Sons of Thunder!!

Awe awe awe! (Pronounced "away away away")

I know I say this a TON but another great week has gone down in the history of Elder Weiler and Elder Benissan! I made notes so hopefully this email won't be so spastic.

We FINALLY got to watch conference!! Watching conference here is very very different than watching conference in Utah! On saturday I was on exchanges in an township called Osizweni; we watched conference in a school classroom without air con. TIA. ( "This is Africa" -- my new favourite acronym). But both days were amazing!! It is so interesting how every year conference has its own personality! The biggest themes I noticed were exercising and increasing faith, opening our hearts and changing into the person that our loving Heavenly Father needs us to be, and the sacrament! 

It was so impressed with the testimonies of the 3 new apostles! I love the leaders of our church. Elder Bednar's talk was the perfect end to conference. I must admit. I missed conference tweeting... So I may or may not have taken 25 full pages of notes throughout this weekend... #LDSConf

I have also really enjoyed reading articles from the Liahona in my free time; I read a talk from Elder Ballard that he gave at a devotional a few years ago that I wanted to share some thoughts from:

The talk was titled 'Men and Women and Priesthood Power'

"Let us never forget that we are the sons and daughters of God, equal in His sight with differing responsibilities and capabilities assigned by Him and given access to His priesthood power."

"Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without a man, so a man cannot fully exercise the power of the priesthood to establish an eternal family without a woman... in the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by husband and wife"

"While the authority of the priesthood is directed through priesthood keys, and priesthood keys are held only by worthy men, access to the power and blessings of the priesthood is available to all of God's children."

This went hand in hand with the talk from Russell M. Nelson. I am so thankful for the assignments of gender that the Lord provided to us. I know that His plan is ultimate and perfect. That men and women have been given divine roles in our world and that it is crucial that each of us magnify our callings as men or women!

On Monday we got to watch Forever Strong for FHE! It was so nice to watch one of my favorite movies! I think everybody loved it! It was also perfect timing to watch a movie about rugby; the World Cup is happening now and the Springboks have been killing it! Because the games have drawn so much attention, work has become almost impossible for missionaries. So we have been allowed to watch the past 2 games!! All of our zone went out and bought springboks jerseys so that when we get together we are all in our fan gear! It's been really fun. 

If there is one thing I have learned about myself out here in South Africa, it's that I LOVE rugby. I have always enjoyed watching and playing football with friends.. But rugby is the best. We play a lot. We are actually going to play a match after we finish emailing! 

The springboks lost in the semifinal round against New Zealand; our biggest rivals. As far as we care, that WAS the final. It was a really good game! It was so unfortunate that we lost by only 2 points... But it was way fun while it lasted!

It is rumoured here that when your missionary tag is crooked that somebody is thinking about you. I have found my tag crooked quite a few times this week!! Thanks Mom! hahahha

But more seroiusly, I am so grateful for all of the prayers. I can literally FEEL it when somebody is praying for us here in the SADM. It is a spiritual pick-me-up. I am so grateful for all of you that support me through your prayers and through your faith. It is making a great difference in the work here and in my personal welfare here!!

Elder Benissan and I have officially named our companionship; I was reading in "Jesus the Christ" the other day and learned that the apostles James and John were, not only brothers, but referred to as "The Sons of Thunder" for their zeal in sharing the gospel! So Elder Benissan and I have proclaimed ourselves the Sons of Thunder! (This is also ironic because there have been ridiculous lightning storms all this week.. It's actually been a little terrifying... Just a little though.)

Tender mercies from the Lord are in great abundance! Every night we meet up with our missionary district and share our tender mercies from the day. It is so powerful! Fewer things will invite the sweet spirit of our Heavenly Father than acknowledging and thanking Him for what He has done for us! This works so well with us missionaries that Elder Benissan and I have begun to do the same thing in almost all of our lessons! I would encourage each of you to do the same, both personally, in a journal and in personal prayer, and in families! It will bring you closer to your Father; and you WILL feel His love for you.

