Elder Mikel North
South Africa Durban Mission June 2015-2017
Thursday, July 16, 2015
KEEP CALM AND WAIT ON: 10 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Waited f...
KEEP CALM AND WAIT ON: 10 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Waited f...: Its been hard trying to keep up this blog since I feel like I have almost graduated from this stage of my life. Waiting was the best thin...
Monday, July 13, 2015
Kimberly
I love Mondays!!! Mikel and I got to send a few emails back and forth this morning and I loved it. It's like a confirmation that he's still alive haha :)
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!
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 :)
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Emails are like Gold
Best day of the week? P-day, no contest. Hearing from Mikel is my favorite thing! It's such a comfort to just know that he's doing well and to hear about his day-to-day life. Getting an email is like opening up your first present on Christmas morning!!
He's doing really well. His companion is Elder Benisson and he is from Johannesburg. He is also rooming with an Elder from Durban who has taught him about South Africa and also taught him how to greet people in Zulu. He was really excited about learning that, so I'm sure he's so happy. He leaves for Durban on Tuesday!
He's doing really well. His companion is Elder Benisson and he is from Johannesburg. He is also rooming with an Elder from Durban who has taught him about South Africa and also taught him how to greet people in Zulu. He was really excited about learning that, so I'm sure he's so happy. He leaves for Durban on Tuesday!
Mikel and His Companion
All of the missionaries from the MTC - temple trip
He told me that when he went to the temple this week that he got hit by a spiritual train that told him that he is there for a reason. It helped him so much and I'm so grateful for that.
It's so funny what kind of things can make me miss him or think of him. Just driving around with the windows down and the music on at night makes me think of how much fun we had last summer. Some songs that aren't even sad make me cry because I just think of him and how we'd sing those songs at the top of our lungs. The things that you can miss about a person are so interesting. I miss his smell, his weird voices, I miss watching movies on lazy days and I miss his voice. I miss holding his hand and listening to his stories. There are so many things that make me miss him, and there will never be enough words to describe how much I really do.
"Now im not going to say i miss you (just know i do) or I love you (you better know i do) and that i always will (its true) because thats not going to help us out in the long run and will just make me miss you more which i dont think is possible but if it is im pretty sure it would kill me haha. I am having a blast and i know i need to be here and i love it!
Love
Elder North"
*sigh* two weeks down, 102 more to go. :)
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
I Love To See The Temple
I haven't always been the most consistent person in my temple attendance, but thanks to Mikel I've gotten a lot better at it over the past year or so. He has always been my temple-going buddy and encourages me to go as often as I can. A few days before he left, we got to go to the temple together one last time, and because he is endowed he got to confirm and baptize me. It was the coolest experience for me, and I felt so much comfort through the Holy Ghost. Probably my favorite part of going with him that last time was how he acted in the temple. It's not that he was irreverent before he was endowed, but he was so much more focused and treated it so sacred. Going with him just really confirmed to me that what he is doing is the right thing and everything will work out the way it is supposed to. I'm so grateful for Mikel's example to me and how he has influenced my life.
Today, I didn't have early morning training and my first class didn't start until 1:00, so I went to the temple by myself because I was really needing comfort and peace. I've never actually gone by myself, I've always gone with other people, so it was a little bit different. I had a lot of time to read some scriptures, ponder and pray. I was talking to my mom last night because I just felt really sad and I was having a hard time with him being gone, and she told me that instead of feeling lonely and sad while missing him, I need to figure out what it is Heavenly Father wants me to work on. I need to figure out what my spiritual purpose is while he is gone, so that I can be a better support to him while he is gone and be who I need to be when he gets back. So I prayed and prayed last night and this morning to find my purpose right now, and while in the temple I opened up to Mikel's favorite scripture (2 Nephi 31:20). But as I continued reading through 2 Nephi 32, it told me exactly what I need to be doing.
1: And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?
3: Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
5: For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
Scripture study and listening to the Holy Ghost, but also just putting my complete trust in the Lord. I may not know what I'm supposed to be doing just yet, but the answer will come. I'm the kind of person who always likes to have control of an outcome, but I guess I'm not really the one in charge here. :)
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Week One
Well, I never thought I would become a blogger and yet, here I am. I needed some way to feel like I can talk about what's on my mind without feeling like I'm bugging everyone around me every day, so I figured bugging people on the internet isn't as bad. ;)
Where to begin. My best friend left for his two-year LDS mission on Tuesday. He will be serving in the South Africa Durban mission, and is currently in the Johannesburg MTC for a few weeks. Mikel and I have been dating for almost a year and a half and it seriously still doesn't feel real that he's gone. Every night I go to bed wishing he would be home and then when I wake up in the morning he still isn't. It's only been 5 days, but when the longest you've ever been apart has been a week and a half it's pretty strange not to have him around every day. He's the person that I would call every night (if we weren't already with each other) to talk about my day and what's on my mind. If I ever needed anything he was a text and 10 minutes away with my favorite candy and a warm, comforting hug. It's SO hard not to have him here, but I know he's doing the right thing and there are people in South Africa that need him to bring them the truth. Ever since he got his call in March I've been really putting my trust in my Heavenly Father because He is going to help me get through this. Both Mikel and I need this time to learn and grow separately and become the people that we need to be. I hope that when he gets back we will find that everything will click just like it did before, even after two years of changing.
