton is supposedly the richest town in the southern part of Africa. It reminds me a bit of Nelspruit but a lot bigger and quite a bit richer. I’m serving in the most legit chapel I have been in my whole mission. I could not believe how big it was. It’s actually like the churches back home. It was really strange going to church, I hardly had to worry about anything...just sat there for each meeting just like I do back home, it was nice. But so far the area seems really cool, it’s nice being right in joburg, much different than anywhere in bots. My new companion is Elder Coon from Oregon, he is about 6 months on mission and seems like a sweet guy, and so far we are having a good time together. But I don’t have too many details on where we stay all I know right now is that it’s called Ferndale...I think, we just stay in some flats on the top top floor, we have to hike like 7 flights of stairs to get to are apartment, it’s a nice work out I suppose. Also something cool is the temple is actually really close to where we stay so I get to go to the temple this Friday and I’m super excited! It’s been like 18 months since I have been, so I’m excited for that. Overall its sweet being here I love the area, it seems awesome. It’s a pretty hard area just like Nelspruit was but I like it. It’s so much different than bots,  when I first came here I could not believe how fast everything is, I went to a fast food place and I did not have to wait like an hour for the card machine to work. Everything is so much faster than in bots, the people here are also alot more educated it seems or at least they understand English very well. Probably because that’s what everyone speaks here, its kinda weird walking down the street and hearing someone actually speaking English to one another. In bots everyone spoke Tswana so there was no need for them to speak another language one to another, but here there are just so many different kinds of people from lots of different places in Africa so they just all speak English. It’s really nice, and most of them have that British accent as well just because that’s also a lot of the influence here.  
I did get the package, I’ve been using the card quite a bit because in my last area I had to use my allotment card on a sweater because I was getting really cold and it’s even more cold hear, I’ve been freezing, and I guess it’s not even winter yet. During the day it’s not too bad but in the mornings and at night it is so cold. I also might have to buy another pair of shoes, to play sports with, mine are completely thrashed. Like my toe comes through the shoe and the back is completely ripped off. So hopefully I can find an inexpensive type of shoe just to last me a few more months. Man I hope Nicki and her friend hold off a little bit until I get there, I would like to be there for the wedding. You guys should send me a picture so I can really see what kind of a person he is properly, I can tell a lot just by looking at a person...it’s a gift. I’ll let you guys know if there is a problem. :)

But I don’t have too many more updates; I have a lot of pictures I wanted to send you guys. We ended up going to a lion park as well where we got to play with the cubs so I wanted to send you guys some of those also of my last area. So I think I’m going to spend a bit of time doing that. But love you guy’s a lot talk to you next week.

Justin    

 

Goodbye Botswana :(

Hello,

Hey mom and dad it was awesome to get your emails, Sounds like you guys had a sweet time in San Diego, I loved getting the pictures and liked the updates. I like hearing how you guys are doing. Hope the party was fun....sounds a bit familiar.  The duck was sweet! My camera is packed away right now but next week I’ll send some nice pictures.

Well a lot has happened over this week, my companion elder Dlomo got his residency that meant bye bye elder Brey. It was funny before he got his residency I wanted to leave and was really hoping he would get it, but the day he got it all of a sudden I realized that I was really leaving...then everything just sunk.  Man I was super sad I did not want to leave at all, It was really hard and a bit strange, I even sat up like half the night a couple of days ago in my bed just thinking, it was really strange usually I’m excited to leave but this time was a bit different. But Elder Hill called me from the office and told me I would be leaving bots (probably for the rest of my mission) and heading to Mzanzi, I’m not sure where I’m going yet transfers are tomorrow and me and my buddy elder Chaka just drove here to Gabz last night, we will soon be heading to South Africa right when we are done emailing. So we have another looong drive ahead of us. Not looking forward to that, but I’m still excited to go back and finish up the work there.

I guess I don’t have too much to update you guys on my mind is just still on transfers. Man I miss Elder Dlomo he was a sweet guy I loved training him although it seemed like he was training me some of the time. We had some great times. It was funny when we left yesterday he was like so sad ha-ha it was really funny, he was just telling us to leave and get out of here like we were some dog that he had loved but has to let go, ha-ha...not sure if that made sense but it was pretty sweet I’m gonna miss that guy, we might not see each other for the rest of my mission.

Man… currently there is like a man screaming at the internet lady and its really starting to get on are nerves, me and elder Chaka are planning on throwing him out, people here like talking so freaking loud sometimes it is crazy. I’m pretty excited to go to South Africa though, just to experience life in fast pace again, or should I say normal pace, not driving behind people going 30 below the speed limit, things just making sense again, good food, people understanding what I say, fun things to do on pday...just a few things but somehow I’m already starting to miss Botswana, not sure how that works but I’ve grown to love the people here very much, by the way in case you’re wondering that guy has stopped yelling, I think he heard elder Chaka say Donkey...shut up! Off of Shrek. So it’s nice and quiet now.

Ha-ha, I don’t know if you notice mom but almost every email you have sent me the past few times you will slip in at the end at how I’m coming home soon! Ha, I still feel like I have a lot of time left on my mission, and I just want to keep thinking that. Time goes by faster when I don’t think about it. It was funny when I was telling everyone I was leaving, everyone thought that I was like going home home, so they were all writing like stupid comments in my journal...as I was reading it, that’s when I realized I should have made it clear I was not going home to America, just to South Africa.  When I was reading I was getting quite trunky thinking about some of the things they were saying. I won’t make that same mistake in my next area. I’m making it very clear where I will be going. But we have to be at the Kimball’s at 10 so I’m going to have to say good bye and will have a lot more info next week about where I am. Love you guys!