Perhaps the greatest tender mercy we experienced this week was breaking down some walls with a hostile father of an investigator who is begging to be baptised. His name is Smanga, his mother and his sister are members but his father wants them to be "'real' Zulu men". He thinks religion is feminine and means that one is weak minded. He really hated us, and didn't want us to enter his home anymore. It was causing a lot of contention in their family that he was preventing his son(s) from pursuing something that was important to them. However, we had a lunch appointment at their house yesterday and Elder Benissan and I were really nervous about going; but Sister Mlambo insisted. So as we went, the father was sitting in the lounge watching TV, as usual. We greeted him and he told us we could wait on the couch for somebody to come get us. We noticed he was watching soccer and started a conversation with him. We found out he is a professional soccer coach! After about 10 minutes we were having very natural and genuine conversation! After that he had no problem with us staying for lunch. What a blessing!! That was the answer to many many prayers and Elder Benissan and I hope to continue building a relationship of trust with him!

A good lesson that I learned this week, that I think is perfectly applicable to all of us, is to take personal inventory when we are agitated or frustrated with others. Before we speak out of our frustrations I would encourage you to ask yourself these questions:

"What have I done to contribute to this problem?"

 "What can I do to improve this situation?" 

Then, prayerfully ask for help in doing ALL that you can do to make amends with yourself before you point fingers and criticise. Your problem will often be solved before it is communicated!

I have also began to realise that mission is not about me. It is purely about the Lord and His children who stand in need of the message of His gospel! As I have realised this missionary work has become a new idea to me! It is also much easier to put in more and more work everyday! I am so grateful for the opportunity each of us have to continually reflect and ponder on our actions and our purpose here! We can always adjust our lives to more strict accordance to the Lord's plan!!

My last realisation is that of the importance of members of the church; both in missionary work (finding and teaching) and fellowshipping (building relationships and helping investigators feel welcomed and wanted). Members are as crucial to the conversion process as the missionaries are! So to those of you who are members, PLEASE reach out to everybody; those in your ward, even if you have known them for a long time, extend welcome and invitation to visitors and new faces in the ward, it may be an investigator or a less active member!! You will feel more fulfillment and happiness as you help serve in the work of the Lord in bring more souls unto Him!!

My last thought is a simple phrase that I have come to fully understand and appreciate on mission; 

"Don't wait until your mission to be a missionary."

Please ponder this phrase and pray to know what YOU can do to help Heavenly Father spread His love and touch the hearts of His children.

I love you all so much! I love this work and I love this gospel with all of my heart! I testify that living in accordance to the standards and commandments placed by inspired leaders of the church will bring greater joy than anything else! You can make a difference in the lives of others through your example of faith, obedience, and kindness. SO DO SO.

Thank you all for your support and prayers. They do not go unappreciated or unnoticed.

--

Elder Weiler

A few super candid and unplanned photos of Elder Benissan deciding what to eat for lunch and cooking lunch. (It's the closest thing to a snapchat story I can make right now) Again, these photos were not staged.

One of our investigators owns a ladies fitness centre and Ephraim wanted to take a picture by it! hahah 

Eating Chicken Feet and Much Much More!

Okay I don't even have time for a clever introduction because our Zone Leaders just called us and said we are gonna go paint balling in like 30 minutes so this has gonna be QUICK!

But nonetheless; incredibly uplifting and probably hilarious.

probably.

ANYWAY, this week was the best week I have had on mission yet! Quickly summed up:

On monday we met a girl at a resturant named Jimmy's, she straight up asked us to bear our testimonies to her and she told us that she knew as soon as we walked in that we were servants of the Lord! WOW. She is so prepared to hear the gospel! Her name is Mpume! She came to church yesterday and that was a VEEERY interesting experience. I'll explain later.

On monday I also cut Elder Faganello's hair and I've gotta be honest.... it looks pretty bad. hahhaa it actually turned out really well!! 

On Tuesday we had an amazing opportunity come up, we now get to go to a school twice a week and teach the standards of the For Strength of Youth and help rebuild and refurbish the school. The school is in the middle of nowhere and it's really run down. Our district is really excited to begin working on it! The youth there come from troublesome areas, so the school hopes that we can provide good examples to them! 

We also went back to the school on Thursday because they challenged us to a soccer match! So we got a little team together and went back to play.

That game was no joke.

