All is going well, the work is moving, people are being taught and people actually came to church!!! It was a miracle!! But amazing
So an interesting experience that we had last Monday was we were trying to help answer the questions of one of our investigators but he wasn't really satisfied, so last week Sunday I decided to give him a gospel principles book, and amazingly when we went last Monday it really helped him to answer his question! So that was awesome to see.
I am loving the advent calendar!! The chocolate in the morning is very satisfying, but the best part is the small messages, they make me feel really nice!
The package! It was a packet of Yorkie bars and a big UK flag :)) So I have the big UK flag on the wall at the head of my bed he he. Don't know what my companion thinks.
So to start with the release date! So I managed, using my charismatic skills, to get Sister Larson (the senior couple in the office) to tell me my release date! And it is marked down as the 14th of November, which is actually the Tuesday in week 5 of the transfer (assuming the transfers remain as they are) So on my actual visa page, the guy stamped it, it says: "Valid until 2017-11-18" So :3 I think it is because it was issued on the 19/10/2015, they count 25 months from then... I don't know :3 sooooo it'll be like 12 days before the actual 2 year mark But it is still something like 300....40 days or something :P
Yes! Spending Christmas in Soweto... and to be honest, most of the people here have no idea that it's Christmas time, or so it seems. I think it's because people are preparing to braai more than anything else. Plus we have reconciliation day (16th) that people are focusing on before they look to Christmas!
Too be honest Christmas is going to be pretty sweet! Our temple trip falls on the 23rd! Then we are having a mission wide devotional/activity/talent show to culminate our 100 day Book of Mormon Challenge, and to have fun I guess. Then I believe we get Christmas day off, to which I think we will be going to Roodeport to a members house to skype and stuff, one of the Elders in my district served in Roodeport and so knows people there that we could go to. But I think I'm feeling the CHRISTmas spirit!
Driving is going fine!! No accidents (yet ;) ) although this week I got very annoyed at a couple of people and had to park and walk around a little bit because i was getting mad, he he he. Oh and we drive a Chevrolet Aveo
So we went on exchanges this week. I had Elder Allen with me, and Elder Ansumana went to Pimville. It was actually a really awesome day! Everything went well and most of our appointments held actually! But Elder Allen is a really cool guy. He's from Texas, he's actually really nice and works hard, he's a bit tired, but he still works, so it's cool.
Talking about the District, things are actually going well! Things are improving, and all in all it is going well. I got Elder Allen to teach the district meeting, so it was nice and relaxed for me because I didn't have to prepare much!
And I already have an idea for the next district meeting this week, which actually came to me last Friday when I was resting after 'exercising' he he. So that is pretty nice.
So on Tuesday, we got to go to the mission tour. So we received some training from Elder Ellis, one of the area seventy, and he's actually a really cool guy, he is a fantastic teacher and gave some really good advice! So it was awesome. It was very funny too because I was sitting next to 3 guys that are very funny! he he, it was me, Elder Allen, Elder Mano'o, Elder Jennings and me! so it was sweet!
We also had some leadership training, which mainly focused on how to be good leaders and leading by example as well. Some of the best advice was "Be hard on yourself, be lenient with others" and then "We are leaders, not managers"
Thursday was probably the best day of the week. After a stressful morning and a bit of a miracle, me and Elder Benson made it on time to the temple to attend the sealing of Sidney and Lizel (from my first area). And they picked us to be the witnesses!!! (So it was good we made it on time)
It was beautiful and I loved the sealing, it was very simple which I like. The words used were nice. But all in all it was an awesome experience and it was wonderful to see them again!
Lizel is also expecting their baby in 2 weeks!
So I'm coming home on the 14th of November, I think, but we shall see, because it will probably change, it's just an accurate estimate!
Church went okay, decided to help out the choir and sing (not very well) and then the funniest part was they needed us to pass the sacrament so we were sitting, meeting had started... then 2 investigators walk in!! Ah we sat next to them afterwards!
AH I need to tell you. So they meet in the same building, but we start at 9 and they start at 11. Anyway they had a baptism! My first baptism interview!! I fasted, and it went pretty well. Anyway, I send them a text asking if they filled the font. I managed to (inbetween classes) get one of the Elder's attention during sacrament, motioned to him to look at his phone, and when he saw my text he got really shocked and turns out they hadn't!! So luckily we managed to fill it all up before their service even ended! So that could have been disastrous!
So that was my week!
Love you
Jack
