9 Months to Go?!?!

I can't even believe it!! We are in single digits of months to go and that blows my mind. It's kind of funny how big of a difference there is between 10 months and 9 months. When we hit 10 months to go I thought, "Yeah, we've still got a while." But when I realized this week we only have 9 months it feels like it's coming so fast! Obviously 9 months is still a long time, but with how fast the last few months have gone I'm sure it's going to fly. Well, here's the weekly update!

Cuties!

"This week I had the great opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Depriest in Leribe. It was a blast, the day started off pretty rough as we went to a lesson where only one out of the 6 spoke English. The lesson was long and choppy and a rough start to the day but things quickly picked up as we continued to the streets to contact some new people. I am really loving street contacting a lot more than door approaches. When you knock doors you spend a lot of time at empty houses waiting for no one, but on the street you just talk to everyone! The streets are nice because you can also be a bit selective on who you talk to. So we shared some messages on the road side then continued to a late appointment. We had an amazing lesson with this mme and her sister, about halfway through a friend of theirs joined us as well. We were able to commit them all to a baptism date by the end of the lesson. It was a strong lesson and I know they felt the spirit."

He talked about Elder DePriest in his email to me as well, it seems like they have tons of fun together!
"I went on exchanges with Elder DePriest this week and we talked about you and his girlfriend for like 5 hours straight again haha I am stoked for you to meet him, the love fly fishing and just camping out in the mountains, and hey we like adventures so it will be awesome. He says he cant wait for our double date adventures to begin but he gets home like 4 or so months after me.

So I went for exchanges on wednesday morning to leribe I spent the day teaching with Elder Depriest and then the next morning I was to drive back to Maseru with him. We woke up that morning already exhausted from talking about you the night before till super late and then decided to do some exploring. The missionaries in Leribe stay just moved into this house and I guess the previous owners have left a bunch a stuff there still because we are only renting. so of course we went through it all! we found so cool ties and a lot of cloths. There were some locked doors and the senior couples had taken the keys, but thanks to my snoopy detective work we were able to discover a second set a keys hidden in the jar thing. so we spent a solid three hours exploring the place, we found some cool stuff including a ten rand bill from before apartheid which is awesome. it was fun."

"About to head in to an appointment with Elder DePriest"

Dancing!

That is a large bottle..

"I love the spirit, don't you? The comforter, the Holy Ghost, the Testator. He is a great companion to have with you all the time. What a wonderful gift we have the opportunity to receive after baptism. We can have the presence of Deity with us at all times, in all things, and at all places if we are but willing to stand as a witness of Christ in such instances. The spirit is the key in missionary work. I don't really teach anyone, sort to say, but I try my best to create an atmosphere where the spirit can act as a conduit of the message of Christ from my heart to theirs. My soul to their soul. I have always said that when the lesson switches from mind to mind, too heart to heart. that is when you really have something. The Spirit testifies of the message of the Book of Mormon so clearly and powerfully as to the baptizing of over 15 million people.... wow.... power.... 

Elder Mashava an old comp of mine use to tell people not to make the mistake of reading the Book of Mormon, because then you will know its true... He was right ;)

Mission is great another great thing about mission and the spirit of the Lord is that I meet people who have trials, struggles, heart ache, and pain. All of which I cannot see, but the Lord does. Through the spirit several times I have been blessed enough to understand and see things in people that otherwise would have remained unknown to me. I have been blessed to speak words of comfort and truth that previously had not been known to me. I have seen the Lord work through me to teach, bless, heal, and love His children.

We had some investigators come to church this Sunday and that was super exciting, even Seneti who can't walk came! We got her wheelchair and rolled up to sacrament meeting. Sadly they had to leave early but I pray the spirit had touched their hearts while they were there.

We also had two  baptisms from my area this week!!!! woot woot! We are hoping to get 5 next month. I am excited for next Sunday when they receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to be their constant friend, support, and guide throughout the rest of their lives as they live according to the commands of God."

Elder Shinga teaching the EMT class

"I have been trying to get better at Sesotho the past few weeks and its gotten a bit better but eish. Ha ke tsebe haboe Sesotho.... (I dont know how to speak Sesotho.) but when I say that they just tell me that I am speakings so I reply, oa hlayna! ke soa soa, ha boe sesotho anyane. (you are crazy! just kidding I only speak sotho a little.) then I ask Le tsatse leho nelele jwang? How their day was and so far and so on.