We had the WHOLE school watching us, we were playing on a pitch that

 was just dust and a couple rocks to indicate goals, and the kids were WAYYY good. If there is one thing I have learned about South Africans, it's that they LOVE soccer. It's actually one of our greatest finding/reactivation techniques. If you tell people there is a match then every young man in Newcastle is there! We had 6 guys come to church that we met through soccer!!! So needless to say, I've gotten pretty good at soccer. I actually scored a pretty good goal in our game at Ncandu (the school) and all the kids started cheering "UMLUNGUUUUUUU" and I asked what that means, apparently the whole group was cheering "WHIT

E BOYYYYYY" hahaha every time I touched the ball I could depend on the same group to root for me hahaha

I think that biggest blessing this week was the perfect answer to many many prayers. I mentioned last week that the biggest struggle for our branch is the lack of priesthood leaders and men who are willing to be active fathers. We have 2 father lead families in our branch; it is what Elder  Benissan and I dedicate most of our time to. On Friday we received a call from a man named Ephraim, he said he wanted us to come teach him; Elder Benissan and I were both really excited, but also confused because his name was already in our phone.. But we went on Saturday and met him, he is an excommunicated member who is eagerly doing all of the things he needs to do to be re-baptized! He has a very genuine and sincere love for the gospel. Best of all, he had two of his best friends over because he wants them to hear this message! They both have a firm faith in Christ and good backgrounds in Christian families! Elder Benissan and I were ecstatic to have 3 new MALE investigators! Hopefully that means priesthood holders and husbands in the Newcastle Branch! Ephraim is a returned missionary so he knows what we do, he told us he has plenty of references for us! We could not have been more blessed! Our prayers were answered PERFECTLY! My testimony of prayer and our Father in Heaven has deepened. I know that our prayers and heard, considered, and answered according to the will of our Father; that all things may work in the best accordance to us and to His plan! I am so grateful!!

Although I often speak of miracles in my email, which I am INCREDIBLY grateful to the Lord for, the small tender mercies that we receive every day are the things that help us the most. Seeing God's hand so active in my life bring me so much joy and peace! I know that our Father in Heaven cares for and watches over each and every single one of us! No doubt! 

Okay two last stories then I'm gonna go shoot other missionaries:

Every Friday night Sister Lethuma, our grandma in this area, feeds us an amazing home cooked meal. I always look forward to a nice meal, refreshing discussions about gospel principles, and good company. But this week I was in for something I never could have prepared for. As I was sitting back and enjoying some discussion on scriptural prophets and stories, Sister Lethuma was preparing something that was about to scar me for life. As she placed a full plate of food down in front of me- my eyes beheld one of the most disturbing things I could have imagined. COOKED.CHICKEN.FEET. Claws and everything. I looked around in dismay hoping that this was a joke- but to my utter horror this was no bad dream; but a haunting reality. It was no sooner that I realised that chicken feet are supposed to be some kind of special treat. Elder Benissan was SO excited when he saw them. I looked at him with big, fearful eyes as he began to tear apart the thin bones and sucked off all of the skin and meat he could find. I have eaten some strange things here. But I was no match for these feathery feet. I noticed that eyes began to turn on me and I sat there, shocked. So, hesitantly, I picked up a foot, broke off one of it claws, and put it in my mouth. Nods of approval surrounded the table as I attempted to enjoy this strange entree. Elder Benissan whispered "I'm proud of you, my son" and took the other foot when Sister Lethuma wasn't looking, he finished it and put it back on my plate after. Man, I wish I would have been warned. That was probably the hardest thing I have had to do my whole mission. hahaha but I must admit.... they don't taste THAT bad.

And my last story to close this week's edition of "The Chronicles of Elder Weiler and Elder Benissan" is one of disaster (with much less drama and detail because I spent WAY too long on that last story) 

Sundays are very different when you're a missionary and the branch relies on you for almost everything. Good, but different. So we got to church at 8:30 and started the routine, we had left our keys at home (we also walked to church) and coincidentally every other person did too. But we were surviving and we thought that we had finished everything. We thought. So as we carried on preparing to start church, Elder Benissan invited me to play piano ( I've been practicing ) and I confidentally accepted. So after we think everything has been prepared we meet Mpume at the front of the church and show her around and sit her down in the chapel. She went to every person already there and introduced herself! Unfortunately, our branch is NOT good at fellowshipping. So everybody was kind of indifferent to her. So that was bad. We literally had to ASK people to sit by her and talk to her. So if that wasn't already an awkward start, 9:00 rolls around and our branch president isn't at the chapel yet. So we're all panicking and he comes in at like 9:10 and there still isn't more than 20 people in the chapel for the sacrament. Also, we realised we don't have any bread. So after scrambling around we got bread about 5 minutes later. So sacrament starts like 15 minutes late and people are finally starting to show up (SIDE NOTE: We actually had 87 people come to church yesterday and that an AMAZING turn out. We also set a goal for 85 so we are incredibly grateful for the Lord's help in accomplishing that goal.) 

