Monday, August 30, 2010

1 Week Transfer

So everyone another week has come and gone.
And what a week it has been. so to start out last monday night me and elder albertson went and we were teaching one of our investigators Dladla. As we were teaching our phone goes off and elder albertson leaves the room to answer it. When he came back we finished the lesson and then as we left he told me it was the district leaders who called and they said they were coming in a few hours to pick me up because we were going on a week long transfer. So we rushed back to our flat and I packed up enough stuff for the week and then it was time to go.
So this week I have been in an area called Potchefstroom. My companion for the week has been Elder Randrianandry (Rand for short) I have learned so much from him and we have had so many great spiritual experiences while teaching. It is so different from being with Elder Albertson. But its good though.
Then on Friday the Zone leaders came and we went on exchanges then too. So I went back to Carletonville for those exchanges but one saturday once I was done then I came back here to Potchefstroom.
The people at church were so confused yesterday when me and elder rand tried explaining what was going on. I dont blame them for being confused because it is a really confusing situation.
So basically that is all that has really happened this week. Nothing new and exciting to report sorry.I know that this is a dull letter. Im sorry. I will try my best to have more to write about next week.
But anyways I love all of you and I miss you all. I thank all of you for the letters you have sent and all the support. Remember god loves all of you and he is always there to help you in anyway he can...you just have to ask.

Love you and miss you
-Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

Monday, August 23, 2010

Baptism complications, new foods, and blessings

Hey everyone,

So another great week has come and gone. It has been good though. So our baptisms that we planned on last week never happened due to some complications but hopefully this week it will work out for them. So this week I printed off pictures for Fikile and and she loved them (of her baptism). And she was confirmed yesterday and it was great. She was so happy and we are happy for her. Also yesterday before she was confirmed they did a blessing for a girl who is like two or three at least and it was the blessing they do to give a new infant their names and that. It was really strange to see haha.
So this week we have been busy. We have had to give up part of our lunch breaks in order to accomidate everyone. But it is all good. Also this week I got to help in my first blessing while I have been here. We were teaching someone and their mother in law is a member and as we were leaving she asked us to bless her. It was a great experience and I love seeing the faith that the people have here.
So I didnt try the chicken feet or cow stomach and intestines this week but I did try a few new things. First is called a Fatcake. Its like a scone with ground beef in the middle. It was so good. AND BIG! I almost couldnt finish the whold thing. And then the next thing is corta. Its bread with the middle cut out then they put meat and cheese and fries and some kind of sauce on it then put the part of the bread they cut out back on top. And I got to finally try TWIST (rub it in to brother hemingway for me) haha.
So some things about africa itself. Right now it is the windy part of the year and khutsong is dusty. So yesterday as we were driving we could hardly see because of all the dust and smoke in the air. They burn their feilds here and so there have been many many fires and so lots of smoke. Its great! Two things I will definately miss here is the sunsets and the stars. I can see so many stars here it is amazing. and then the sun set are so amazing. the sun is normal and then as it starts to set it goes to an orange color and then red. It is so pretty I will try to get pictures to send home and show you. The school teachers here are all on strike because they want more money. So the kids just showed up to school one day to find out that their teachers werent showing up and that they didnt have school for the week. It has been something going on off and on for the past little while apparently.
So that is basically everything that I have for you this week. I miss all of you and want to hear from everyone. Thank you for all you do for me and thanks for your support. I cant believe that it has been almost two months but it has also been so long. Time is so strange on your mission.
Remember to do all you can do and then have the lord there for back up. He is always there weither you reconize it or not. I know that I am suppose to be here at this time and I have seen my life in a different view and its all good. I see so many blessings.

Talk to you next week.

-Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

First set of Pictures







































Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Best Two Years!

