Monday, January 31, 2011

I will make weak things become strong.

Hello everyone.

So yet again another week has come and gone and it only seems like it started. Its true what they say by time passing you by. Well this week has really been no different from the other weeks. We have some elders with us that were working in botswana but they got kicked out because of visa problems and that sort of thing. So we find out today what is going on with them. They could be going back or they could be staying here.

So this week we also had a baptism (the first in this area for me). It was great. The guy's name is Kagiso. He is almost fifteen and he has an amazing testimony. As soon as he passed his interview he took his mom out and they bought clothes for him for his baptism and after.Its great to see the faith and devotion in people. Hopefully soon we will be able to start teaching his mom. She says she is interested its just that she is very busy at this time.

Well since we have the botswana elders with us this week we have been doing lots of splits and threesome teaching. Its been hectic trying to keep our schedules straight and everything since we double up on appointments when we are on splits. But hopefully things will start settling down so me and my companion can start focusing on things and putting them into play for the area. I have lots of ideas to help this area but the thing is I need the help of my companion and he doesnt even like listening to me right now. So we are working on our communication and listening. Hopefully soon things will start to look up. So this transfer is already halfway over. I cant believe it. Im telling you all is going too fast.

So the past few days my companion has got me missing home (even not meaning to). But he bought a dvd player and he has been playing his cds on it and some of the songs really hit home. So the first one is "I am the greatest" by kenny rogers. Everytime I hear that song I think of my mom and how much she love kenny rogers. Then the next song is "God bless the USA". Now this one hits home in a few different ways. First it makes me think of home in the USA and then it also makes me start thinking about camp and the Garrison flag. I picture the slide show and all everytime I hear it. Then the last song is "In this very room" its a song that we sang with the kids in special needs mutual. It got me missing those kids and the kids I taught at dan petersons. All will be well its just things that satan is putting into my mind to make me want to quit. But I can promise you I will get over it.

So anyways that has been my week. I thank Laurel and Tebogo for their letters. I have started replying to everyone so everyone start looking for replies to their letters they have sent (especially emily who has sent me over eight and I havent replied to like four). I love all of you and thank you for your support. Please be patient with me with doing all the things you are asking me and writing me. I love you all very much and I hope we can all feel like we are together even though we are so far apart.

Remember that the church is true. I know it is or I wouldnt be here right now. I know that all these challenges that the lord is giving me are going to make me a stronger person. "I will make weak things become strong" I know that this statement is true and I invite everyone to remember it when they face challenges. We are all human and we all make mistakes. Its all about what we do when we make those mistakes that counts. I know that the church is led by a true current prophet today. We have been listening to some of his talks the past week and they just remind me how much love I have for him and how much love he has for all of us. I know that Jesus is the Christ and that he died for each of us and we cant do anything but through him. That is the only true happienss. I know I am here for a purpose and I will not back down until I find all I need to do and accomplish it.

Again I love all of you very much and miss you. You all are in my prayers.

Your Friend, Brother, Son, Etc
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

Monday, January 24, 2011

Activities, Soccer, and Teaching

Hello everyone,

So another week has came and past. I honestly cant believe that it has been a week. Time is going faster and faster I cant believe how fast it is going. So this week has been good. We do alot more activities and things as a district and zone. We play soccer every monday and friday morning and we hold testimony meetings at a seinor couple's house every other sunday (yesterday was my first)

So the working is going slowly but surely. We have about 15 people that we are currently teaching. We could be alot more effective but there are some other challenges that we need to get over first.

The people in my area are so nice. They involve me when they are playing in the streets and everyone asks if we would like something to eat or to drink. Its a great area and it has lots of potential just need to start going on it.
So sorry everyone its a small letter this week its just that I am almost out of time so I got to go. But I am now working on replying to all of your letters and things you have sent me so keep an eye out for those things. I will get to everyone I promise. Keep in touch.

Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

"That means that you are the baboon...and Im not"
-Lion King

Monday, January 17, 2011

New place

Hello Everyone how is it going? This has been an eventful time this past week trying to get used to a new area and all that. My heart was broken so much when I had to leave khutsong. A piece of me will always be there and I will always remember those times. So now I am staying in like a small town home complex. We stay kind of you can say in the middle of no where. There are lots of homes and such but it takes a while to get to shops and those sorts of things. So my area that I am working is like my last area a township. It is called Dobsonville. Its a great area and it has lots of possibilities.It is a ward and it is big. Not as big as my last area but still pretty good size. So me and my companion get dropped off in our area by the other missionaries that stay in our flat with us then we walk the rest of the time except for tuesdays we ride bikes. The people are so nice in this area they always greet us on the streets and everything. Its only hard to find people who are interested to teach. We have a small teaching pool right now but we are planning on working on that. There is no ward orginization to help the missionaries so we are planning on working with that as well. There were hardly any records kept of people taught in the area book or if there is a record then they have when the first lesson was taught marked down but then the rest of the lessons there is nothing written about them but we check with the people and they have been taught those things. So as you can tell there is lots of work to be done in my new area. But like I said I am with three missionaries in my flat. My companion and two others. My companions name is Elder Mambashoa (Mam-ba-show-a) he is from Zimbabwe then the other two elders are elder chaka and elder ssempala from Durban and Zimbabwe. I have bonded most with elder chaka I would say. Right now me and my companion are struggling with communication but we are working at it. I try asking him about the area and all that and he wont answer my questions and then I try making suggestions and he just ignores me and says no we do it this way but we are working at it no worries.
So some news from this transfer. So apparently we are going to be getting lots more missionaries soon and we are going to be opening up some new areas. OUR MISSION IS GROWING!!! Its very exciting to see the progress that South Africa is making in coming closer to the Gospel. We had a few more missionaries come from Utah this transfer as well...I cant remember their names but yeah they are from Utah. This is going to be a very exciting and testing time in my mission Im sure. Im ready to meet it though I am going to work as hard as I can and I am going to leave this area better than how I found it. I am just praying hard every night because now more than ever I need the lords guidance and I know he will help me. Im sorry to everyone who has written to me in the past month or so and havent got letters back. Please everyone just be paitent with me and I promise they will come I just need time to figure things out and get back into the routine. I thank you all for your love and support I couldnt do this with out you. I hope all is well back home (In the USA or in South Africa where ever you may be reading this) I love you all and pray for everyone daily. You are all in my heart and always will be.

Your Friend, Son, Brother, Etc.,
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Leaving the area

Sorry everyone this is a day late. But this week has been so hectic trying to get Elder Ndlovu to know the area before I leave. We have just basically been going around to introduce him to people and get him used to the area. Well yesterday I offically said good bye to everyone here in the Khutsong area. and in about an hour I will be leaving. This is with out a doubt the hardest thing I have done on my mission yet maybe even my life. No offence to my family when I say it is so true when people have told me it is so much harder to leave the areas where you have been teaching than it is to leave home. Yesterday after family home evening at the chapel everyone sang 'God be with you till we meet again' to me and they had me say the closing prayer afterwards I went to stand in the hall to say my good byes and some of the relief society came and cried on my shoulder telling me dont I dare change and that I better be back. I also got mugged by everyone trying to get pictures with them before i left. Then I went to the Nkambisas. They are the first family I have ever met here in Khutsong and they had me say something and then when I went to leave it litterally felt like I was tied to their home and that I couldnt move. By the time I left all of us were in tears and we couldnt stop crying. I made promises to everyone that I dont know how and when but I promised I would make it back to see everyone again. I dont know what I am doing to do with out these people. All of them have impacked my life in some way or form. Im using one of the journals my sister gave me to let everyone write what they want in it to say their good byes. I have read through them and I some how some way have touched the hearts of so many people. But I think they have touched mine more. I will miss them so much words cant explain. I love these people. So that is all I have to write for now but I will have new exciting updates for next week. I ask you to keep me in your prayers to help me have the strength to carry on and keep these amazing people in my heart. I love all of you as well and thank you for your love and support I miss you as well. Hope all is well.

Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

Monday, January 3, 2011

Transfer

Hello everyone,
HAPPY NEW YEARS!. So another week and yet another year has gone. It doesnt seem like I have been here that long but yet here is the new year. Its crazy. So a few things have happened this week but for the most part it has been pretty slow because of the holidays. But we were busy helping some of our members pack because they were moving on thursday and we got a call from the assistants. There were some problems with visas in botswana because some missionaries had them expire and the government wouldnt extend them and so they had to rotate missionaries around. My companion Elder Kohu was one of those missionaries that had to be moved. Now I am with Elder Ndlovu.
But get this. The mission president pulled me aside and told me that at the end of the transfers (next week) I will be leaving. So I will be leaving next week and I only have that time to get my companion familiar in this area. I am praying so much right now because I really need the lords help. I know this what I need to do though because the lord is teaching me and wants me to learn from doing. So the past few days we have spent all day going through the area and introducing him to all the members and investigators. ITS BEEN BUSY!!!
So thats an adventure. Then also yesterday I got to whitness the 27th and 28th of my investigators take upon themselves the promises and entered into the waters of baptism. It was a great experience. It never gets that old. You just are so happy for the people that you cant help but love them and excited to see them make those steps to get closer to their heavenly father.
Well my time is up I have to get going. But I love all of you and I thank you for your support.
I hope all is well
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
 
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