New Companion: Elder Lenard

"This was a great week. well because of transfers I didn't get my companion until Thursday, so I spent all week with Elder Masinga. He is an awesome Elder and we had a great time together and taught some great lessons.

So My companion is Elder Leonard, he is from cape town SA, he is 27 years old and 15 months on mission. He loves the gospel, the people, and studying. He just loves! My new companion is great. He talks.... a lot. but its good, I have been praying to be a better listener. To talk less and hear more. I am working to listen well. he is a great guy.  We have had a great time together so far and have already started to see blessing pour out as we both increase ourselves to being completely obedient. We have tracting a lot in our short time together and have found some good success."

Mikel and I have been studying the Book of Mormon together for the last few months and I love reading those emails every week. We read three chapters per week and just write what stood out to us or the promptings we were given and things like that. Last week we read 2 Nephi 28, 29 and 30 and I just wanted to include his email to me about those chapters this week. 

"Verse one stuck out to me sharply. it says " As the spirit hath constrained me; wherefore, I know that they must surely come to pass." I loved this because it really applies to missionary work. when we are lead by the spirit we can ask inspired questions. I have had often times on my mission asked an investigator a question because the spirit directed me, and before they can answer I already know what their answer will be. because the spirit constrained me to speak I knew what was to come to pass. I also see this as we testify of something. not as Elder North but as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know surley that those promises we make by the spirit will indeed happen. I have promised people that they will never go without food and shelter as long as they abide by the principles I have taught. I know that those promises will be fulfilled. I have also known for sure by the spirit when someone isnt telling me something important, this has happend while I have conducted interviews for baptism and have found everytime I get a feeling to continue to teach about something there is a reason that they eventually tell me.

from verse 4 till about 9 it talks about false churches, doctrines and prophets. and then tells us why all these things come. and its as you said. Pride. PRIDE is the greates sin, everything revolves around pride. if you remember teachings from president benson about pride. he describes it perfectly.

and from verse twelve to around 18 it talks about pride. something interesting I noticed was in verse 15. now if the scriptures repeat something then you know it is very important. for example when the scriptures say verily verily its more like hey listen up because Imma bout to drop some important stuff down here!!!

I have never seen or I guess noticed anywhere where it says something more than twice but in verse 15 it says "wo wo wo be unto them" talking about pride and has a tripple wo. so I was like woooo this is important. kinda cool.

I like in the last verse it mentions how the Lords hand is extend out all day long as long as we repent and come unto him and remember Him. this thought and saying is said constantly in the book of mormon on how his arm is extended still to us, even when we are wicked. its always there for us to grab onto and lift ourselves out of the depths of sin we have let ourselves fall. before that in mentions how we cant trust in the arm of flesh, we need to grab the arm of the Lord if we want to lift ourselves out of sin.

awesome chapter!!!

I love you babe!!!!"

"We found a women by the name of Ntau which means lion, but she is a girl so it means lioness which I thought was like the coolest name ever ( future middle name of child...maybe!) we also found a newly married couple so we are hopeful to teach them this week. So I have been teaching at the EMT college once a week for quite a while now. one of the teachers family runs a church and the pastor recently died and they were leaderless. so they asked us if we could come and teach at their church.... we said YES! so its not in my area and the other missionaries get to take this one over. they now have a new pastor but want us to come teach every week. there are a lot of kids of all different ages and even some adults that come. the teacher asked if I could come this past week and help teach. Sister Chandler gave me the lead on the lesson about friends. choosing good ones. and being good ones. the class went very well! I met with the chandlers a couple days later and she told me that the Reverend of the church wanted to learn more but said he would only speak to Elder North. So even though it is not in my area I get to go teach this pastor and another one that is interested. I see them on Sunday and I am stoked. Sister Chandler said I must have maid some kind of connection while baring my testimony.

It is one of the best things about being a missionary, being able to bare our testimony of the Saviour, our Lord, Jesus Christ every single day. and  do it with power and authority.

Funny note. I got the Sister and Elder Chandler (the senior couple) to start saying niceness haha

I am short for time today, we are going to go and hike a waterfall so I guess nature is calling! gotta run!

Love you all! God Bless!!!!

Elder M.North"

 Some fun pictures that a lady in the ward he is serving in sent to me on Facebook. :)