Well everyone another week has passed. How is everybody doing? Sorry I didnt write like usual yesterday but we were away from our area because we had a special training. We are getting taught eight new teaching techniques that they are adding to Preach my Gospel. It is intense but way good. So we have like three more trainings on it but we will be going on wednesdays for now on so you should be getting your letter on mondays like normal.
So my mom will be so proud of me because I got my first oppertunity to sew the other day. The hem out of one of my slacks came out on one of the cuffs so I sewed it back up... It looks aweful if you look close enough but it does the trick haha.
On tuesday we went to sister Macheo's. We taught her the family mission plan and watched a dvd with her. Like usual when we go over to her house she fed us. She made us salad and meat and a bread that was really really good. After that we got a call from the Nkombisa family and they said we needed to go talk to them. They didnt say what about but we went over anyways. Aparently they just missed us and so they wanted to visit haha.Then they fed us as well!!! I was so full I didnt eat breakfast the next day haha.
We have had an investigator quit taking our lessons. He wouldnt read the book of mormon or anything and so it doesnt surprise me too much because he is big into his church.
There is a girl we teach named Nothando. She is teaching me Setswana. She is going to teach me one sentence each time we meet haha. Im excited.
This week I also had a little accedent. My big toenail on my left foot was long and part of it was sticking out on the side so I was just going to rip that part off but I was dumb and ended up pulling almost half my nail off. haha. Its sore but Im good besides that.
So this past week Fikile was baptised. YAY first baptism haha. It was so amazing to see her be baptised and the spirit was strong. I havent taught her maybe only once but it was still an amazing experience. This week we are hopefully haing lefa and sylvia that will be baptised too. That would be way great. So keep your fingers crossed still.
So I would just like to end by saying I know this church is true. I know what I am doing is the lords work and he has called me here to south africa. I know what people mean now when they say the best two years of their lives. I have only been here two months (almost) but it has been amazing. I cant think of anywhere else I would rather be right now at this time in my life. I know what I am doing is blessing me and those I teach and my family.
I love you all. I hope I hear from you all sometime or another. It has been an amazing week and another one has just started. I dont know what the lord has instore for me but I know it will be great no matter what.

-Again Love you all
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

Monday, August 9, 2010

23 more months

Dumela (hello) everyone,
How is everyone doing? I hope all is well and all that. So I have one hour to email everyone so I will try to answer all the questions and everything that you have had. Ok so first I have some questions and coments. First who is the missionary in the blog that Amberly found? What is his name again because my companion thinks that he might know him. Then that is so cool that Aunt Michelle knows Drew. Im pretty sure that is who she was talking about when she said that he works at Dan Peterson as the PE teacher. Money is fine for now anyways. No problems with money right now I might later on but nothing right now. How much do I have in my account anyways that might be good to know. I might not send the package that I said I would because it isnt taking up that much space and it will save me money if I just keep everything with me. Sorry to the Chapmans because there are no soccerballs around my area that I can find. I will keep my eyes open but right now there is nothing. So for pictures It will be easiest if we spap back and forth memory cards. I will send one this week with pictures on it and if you can take the pictures off of it and send it back then I will send the other one with pictures. I will also include a paper saying who is in the pictures and all that so you know what the pictures are of. And please keep the mission president pictures he sent because we didnt get copies ourselves so I would like to see them. So question for brother hemingway. What is the name of the purple drink that he wanted me to find again? And amberly will be so pleased to hear that I have a pet spider. he sleeps in the corner of my closet and he never moves. He goes up and down the corner but never away from the corner. I call him Bobby. I will try to send a picture of him just for you amberly :). and mom will be pleased to hear that we have been listening to lots of christmas music in our flat (home) on our spare time. haha so yes I can listen to the cds and such that I brought but we have just been listening to elder albertson's music but I will listen to mine some time haha.
Ok so for the week. Not much has changed this week the same old same old really. We are teaching lots of recent converts and then a few investigators. We could possibably have a baptism this week so keep your fingers crossed for us. We are waiting on the father of one girl who wants to be baptised. He has said he would sue the church if anything was to happen to his daughter and so we cant baptise her when he isnt totally agreeable with it. The other day when we had to push back her date again she was so frustrated. I feel so bad for her. She wants to be baptised so bad but we cant do anything about it right now. Then we have been meeting with lots of families introducing them to a thing called the family mission plan. It introuces the idea of every member a missionary. we ask the familys to think of people who they can help and then they do activitys to help them come closer to the church and eventually they introduce us to them so we can help them as well.
I have had three meals here in the past week. One was chicken with rice and some kind of gravey. Then the other was steak chunks with gravey and a thing called pop. Pop is a oatmeal type thing that has no taste and is a spongy texture. It was fine plain but much better if you had some gravey or something with it haha. Then just yesterday we ate with a family. They made us chicken with broccoli and pumpkin and rice and gravey. So I havent had anything too wierd yet but I am sure I will. My companion says it is almost definate that someone will feed me cow intestines and stomach and a few times I have seen people cooking chicken feet. Watch out stomach it is coming haha.
We are progressing great. We have nine people on date right now to be baptised this month. Some of them might be pushed back because of various problems and concerns but we will see. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they follow through and all.
I get more and more tired everyday but thats good it just shows that I am working hard right. So we get up at six thirty then we excersize and eat breakfast and prepare for the day and all that. Then at eight we have personal study and at nine companion study. Then we go and teach a few lessons. Then we have lunch for an hour and then we head back out and do lessons until around eight/ eight thirty. We have tracted a few times when people have cancelled but for the most part we have been pretty busy.
So That is all for now. But keep in touch I will try to keep in touch with all of you. I miss you all and I want to hear from everyone. Have any questions you have to write haha.
Just in case you forgot my address is

Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
Private Bag X4
Ansfrere 1711
South Africa

Talk to you next week! -Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

Monday, August 2, 2010

First Letter From Africa!

Hey everyone,
I miss you all. as you can tell from the subject line I am finally in africa. We landed in africa about eight in the morning. I got jet lag big time. I still cant believe that I am here yet haha. so how is everyone and what have you been up to.
So after we landed we went to go through customs. The lady was about to send me back to london because they gave us a paper to fill out and it needed the address where we would be staying. Well I didnt know the address yet and couldnt give it to her. So she kept saying that she was going to send me back but the thing is everyone else got through with no problems. But eventually one of the other elders came over and he just gave me the package address and she accepted that. But then she started acussing me of lying and all that to her. Oh well the main thing is we got through. Then the mission president picked us up and he took us to the south africa MTC. There we had some orientation meetings and we got to know him and his wife. We took lots of pictures with them and they said they would be mailing them to all the familys so look for those. Then that night we stayed at the MTC and then we had orientations and stuff the next day as well. That was also when I got my new companion. His name is Elder Albertson. He is really helpful he gives me tips on how to improve my study and how to teach better. We dont talk that much because we are usually both deep in thought but when we do talk its fun. So yeah I have taught alot this past week. at five o'clock the night I arrived we had teaching appointments. Most of the people that we are teaching are younger people. Like from 18 to 8 or a little younger or so. We have had lots of great experiences. And you know how I was so excited that I wouldnt have to learn a language? Well there are 11 main languages here in south africa and I am mainly surrounded by four languages; Africaans, Zulu, Setswana, and a little english. So yes I am learning a little of the language at little bits at a time. So I will start writing some next time when I feel more comfortable with it. So you know I will be sending a package home in the next few weeks with stuff I can use out here on my mission and the letters people have sent me and such. I will also be sending home a cd hopefully with pictures on it. Sorry the pictures are only of my MTC time and the airports I havent had time for pictures in Africa. Please keep an eye open for that. And no I havent got any mail yet. The thing is we live about an hour from the mission office. So we can only get our mail when ever we are around the mission office which has been never so far. But we have a special training next week so that is probably when I will get everything. The people are so nice here. There was one lady who we went to her house just to ask her some questions about something real quick and she was washing vegitables and she said she would be with us when she was done. We waited for about a half an hour and when she came in she had cooked us chicken and rice with gravy and potato salad and green salad. These people are very loving and caring they have already done so much for me. I will admit I feel so unqualified here at times (most of the time) but there are other times where I feel the spirit so strong that I know that I am doing the right thing. I am trying to keep those experiences in mind but it not easy. Please pray for me back home because I really need help right now. I have never felt like I belong some where and so alone at the same time. I love all of you and I miss you so much. Thanks for everything you have done for me. I better get off the internet now so I can try getting your cd of pictures done.
-Your Son, Brother, Friend,
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
 
Copyright © 2009 Elder Aaron Lindsay in Africa All rights reserved. Powered by Blogger
Blogger Template by Anshul