Playing with lion cubs in the first week

So this week has been pretty crazy! and it feels like ages since I've emailed because so much has happened. 

Friday to Monday in the MTC were really awesome. I really enjoyed the MTC and it was amazing, the week felt like it had gone by really quick, I learned so much and before I knew it I was at transfer meeting! 

My companion is Benson, he is from Utah, he is an amazing guy, hard worker, but chill and a great guy, we get on really well! He has just been out 6 weeks himself so we are two greenies :-) But Elder Benson knows the area and he also knows the local members really well which is great.

We have a car. I still need some instruction on driving South Africa style so at the moment he does all the driving until hopefully soon I can do it too. But the weirdest thing is having to get out and check every time we need to back the car (its a mission rule to avoid simple accidents), and I forget quite a bit, so we are just sitting in the car, and he doesn't say anything till I realise, it is quite comical.

So the area we cover is the town of Potchefstroom and the township is Ikageng. And I love it, it is amazing and the people here are all really nice.

I did my first bit of teaching on the first day! And we have been busy with appointments all week. Much of the work with people are slow near Christmas because many people have gone away for Christmas. Haven't done much "tracting" yet.

The members are great and i love teaching lessons. Elder Benson is great to step in if I am stuck of what to say. We already have a baptism coming up, she has been taught for months but decided to get baptised now. We also have other great people to teach.

On Friday I had my first District meeting which was amazing, and then I went on exchanges with Elder Adamson while the DL went to interview Lizel.
Have also already experienced a few things you wouldn't normally see back home. 

The heat is high which is really weird since it is so near Christmas. The weather is crazy here, the temperature is 30c and we have some crazy crazy crazy lightning storms, which are really cool. 

The rest of the time has been awesome, the local branch meet in a school just like we once used to back home which was nostalgic with the setting up and everything! And for the Christmas party we watched a devotional that was broadcasted that someone had downloaded on the computer, and then had a BBQ.... for Christmas... which was really weird but very delicious

The members are amazing, and we love them, i've been able to give some pass along cards out, i am loving my personal study time and i can't get enough of it! i wish i could study all day but we need to also put things intro practise :-) And as soon as 10pm rolls by, and we've finished planning, i jump straight into bed because the heat does make you very tired in the evenings. I do manage to steal a nap or two in the car as well. 

The branch is about 30 members, 1 young man, but they are all really nice people. We have a senior couple in our area, the Charchankos from Arizona who are the greatest people we could have ever hoped for. They are so nice and grandparent like and so very very spiritual, they come with us if we need to visit a female.

The work is progressing and all is well, I'm feeling really good. 

Went to a lion park today with my district and saw some lion cubs and held one! It was awesome and the lions were awesome! really cool


Elder Jack Jorgensen