Thursday, January 22, 2015

Last with with Trainer in Stanger

Dear Anybody Thinking About Elder Preator,

I have been in South Africa for 3 months. It feels like 3 days, but it feels like home. The Lord has been moving our work here in the little branch of Stanger. This last week has been full of fulfilling lessons, and progressing investigators

In our attempts at going to door to door, we taught a lesson to a man named Luthuli. We taught him the restoration, and we gauged, and the spirit directed us, to ask him the question: "If you come to know that these things are true through prayer and revelation, what will you do?" When we asked it, he said, absolutely. And we proceeded to give him a baptismal date of March 8th. 3 months ago, I wouldn't have been able to fathom asking someone to be baptized, let alone giving them a date on the first visit. Now, and on this occasion, it seems easy. When the spirit directs the questions and lesson and commitments, then things start to happen. We start teaching with the tongues of angels, and we become the mouthpiece for the Lord. As I receive my new companion, I hope to be able to continue to teach everybody. 

In addition to the wonderful work we've been able to accomplish, Ill be losing my trainer who taught me so much. Thats him in the picture. He is a super consecrated and hard working missionary and I will miss him. 

So in South Africa, they don't use the word barbeque. They call it a braai. Which comes from the Afrikaans language. Its pronounced bry and it is exactly what a barbeque is, except its always on a charcoal oven that you have to light with newspaper or whatever you have. Quite fun actually, reminds me of those boy scout days. Anyway we are having a braai today at the beach because it's my comps last day in Stanger.

I hope everybody is well at home! Hamba Kahle!

Love Elder Preator


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The Restoration is Fundamental

Hello Everyone,

We put several people on B-dates this week, and I believe all of them have the potential to follow through with it. This one man is from Zimbabwe, Bro Chinhara, and he understood the restoration SO well. We taught him and asked if he had any questions, and he said, "so you guys are saying that the priesthood was lost and now is back in your church? So my baptism wasn't ok in the eyes of God and I must pray to know that your church is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet right? And if I come to know that I should be baptized right?" We sat there awestruck, and then we gave him a date to work towards and he has the potential to be a VERY strong member and anchor in this branch. This other man Lindo, my comp gave him a date on exchanges so I wasnt there, but he called us the other day about coming to church. He says he will come on Sunday and he is always happy and looking forward to our messages. He also understands the restoration. We were totally blessed this past week because of all the success, and those who we were able to put on date, and finally see after the long holidays. Maybe some of that success came from my getting up on time that day? ;)

This is the last week of the transfer, and my last week of training! I figured out to save money, I can make pancake batter, keep it in the fridge, and then cook 1 or 2 pancakes and that keeps me going for like a week. Then I use eggs for everything else. Allowing me to spend around 300 for every two weeks.


I don't remember if i mentioned, but my comp and I teach piano lessons one or two times during the week. We teach Vincent usually, and then anyone else in the branch who is interested. They go pretty well, and Vincent will be playing in church on Sunday.

So my companion, Vincent and I were reading out of the doctrine and covenants institute manual, and it goes DEEP into Mormon Doctrine and the revelation of Joseph Smith. I learned all about the Sons of Perdition, and the Millennium last night. Makes me scared, almost.

For P-day last week we went on top of Moses Mabhida stadium and we took pictures of Durban. The view was breathtaking. And then later that day we went to the beach and walked in the sand. Everything is beautiful. (see pictures below)

I'm learning sign language now and I would write goodbye in it but that wouldn't work.

Love Elder Preator






Monday, January 5, 2015

New Year's 2015 in Stange


Ok guys, 

I lit tons of fireworks on New Year's! Woooohooooo! I know you are all jealous. But anyway, yesterday ay we went to the Patriarch's house for lunch, and afterwards we drove the scenic route. We went to Salt Rock Beach and I went out onto the rocks and we took pictures and everything. If you remember Vincent, he is the member that always comes with us and he is like my best friend. He is the other one in the pictures I attached. Elder Mphaka didn't want to come out onto the rocks with us...haha.

For New Year's, we ate, and ate and ate. We got fed lunch by the Kawhulas and they fed our entire district, all four of us. And after that we went to brother Matthews and we set up a braai. A braai is the Afrikaans and south african word for barbecue, so we set that up and braaied the meat and made the tomato salad and everything. After eating that and being filled, we went to go to the Mthiyanes at Salt Rock Beach for another braai but we couldn't find them and ended up eating at their place later that evening. So all in all we did no work on New Year's, but we did a lot of good work Saturday and yesterday. I hope everybody is well, and today I'
m gonna get some sweet pictures!

Love Elder Preator





Christmas 2014 in Stanger

So my christmas was Hot. 

Its the middle of the summer here, and sequentially the hottest days of the year. I think some one mentioned that on Christmas it was about 40º C, which is HOT. Unless they were just exaggerating, I think 40º C is around 100º F. (Actually, it's 104º F!) Regardless, Christmas was good because we got fed several times, and each meal was huge. I got to see the beach, (1st picture) and we got to call home as well which was great. the 2nd picture is one of our power families that invited us over for Christmas.


This week as far as work goes, we only got in Friday, Saturday and Sunday for proselyting, but we did some solid work. We contacted two power families, the Mcunu family, and the Shabalala family, the latter family revolving around the father being a pastor. In the formers lesson, after we asked if they had any questions or comments, they said that they had questions just the night before that we answered, and they said we were sent right at the perfect time by God. In the pastors family, we taught the restoration, and then asked him to pray, and in his prayer he affirmed all that we taught him and thanked God for sending these messengers to teach him about Joseph Smith. As a pastor, that level of humility and acceptance for a foreign concept is astounding, and something that very rarely happens. These two families gladly accepted a return appointment, and are both thankful for us. Its also crazy that in finding these families, it was only a matter of saying lets go to that house today. The Spirit directs this work.


So I learned this week, that Hakuna Matata from Lion King is literally 'No worries' in Swahili. In my companions language, it is 'A Una Matata'. Also this week I took it upon my self to learn more Zulu and Sotho. That is coming along, slowly, but coming along. My companion was able to learn Zulu in a transfer, so I figured since I'm white it would take me two to three transfers. This theory is proving true. 


Jesus the Christ is a sweet book read it.


Love Elder Preator
A Una Matata