3 Months!

Well as you can see from the title it has been 3 months!  So crazy.  I'm finally done with 12 week training.  My goodness I'm so happy to be done with that.  But I am excited for the upcoming transfer!  We got the news yesterday that I am training a new missionary named Elder Thomas!!! Gonna be so dope.  Elder Till left this morning to Kwekwe and he will be the district leader that side!  But yes I will be a trainer in the same area in which I was trained, Marimba and Mufakose.  I'm happy I get to stay in the same house and I don't have to pack up and head out.  Also, I have been assigned to drive!  So I think today or tomorrow someone will teach me how to drive stick.  Lol as if that wont be the most embarrassing thing ever, getting taught how to drive, pffff.  But it will be good! Hopefully I will be able to spend all my first 6 months in this area because I love it!  The members here are so cool and the area has a lot of potential! 

So for the next couple days I honestly have no idea what is going to happen.  Because of the transfers, and the uncertainty when the new elders will get here, not even our zone leaders know what is going to happen.  So from now on, I'm just playing everything by ear.  Hopefully the new guys will get here on Wednesday so we can get to work! 

This week we were teaching a girl named Kudzi and she's like 19 or something and is super smart and she is really interested in the church but her parents are super Roman Catholic so they are very strict and make her go there.  But the other day during one of our lessons, we asked her if she believed the Book of Mormon was the word of God and she said yes and explained how it told her things she needed to know right then and is already teaching her so much!  We are really excited for her!  Her cousins are members and they told us they have ideas how we can soften the hearts of her parents so we have a lot of hope for her.

So there's this guy named Nodia and for the longest time we thought he was a member because he works for the church and we have seen him at the mission office a few times. But the other day he came to church and was like, "Okay guys.... so I need to get baptized."  And we were like "..... wait what?!" hahaha and then we found out he wasn't a member but really wanted to get baptized because he knows this church is true and he said he wants to get married and then baptized on the same day with his wife!  So we have 2 more baptisms added to our plans for this next month!  Super exciting! 

We also had a referral from some other elders in the mission a week ago, and one of the days we didn't know what to do and I suggested that we could go see this referral and Elder Till was like ehhh okay why not.  So we go to the address and find her and her name is Mary Dowa. And we got to know her a little bit and she said her sister got baptized in another city like a week ago.  Then we started to share a spiritual thought and we somehow got to the topic of prophets and she was like, "Oh there are wayyy to many prophets here and they are all false and there is so much confusion today in the world" We then went on the tell her that there is only one true prophet and she totally accepted the idea and asked who it was.  Then Till was like, "We wont make it too easy for you but we want you to find it out"  And then I asked her, "So when you find out who the true prophet is, what will you do?"  And She said, "Well of course I would follow him"  (Inspired answer amiright?)  and then she brought up the topic of baptism and she was asking about that so we answered her questions and we were getting so excited about her and then out of nowhere she was like, "So yeah next week I am going to South Africa for a month.  and I am usually only in Zim for a week or two at a time."   ....... dreamz crushed haha.  But it was such an inspired lesson and she was actually praying right when we got there.  So I really hope this one works out and then the future missionaries will teach her.  Really cool to see how the Lord has prepared people for us!

Well this concludes my thoughts for the week.  Hope you all had a wonderful week and that everything is going great.  Love you all and you all continue to stay in my prayers

Stay steady

Shakanaka

-Elder Anderson

SAHARA

No, I was not in the Sahara Dessert but it was freaking hot this week.  I still have no clue about Celsius so I'm not sure how hot it was but it was hot.  Even when its overcast, its hot haha. Ahhh man I love it.  Sweating like nobodies business haha.

This week was just short of super frustrating haha.  We had so many lessons planned and had countless inspired ideas and scriptures planned for our investigators and we barely had any lessons this week.  The majority of the lessons were with very active recent converts so they weren't too exciting.   We had days where we would have lessons fall through and even try all our back-up plans and even they weren't around.  And Saturday was the worst day because we had like 8 lessons planned with 9 backup plans and we only had 3 lessons, two of them weren't even planned.  It has been so frustrating setting up appointments with tons of people and then having a lot planned for them and they they aren't around or they are too tired or are busy cooking sadza, (which is the most consistent excuse we hear haha).  But nonetheless, we are still trucking and trying to find new people to teach.  I think yesterday we went through our investigators and dropped like 5 of them because they were never around and its becoming a waste of the Lord's time to try to see them. 

