Moving to Durban with Elder Tan

Great. So. This week. Ready?

We went to Dominoes on Wednesday, and after we came back to the car and drove home, we discovered that my companion's and Elder Shraedel's bags were gone. Someone had remote jammed our car, so when I locked it, the lights showed it was locked, but it actually wasn't. So, yeah, my companion lost his camera and his scriptures, and Elder Shraedel had their car keys, which means, that they don't have a car now. So, we have been taking them around.. That was the highlight of the week:)  #IDon'tNeedThatKindOfExcitement

The real highlight of the week was the baptism. Sister Happy. She was very happy needless to say. Her family wrote some very touching things in my journal because..........

#BecauseWe'reHappy

I'm leaving tomorrow to serve in Durban with Elder Tan from Malaysia. So, yeah. Thats the news. #GettingATanInDurban

 Elder Martin, Sister Happy & Elder Preator

Cows in the Street (really, are you sure?)

Composite Emails from Richards Bay

March 7, 2016

This is Mdu. We baptized him yesterday! Things are going well. Theres a family we are preparing for baptism, the Baxters. And now I’m staying for another transfer, so hopefully I will be able to see them through.

This week went well. Bit on the lazier side, probably because its the last week of the transfer, but thats just excuses. We did teach lots of people. Obviously the highlight was seeing Mdu get baptized. Super cool.:) Well, hope all is well. Love you all!

Elder Preator

March 28, 2016

Well, first off, I haven’t been transferred. I’m still here in Richards Bay with Elder Martin and things are going very well. I apologize for my lackadaisical self last week. You didn't receive an email because the internet wasn’t working or at least thats the excuse I’m going with! :) #lazymissionary

Things are going well. Teaching the people repentance and what not. Fun fact though: this Sunday all the senior couples from the Johannesburg mission were on “vacation” in Richards Bay so our attendance was substantially greater. One of them updated me on the snow storm, and the closure of DIA as one of their children’s flight paths was frustrated and rerouted elsewhere. I wish It was cold here. Its way too hot. I sleep on my back with my thin sheet and a fan on, and I wake up sweating. Miserable, but there are early signs of winter coming on, like my skin not burning off after a few hours in the sun. #lovinsummer

So we were in our area, the township part of it, and as we had been tracting for a long time, we decided to “explore” and we found this trail and took us to some scenic spots. 

 Here's me swinging on a vine!

In front of the beach. It was cold that day....

Trail of Exploration.

April 4, 2016

As for Conference, we actually watched it live. Well we watched Saturday morning at 6 pm on Saturday, and then Priesthood, and Saturday afternoon on Sunday, and then we watched part of the Sunday morning one live at 6 pm as well. Very great conference. They talked a lot about eternal marriage and families...at least that’s all I heard. haha. But really, its amazing how much more I get out of conference on mission than before. #learningfromconference

This week was good though. We keep getting stood up for our 5 and 6 o'clock appointments, which just happens to be the time of the sunset. So we’ve been taking some sweet pictures.

Love you all!

Elder Preator

April 11, 2016

Well, I guess I can tell you my release date. I was hoping to make you wait a bit longer, but I think its time now. My exit date is October 3rd. 13 days before my entrance date. There is a group that is going home a month early so the new mission president won’t have to deal with their going home. #lightatendoftunnel

Things this week were pretty hectic, and it went fairly quickly. We had exchanges with the AP’s so they took us into their area for a change, so we went to Durban. That was the craziest exchange ever. We went to their ZTM and then we all went to McDonalds, and needless to say, 18 missionaries on the roads of durban. Scary. Chapman was pretending to be a taxi driver. Elder Mvinqi would like slide the door open at red lights, and step out and yell “Durban, Durban, Anyone for Durban?” And then he would quickly get back in and we would drive off. Chapman also wore a bucket hat like most taxi drivers and was hooting everywhere haha. It was great! #fakeuperinafrica

Love Elder Preator

Baptisms and Weights, Oh My!

Yeah, this week was pretty great. We planned on the roof, and found a sweet dam, taught lots of lessons, baptized some people and bought weights. We are working out like day and night. With the weights, the better I feel the better I work so its definitely worth it. And theres this mission culture where everyone works out a ton 6 months before they go home so they can go home looking good. I’m just getting a head start on it. #feelinggoodandvain

We listened to Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol on audio. That was sweet. They acted out all the voices, so for like scrooge it was some old man who emphatically reads his prescribed lines. It was really sweet. #sweetistheword

Our baptism went well. I might have mentioned it last week, but I forgot to fill the font (basically my first baptism as a senior companion) so we ended up snaking the fire hose into the font and double timing it. Super great:) So their names are Gugu (the Mom) and the Owami (the Daughter) They’re doing great and they just got confirmed yesterday. We have a baptism this coming week as well. His name is Mdu, and he’s super cool. I think he’s already planning on going on a mission  We had our gospel principles class yesterday, and when he stood up to introduce himself, he said, “My names Mdu, soon to be a member of the church.”

In regards to the talent show pictures you sent me.  I was wondering which one of the young men was in the front looking super old. Haha. #gottalovethebishop

Love you guys! Hope all of you are having a great week!

Elder Preator

Planning on the roof

Baptism in Richards Bay

Super Teach Week!

We are pretty sure it was a tic bite that made us sick last week. Super minor case, so we didn't need to do anything. By the time it was self diagnosed I was back on top again. 

Its great to hear that Rachel is suffering from her wisdom tooth extraction as I did. #JustKiddingSorta 

Hey is Rachel going to be a senior when I get home? I keep doing the math but it blows my mind every time.

My companion and I had a super great week. We taught more this week than I think I have in any other week on mission. Every day we came home and flopped on the beds. Work is going well. We should have 2 baptisms next week and several the beginning of March. So those pictures are to come!!

Love you guys. Enjoy the pictures.

Elder Preator

Richards Bay - No more puthu!

I haven't taken any pictures with Elder Martin yet, but I will. Do not worry. And he is very fun. Probably too much fun. Let's just say he has seen Napolean Dynamite a few times and we sometimes get on a quoting spree.  #troubletwins?

He also told me that because of his dad's work they travelled a ton, and lived in the netherlands for a while, and visited like all of Europe, some of norht Africa, and he's been to utah and New York and canada and just everwhere. I'm super jealous. But yeah, this transfer is going to be way cool. We are going to work our hardest and see what happens. 

Both of us were pretty sick this last week. Between the tic bite I got, and the bad puthu and tomatos, we didn't have much time to do much missionary work....Because we were either sleeping, on the toilet or super nauseous. #firsttimesickinalongtime

Go broncos!

Love Elder Preator

 And a picture of me and all the Elders from Madagascar

This is a picture of me and Elder Eastmond