Greetings from the land of Sebokeng,
Yep that is right I am in my new area now. On Monday and Tuesday last week again I was all in tears and sorrow because I was leaving behind some more amazing people and families with the area. But now the time has come for me to open up another door in my life when on Wednesday I came here to Sebokeng. My new companion is named Elder Mponda. He is from Mosambeque and he has been here on mission for about 15 months now he said. He is a cool and very relaxed guy and I am looking forward to the time I have to spend with him in this area.
So about the area. Well yesterday at church I found out that the area has been open for eleven years and that there are over five hundred members of the church. But the thing is yesterday at chuch we only had about eighty people at church and everyone else is apparently less active. Most of the members at church are older people and there is little youth or YSA or middle aged. We are going to be trying to find younger couples, people that will be able to have the energy and strength to go about doing everything they need to.
There is a major language barrier situation too. Lots of people have very little understanding of English around here and so I am sure I will have even a bigger chance now to learn more of the language. The people are also more quiet and kept to themselves around here. Its been hard for us to get in to peoples homes to teach them and to be able to get full families baptized. There are bits and pieces of lots of families that are members but we are trying to get the rest of the family members.
So you can basically say with the old year gone the lord has given me totally opposite things for my next and last coming year on mission. The lord has given me an area with plenty of challenges but I know that with his help I will be able to help this area is some way or some form. Or who knows maybe he just sent me here for myself because there is something I need to learn not the people. But we will see what the great land of Sebokeng has in store for me in the next coming weeks.
My time is up and I have to go but I love all of you and miss you. I hope to hear from you soon and all the letters are coming soon just give me time.
From your Elder
Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Not much going on
Hello everyone,
Sorry I didn't write last week its just that not much has been going on that has been different and it just wouldn't be that interesting...So I thought anyways. So here we are in June now and it is already almost half way over. Time is just getting faster and faster everyday. I will admit that I am excited because I want to be home because I miss everyone so much but then it also kills me inside because I know how much I am going to miss these people here in Africa as well. But the lord knows what will make us stronger and what will make us what he wants to become.
So this week in study I have learned a lot. I am working on things one step at a time but I am learning so much. The more I have been on mission the more things have been making more and more sense. If I never came on mission and/or if I left early I now notice how much I would have been missing out on and it kills me to think about.
So now in my area we are teaching lots of families and there is one family who we teach its more than 10 people and plus at different houses we are teaching their cousins and parents and we are just teaching that family left and right. We are focusing on families with only some members or families in general. It has helped us a lot because right now we have about 25 people who have accepted a date to be baptized and then we have about 20 more we could put on date so we are teaching a lot of people as well.
This week we have also been talking with the Elders quorum president for help. He doesn't have any councilors and we have been getting complaints and such from the bishopric about things that we have no control over or its just things like baptizing too many and reactivating too little but that is our purpose and so we have been working with him so we can give support to each other. We are coming up with many plans to help the area grow and progress.
But it is sad because next week Wednesday I could be leaving for another area. It is a big possibility because at most missionaries stay in the area longest for six months well I have been there for six months now and so it is a big big big possibility that I will be going sadly. It always seems to happen that right when things start going the way they should and things start picking up that is when you get moved. But that is ok I will take what I have learned in this area and use it in my next area as well. I am going to miss people here too much especially the families I have taught.
Well that is my week so not too much new but I will write more next week because my time is up. Hope all is well and I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks to Grandma and Cassi and Aunt Tammy for their letters they have sent me.
From the Elder who's name is growing,
Elder Aaron Giles Pule Nkanyso Lindsay
(Pule is Tswana meaning rain and Nkanyso is Zulu meaning Light)
Sorry I didn't write last week its just that not much has been going on that has been different and it just wouldn't be that interesting...So I thought anyways. So here we are in June now and it is already almost half way over. Time is just getting faster and faster everyday. I will admit that I am excited because I want to be home because I miss everyone so much but then it also kills me inside because I know how much I am going to miss these people here in Africa as well. But the lord knows what will make us stronger and what will make us what he wants to become.
So this week in study I have learned a lot. I am working on things one step at a time but I am learning so much. The more I have been on mission the more things have been making more and more sense. If I never came on mission and/or if I left early I now notice how much I would have been missing out on and it kills me to think about.
So now in my area we are teaching lots of families and there is one family who we teach its more than 10 people and plus at different houses we are teaching their cousins and parents and we are just teaching that family left and right. We are focusing on families with only some members or families in general. It has helped us a lot because right now we have about 25 people who have accepted a date to be baptized and then we have about 20 more we could put on date so we are teaching a lot of people as well.
This week we have also been talking with the Elders quorum president for help. He doesn't have any councilors and we have been getting complaints and such from the bishopric about things that we have no control over or its just things like baptizing too many and reactivating too little but that is our purpose and so we have been working with him so we can give support to each other. We are coming up with many plans to help the area grow and progress.
But it is sad because next week Wednesday I could be leaving for another area. It is a big possibility because at most missionaries stay in the area longest for six months well I have been there for six months now and so it is a big big big possibility that I will be going sadly. It always seems to happen that right when things start going the way they should and things start picking up that is when you get moved. But that is ok I will take what I have learned in this area and use it in my next area as well. I am going to miss people here too much especially the families I have taught.