I guess I should begin at last Sunday, June 21st. Mikel had his farewell talk in church that day and he did an amazing job. His sister and my sister sang "I'll go where you want me to go" and they did awesome as well. I cried through the entire meeting pretty much haha. Everyone went to his house after the meeting, for food and to say goodbye one last time. I hung out there for a while, understanding that I wasn't going to get much attention from him because there were others he needed to see. It was hard to keep my emotions in check though. I'm not the kind of person that wears my heart on my sleeve but that day I kind of did. I went to my own family dinner for a few hours, because it was father's day, and it ended up being good because I could decompress and I didn't feel as emotional when I came back. By the time I got to his house again, there weren't many people there anymore, just close relatives. He and I went upstairs to his room to spend some time together just to talk. We listened to our song and a missionary song (Two Years by Carli Barlow - look it up, it's amazing) and just cried together. It was good for him to show some emotion too, I think. He cried through his whole talk but was kind of in a daze through the rest of the day. I loved just being able to spend some alone time with him for one of the last times. I needed to just be held and reassured and reminded that we're going to do this together.
The next day was Monday, and it was the last day we could spend together. I went on a run in the morning to try and get my mind off things but ended up sitting on the curb crying halfway through it. I just couldn't believe that he was really leaving and it was overwhelming how much I was going to miss him. I got a few other things done that morning while he was at the temple and then I went over to his house to see him one last time. For most of the day, he was packing, but I didn't mind. I was just happy to be spending time with him. I gave him a letter and the CTR ring that I bought him to wear and just helped him get his things ready. I cried a few times and he just held me, comforted me and told me he loved me. His parents were awesome and let me come to his last meal with them. I know it's hard on them too for him to leave, so I was really grateful that they included me. We went back to his house and we had about 45 minutes until he was going to be set apart. We just kind of stood there hugging, looking at each other for a while, realizing that this is the last time we'll get to do this for 730 days. About 5 minutes before we were about to leave to go to the church it hit him - "I'm going to be a missionary in less than an hour." He started sobbing and I just held him. He kissed me softly one last time and we went to head out the door, but he stopped because he was crying again. He ran into his mom's room and fell onto her and sobbed. That got me crying again and his dad put his arm around me and I hugged his little sister while she cried. We all hopped into the car and I sat next to him one more time. I held his hand one more time, put my head on his shoulder one last time. As we pulled up to the church I kissed him on the cheek and told him I loved him. His setting apart was such a cool thing to be a part of, and again I'm grateful for his family for including me in that. The blessings that he was promised with were comforting to me as well. It was hard because after he was set apart I wanted to hug him so bad, but all we could do was shake hands haha. But it was amazing to see the change in him even then - the way he carried himself and the feeling you got when you were around him. We went back to his house and listened to his uncle's stories for a while to get everyone's minds off of it. He finally got out of that zoned look and got into the stories. I would smile at him across the room from time to time and he would smile back and mouth I love you. Finally, it was time for me to leave so he could finish packing and enjoy the last night with his family. We all lingered at the door for a while, I didn't want to go. As I was opening the door he said, "Oh, I'm not going to see you tomorrow." and I shook my head. I blew him a kiss as he walked toward me and took my hand since that's all he could do. He whispered I love you in my ear and I said it back and left. I cried the whole way home.
He left for the Johannesburg MTC the next morning, Tuesday June 23rd. It was a long flight so he didn't get there until Wednesday morning for us, afternoon for him (8-hour time difference). He emailed his mom to let her know he got there safely and she forwarded it to me. He sent me a personal email the next day, his P-day, and I felt so much better after that. We can do this, and we're going to do this. I'm so excited for him and the adventures he is about to have. I will be posting when I hear from him or whenever the mood strikes me. I hope that I will be able to be the kind of support that he needs while he is serving the Lord. I am so proud of him! 6 days down.
