February 12, 2018

Hey everyone! Another week has passed by and by far one of the craziest on mission so far. 

Monday was a decent p-day with us doing some indoor soccer at Belgravia chapel with the other elders. 

Tuesday and Wednesday were really busy work days.... Elder Sibiya and I also did a lot of service on Wednesday for two different mamas. Tuesday we had MLC and we discussed a lot of things going on in the mission, especially with Day Zero coming up in Cape Town. 

Thursday we got a call at about 10:00 p.m. from Pres. Lebethoa that Elder Sibiya was being E.T'd to be in a different assignment in Cape Town and Elder Hawkin's companion as well, and that Elder Hawkins and I are now to be working both areas and wards. It's pretty crazy. 

Friday morning after district meeting Elder Sibiya and Mauerman left so we began our new work in our massive area. 

Saturday was our first full day but we've really seen the hand of the lord directing our work and helping us see what we need to focus our work on. 

Sunday was crazy..... Elder Hawkins and I were super busy attending double wards and sacrament meetings. There were double child of record baptisms after ward 1 and we were super happy because bishop was able to coordinate and Olwethu's baptism will be on Saturday of this week. It's pretty exciting stuffs. Afterwards we went to a nice DA at bishop's house

Well this week is going to be pretty crazy... it'll be a good work to be done. 

Until next week! 

Elder Smith

February 5, 2018

Well a new month, new transfer. 

Monday we had a decent p-day, just wrapping up things for elder Palavi. We taught our Jehovah's Witness investigator Masixole in the evening and then we went to our family home evening. 

Tuesday was a good wrap up of the transfer. We had a really great time together Elder Palavi and I, I'll miss him but that's how a mission is. 

Wednesday I dropped Elder Palavi off at the airport. Elder Sibiya was already serving in East London so he just met up at the airport and we went and got his stuff and went to the boarding so he could unpack. He's a very clean person.... so we did some cleaning. After we got out to the area and did some teaching. He's a semi pro rugby player from Ireland/England so he's a very straight forward guy, quite the opposite of me I feel haha. He's also a personal trainer so each day we've been working out.... and on a diet...... eish..... no bread, sweets, noodles, anything. My new favourite foods will be rice cakes and tuna lol.

Thursday was a great day of teaching, we were super busy as well as Friday. Friday we had a nice zone meeting setting some goals. 

Saturday we spaded Mama Mcata's yard after a run and that was a great service. We got a lot done and by Sunday we were exhausted.

Sunday was great, it was the first stake conference of Mdantsane after the stake split. I played the organ for it and accompanied the choir as well. It was pretty fun. We even got to hear from Pres. Lebethoa too.

After we were super hungry and didn't have time to go back so we prayed that people would feed us and we got fed like 3 times so it was awesome. 

Well a good week by, new month, new week ahead. 

Until the next

Notice my nice tan line watch hahahaha lol.

January 29, 2018

Well this week has been a good wrap up of the transfer. We've been working a lot to get things going with our progressing investigators. The biggest issue is coming to church, whether it is transport money or walking distance. But we are working with a lady named Olwethu and she is super sweet. We've been teaching her since I've been here and we're hoping her baptism will be on the 11th of Feb. 

This week we've been saying bye to lots of people because Elder Palavi will be leaving this Wednesday. He's going to Milnerton in Cape Town and my new companion is Elder Sibiya. He's South African but from Ireland so we'll have a good time. He's currently serving in East London so transfers won't be too hard for him. 

It's amazing January is already here and gone. Can't wait to see what February has in store. Love you all. 

Elder Smith

Nomphe, her brother, and son

Olwethu and her son

Three upcoming missionaries (Elder Gcwabe leaving for Joburg this Wednesday)

Bishop's Family

Mkwando Family

January 22, 2018

This week has been busy-ish but super hot and humid. Every breath was like taking a drink of water.... 

Monday we actually got around to washing our car which was really nice. 

Tuesday we were fairly busy... With school starting up this week and work for a lot of people, we had some appointments drop. 

Wednesday was nice, we started with interviews with President Lebethoa and afterwards he came out proselyting with us. We had a powerful appointment with him, he invited the mama to pray about the Book of Mormon 

and there she went in the middle of the lesson and knelt down and pray. It was cool. I hope she progresses... we met her drunk and she told us she wanted to change. 

Thursday we had zone conference... It was a really nice one about a lot of the admin and process to get people prepared for baptism. Pres Lebethoa is a pretty funny guy because he understands township humor. We had a great lunch too. Haha, we as zone leaders decided to all wear the same tie, that we all bought on different occasions without really knowing we all had it. 

Friday I was on exchanges with Elder Tshwane in my area and we had a really powerful day. Elder Palavi and I recently re-activated a brother named Lulama, and he came fellowshipping with us. It was really fun, he's awesome. We enjoyed the exchange a lot and had some great appointments. 

