Ay ay ay ay... This week...eh, this week has been incredible! All last weekend, I was wondering what the fetch I was needed in Newcastle for, but oh boy was I humbled and my prayers answered! Newcastle is lekker as they come. It's quiet here, which is a huge difference from Durban and Kimberley. There aren't as many people, there's never traffic, it's not hectic, and to top it all off it's safe here! In Durban and Kimberley, you had to have crazy tall gates with barbed wire and electric fences or else you'd get skebangoed. Here, I see houses that don't even have gates. I know that's not a big deal for you Utah folk, but man...that's HUGE in South Africa terms!
So the work here... Moving forward incredibly. Newcastle is a branch, and our branch president is a powerful young guy named President Mabhena. He's got a strong testimony and has been incredible in coordinating member missionary work! Our branch mission leader is Brother Bengha, and he taught the gospel principles class Sunday, and man... I think that's the most exciting investigators' class I've ever been a part of! He was so into the lesson, and everyone there was too! It's just exciting being a part of a unit that's as excited about missionary work as Elder Mukonda and I are! The Lord is hastening His work, and the members in Newcastle are stoked to be a part of it!
The members here are stellar. Lungani is one of my favorites... He's coming on splits with us this week and later on he's gonna show me how to slaughter a chicken. :) So stay tuned in the coming weeks for some lekker chicken pics.
So I should probably knock on wood saying Newcastle is so safe, because I think I may have had a close encounter with thieves earlier this week? You guys decide... So Elder Mukonda and I were printing off some pictures at a photo place in town, and a young guy walked in and asked if he could speak to me privately outside. I told him, "No...we'll just talk in here..." He kept insisting, but finally he was like, "Ok, ok, we can talk in here." Then he went into a story about how he's stranded here, how he just needs 5 rand, how he's not gonna harm me, he's not a hustler, blah blah blah... I was super uneasy about it and politely told him I didn't have anything with me. Eventually he left us, but eish... I think that could have been bad.
Elder Mukonda is FANTASTIC! He's from Zambia, and he's one of the most humble, sincere teachers I've ever met. I'm pretty sure I end up learning more from him during our lessons than the investigators do. We get along SO well and laugh all the time. And! We're learning Zulu together! Right now, mina kuluma isiZulu kancani, which means I only speak a little Zulu, but by the time we're finished we're gonna be Zulu warriors. Watch out, Newcastle!
The work is great and I'm as happy as I've ever been! With transfers as hectic as they've been, I'm so glad I ended up here and I know I'm here for a reason. Here's to the next 5 weeks to 6 months I'll be here! You just never know with Big Z... Stay positive, love your lives my friends. Sala kahle.
Much love,
Elder Johnson
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