So we begin the meeting and I did really well on the first hymn, so we are finally starting to relax a little bit. But the hymn for the sacrament was a whoooole new story. I start playing and the conductor is shaking her head at me saying that I'm not playing the right hymn. So I check the hymn book and start playing again and Elder Benissan is shaking his head yes. So there was a solid minute of confusion because I didn't know what to play if this wasn't the right hymn, but the chorister was not having it. So we sang acapella, which was a little awkward, but that's fine. So as the sacramental prayer was being said, nobody could hear it... That's when we realised that the microphone wasn't on. And nobody has the keys to get into the room to turn it on. So we stuck out sacrament meeting with very quiet prayers. 

Then, we asked one of our investigators, Stretch, to take us back to our boarding to get the keys. I wish there was a camera there, because they definitely could have used the film for the next Fast and Furious movie. We FLEW back home and back and got the microphone on for the last talk. 

To make this more awkward for Mpume, the lesson in YSA was on the Law of Chastity. 

Awesome. 

Did i mention the teacher didn't show up? So Elder Benissan had to teach the lesson. impromptu style. 

I'm not complaining.... But it was awkward. We actually didn't get to talk to Mpume after church so we are anxiously awaiting our appointment with her so that we can ask her what she thought. hahahaha 

All in all, IT WAS A GREAT WEEK!!!! I'm sorry for all the typos but I have no other choice!

Picture of us with a class of students from Ncandu! I'm the awkward white spot in the back...

The losing team of our match... Heads high and smiles on our faces!

The Hind's found this shirt at the mall????

a very candid and profound photo of Elder Benissan and I in our study.

--

Elder Weiler

"You're the coolest white person I have ever met" - Elder Benissan

Heeeellllloooooo family!! (And friends),

I don't have a ton of time today, but MAN MISSIONARY WORK IS THE BEST!!!!

Elder Benissan and I are BFFs. We get along so well! I am so grateful that the Lord put us together as companions! I definitely do not mind spending 2 transfers with him! However, we just discovered that transfers are on December 20. Right before Christmas!?!? That's a crime. I am so bummed to think that we might not be together on the greatest holiday of the year!.... My birthday....

Just kidding. Christmas is the best holiday of the year, no argument.

The work is ripe here in Newcastle! Elder Benissan and I stay very very busy, which is SO nice! I am really starting to love this little branch of ours. This week, at 8:55 the branch president asked me to speak... IN THAT MEETING. So I scrambled through my scriptures trying to find a topic that would be applicable and effective to our congregation, much to my despair, my mind was running blank. I had nothin.

So I decided to say a prayer and ask for the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help me know what I needed to speak to the branch about. I was no later prompted to open up Preach My Gospel ( which I felt strangely inclined to bring to church that day ) and began to search through the index. My eyes stopped on one word; "Charity". So I began to collect and stockpile quotes, scriptures, and my testimony of charity. I was assigned to the last speaker spot, but the two speakers before me took, collectively, 10 minutes. So I approached the pulpit with a prayer in my heart that my tongue would be loosed and that my mouth would be filled with the words which would mean the most to this congregation. I calmly delivered my sermon on charity and the blessings that we receive as we exercise and ask for charity. I think it went perfectly! I am so grateful for the loving attention that our Almighty Father in Heaven gives to us! He knows exactly what we need, exactly when we need it! I am so grateful for the tender mercies we all receive, every day!!