Justin

Happy Easter

Hello mom and dad,

First of all I have to say that email from mom has been my most favorite email I have received my whole mission. I thought at first maybe one of the grandchildren was writing to me, as I was trying to decipher what you were writing.(Because, Mom has never used dad’s blackberry tablet before) But I'm glad it seems like you guys are having a good time. And Ndlovus wife will hopefully be getting baptized on the 28th of April. Ndlovu is doing really good though. Yesterday he gave a powerful talk and hopefully he will be getting a calling soon. I'm not to sure how it feels to be coming home in 6 months. I still just feel the same I did before I guess. I don't realize how fast time is flying. We find out transfer news this Saturday so next Monday I will know what's going on. But for sure me and Brother will no longer be companions. Training only lasts for 3 months so no matter what I get a new companion, which is a bit sad. I love elder Dlomo a lot, he is a sweet guy. We have had some good times. I feel like he was training me on a few things.  I'll also call down to Gabz to see if they have my package. I thought that you guys sent it to Joburg for some reason but now that I know it's going to Bots it will be easier for me to find out.

The week has been really good though. Easter was great, we had some movie and singing at our chapel.....or I guess I should say house. It was nice and lots of people came. Also one of our investigators, Keletso, finished the Book of Mormon. That has been my first investigator that has finished the Book of Mormon before they have been baptized. She is so powerful and she is going to start it over. Her only problem is coming to church, that seems to be everyones problem that we are teaching. We're also teaching this guy named Kadimo and we were going to see him but he called and said he was not feeling well and would like us to come another day. But we just asked if we could see him for a bit, so we went over and he looked not to good. His head was killing him and so we read some scriptures and talked about blessings and at the end we gave him a blessing. He was just super quiet after the blessing then we prayed and left. During our next appointment he called and when I answered he just started thanking us for the blessing and how his head was completely fine. It was a really cool experience, we have had times where that has happened but for some reason this time it was just really cool at how grateful he was. So we are hoping that he will also be able to make it for the 28th.

I'm pretty excited for today because its Elder Mcnallys last p-day on his mission. So we bought a duck and we are going to go back to our flat and kill it...(as horrible as that sounds) and have a nice lunch. Don't worry I will send you all some very nice pictures. It’s going to be a nice brawl in front of our flat. I don't think I've ever had duck before or slaughtered one for that matter so it’s going to be a new experience.

But I sent you guys some more pics, hope they also work. They're just some pics when we went to the rhino park of are small little zone up here in Francistown, except the sisters were not there. I was freezing, if you can't tell, while we were on the game drive. I'll need to send pictures of the actual rhinos, they're pretty freaking big. I will also need to see those pictures of mom duct tape to the chair. I believe that is an extreme need.

It’s really good to hear from you guys again and if it’s possible I would like mom to write me again on your pad...that would be nice. I hope you guys have a good time in San Diego, actually I know you guys will have a good time. Take care love you both and talk too you soon.

Justin

We had some more baptisms

Hey mom and dad,

Good to hear from you guys, the baptisms went really well. Ndlovu on our side was baptized a father. His wife is now preparing for the 28th or this month. There were also 9 others from the other branches so it was a good day. I forwarded some pictures that sister Woolf sent me I hope it worked I’ve never really forwarded anything before. I think the pictures are just kinda random… one is are relief society(very random) I know you guys wanted a picture of them, then another one on me on a table in the Woolf’s home doing a jig, I was fixing their light. Then the others are when we were playing soccer. One of the soccer pictures is not very good where like no one is smiling but the other one is good. So yea hope you got them. I’ll have to send pictures of the baptism as well next week.

Today so far has been sweet. We woke up at 3 in the morning to go to a rhino park that’s about 2 hours away, just got back. It was pretty cool but I’m way tired, I fell asleep on the ride back and it was freezing! Man… the weather just like decided to pull a fast one. I’m wearing my hoodie right now which feels weird and I’m also emailing in regular cloths...which also feels really weird because I think it’s the first time.  But besides all that everything is going good. I’m just starting to get a bit stressed on my companion getting residency. I love Francistown but I’ve been here 6 months and 7 and a half months does not sound to fun in one area. So the days are starting to run down.

I did not receive the package and my card is expired now which is a bit scary, but I think I’m good, we just got allotment and hopefully the package will be there when we go down for transfers. At least that’s good news no matter if I get transferred or not.  I get to go down to Joburg because elder McNally and I are the only ones who can drive up here. The park was fun though, during the ride I had to like pee really bad and we are not supposed to get out while in the park but I asked the guy driving us and he just told me to be fast. It was bit scary in the wild bush just enjoying Mother Nature knowing that there are all sorts of animals around me but I’m still alive don’t worry.

Ha-ha… I liked the April fool’s joke, our April fools was pretty lame.  The biggest joke that was played on us the whole day was elder Zondi coming down stairs and telling me someone was on the phone for me when there was actually no one, ha-ha it was like the lamest April fool’s joke ever. That’s sweet you guys are going to Vegas so see grandma and possibly San Diego. That would be nice if you guys could make it up there.  I’m sorry this is a bit short I’m just really tired and we still need shop so I’ll hear from you all next week. Love you guys!