We have had great opportunities to teach in all places and to all people this week and we are really seeing this zone become something spectacular. I am excited to see the growth through the next couple months here.

I cant believe its already week 5 in the transfer (missionaries move from area to area every six weeks.) and I feel like it just began, I have had no time for anything, writing letters, not even extra time to do my extra study at night because I am too tired. It's a good feeling to know that you went out into the world and did your best to share the love of Christ with all those you see. I am forever grateful for this opportunity I have to learn as a missionary. I hope I can soon learn what I am doing and how to be a good missionary because there is just so much to learn and do! But I am getting better, day by day. step by step. and that's what's important.

Some quotes from the past weeks:

"go to work!"
"when fleeing from sin, dont leave a forwarding address."
2 years to serve, eternity to look back"
"feel the joy of it!"
"bretheren, you need to ponder more!"
"There is a reason why we've been blessed with 2 ears and 1 mouth"
"Mission has everything to do with us, but has nothing to do about us."
"You have been so caught up in what you dont have, you have forgotten what you do have.

I just Love you all so much and I am happy right now. Things arn't always easy and arn't always up beat but I have found when the going get tough, go. and go and go until you get a smile on your face.

I pray for you, miss you, and can't believe I'll be home in less than 9 months. The time is far spent there is little remaining to publish these glad tidings.

Love,
Elder North"

So cool that he's learning Sesotho! The spelling just looking like gibberish to me so I can't imagine speaking it haha. My favorite little quote that he shared at the end there is "There is a reason why we have been blessed with two ears and one mouth." Today I've been pondering about what I can do to improve, and while I was rereading his email it felt like that quote reached out and slapped me in the face. The more we listen, the less we think about ourselves and the more we think about others. And as we become more selfless we become more Christlike, which is what we are all striving to be. It was a good reminder for me to listen more and talk less :)

Videos!

I'm going to combine two weeks in one again because I'm a slacker. I forget how busy fall season gets, especially when we're traveling as much as we do. Trying to keep up with school is stressful! But I love being in season and getting to play every weekend.

September 5th

"I am beginning to think that every week on mission is a fantastic week..... ya..... life is good....tough, but good.

So where oh were to begin? We are teaching quite a few people who have baptisms lined up. The best part is our recent converts, especially Bolelang, and Liako are bringing their friends to church. Liako brought Lerato who was baptized awhile ago and has now brought her other friend Fidlia who will be baptized next month, Liako is a power member, and Bolelang brought 3 of her friends to church the other day, it was incredible! I love it! It makes our job as missionaries so much better when we got members helping us out. We really contribute so little if we are the ones carrying the members but when the members carry us we can do wonders.

We had MLC this week which was just awesome, it feels like it was two weeks ago because of how busy we were. It was awesome to sit with our mission president and to have an amazing discussion about how the mission is doing and what we could do to improve. We came up with specific points that we should carry through the mission as our new culture. I love our mission president, talk about one inspired dude. He also gave us quite a bit of marriage council which of course is always fantastic and much needed. haha. One of my favorite ones was. "We were given two ears and one mouth for a reason" listen more! Apply that not just to marriage but everything :)"

"There is a whole lot of expectation getting placed on Lesotho and now the whole mission is watching us closely. We are trying to make this place the burning heart of the mission. It's a lot of pressure but the good kind. I have not been this busy, hard working, and tired in a long long time. We go on exchanges with the whole zone, their are four other areas, three of us are in Maseru including us. One in Masionkeng, one in Leribe (2hrs away by themselves and meet in containers.) Mission is hard but so amazing.

Someone asked us today why we don't get paid for being a missionary, she said, we teach all day every day, talk to so many people, we are doing the most important work on the planet but yet we pay to come, not get paid. She couldn't understand, I told her I do get paid, just not with temporal things like money. The early apostles of Christ were told to take noting with them and to have faith. We today get paid in blessings beyond measure. You would not believe how blessed I feel, you cant put a price tag on it. its to great... or if you know the Kellogg Frosted Flakes commercial... There GGGGGRRRRRREAT!

