He left the MTC last Tuesday and went to the mission home in Durban. He met the mission president and his wife and said that they are awesome! He then went on a 10-hour bus ride to Bloemfontein where he stayed the night there. Then he got to play some soccer with the other elders and then took another 2-hour bus ride to Kimberly. They call Kimberly "outer darkness" because it's so far away from Durban haha. It's the farthest area of the mission.
His companion is Elder Jena who is from a city just above Johannesburg. The next day they went right to work tracting and teaching lessons. He said that he doesn't do much talking, just bears his testimony on the lesson. He talked about some cool experiences that he has had already. He got to give one of the women they are teaching, Martha, a priesthood blessing after one of their lessons. He said that he could really feel the spirit directing him in what to say and what she needed. He already feels so much love for the people he is serving and I know that's going to help him so much. He and his companion mostly teach in the nicer houses of the area, but he says that they aren't much bigger than his living room at home. That's so crazy! He said that he feels so humbled and blessed to have what he does. He didn't have water for three days this weekend.. welcome to Africa Elder North! :)
"Its cool but different and i miss you all! I know this is where I need to be and I would really like to here from all of you and have your support! I know this church is true. I can feel it! its so hard and sometimes I honestly just want to come home, but I cant, because I know something that the people of south Africa need to know. That is that God loves each and every single one of his children, he sent his son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for us that we may see him again. I know families are forever. that the relations built here on earth dont end her. I know that there is a plan for all of us, a perfect plan to know where we are from, why we are here, and where we are going. I know that through faith repentance baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost and most importantly enduring to the end, we can come to know our father in heaven and the love he has for us. I love you all and really whish I could still be with you but I more greatly desire to grow and become the person that the Lord needs me to be. to grow from the boy I am to a man, to a father, and someone willing to put his shoulder to the wheel.
please write me! Love
Elder North"
His testimony brought tears to my eyes. While I miss him so much I know he is doing exactly what he needs to be doing right now. The people there need him so much more than I could ever need him here right now. I'm so thankful for his example and his constant support and love. I was talking to a friend about him the other day and he said something that I loved and that helped comfort me a lot. "Think about when you first fell in love with him. How you felt, how excited you were, how you found something new every day to love. You get to do that all over again when he comes home. You get to fall in love with your best friend twice!" I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty amazing to me. Three weeks down!
Elders cutting each other's hair
Mikel with the Mission president and his wife
his desk in Kimberly-notice the pictures :)
food called pap... not sure what it is but yum??
tire art in Kimberly
Elder Jena and Elder North went to a soccer match. He's the only white person in all of his city! Crazy.
cool door
spikes on every fence around the homes
driving is a little different in Africa :)
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