Elder Benissan and I had incredible experiences with the spirit guiding us this weekend, my talk only being one of them. On saturday night's we always visit a family on recent converts. The Shange's, the Hind's (the senior couple in Newcastle, they're the best. ) always come with us. The kids loveeee them! They always bring little games that we can play after we teach a short lesson. But this week the Hind's called us and told us they couldn't come about an hour before we were supposed to be at the Shange's, so we are calling members, trying to get somebody to come with us, but nobody could. So we grudging took the long drive to Ngogane to teach by ourselves. When we arrived, they had 3 of their Gogo's with them (Gogo is a Zulu term for an honored family member that is a female, usually a grandma or aunt), so our lesson had to change. So we called an Omaha and tried to figure out what we needed to teach, having no idea, we prayed. Elder Benissan then took out his pocket hymn book and asked the family to turn to the hymn "Love at Home". We began to speak about how we can strengthen our family relationships and how we can receive great strength and security within our families. We asked the family to go around in a circle and tell what they loved about their family members ( cheesy I know but please bear with me ). So it was tender and sweet, and when the oldest daughter began to speak she broke down and started sobbing, through her tears we discovered that she had been running away from home a lot recently, and that her family had always written her and accepted her no matter what happened. We could see that there was an elephant in the room, that has just been dismissed, the rest of the family began to cry and it ended in a very sincere group hug. It was amazing to witness. God's love prevailed in that lesson; and I am so grateful that Elder Benissan and I had the opportunity to act as God's mouthpiece and deliver the message that he would have delivered if He were with them! I know that God knows each and every one of us and all of our needs! He waits for us to pray and ask so that He can answer our prayers!! I love the way that the Lord blesses us. I know that he is mindful of you and is always watching over you! The lesson was really sweet, but I must admit that it got a little awkward after they hugged for like 5 minutes.....

We had a few more experiences of the same caliber, all having different and profound experience and opportunities, for the sake of time I wanted to share the one that was the most special to me!

Well, I'm just about out of time, and Elder Faganello ( my Canadian Zone Leader) is about to cut my hair, so please wish me luck. 

But South Africa is an amazing place and I could not be more grateful to be here!! Right now is especially fun because the whole country has World Cup fever! The Springbok's are headed into the Quater Finals against Wales this week! Although we don't watch the games, we hear about it alllllllll week after every game! So it's a blast to be here now! I cannot explain how much I love serving the Lord! There is no greater pleasure than knowing that I am fulfilling the promises that the Lord has made, that the gospel will be spread to every end of the Earth! 

I know that last, fulfilling, and true happiness comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through exact obedience to the commandments of the Lord, we can receive blessings that the Lord is saving for us! I know that my Redeemer lives, and I know that He has atoned for all of our sins; that through Him we may be forgiven of ALL things. We can always start over, we can always grow closer to Him! 

I love you all and I am so grateful for all of the support that I have received from all of you!!

Stay on the straight and narrow!

Talk to you next week!

--

Elder Weiler

 Every Monday we have FHE, with our district of missionaries, members, investigators, and all others who enjoy wholesome activity and treats, at the Hind's house!

All of the people around me are recent converts!! From L-R: Siyanda Nxumalo, Ayanda Luthuli, and Nonto Buthelezi

It was Elder Benissan's birthday on Tuesday, so we celebrated with the Hind's!

In the word's of Sister Hind: "Obviously, a companionship made in heaven"

"If you aren't hungry and tired you aren't doing it right!"

Dear Brother and Sister Weiler,

We wanted to let you know that your son arrived safely yesterday to the South Africa Durban Mission, and spent the day at the mission home with President and Sister Zackrison, and the other 8 new elders that arrived from the MTC in Johannesburg.  He has been assigned to work in the Newcastle area in the Newcastle Zone.  His trainer companion is Elder Benissan.  His P-day will be on Monday, and you will be receiving an email from him then.  We will be sending a picture soon also.  We know that he will be a great addition to the South Africa Durban Mission!

Sawubona!

This week's subject brought to you by my trainer, Elder Benisson! I read it and realized that it sounds really harsh.. But we were joking around when it was said hahha It is our new motto. 

It's very true. I never realized how much it means to feed missionaries until I came on mission hahaha Whenever I see a dinner appointment I cry sweet sweet tears of joy that I dont have to eat another sandwich or bowl of cereal haha!!!

Just kidding, it's not that intense. But still. You get the point.

Whatta week!! I finished up at the MTC ( I was so ready to get out here ), took a 45 minute flight to Durban, met the president, and got my assignment!! I am in Newcastle, South Africa! It is a 6 hour bus ride from Durban! It is in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province of South Africa! (Kwa-Zulu means "Home of the Zulu" in the Zulu language) Zulus are crazy people hahaha we have run into a few Afrikaaners but the population here is OVERWHELMINGLY black. I see like 3 white people all day hahaha 

My first night in the mission field I got to sleep over with the APs because I was traveling so far, so I didnt actually get to Newcastle until Wednesday afternoon! It was really sad to say goodbye to my MTC group! But I am so excited to hear about their adventures!