Also I'll include my a bit of my email to president because it adds some insight to the week:

This week was fantastic, we have had members bringing their friends in an unseen number for Lesotho. I am really grabbing hold to the new spirit in the air here in Lesotho. We cannot thank you enough for the motivation and movement you have brought to Lesotho, and for opening our eyes to the great potential for this area. Members really are increasing in trust and desire to help the missionaries, or so I feel. 

This has been the busiest two weeks of my mission since I was "green" and it is AWESOME!

Something about going till you just are so tired at the end of the day, makes you feel great. I have been really trying the past few days to increase my studies, to not just read and learn but to apply and love and enrich. It makes such a difference when you approach your studies with a strong desire to increase rather than to just do it. 

I am loving my companion Elder Shinga, he is a quite example and leader to all around him, and with a big big smile. So much to learn and always so little time to do it. He is already changing me for the better by his love for the Savior and the people. He really loves the people and they become his close friends who I am sure will not forget him. 

The Zone is continuing to learn how to increase our efforts and baptisms, but we will get there. I am excited for our ZTM tomorrow where we can really sit down and discuss about what we want, and need to happen in Lesotho and what needs to happen to get there.

We have found an amazing new investigator, she is a single parent stuck in the same desk job that she hates for the past ten years. She feels like her whole life is stuck and that God doesn't hear her prayers. We talked a lot about prayer and assured her of His love. We also talked about how she recently started looking for a new church and is now going to one different than the past. She just felt like she was missing something, even still in this new church she feels a void. She feels like God still doesn't hear her. As we were disusing about her trials and pleads for help from our Father above. I looked at her and said, He has answered you. "In the past 10 years have you ever seen missionaries like us?" No was her reply. "When did you start praying to know where to go or what to do with your life?" withing the past two months she said. "Is it coincidence that two strangers from a foreign countries came to you with a message of the restored gospel just after you started praying for it? " I suppose not was her reaction. she then began to think about the past few months and said, I think He has been answering my prayers. I am just not seeing them. She is beginning to recognize the spirit in her life and its amazing. She even came to church this week! YES! That is just a short part of our lesson with her, I am very excited to continue meeting with her and seeing her life turn around. I could just feel a love for her that I knew was not my own, I am so thankful to be serving in Lesotho right now.

Well yep life is good, we are teaching people and trying to bring them the greatest thing on earth. The knowledge that they are children of our Heavenly Father, we all are. 

Something I have been sharing a lot lately is this. is God perfect? Yes. Can he make mistakes? No. He made you right? Yes. that means you are not a mistake, you are perfect, God is not capable of making anything less than perfect. Wow isn't that just like mind blowing. we are of such divine worth!

God has a plan for us.... and guess what! I know what it is!!! It makes me smile so big and makes me so happy, I mean that is why I am here in the first place. Wow, You know what you should do? Call the missionaries, invite a friend who may not be going to church and then have the time of your life as your life begins to change. I have seen so many peoples lives completely change for the better as they come closer to Christ. His light will begin to shine throughout you and will really change you to something new, something brighter, excellent, and without compare. Only the gospel can bring such a light and change in our lives. it just does. I don't quite understand how knowing Christ makes me someone else, and changes me from the inside out, but it does. and it does for everyone. I promise. Don't take my word for it. That's the beautiful thing, we all can find out for ourselves. just give it a shot, whats the worst that could happen?"

Pictures of their chapel

Cool looking house

Eating lunch at Chisa Nyama

Just some of what he sent to me in our personal email last week:

"thats so much like mission, you can only help people who want to be helped. I see it a lot. You know what they need in life but they dont want it even if they know they should. It also just go to show, you got player of the week not by accident, you work your but off. you dont party you dont drink you take care of yourself and you are able to perform so much better, be focused every practice. the blessings are endless.

Dont worry we will have the good kind a parties where we play silly games and go crazy on doritos and ice cream and all that good stuff haha.

you are incredible joining another committee on top of your busy schedule. you just can do everything.... im jealous haha.

I blows my mind when I hear about all the things you accomplish and how you are still just beginning, it excites me to see what we have in store.

just do what I do and dont get sick... ;) (he would always try to convince me that he never got sick, even when he was sick.. weirdo.)

We are going to have quite the list of activities to do :) thats prob one of the best things that I am looking forward to, just spending time with you catching up and hearing about all the stories of the places you went.

my lauve!
I am happy. thats just it you make me happy. I like being happy, I hope I make you happy too, lets be happy together and forever. that thought makes me smile :) a lot a lot."