Saturday I was on another exchange with Elder Dlokova. We got to help with the stake choir (i was playing piano) and it was awesome. One of the best stake choirs I've heard (including Utah sorry to say haha). We're practicing for stake conference coming up on the 3rd of Feb. The stake pres. is conducting it and he's really flamboyant haha. It's cool. 

Sunday was nice, we got fed by a mama who's back for holiday as a nurse from Abu Dhabi in UAE. It's cool, she was telling us how there is a stake there with wards from Qatar and all of those nations except Syria. Pretty cool stuffs. 

Remember Msi (Anderson) Bikitsha? 

He got endowed a few weeks back... he's the branch clerk right now in Mthatha and is putting in an appeal to serve mission (he's too old). Pretty cool stuffs.

Aside from that, it was a great week, and I'm excited for this possible last one with Elder Palavi, it'll be sad if he leaves though... we'll see come Saturday. 

Until next week!

Elder Smtih

Msi (Anderson) Bikitsha Baptism in Mthatha

January 15, 2018

This week has been SUPER busy...

but one of the best working weeks of my mission.

Monday was a typical P-day, although we didn't get the chance to wash the car.... so that is definitely happening today. We also had a nice FHE with a few ward members. 

Tuesday we were on Exchanges and I got to stay in our area and be with Elder Mauerman, one of the greenies. We had a fun time, he's an awesome elder- And we were able to see 13 appointments which was really powerful. He's a great missionary. 

Wednesday we were back at the work... we were super busy again, Wednesday and Thursday we had 12 appointments each and Friday had 11 after district meeting...

Saturday was another great day! I was on exchanges with Elder Senikuraciri from Fiji. He's one of the other greenies and yo, he's super humble but we had a lot of good laughs. It was a really really nice exchange in our area. We were able to see 12 appointments as well. 

Sunday was an average day at church, it was nice though. After church we were able to see 6 appointments and had a nice DA with Mama Jaco. 

All in all we had 67 appointments this week and it was worth all the effort. It'll be exciting to see what comes about from all of the work but it's paying off. 2 more weeks for the transfer so it'll be cool to see how the work goes. Until next week! 

Elder Smith

January 8, 2018

This week has been a good one,

Elder Palavi and I have been super busy with appointments and teaching this week. 

Tuesday I was on an exchange with Elder Tucker in his area and it was good to spend the day with him. 

Wednesday we had MLC in the morning and we found out President Monson had passed away. He was a great guy and the lord truly qualifies who he calls. Can't wait for President Nelson. We also had two DA's and so we were super full. It was nice though. 

Friday we had a great district meeting and after had nice full days of appointments. 

It's been interesting lately with our investigators because many are coming back from holiday so we get to do a lot of review, but it's good. We've got two baptisms in the pipeline in the next 2 weeks so fun stuff to look forward to. 

We rounded off the week on sunday with 44 lessons and several people came to church so it was great. Busy, but great. We've got several exchanges and 40+ lessons already scheduled through Thursday so good stuff to look forward to. 

Well, until next week.

Elder Smith

Hey everyone

2017 is gone and 2018 is here.... it's weird to think I'll be home this year but I still got a long while for that. 

These two weeks have flown by and I've stayed pretty busy. 

In summation because I can't remember it all, Christmas was nice, it was really laid back and we had a good time skyping. This past week though has been really busy. 

Thursday I flew to Cape Town for AP Exchanges with Elder Keetch. It's been fun to be with him since we haven't been together really since the MTC. He's an awesome elder. While we were there the fellowshipper actually had an accordion which was funny. Cape Town is really dry now, it's crazy how much the water has decreased there. Hopefully they get some rain soon. Friday was a full day in Cape Town. Saturday I was on my way back and caught the flight early in the morning back to East London. Just before we landed, the plane accelerated again and ascended back up, apparently, there was no visual on the ground due to a thick fog, sooooo..... we had to turn around and fly to Port Elizabeth. So, with that delay, I got some free food at the airport courtesy of the airline.... and once the weather cleared I was back in the air to MD and luckily we were able to land. 

When I got back we went to our ward Christmas party, which was again canceled, and so it being a slow day, it was chill and we got back later that evening. New Years Eve came on Sunday and we had to end the day early... East London town was a lot more chill then Mthatha.... so I slept nice but was super tired in the morning. 

Yesterday was fun.... We went to the Steenbeck's (in East London by Christmas Rock) and they stay in a beautiful place. They have a private river inlet and beach so we threw around a Frisbee and collected some shells. We went back and Sister Steenbeck made some nice food and me and Brother Steenbeck played their piano, he likes to play ragtime too so we had some fun. 

Other than that, time is going and 2018 is already on it's way...

Until next week.

Elder Smith

Steenbeck's beach

Parts of a shipwreck on the beach