Elder Benisson is a great trainer and companion!! He just got here 3 months ago so he is also new to mission! We are often referred to here as "Greenie Fire" by the other missionaries in our Zone! I take that as a compliment! There are a lot of old missionaries who are on their last transfer and you can see how exhausted they are! So I think it's good that there is green fire here! I call Elder Benisson my baba, which means Father in Zulu! He is from JoBurg! It is so nice to be trained by a native African! 

Most of the people here speak Zulu, so I am trying to learn that. hahah it is WAY harder than Malagasy (yes, Zulu is the clicking language. C,Q, and X all receive a different kind of click. I can't really explain it over text.... But I am getting decent at it!) Because almost all of the older generation speaks very limited English I have a really hard time communicating with them.. But I get along really well with little kids and Young Adults who speak fluent English! Apparently I have a really thick American accent (Who knew??). I have to simply my language A LOT. which is a struggle for me because I spent my entire high school life expanding and elaborating upon it! So I'm striping it down to the basics! 

Here in Newcastle we have one branch. One branch that HEAVILY relies on the missionaries! We fill every single calling that isnt assigned, which is almost all of them!!! We have about 60 members here but only 14 priesthood holders, including Elder Benisson and I. We are ALWAYS searching for men to teach, but Zulu men are very against religion, they are very manly men who believe that religion is feminine and weak. So it is a really big struggle to bring families to church. 

FUNFACT: I am the only white person in the branch. hahaha I am the victim of a lot of White jokes. It's so weird to be the minority here! But I think I am finally starting to get some color under the summer sun here! 

Also, I am a little bummed. We don't get conference for 3 weeks!!! Although we did get to hear who the new apostles were! We were all crossing our fingers for Elder Dube!!! WE NEED AN AFRICAN IN THE QUORUM OF THE 12!!! But I was so excited to hear about all of them! Especially Elder Renlund!!!

I am so amazed by the members here. They have the most faith I have ever seen. These people have given up their whole lives for the gospel, they have changed everything because of their testimonies of Christ and modern day prophets!! I feel so inadequate to teach them! They are very very amazing people! I love them so much! 

I have been blown away by the few priesthood holders that are here, 12/14 are 18 and under! The third counselor in the branch presidency is graduating in a month!!!! The Elders Quorum President is in his class as well. They have such amazing testimonies of their priesthood responsibility! Many of their fathers have left or aren't members and aren't very participating fathers; so these 16/17/18 year olds are the patriarchs of their home, and they DO NOT disappoint! They know how to rise to a call to action! They give everything they have to their families and to their callings in the branch. It is incredible to watch them serve! Not to mention, they're some of the coolest kids I have ever met! We take at least on of them out every day to our lessons, they're like our best friends! They have incredible testimonies and teaching abilities and to add on to that they are way good kids that like to have fun! I love our branch!!!

People are so ready to receive the gospel here! We have to book people for next week for teaching appointments because so many people are so eager to be taught!! People will ask us to come twice a week because they want to receive all the lessons so that they can be baptized sooner! We have some really amazing investigators! They are so eager to learn and grow to Christ! But unfortunately, we don't have any male investigators... YET! 

Anyway, missionary work is the most amazing experience in the world! I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to wear the name of Jesus Christ on my chest each day! I know that it is because of Him and His loving sacrifice that I am here today, doing the things I am doing! Two years is the least I can give to Him for all that He has given me! I love the gospel and the joy that it brings me! I know that my called was inspired and that I am needed here! I love the work and I love all of you!! Talk to you soon!!

--

Elder Weiler

PS. My inbox was FLOODED with loving and supportive emails when I opened it this week! Thank you all for the kind and motivating words! I love you all and I will do my best to respond to everybody!

It was Heritage Day last week and one of the workers at the MTC was all dressed up in her traditional clothes.

Sister Van Syl, our teacher, finally smuggled in some treats after some convincing hahaha (From L-R: Elder Eastmond, Elder Oliverson, and Elder Casperson)

Elder Rakotomalala and I were dethroned from our throne in Bobby, by our teachers!!! 

We hosted Sunday Scrabble in our room every week, it was pretty much the highlight of the week! haha

Elder Rokotomalala and I unintentionally matched on our last day in the MTC! #compgoals

I tried leaning back in a roller chair... Ask me how that worked out....Love, Elder Weiler