September 12th

"Fam!

It was as always the best week ever!

So I guess I haven't told you much about my comp Elder Shinga, He is from Zimbabwe and amazing. He is a quieter guy but an awesome teacher and so so so humble and sincere. He has this big ol smile that’s always shining! We are really working hard together to try and lead this zone to the top of the mission. Um I don’t really know what else to say about him. But ya he is great!

So this week was fantastic we even got to go on exchanges with the AP’s So Elder Adams was with us for the day. He is amazing, really and truly an inspired dude. We taught some powerful lessons that day. We drive up to a place called Roma once a week to teach some people up there so that’s always a fun little drive.

We had a great first lesson with this new Mme this week. Her daughter has this chicken pox thing that comes around every year, but this year is worse and when they went to the doctor they told them that the chicken pox had entered into her blood stream and flown up to her cerebellum, she is currently unable to move her leges, most of her fingers. Her arms have limited capability along with minimal movement in her neck and head. We were able to share the message of the restoration and you should have seen this 18 year old girl bed ridden glow with an amazing smile as we testified of the love God has for us and that his gospel has been restored to the earth. We left them with a blessing and a smile on all our faces.

We are trying our best to just contact everyone we see. We set a new and high goal to get 35 referrals a week and to get 12 new investigators a week. Eish it’s a big number but with the Lords help I think we can do it. I have come to a strong sense of how many people we as missionaries let pass us by All over the place. We are to be as a witness of Christ in all things all times and all places. This means even while shopping, eating or doing whatever. We are ready to testify and teach the love of our Father in Heaven. As we have really been working at talking to everyone and sharing with everyone we have notice a new spirit in the work, a sense of urgency is coming through and we are hitting the ground running every day and the bed exhausted every night."

"High schoolers getting ready for a cultural celebration. The member we were with made us take a picture"

"I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Dooley this week as well, he is a new missionary starting his 3rd transfer and from north Carolina. They got in a pretty bad car crash this week so they are now on bikes. So it was a good workout for me to bike throughout the mountain kingdom.

I love they hymn Improve the shining moments. It makes me think of the time I have left on my mission. Some people my say 9 months is long but it is so so so short! I love being a missionary and I love serving my God.  I pray everyday that we may be blessed wit opportunities to testify and serve with all our heart might mind and strength and may you do the same. The church is true the book is blue!"

Time is flying!! He put a bunch of videos on his dropbox and I loved them, so I'll put a few on here :) Always makes me happy to hear his voice. It's crazy that every day is the last time I'll have to do something without him. This is the last season without him, the last fall semester, the last time I'll have to wait until Christmas to talk to him. It freaks me out but makes me so excited all at the same time!

Older video but still makes me smile :)

Lions!

Lions? Yep! Needless to say I am very jealous of what he got to do last week.

"We are still getting things settled for transfers and it's been hectic but soo good.

I have spent the week with the Elders in Ha Thestsane, my old area to show them and rain them on the area.  It has been an amazing few days.  We had 5 investigators come to church which is more than I have ever had before.  We are working harder than ever as our mission president is pushing us to our best.

While in Bloemfontien I got to wrestle a lion.  No like legit wrestle a real lion that has claws and teeth.  I only got a few scratches and yes I did punch that lion right in the face for nipping my leg.  That is right, I am a man because I punched a lion in the face and I wasn't overly scared....but really we did get to wrestle a lion named Napo.  He is awesome and playful and if he nips you smack his nose.  Sometimes his claws come out so you can get cut pretty bad, it was incredible though...worth every dime."

Oh you know, just wrestling with a lion. No big deal or anything.

CUTE

"President wants Lesotho to become the highest baptizing area in the mission and wants a substantial amount each month.  He has been guiding us, giving encouragement, and letting us know we need to up our game and do more.  I have not worked this hard, or should I say effectively for a long time, if ever.  I am seeing the immediate blessing from it.  People are coming out of no where for us to teach and we have been blessed with some incredible experiences this week.  We are working hard to make Lesotho become what it can be and to baptize.

