But in terms of my new companion, he's awesome!! We get along very well, a bit similar to Elder Stevenson, but he's a really cool guy, relaxed and nice to work with. The teaching together is really going well and we are able to teach in unity really well, without too much difficulty! Lots of unity!
The teaching this week has been really good, we have someone on date, Masiza, who actually came to church on Sunday even though it was new years day! But there was a bit of a mix up. Church was meant to be combined and only for 1 hour at 9. But on Friday we were visiting the second councilor and only then does he tell us that the stake president has changed it and instead we are having 3 hour church and we are starting at 11 from now on. So that was interesting, but luckily the branch was on at 9 so even the people that didn't know could still attend church. Church was interesting as always but yeah :) things seemed to have worked out okay.
I had to interview 3 people this week for baptism which was interesting, and I actually had a funny experience in doing it. So I was interviewing one lady, and she said that she was still struggling a little with coffee and so I said that it would be okay but then I had a drop in my stomach, and had to tell her different the next day which was quite interesting. But it turned out completely fine which was surprising but another thing that helped increase my faith in Heavenly Father and so that is something that is really cool.
Forgot to mention last week that we finished our Book of Mormon reading challenge as a mission, it was really awesome and I loved it so much, and so I've now decided to read it again from the beginning but now in half the time! In only 50 days, but the twist is that I'm now highlighting all the references to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in it and I am getting a lot out of it and learning so much. So all in all my most favorite thing to do is to read the Book of Mormon, and I can say that I've never read it like this before on mission. So when I think about it, my mission has done the most good for me than anything else I could ever do in the world, spiritually that is. So I never regret it and I am so thankful that I managed to stay on my mission and am now loving every minute of it! I sat outside yesterday, New Years day, and just took a moment to think a little, and I realized how much I love South Africa. I've just been here for a long time! So I think you could get used to almost any country if you stayed there long enough!Teaching has been going well, and we actually had a great experience in finding a new investigator! So we contacted this guy quite a while ago, and we only got his first name and his address, nothing else. So we went to his house a couple of times, and found out that he does live there but he wasn't home. We went back 4 times, until eventually we managed to start teaching his sister! And she is quite interested in the gospel which is really exciting.
New Year's eve we had to be in the flat by 6pm. So we did and the whole district gathered in Protea Glen's flat (because it is the nicest, cleanest etc.) and ended up playing cards, eating chocolate, and playing a couple of other simple games. The Pimville Elders left at 11, then tons of fireworks at 12, which were really loud and we just ignored it all. Finally we left at 2am!! We were really tired and didn't wake up until like 9am the next morning! he he, so the past couple of days have been much slower.
I really enjoy my mission and it's going to be weird when I come home and things are different to life here because I've got so used to the missionary life style but I am trying to be better and better every day, I think that it is working.
Being here is also showing me how thankful I am for my childhood, it was really amazing and you guys did so much for me that I didn't realize while I was at home but that I do realize now. So I thought I'd say that.
Something that came to me this week that I remembered and what I remembered that I wasn't grateful enough for back home was the fact that you used to come with me every Saturday morning for my paper round. And it was actually something that I really enjoyed and that I am very grateful for, that you would sacrifice that time to be with me so I am thanking you for that and for doing that!! Although it is like 4 years late :P
It's interesting because someone just now (we are emailing at a friends place) said that "these people were like my family". For me, this never, I think, would be something that I have had reason to say because I think that my family are one of the best in the world and I wouldn't trade them for anything else! I love you guys!
I have eaten tons of chocolate, but it isn't on my most enjoyable list! I think i'm going off it slightly, but I have eaten pretty much all of it! It was quite funny because I talked to some of the other English Elders and they'd received chocolate oranges as well! So we all talked about that!
That's pretty much it for this week! Looking forward to this week and working hard. I love you all so much and hope all is going well. I think about you all very often, and it's funny to think about last year and how my mission was then :P
Love Elder Jorgensen