Despite the rough times this week, yesterday was a good day.  In the words of Spawnbreezy, "Its gonna be a good day after all".  At church we had 8 referrals from the ward, we scheduled 3 appointments with new investigators who all want to be baptized and we even had a lesson with a new investigator during one of the blocks!  It was a refreshing change of tone for the week.  Its always really cool to see someone bring a friend to church and then they ask us to teach them and they're excited to learn more.  The work with the help of the members is crazy good. 

On top of a more than wonderful day at church, right after the third hour we went to the Muchekwa family's home and they showed us how to make sadza!!  This is the same family who cooked my first native plate of sadza.  And it is actually super easy to cook, but its tough on your arms.  I have mad respect for the mamas that cook it every day!  They're freaking strong haha.  I'm excited to make some for all of you at home.  So good. While, we are on the subject of sadza, I feel like I'm missing something when I go a day without sadza.  So its progressively becoming my staple food as well haha.  That's all I'm going to eat in college.

So I love the wards we serve in.  Every member is always happy to help us with lessons or to introduce us to their friends and they are so loving and helpful.  The second counselor in the bishopric is Brother Chikenge and he teaches with us sometimes and he's so dope.  The other day when we were walking around trying to find someone to teach, he was asking me about what music I used to listen to and to my surprise, we found out we listen to the same exact music and I was so happy haha.  He's super chill and he's a powerful teacher.  All the people here are powerful. 

Funny story. So the kids here love talking to us in English, even if they just scream the word "Yes" at us, they find joy and excitement in the experience of talking english at a white person.  And usually a group of kids will see us and then they form a circle and decide to volunteer someone as tribute to be the elected on to utter some kind of English words to us.  So the other day it was the same old story and the elect one came running at us and right as he was about to say his first English words to a white man, I interrupted him and said, "Ayyyee murisei shamwari?!"  (which means how are you my friend). And the look on his face was priceless, he was so confused hahahaha and his friends were all dying laughing haha Elder Till and I were also laughing pretty hard.  The kids sometimes will be like, "ahh you arent white, you speak shona!" hahah I love the kids here.

So next week we have 1 baptism and the following week we might have some but I'm not sure.  We had a lot of people planned for the 18th but they were either never around or they wouldn't come to church.  Rough.  But yeah the work is progressing slowly right now. 

Okay so to clear any confusion I find it fit to explain to all the readers that missionary work here is straight up different.  For example:

-Baptisms are easy to find but less actives are simultaneously abounding 

-I teach 90% of my lessons under mango trees

-We never call to confirm appointments because most will say they are busy or will want to reschedule so we just show up haha

-We don't place Books of Mormon because people will just take it and then throw it away or something so we give pamphlets instead

-We are authorized by Pres. Mkhabela to leave the area at 6 if we have no appointments

-Minor disobedience issues are usually not a big deal to President because even he wants us to have fun.  Although he still gives fire if missionaries get out of hand.

-Everyone says yes so its hard to find out if people are jing or straight.

-We lose power about once every two weeks

-All the cars are falling apart

And many more things that I couldn't mention at this time.  Africa is amazing but just different. I love it.  Its also funny because some of the things in Preach My Gospel weren't made for Africa haha but its okay.  President still wants us to be PMG missionaries and its still possible but things are just done differently here.  Its so cool!

This morning we didn't have power and it cut out midway through us doing laundry, so I used the cleanest water I had and put some soap in a bucket and washed my hair and that was my shower for today haha. 

Also, we had 122 contacts this week.  Whaaattttt yes 122.  super cool. 

Well this concludes Weekly Update from yours truly.  Sorry I don't have any cool experiences or pictures this week but times are difficult in the area!  We have had progressing investigators that all of the sudden dont understand anything and are having all of these questions and concerns so its been frustrating but we are looking forward to this next week.  Mission is good.  I love you all and like always, you stay in my prayers.  All is well in Harare.

