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.

Comps...hmmm...

Hello everyone,

How is the week going for you this time? This week has been a busy week for me with many different things happening lately. So the power has still been out off and on during the week and so it has made teaching some what difficult. But teaching still has been steady and going on anyways. We are also getting even more on the good side of the branch presidency. They are talking with us alot more and letting us be aware of things and they are also joking and having fun with us. They have also started giving us special work to do. They have listed some families that have less active members and that are part member families. We have went and been busy with that list. There is one less active lady that I have been working closely with because she is an older lady and she has family that wants her back so much. So the other day we invited her to an activity we were having and she came to me at the end of it and gave me a hug and said thank you. She said she wants to come back so bad she just needs the strength right now and I am helping her to get that strength back.

Now it seems like the only problems I have been having is with my companion still. This week he was yelling at me twice and he refused to work with me as well. I dont know what to do because I am just asking questions and I get yelled at and then when I dont say anything I get yelled at so right now I am at a complete loss. But time will tell. So that is my week nothing too much exciting but things are going alright. Well I will talk to everyone soon hope all is well. Have a good week.

Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

An up and down week

Hello everyone,

So times are going crazy. Sorry I couldnt write last week you know lots to do and so little time as I am sure all of you know. So things in ways are looking up here in Sebokeng and in some other ways its getting down. So our stats dont look as good as they did when I first came here they slowly and slowly keep going down. I am trying to keep them up but I have lots against me. I know stats dont mean much but the thing is when I see what they were at and what they can be it just bugs me too much. So one of the things that is against me alot is my companion. Well my companion is the type that is very laid back and relaxed and if things dont happen it doesnt bother him none. Instead of doing things that really help the area grow he wants to go finding at night when all gates and doors are locked and there is no way in to talk to people. I have tried to ask him questions and talk to him but I am struggling to get any response. But over time I hope things improve. Even without him I will help this area grow.

So another challenge that has came my way this week is the power or electricity. People in Sebokeng were without power for a day to two days this past week. The thing is it is winter now and so everyone is staying in doors and turning on all the heaters and all the kettles for tea and the tvs and they are using lots and lots of power and so the city turns it off for a time so they can save and well when they turn it off people cant do cooking or washing their clothes or what they need to. Most people just lived off of bread for two days straight and they were without heat so they were cold and in the dark. And as if that isnt enough the gas tankers that deliver to the gasstations to fill up are on strike. So petrol is going to be short very soon and we have been on a limit with the car we can only drive to the area park the car and walk the rest of the day until we can drive back to our flat. So we have been walking alot and its causing even more problems for everyone else. So needless to say its been a crazy week.

But on a happier note. This week we had one baptism. His name is Sipho. He is thirteen and the grandson of one of our older members. He has been coming to church for a very long time and he was excited to be baptised. Also the branch presidentcy is starting to take down notes when we missionaries talk and they ask us questions and they volenteer to come teaching with us as well. So things are looking up and things seem to be getting better. Its just like pulling teeth in other areas but hopefully soon we will be overcoming those challenges as well. Well that is all for me this week but I love you all and hope to hear from you soon.

Elder Aaron Giles Lindsay

The land of Sebokeng

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

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)

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