White washing (pulling in two new Elders to an area, instead of leaving one and transferring one) can be good in some instances, sometimes it just happens.  Then other times it is because of bad things.  No it wasn't a bad one this time.  Elder Leonard got transferred so he could be closer to the doctor.  President felt strongly that I should come to this new area.  We talked a lot about it as well.  Now since I am still here in Lesotho I have been working with the new missionaries in my old area to show them everything so it is almost like they are not white washing at all.

Our water is freezing cold so it can be really hard on some kids when they get baptized and some of them cry.  It is bad but good.

We went to visit a member who called us asking for a blessing this week.  As we got there we found him laying on the floor in the bedroom.  He told us how he was beaten near death as people robbed him the other week.  He was still in pretty bad shape.  We sang some hymns and prayed and gave a blessing but my favorite part was when we opened up the Book of Mormon to Mosiah chapter 24. This chapter hit him right where it counts and touched his heart.  I think that is what is doing the real healing.  He comes closer to Jesus, he will find his healing love surround him.  It was a great lesson and experience to me that the Book of Mormon really does solve and answer our prayers and problems.

Some things about my area.  There are really nice houses and next door can be a not so nice house. Some people live in shacks and because they are so poor it makes it difficult for them to get to church.  A lot of houses have outdoor toilets.  They pump water from the outside and bring it in buckets.  They don't really have a kitchen just a two burner stove that plugs in.  They also use parafine heaters to cook and warm their houses at the same time."

This picture could pretty much be from the Lion King. So cool!

"Me stealing Bolelang's hat"

Took a selfie with his mission mom!

Sister Kwaramba

"The past few days have also been some of the most busy.  So busy that I haven't even gone shopping since I came to this area.  I have been skipping breakfast because I do not have food. Ya that is how busy we are.  If you know how much I love food then you know this is a big deal!

Tomorrow we have our MLC (mission leader council) meeting so my companion and I will be leaving Lesotho around 4 or 5am to get there.  I am looking forward to hear from our mission president on how we can improve and hasten the work.

It was a fantastic first week of the transfer.  I have only worked in my area for one day.  Leribe has been down for conference and working with my companion as I go out with Maseru 3.  Great things are already starting to happen in the area and we had more investigators from Maseru 3 come to church than ever before.l  Elder King and Parson are doing a wonderful job.  I had the opportunity to sit with Elder Parson and conduct a little interview to see how he was feeling and what he expects from mission.  He is doing very well and is well on the track to becoming a fantastic missionary, as he already is.  I was impressed in a lesson when he shared a scripture with an investigator at just the right time.  The investigator then looked up at us, we were worried she didn't understand what she read because of the complicated English used in the passage, but as she looked up at us she said...This is me.  It was about Joseph Smith looking for the true church.  It was such a great lesson and I know he was prompted to open when he did and read what he did.  I am thankful for the wonderful missionaries we have in the zone. 

 I have felt a great spirit of teaching the past few days, more than I think I have ever had.  I find myself talking to more people in any situation.  Every passing person we try to stop and share the gospel with.  It reminds me of many times on my mission as we have been out tracting and someone was outside and we passed them by heading to the next door to knock.  The person would then stop us and say, "don't you have something to say to me".  We of course exclaim YES and begin to teach.  The lesson I have learned and am still learning is that we need to have the name of Christ constantly on our lips.  People expect us to speak, our job is not to disappoint them.  Open our mouths and proclaim the restored gospel.  We don't need to ask for permission to speak.  We have had hands laid upon our heads and been given authority to talk to everyone everywhere.  We don't need to ask, we just need to do."

"ah I love your emails. what a week, I cant believe you have scored 4 goals that is just insane!

you are just incredible you know that right?!?!?

I love you babe, you are the love of my life,

I was talking to Elder DePriest last night from 1030 to 4 in the morning, just talking about you and his girlfriend and how similar things and events lead to us dating and he is awesome and I am excited for you to meet him, we are going to go on a fun road trip through colorado with him and his girl/wife :) I cant wait. but it was just so good to talk about you again. as a missionary one we try to stay focus so lately I dont talk about you to people as much as I used to and two a lot of missionaries have been dear jhoned so I dont like to rub it in that I have the perfect girl for me still. so it was just so awesome as we talked I would remember so amazing adventures and memories we went on and I just went to sleep thinking to myself.. wow... I really really really love you. made me smile so much it was a good night

love,
Elder Mookie"

:)

TANKS!