Stay Steady Grindin

Shakanaka  (Its all good)

Tonana   (See you later)

Cordially, 

-Elder Anderson

God is Great, Sadza is Good, Africa is Crazy!

What more can I say after such a divinely booming way of titling a weekly email. My goodness i think I might as well just slap my name on this and send it off. haha kidding. I hope you all had a wonderful week and hope some of you are still celebrating the triumphant victory of my New England Patriots.

First thing I want to say is that I met a General Authority this week!  Elder Ellis of the 70 was in Harare this week doing a Mission Tour and going to the different zones, for zone conference and he came to ours last Thursday!  We all got to shake is hand and introduce ourselves to him and to my surprise, this guy is straight up from none other than Burley Idaho.... what... are the odds haha super cool!  But yeah at the conference we received training from Elder Ellis and his wife and from our beloved mission president and his wife.  Elder Ellis completely broke down who God is and what he does for us and it was so dope.  And then he expanded the roles of us, the Holy Ghost, and God and then related all of them and it was super cool.  He then discussed exactly how the spirit works and totally simplified and went really deep into how it works, how we can use it and how we can always be ready to fell it.  This guy is amazing.  And then he left us with his witness that God lives, Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith saw God and His Son, and the Book of Mormon is true.  And it was so powerful to here those words uttered by someone of his respected position.  We here these testimonies all the time from apostles and the prophet in general conference but to be in person and to be working so closely with a general authority made it way cooler.  His wife and Sister Mkhabela gave great talks to but I want to talk about what President Mkhabela said.  He advised us to focus on two things.  Trusting in the Lord, and being happy.  He showed us how many times in the scriptures it talks about happiness and trusting in the lord and being not afraid but of good cheer. Really cool.  Plus, I'm pretty sure he used the exact words of the one, and the only, Bob Marley by counseling, "Dont worry, Be happy"  wow.  The scriptures basically tell us the same thing.  Bob Marley was an inspired man... haha kidding.  But yes that phrase, "dont worry, be happy" is almost always in me head now and I have been so happy recently.  This conference was dope. 

On top of the conference, the work is also dope.  This week we had 2 baptisms!  Shylet and Joyce!  Two sisters that are going to be strong members!  Elder Till got to baptize them and we both participated in the confirmations yesterday and it was so cool to do that.  We didn't give the blessing but even just being in the circle we were able to feel the spirit.  Always cool to worthily use the power and authority of God amiright? 

So Joyce is a super funny woman and always jokes with us and is super sarcastic so the day before her baptism we stopped by her place and asked if she was ready and she was like, "guys I'm sad because I'll be busy tomorrow and wont make it" and then after we felt super bad for a minute she told us she was joking hahaha. So at church yesterday, I saw her and said, "Look, so we found out that we have to baptize you again because the way we did it wasn't correct" and then she was super concerned and started asking me questions about it and I told her I was kidding and she started laughing so hard hahahaha it was awesome and then she was like "Ahhhh Iwe!" (Iwe means "you") hahah got her. She's so funny. She always messes with us.

We have a by week this weekend for the 11th but on the 18th, we have already 1 baptism scheduled with the hope of giving that date to 4 or 5 other people!  Our goal for this transfer is to have 12 baptisms and so far we are at 7! And its only half over! So exciting!  

Alright story time.  So we have been teaching this man named Alfonso, who was actually started taking lessons with Elder Till and his previous companion before I got here.   I'm still not certain which church he goes to but he is very Christian and believes only in the Bible.  And he is a hard investigator. This guy has so many questions and ideas that are pretty far off but he has so much potential!  In the past couple lessons we have been able to slightly confound him with powerful verses in the Bible (that he strictly believes in) that contradict his own ideas.  Pfff these guys just dont get it sometimes.  But yeah Alfonso is continuing to progress slowly and last lesson he said something so cool!  Towards the end of us reteaching him the Restoration lesson, he said, "yeah maybe you guys are a sign from God that I need to join the church and maybe this is my chance to accept your message."  .......We like had to check our ears if we heard him right hahha but sadly these profound words were followed by a lot of "maybe's" and him doubting his thoughts which was slightly disappointing but he continued to say he wants to find out if it is true and we told him the only way he would find out is if he read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it and then committed him to do so.  This guy has mad potential.  Exciting!

The hard thing about this mission is marriage.  The cultural way to marry someone is by the man paying he wifes family a crap ton of money and then everyone recognizes the couple as husband and wife.  I think the whole process is called Lebola. (Not to be confused with the deadly disease Ebola lol)  But yes we find a lot of really strong investigators who desperately want to be members but they aren't legally married and the family wont budge when they try to set up a legal marriage, even when we offer then the free service that the church can do.  It is a struggle and disappointing because we have at least 10 families that we teach right now, that all have to be married before we can baptize them.  But when we tell them this, they suddenly are no longer interested.  Its hard but nonetheless we are continuing to "teach repentance and baptize converts"!  Which is our mission motto basically.  haha so despite some struggle, all is well.

So the mold in our apartment came back hahaha.  its freaking everywhere but we are getting it taken care of this next week I think. 

My comp is so dope. Last night we got home and had a discussion about super deep doctrine and it was so cool.  And we are getting to be really good friends and I'm growing to love that guy.  So in Shona, "Pakaipa" means dangit or something like that and Elder Till says it so much that everyone in our area and most people in the ward call him "Pakaipa" hahaha its hilarious

I have eaten Sadza so many times this week.  Elder Till and I found a little shack in a big mess of shops in our area that sells a sadza dish for $1 and it is so amazing.  Sadza is so good.  My mouth is watering as I'm writing about it right now haha.  Man its so nice.  I think we are going to have a member teach us how to make it so I can make it for the fam when I come home! 

Here are some Shona words for your entertainment

Maitabasa - Thank you

Murise - How are you

Tonana - Good bye

diri Bho - Its okay/ I'm okay

Mamoca se - Good Morning

Masuera se - Good Afternoon

Its fun the speak a little Shona to these people because they all laugh at us all the time haha. And then they don't understand us when we speak english so they tell us to speak shona and then they laugh at us again hahahahaha ahhh man its funny though. 

Sorry I don't have powerful conversion stories or super spiritual things that happened but trust me the work is progressing and we have a lot of hope for the future.  Being a missionary is so cool.  My full time job, with my only break being Mondays, is to invite others to change their lives and come unto Christ.  During the Mission Tour Conference, Sister Mkhabela said that we know more about Jesus Christ than anyone in the world!  How amazing is that?  Its so fun to walk around with that knowledge that we are right, that this church is true, and that we KNOW Christ and proudly wear him on our chests every day.  It makes me laugh when people say we are wrong haha. I love being a part of this work and seeing the spirit work within the people we teach.  It is also cool the see the reward and blessings from following the promptings of the spirit and to feel my mouth be filled with the words the Lord would have me speak.  For me, the presence of the Holy Ghost in my life is directly related to my happiness.  And right now I am incredibly happy and I do not want to leave this place.

I love you all and you all continue to stay in my prayers.  May we all constantly build our testimonies and continue to learn more about God and Jesus Christ.  Because how can we have faith and trust in someone we don't know?  I want to leave you with my testimony that I know without a doubt that this church is true and is God's kingdom here on Earth in these latter days.  I know that the Atonement is real and I have felt it in my life.  I know that Jesus is the Christ and that God lives and that they love us so much and everything denotes their presence and this divine love. 

Again. Love you all.

Stay happy.

Stay Steady Grindin'

Bho Bhoo

-Elder Anderson

Okay picture time.

Joyce and Shylet!  the newest members of the church!

So this is Mama again on the far left but the guy on the right by Till is the Ward Mission Leader in the Marimba Ward.  He's the one that told us to call him Rasta Man lol this guy is so chill.  Also, his fiance is Joyce,  the one being baptized that is standing closest to me in the picture

Just a typical thing we see here lol.  This is how the kombis fit so many people in them, just shove them where ever they'll fit.  After took this picture, the guy opened the back and waved at us and gave us a thumbs up haha