Friday, November 6, 2015

Q&A with our Favorite Missionary

Dumela (Sotho for Hello; good morning)

Q - How is your mission going now that you’ve reached your year mark?

A - My mission is great. I am doing great. I hope my lack of emails can show how I feel. I am too lazy to include everything that happened, because its simply too much. :)My mission is great. I am doing great. I hope my lack of emails can show how I feel. I am too lazy to include everything that happened, because its simply too much. :) We hardly get fed these days, and we play soccer on Saturday mornings with the branch. These guys are good at soccer. Watch out Colorado, I’m coming home to go professional. 

Free state is freaking hot. Especially when we are walking all the time. 

Things this week were OK. We ended up watching the Rugby World cup on Saturday as our district activity. If anybody cares, South Africa is in the semi finals against New Zealand this Saturday. Its kind of a big deal. 

Missionary work wasn’t too involved this week, because we lost a day to Zone Training, and we also had a training meeting. We are going to try harder this coming week to follow up on all of the contacts that we have made.

Q - Have you reached any goals you’ve set for yourself so far?  What are you goals for the coming year?

A -  I have lots of goals, but I don’t really remember them. I know I probably should write them down soon. It doesn’t feel like a year. Hope everything is going well. Just know I am doing great! 

Q - Will you tell us more about your companion?

A - My companion’s name is Elder Rakotomalala.  (Don’t worry, everyone has trouble pronouncing it.) He’s my ‘son’ and is great! His English is getting better and better every day.. He is sweet! 

Yes, he’s seen the moving Madagascar. Everyone in our area comments when see him. Something like: “I like to move it move it.” No one speaks his language except for the other Elders from Madagascar. There are three in our zone and two in our district. He seems to be liking things now. His English is turning out very well. He can keep up now and usually express himself.

Q - How is your apartment there in Free State?

A - The apartment is nice, and I think I can say the only flaw my companion has is he doesn’t like to clean, so I am the only reason we haven’t totally been taking over by ants...

Q - Did you get to watch General Conference?

A - We watched the Sunday session of conference, and I liked Elder Bednar’s talk, and that one about digging a hole, and not intending to get muddy.

Q - Can you send us more pictures?

A - So fun fact, there is this Elder here, Elder Chapman. He is my Zone Leader, and probably my favorite missionary ever. His parents are also less than pleased at his picture taking abilities, but instead of complaining about it every week, they cut him a deal. They told him for every picture he sends, they add some money into an account that he will use when he gets home. Now I’m not going to say that you need to do that, but you have your agency. (My picture taking has been dismal lately. Sorry.)

Q - How was Halloween in South Africa?

A - I got the package, just in time for Halloween. I actually forgot about Halloween, until Monday when Chapman reminded me. Thanks for the cook book. It came just as I have been thinking about branching out from peanut butter and jelly, and chicken sandwiches. I want to let me cohorts experience tater-tot casserole. I think today I am going to make pizza for us. Homemade. But the tricky thing was, they don’t sell all the ingredients I need. When I asked for garlic salt the manager told me, sorry we don’t sell that here, you’ll have to go to Bloemfontein. Kill me. 

Q - Elections are this week.  Just think, next year, you’ll be here to vote for our new President.  What do you think?

A - With the election, I don’t know how educated I will be on the candidates next year. From what I’ve heard it sounds like Donald Trump is going for president? Maybe not anymore, but I’m not very well informed which is OK. Every once in a while I catch them talking about it on the news, but the news 9 times out of 10 is on the IsiXhosa channel or SeSotho channel. I have worn a Donald Trump tie, and it looked very nice. Maybe that will swing him in my favor.

Q - Will you be transferred soon or staying in Free State?

A - Because I am training, that means I will most likely be staying here another transfer. Most of the times, the trainee stays with their trainer for two, and we are only at one right now. I am excited though, for the next 6 weeks. I think training is starting to take a toll on me. Its exhausting doing most of the talking. My companion does very well in what he prepares, but when it comes to complex questions I generally have to take over. He is getting there though. He doesn’t realize it yet, but him now compared to before, is already a huge difference, and I am enjoying teaching English. It seems more difficult when you see all the basic rules and exceptions. 

The Lord is evident in our work. We keep praying to actually see the results of our labors, and recently we have been. We have had some investigators actually come to church, and new people becoming very receptive. I think we just need some big pushes this transfer, and we could have some baptisms on our hands! 

Anyway love you guys, sorry this letter is so long. 

Loving life. Hope you guys are doing well!

Love Elder Preator


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