Elder Kaden Smith: December 5, 2016

Wow, these first two transfers flew. This week is going to be a week of change here in Mthatha.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) I will be traveling to East London to pick up my mother (follow up trainer) Elder Thulari from SA! I hear he is a wonderful missionary and he will die (finish mission) in Mthatha, he leaves in two transfers. What's funny is Mthatha will be a family now- Elder Hernandez was also follow up trained by Elder Thulari so I'm the second son of Elder Thulari haha. Grandma Thulari, Elder Hernandez and his son Elder Goss, and then me, the second son of Thulari. Fun times. It'll be sad to see Elder Zongoro (my father) go but It'll be good to have Elder Thulari. I've only got 6 more weeks in Mthatha which is crazy to think. By the time I leave in January I'll have been on mission 4 1/2 months!! Time flies when you're working hard!

Monday we had a lazier P day and did email and then cleaned and took a nap and then went to some appointments in the evening.

Tuesday through Wednesday it was back at the grindstone again. We've been working with our investigator families the Mayeki, the Njinsane and the Qovane families.

One thing I've really enjoyed about teaching these families and others here in SA is their strong knowledge of the Bible and I've learned how to do much of my teaching from the Bible. I had never studied the Bible as much as on mission but there is so much scripture that is very powerful and is great to use in teaching. We get many questions from our investigators like,

"Are God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit three different beings?" and we'll use the account of when Jesus Christ was baptised or when Stephen saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God.

"Is the sabbath day on Saturday or Sunday?" and we'll teach and talk about how in the Law of Moses the sabbath was Saturday and how when Jesus Christ came to fulfill the old law and how Paul taught that the sabbath is the start of the week and is now Sunday.

It's fun to learn all of these things. I feel like I'm learning as much as my investigators.

The Njisane family is progressing slowly but really well. Mama has come to church the past three Sundays and especially likes the hymns which is nice. The Qovane is a new family and they are a quite wealthy Xhosa family with Mama, her daughter Simbognile, and Simbognile's son and niece Monalisa. They are a very smart family and ask very inspired and gooood questions.

The Mayeki family (at least Mama and Lisakhanya the daughter) were baptised yesterday! It was fun to see them progress all the way toward baptism. Her son went to the bush (a traditional Xhosa turn a boy to a man ceremony) so he won't be able to be baptised until he returns and finishes the lessons and waits some time but I can't wait for him as well. I baptised Mama and our fellowshipper Qaqambile- the one who referred us them- baptised Lisakhanya. It was a wonderful day for them. And I was glad they were my 9th and 10th baptism on mission.

Mthatha was definitely prepared for missionaries and it'll be fun to see what happens this coming transfer.

Thursday we went to Ugie and taught more lessons and it was Elder Zongoro's last time there. Hopefully we'll continue going.

Friday was an awesome day. We went to Nqumbu (rurals) for Tata Mbilase's 80th birthday party and it was a massive event! There was most of his 23 kids and grandkids and friends and branch families there so it was gigantic with great Xhosa foods like Umngqusho, Spinach, potatoes, lamb, chicken, etc. The music was my favorite though! The african harmonies and singing is my favourite!!! I hope to send a video sometime if I can. I can "hear" kancici (a little) xhosa when it is spoken and the MC was making jokes that us elders are probably the first Mulungus (white person/people) in Nqumbu hahaha. It's so fun to see real Xhosa culture.

I really do love serving here in Mthatha, a Xhosa area with townships. The people are the best (well everyone except the tsotsis- people who rob you) haha. I just hope if I serve in an Afrikaner area it is similar with the food and kindness of the people although I doubt it'll be the way it is here in Mthatha.

Well another week by and starting new on Wednesday with Elder Thulari so until then!!!

Elder Smith