Our First Date, January 25, 2014
Where to begin. My best friend left for his two-year LDS mission on Tuesday. He will be serving in the South Africa Durban mission, and is currently in the Johannesburg MTC for a few weeks. Mikel and I have been dating for almost a year and a half and it seriously still doesn't feel real that he's gone. Every night I go to bed wishing he would be home and then when I wake up in the morning he still isn't. It's only been 5 days, but when the longest you've ever been apart has been a week and a half it's pretty strange not to have him around every day. He's the person that I would call every night (if we weren't already with each other) to talk about my day and what's on my mind. If I ever needed anything he was a text and 10 minutes away with my favorite candy and a warm, comforting hug. It's SO hard not to have him here, but I know he's doing the right thing and there are people in South Africa that need him to bring them the truth. Ever since he got his call in March I've been really putting my trust in my Heavenly Father because He is going to help me get through this. Both Mikel and I need this time to learn and grow separately and become the people that we need to be. I hope that when he gets back we will find that everything will click just like it did before, even after two years of changing.
I guess I should begin at last Sunday, June 21st. Mikel had his farewell talk in church that day and he did an amazing job. His sister and my sister sang "I'll go where you want me to go" and they did awesome as well. I cried through the entire meeting pretty much haha. Everyone went to his house after the meeting, for food and to say goodbye one last time. I hung out there for a while, understanding that I wasn't going to get much attention from him because there were others he needed to see. It was hard to keep my emotions in check though. I'm not the kind of person that wears my heart on my sleeve but that day I kind of did. I went to my own family dinner for a few hours, because it was father's day, and it ended up being good because I could decompress and I didn't feel as emotional when I came back. By the time I got to his house again, there weren't many people there anymore, just close relatives. He and I went upstairs to his room to spend some time together just to talk. We listened to our song and a missionary song (Two Years by Carli Barlow - look it up, it's amazing) and just cried together. It was good for him to show some emotion too, I think. He cried through his whole talk but was kind of in a daze through the rest of the day. I loved just being able to spend some alone time with him for one of the last times. I needed to just be held and reassured and reminded that we're going to do this together.
The next day was Monday, and it was the last day we could spend together. I went on a run in the morning to try and get my mind off things but ended up sitting on the curb crying halfway through it. I just couldn't believe that he was really leaving and it was overwhelming how much I was going to miss him. I got a few other things done that morning while he was at the temple and then I went over to his house to see him one last time. For most of the day, he was packing, but I didn't mind. I was just happy to be spending time with him. I gave him a letter and the CTR ring that I bought him to wear and just helped him get his things ready. I cried a few times and he just held me, comforted me and told me he loved me. His parents were awesome and let me come to his last meal with them. I know it's hard on them too for him to leave, so I was really grateful that they included me. We went back to his house and we had about 45 minutes until he was going to be set apart. We just kind of stood there hugging, looking at each other for a while, realizing that this is the last time we'll get to do this for 730 days. About 5 minutes before we were about to leave to go to the church it hit him - "I'm going to be a missionary in less than an hour." He started sobbing and I just held him. He kissed me softly one last time and we went to head out the door, but he stopped because he was crying again. He ran into his mom's room and fell onto her and sobbed. That got me crying again and his dad put his arm around me and I hugged his little sister while she cried. We all hopped into the car and I sat next to him one more time. I held his hand one more time, put my head on his shoulder one last time. As we pulled up to the church I kissed him on the cheek and told him I loved him. His setting apart was such a cool thing to be a part of, and again I'm grateful for his family for including me in that. The blessings that he was promised with were comforting to me as well. It was hard because after he was set apart I wanted to hug him so bad, but all we could do was shake hands haha. But it was amazing to see the change in him even then - the way he carried himself and the feeling you got when you were around him. We went back to his house and listened to his uncle's stories for a while to get everyone's minds off of it. He finally got out of that zoned look and got into the stories. I would smile at him across the room from time to time and he would smile back and mouth I love you. Finally, it was time for me to leave so he could finish packing and enjoy the last night with his family. We all lingered at the door for a while, I didn't want to go. As I was opening the door he said, "Oh, I'm not going to see you tomorrow." and I shook my head. I blew him a kiss as he walked toward me and took my hand since that's all he could do. He whispered I love you in my ear and I said it back and left. I cried the whole way home.
He left for the Johannesburg MTC the next morning, Tuesday June 23rd. It was a long flight so he didn't get there until Wednesday morning for us, afternoon for him (8-hour time difference). He emailed his mom to let her know he got there safely and she forwarded it to me. He sent me a personal email the next day, his P-day, and I felt so much better after that. We can do this, and we're going to do this. I'm so excited for him and the adventures he is about to have. I will be posting when I hear from him or whenever the mood strikes me. I hope that I will be able to be the kind of support that he needs while he is serving the Lord. I am so proud of him! 6 days down.
First picture from Africa!
His room at the MTC
A picture sent from the mission presidents wife
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