Well that is my week so not too much new but I will write more next week because my time is up. Hope all is well and I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks to Grandma and Cassi and Aunt Tammy for their letters they have sent me.
From the Elder who's name is growing,
Elder Aaron Giles Pule Nkanyso Lindsay
(Pule is Tswana meaning rain and Nkanyso is Zulu meaning Light)
Heading to a new place
Hello Everyone,
How is everyone doing? I think the mail system has come to a stand still I havent been getting any letters anymore. But thats ok it just shows everyone is being busy so no worries. So this week was my last full week in the great land of Dobsonville. I am going to be moved to another area on Wednesday and I only find out where they will be sending me on that day when its time for me to go there. I am excited to leave but I am also sad as well because I get to see more of Africa but then I also will miss the people too much. I have had the opportunity to visit with some people from Khutsong my last area this week and it got me missing those people too much as well. But I know that where ever I go I will have the Lord with me and I will love the area as well. Some how some way I will even get back to my areas and see everyone again.
So this week has just been pretty basic. I even started saying good bye to some people. We have been holding family home evenings with two of our convert families together every monday night. That has been alot of fun and the families seem to be enjoying it as well. We also have been teaching a good family. They are great. They had lots of problems and challenges when we first came but from what the mother said things have been getting better since we have been coming. She says they havent been fighting as much and their house is now a place of peace.
We have also been teaching a married couple with the seinor couple the Watts. They are progressing so well and doing good. The only problem and challenge that we have had with them is that the husband is a security gaurd at the MTC and so he cant get off in order to come inside church even for an hour but we are working with them and they are both very excited to be baptized.
Then there is another family who all are baptized except for the father but then he wants to be but the only problem with him is that him and his wife are not officially married and so by baptism requirements they have to get married where they are living together. They are making plans and they are working on it and sometime this year they will be able to be counted as husband and wife and he will be able to be baptized.
One of our recent converts has been having alot of challenges as well. She was baptized and then her husband started bringing up all these concerns and problems he has with the church and they started fighting and I guess it has been getting physical and she has said she has even thought about killing him a few times as well. But me and my companion went to her and talked with her and now she is fine.
Then on saturday we attended a funeral for someone in our ward and it was a hugh turn out. There was chairs clear back to the stage but and there still wasnt enough chairs. People were standing up and all around. Then after the funeral MTC missionaries came and we showed them all around. Then after that we had an elders quorum activity. We baked and just spent time with the Elders Quorum. It was fun.
Well that was my whole week. Its been good and its been different in ways. Well next time I write I will be in a different area and I will be having more stories to tell. I love all of you and I miss you much. I hope all is well and I will talk to you soon.
From
Elder Aaron Giles Pule Nkanyso Lindsay
How is everyone doing? I think the mail system has come to a stand still I havent been getting any letters anymore. But thats ok it just shows everyone is being busy so no worries. So this week was my last full week in the great land of Dobsonville. I am going to be moved to another area on Wednesday and I only find out where they will be sending me on that day when its time for me to go there. I am excited to leave but I am also sad as well because I get to see more of Africa but then I also will miss the people too much. I have had the opportunity to visit with some people from Khutsong my last area this week and it got me missing those people too much as well. But I know that where ever I go I will have the Lord with me and I will love the area as well. Some how some way I will even get back to my areas and see everyone again.
So this week has just been pretty basic. I even started saying good bye to some people. We have been holding family home evenings with two of our convert families together every monday night. That has been alot of fun and the families seem to be enjoying it as well. We also have been teaching a good family. They are great. They had lots of problems and challenges when we first came but from what the mother said things have been getting better since we have been coming. She says they havent been fighting as much and their house is now a place of peace.
We have also been teaching a married couple with the seinor couple the Watts. They are progressing so well and doing good. The only problem and challenge that we have had with them is that the husband is a security gaurd at the MTC and so he cant get off in order to come inside church even for an hour but we are working with them and they are both very excited to be baptized.
Then there is another family who all are baptized except for the father but then he wants to be but the only problem with him is that him and his wife are not officially married and so by baptism requirements they have to get married where they are living together. They are making plans and they are working on it and sometime this year they will be able to be counted as husband and wife and he will be able to be baptized.
One of our recent converts has been having alot of challenges as well. She was baptized and then her husband started bringing up all these concerns and problems he has with the church and they started fighting and I guess it has been getting physical and she has said she has even thought about killing him a few times as well. But me and my companion went to her and talked with her and now she is fine.
Then on saturday we attended a funeral for someone in our ward and it was a hugh turn out. There was chairs clear back to the stage but and there still wasnt enough chairs. People were standing up and all around. Then after the funeral MTC missionaries came and we showed them all around. Then after that we had an elders quorum activity. We baked and just spent time with the Elders Quorum. It was fun.
Well that was my whole week. Its been good and its been different in ways. Well next time I write I will be in a different area and I will be having more stories to tell. I love all of you and I miss you much. I hope all is well and I will talk to you soon.
From
Elder Aaron Giles Pule Nkanyso Lindsay
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