Monday, November 23, 2015

Holy Habashwe!

Dumela! 

As usual, another FANTASTIC week to be reported! The following are exciting and noteworthy events:

First and foremost, we are leaving for Durban in an hour! So I guess you could say that we're getting pretty excited... I am so excited to see other missionaries from my MTC group! This week we went paintballing for a Zone Activity and that was a blast! I think we're on the path to being regulars there.. hahaha!  (I'm not sure about the rest of you, but as a mother who wouldn't let her boys play with guns, this picture is terrifying!  It looks like a scene right out of "Freetown".  Okay I'll stop and let you enjoy the rest of his letter :) )


I think the funnest part about this week was going on exchanges with Elder Faganello in Osizweni!! YO. Going from a bigger town like Newcastle to a township was a HUGE difference! But it was a blast!! Not to mention Elder Faganello and I get along really really well! The umlungu's took over the township! 

*writer's note -- I am so scatter brained because our whole district is here and we're just talking about Durban so this might be a little spastic*



One of my very favourite things about South Africa so far is Kota. Kota is a food that you can really only buy in the townships, and it is usually only served in Tuck Shops ( A tuck shop is pretty much a tin hut that somebody builds in their front yard and starts selling food out of it. It sounds sketchy.... and it is sketchy.... but it's cheap and delicious) But Kota is like a heart attack in a bag, but oh I love it so much. So much so that I actually took pictures of Elder Faganello and I eating them....



 
Elder Faganello were also tracting around the town and it's not unusual to see cows just roaming around, however, we were walking back from a door we knocked and saw a cow eating out of a rubbish bin! hahaha it was actually really funny. So I took a couple pictures of that as well!



We also had a baptism on Sunday, but it doesn't really count because they are children of record, but Namhlange asked me to baptise her so I guess I got my first baptism!! hahah! It was nice practice and it was sweet to reflect and remember my own baptism day! It was almost 11 years ago!! 



I think the coolest experience we had this week was meeting an RM who served here 2 years ago! We were getting together for our nightly devotional and a guy pulled up in a car (he was white so we were preparing ourselves to receive some heavy fire) and he starts telling us that he used to live here! His name is/was? Elder Jenks! He came back to visit the mission and he so happened to have PERFECT timing! So we invited him in and we all talked to him about what's going on and he reminisced; it was really cool! We learned a lot from him! He was so excited to be back! 

Even better, the next day Elder Benissan and I were having comp study when we were interrupted by a knock at the door, it was Jenks! He told us that he wanted to take us to dinner! Elder Benissan and I almost cried because we were so happy. He took us and the zone leaders to Spur ( A steakhouse with an American Indian theme ) and we had a blast! It was so sweet to have him around! 

Well aside from being told how terrible America is by an angry Baba, I think that's about it for the week! hahha I am so grateful that the Lord has entrusted Elder Benissan and I with His authority and spiritual power! I know that each of us can be endowed with spiritual gifts, power, and blessings when we are worthy, faithful, and determined! I have learned that enduring to the end doesn't just mean staying faithful and keeping the commandments until you die.. But it means magnifying and expanding our baptismal covenants, our faith in Jesus Christ, continually repenting, and always striving to be worthy of the presence of the Holy Ghost! I am so grateful that the Lord has allowed us to make promises with Him and that he blesses us so immensely for keeping them! 

The church is true!!

--

Elder Weiler

2 comments:

  1. Elder Weiler, I enjoy reading your emails each week. It is awesome to feel a part of your mission experiences because of these. I'm so happy to hear how much you love what you are doing. We all love you very much and are very proud of you and your choices. You will continue to draw people to you and the gospel because of your sincerity. People can feel when a person is truly sincere, and you are. They will be able to feel your spirit and Heavenly Father's love. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving....probably will be strange with new customs to partake of. I know your family will miss your smiling face at the table. But, they know you are where you are supposed to be.
    'Nother grandmother,
    Claudene Stahle

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elder Weiler, I enjoy reading your emails each week. It is awesome to feel a part of your mission experiences because of these. I'm so happy to hear how much you love what you are doing. We all love you very much and are very proud of you and your choices. You will continue to draw people to you and the gospel because of your sincerity. People can feel when a person is truly sincere, and you are. They will be able to feel your spirit and Heavenly Father's love. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving....probably will be strange with new customs to partake of. I know your family will miss your smiling face at the table. But, they know you are where you are supposed to be.
    'Nother grandmother,
    Claudene Stahle

    ReplyDelete