New Mission President!

So just last week I went to two wedding receptions which is only the beginning of the weddings that are coming up. It feels like everyone I graduated with is either getting married, already married or on a mission! It's crazy. Most of the weddings I will miss because of soccer, but it's still crazy how many invites I've gotten lately. I was telling him about all of the weddings I've gone to and how different all of them are. Some with no dancing, some with lots, different venues and foods and all that good stuff. All I know is that at my wedding we're going to have dancing! Because it's boring without it haha.

"Our wedding will be so much better, I will refuse to do it in a chapel because you feel like you need to be reverent, no I am going to roast an entire pig and we are going to dance and it will be fun buy golly!

Just think that all these weddings are helping you to plan the best one yet! and their cant be that many more before I get back right? the summer bulk is probably almost over and then you got the winter weddings right? probably not haha.... people are just marry hungry."

"We had a braai at Brother Thebes house. Ate with our hands right out of the bowl, African style!"

"Interesting week. the week started off just as any other, teaching preaching and knocking on doors. Come Thursday we went to the mountains to continue to help Sis Lineo (Di-nay-O).  We spent most the day up there just digging holes, not in the snow this time. 

We went to go teach Bolelang a little bit latter and boy was that an interesting lesson. We got there and started to follow up on the lesson when me and my companion just started laughing.... we couldn't stop. It was an inside joke from earlier and it just erupted in an unprecedented fashion. We would stop for a few honorable second but inevitably erupt into laughs and tears. All the while Bolelang sat, waiting, confused and probably concerned, not just for us but probably for her safety as I am sure.  We seemed to have completely lost our minds. Eventually we were able to start the lesson though. We are currently undergoing addiction recovery with her and that is a first for me so we are really praying for the guidance on how to help her kick her habit. We asked about her Book of Mormon reading and she told us she finished first Nephi but restarted it so she could go through it with the student study manual we gave her so she could understand everything. She is power and always has great questions. She hasn't missed a day of church since I met her over two months ago!!!!

We are beginning the last week of our transfer which just blows me away. I don't know how the time is going so fast. Days are longs and weeks are short, that is so true! Elder Leonard has been a hoot, but think I may be getting transferred this time. I don't know how I feel about it but I think I am ready for a new area and a good kick start for the year. 

Elder Leonard will be going in for surgery to get a new cornea in his eye this week. when he comes back he will be on bed rest for about one to two weeks. so that's going to be tough on us both. I will be rotating with the other missionaries every day so that I can still do missionary work and not sit on my rump for a week and a half. but it will still be weird not really working in my area."

Soda Floats!

"So the big news was President Thompson this week. He is here!!! I was quite anxious to meet him but also thought it would be super awkward when we did.  However, it actually felt quite normal. I really like him. He loves the outdoors. He likes to laugh and smile and I just think I will get a long really well with him. I feel like we have a lot of the same interests. He also brought his 18 year old daughter who will be here for maybe a month or a few. So the mission was quite the  buzz and about seeing her haha I guess that's what happens when you don't have sister missionaries in your mission. I also found out that sister Thompson, our new and amazing mission mom, has been reading my letters... eish..... and so she may read this as well..... I hope she like it..... maybe not the part about mentioning how excited the mission was to meet her daughter haha. They are from Boston but have lived in Alpine Utah for the past little while. I am very excited to see the new things that President implements into the mission. I think we are going to focus a lot more on the Book of Mormon which is great!"

"Getting swole digging in the mountains"

"I ate myself sick while we were in Bloem. it was worth it... but not really the next day if you know what I mean haha. We went to a buffet for dinner which was pretty good but I think that's what killed all of our stomachs the next day. We had McDonalds for lunch and then the next day a buffet at the hotel, then unlimited pizza for lunch and yes McD's for dinner again.... Needless to say I am out of money and probably chubby now but hey when you live Lesotho and you don't have any of these things you get excited.... :)

So I have related mission to a big hill before, and I think it is quite true. You spend your first year going up, it is hard, you slip but you keep going up and working hard. You get to the top and look and see the beauty of it all. You have done so much worked so hard. but now you got the second half, down hill. Now I see two approaches. One, you go down and hit the brakes. You slow down, and coast. You see this a lot as missionaries are getting ready to go home. Or you run. you go down the hill faster than you came up. You do as much as you can and you don't stop, don't slow down, and you "finish strong"as we say. I  hope I continue to run rather than slow down as I go through my second year of mission. I am so excited that I get to spend another entire year serving my Lord and God."

"I know that the work I am doing is good, I know it is true! I know that our savior Jesus Christ died, rose, and continues to lead us today through a living prophet named Thomas Monson. I know that the work of God is lead by His power and watchful eye. I know that my Father in Heaven loves me. I know that the book of Mormon is the most true book you can find here on earth today! I love it, I know it!"

"apparently I am getting more mature according to my last mission president. I still think I do a lot of childish things though but then again I will always retain a bit of the goofy childishness because I lauve it :)

We sure are getting along great, He is awesome! we laugh a lot!!!! I love you babe, we are almost there. Dont forget when it seems so hard you have to temple. and you can remember why.

Always

Elder Mookie"