New Assignment

Hello everyone,

Sorry I didnt write last week I was very short on time and things just were not on my side. So I will make sure today is one of the longer letters I will write. So this week has been a good week. Things have been going good between me and my companions (yes its companionS not compnaion I will explain). So last monday we went back to the lion park agian for the new missionaries that just came into the area. It was fun as normal. The lion cubs were alot more playful this time which was fun. Then afterwards it was just a normal typical day from there.

So the next major thing that happened this week was on Wednesday me and Elder Kapata were teaching and when I got a phone call fromt the Assistants. Well I have a new assignment from the President. In a few weeks I will be leaving here in Sebokeng and I will be moving to the office. One of the seinor couples that have been working there in the office got moved to an area to help that area and so for now they are placing me and one other missionary there in the office until they can get another seinor couple in there (or until further notice). So I will be there for at least a few transfers president said so it should be interesting. I will be taking care of paper work and computer work and all that thing. So until I go to the office I have to go in a few times per week so I can recieve training in my new postition. And now as I said I have companions because to fill in my spot they have sent down another elder named Elder Khumalo who I need to train him and my companion on the area before I leave since I have only been with Elder Kapata for a few weeks. I am excited to accept this new assignment but I am also sad because I have only spent three months in this area and its just starting to take off. But hey if thats what the lord wants I will do it. And just so everyone knows my P-days are going to be switching from Mondays to Saturdays when I am in the office so just look for my letters around then.

So on Friday we had a zone confrence. It was a more different one that the ones in the past. People were just yelling out randomly and they werent taking things seriously or they were just complaining and it was just different. But on the brighter side one of the branch missionaries from my last area is helping in our mission for a transfer and so I got to see him there at the zone confrence and kind of get updated on my last area. Apparently alot of the people I was working with were baptized and now fully active in the church. So it sounds like that area is looking up as well.

Then on Saturday we had our yearly 'Mormon Helping Hands Service Project" We went and we helped clean up some of the places around our area with the members. It was a great experience. So as we were cleaning (of course Im the only white guy) a drunk guy comes and starts yelling "Lakua (La-coo-wa)" Which means white person. Haha. He kept trying to get me to come over to him and so he could ask me for a job. Well obviously I dont even have a job myself. All the members tried getting him to leave me alone tried getting him to go away. But nothing was working. So all of a sudden theladies living around the area we were cleaning come rushing from cleaning their clothes or what they were doing and they start yelling at him and throwing rocks at him telling him to leave and to stop bugging me because I was actually helping them and doing good. Haha it was a crazy neat experience.

Then on Sunday we had two baptisms. Sello and Solly. It was a great experience but also kind of disorganized because it was the first one we had combined with the other area. But also after the baptisms yesterday we were going around to some former investigators and we came to one named Joesph. He was being prepared to be baptized but he doesnt know why but missionaries just stopped going. So we talked to him to find out what he remembers and he remembers alot and he knows alot. He still wants to be baptized and so he should be coming up in the next coming month or so. Its great how the spirit works some times to lead us to the people who are truely prepared.

So that was my week and its been a great one. I will always love and look back on these times often. I am so grateful I came on mission. Well everyone else is waiting for me so I got to go but I hope to hear from everyone soon. Thank you to Jacob, Emily, Shauna and Kyler for your letters. I hope I get to keep hearing from you and seeing how things are going. Talk to you soon.

Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay.

Companions, Cottage meetings, & Car wrecks

Hello everyone,

Sorry about last week I guess I was down in the dumps and all blah. So I am doing better this week and things are going to continue improving I hope. The lord has plans for me that much I know. So yeah last week monday after emailing everyone we went shopping with our district leaders. Afterwards we went back to the flat and I was getting the cold treatment beyond all cold treatment. So we got ready to leave and then we left late and so we missed our first appointment. But I am so glad we went to the second appointment. We held a family home evening with a full member family combined with a recent convert and his family who are not members (yet haha). Well for the activity we watched 'Finding Faith in Christ'. It was so amazing and the spirit was so strong. The recent converts family was making comments and participating when they usually dont like to. Well that is also when I recieved inspiration on what I needed to do with my companion. So that night when we got back to the flat I just did what we call the the 'swallow and bury technique' Pretty much I took all the blame upon myself and just let him know a few of my opinions. Well it worked but he still doesnt talk to me too much or anything and so we have just been working together. Sometimes you just got to 'let the dead bury their dead' as Jesus Christ tells us. And I know I am one to hold a grudge alot of the times and so this was a major learning experience for me.

Then we have been busy teaching people until about Wednesday when my companion starts going to the other area and another missionary with me because he was sick so the work was slow. Also me and my companion hasnt really done any planning this week because the two missionaries in the flat across from ours lost their keys and so they have been staying in our flat with us even until now. To get clothes and things they had to climb up the balcony and go in through the patio door. It crazy I am surprised we havent been arrested for burglary or anything. Friday night we went to a dinner together just as a district. We went to a Portegese resturant. It was fun but it also wasnt well planned out and so it was a little crazy but thats ok. So in the area we have been holding what is called U-nites or Cottage meetings. Its where the members gather together and hold like a big familly home evening. Well our area is divided into zones and so we are trying to get one of these u-nites started in each zone. Well we held one in zone seventeen for the first time on saturday night and it was a big sucess. We had fourteen people there total and one of them was less active and another one was an investigator. That is the biggest u-nite we have had since I have been here. Two other zones have been having u-nites and we might start combining zones soon. Well saturday morning we held a fireside at Sharpville. The mission president came and he helped us teach the people and he over saw everything. It was alot of fun I want to try to get one of those going for our area in Sebokeng.

So saturday I also recieved the news that my companion will be leaving on Tuesday. I will be getting a new companion and hopefully I will be able to implement more of the plans I see for this area. Ever since we found out my companion was leaving we have just been driving around and letting him say good bye to people. Well last night (sunday) we stopped behind a car that was turning and about two minutes later we hear this screeching and another car came and slammed into the back of our car. The only thing damaged on our car was the bike rack that holds the bikes on the back but the front of the other guy's car was demolished. (I will hopefully get pictures of this too so you can see) but the bumper was off and smashed into pieces. Glass was all over from the lights breaking and all. Well the guy was drunk and so he didnt see us apparently. But thank goodness no one was hurt and the only thing damaged on our car is the bike rack which is still usable and good. The lord was definately watching over us and that guy last night. We dont even know how the bike rack survied the impact because it was not that strong in the first place but it did. And it save us from injury as well. Well today after emailing we will be going to a zone activity where we will have a meeting and then play some sports. So that has been my week. I love all of you and thank you for the love and support you have given to me. I hope I can hear from you all soon and I promise your letters are coming soon. Love you and talk to you next week.

-Your Brother, Son, Friend and others

Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

Lion Park

Hello everyone,

Sorry this is going to be a very short letter this week because I am out of time because I had to write a big presidents letter. So today I finally got my dream and I went to a lion park today. I got plenty of great pictures. I will be sending them home soon so everyone can have a look. So things are going ok. I am still trying to get on my companions good side but it just seems like no matter what I do nothing is going to help. But I wont give up something will work I just need to find out what. So this week has been pretty boring but its ok not much to write. So I am sorry I am not writing much but my time is up. I love you all and I will write more next week I promise. So keep me in your prayers and I am keeping you in mine. Talk to you soon.

Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay.