You know how it's a horrible idea to go to the grocery store when you're hungry? Aight cool, here's the situation. We had a dinner appointment Saturday, a lunch appointment Sunday, and another dinner appointment Sunday... Being fast Sunday, we just decided to fast from Sunday night to Monday night. Seemed like a lekker solution!...until we hit the grocery store today to do our shopping. Ayayay... We were starving, and foods I had never even noticed before were trying to seduce me into buying them. Well brothers and sisters, it worked. So on the plus side, I'm going to be enjoying curry and plenty of delicious fruits and cereals this week. On the downside, I'm gonna have to be super careful with my allotment. Here's to fiscal responsibility!
Stellar week! Where to begin... Tuesday! Or Dinsdag, as the Afrikaaners call it. Our car had a bearing that was toasted, so we had to take it in to get serviced the whole day. Sounds like a downer, but turned out to be a blessing. Lack of a car gives you the chance to work and sweat and walk all day like the real missionaries we are. We had appointments that were FAR from each other, and it gave me and Elder Mukonda time to build companionship unity as we walked...and walked...and walked... He's helping me to learn the area, so he gives streets names that are easy to remember. There's one that had a huge flaming dumpster a week or so back. So he tells me, "You see this street? This is where the dumpster fire was. We shall call this street Burning Bush." Haha... Great times. Plus! I walking gives you a chance to talk to so many more people than if you're on your bum in the car all day! Wednesday was back to normal, and as much as I'm saying I love walking... Having a car is lekker.
Man, missionary work is awesome though. We saw a family this week called the Arens, and they've been coming to church when they get the chance. Their kids LOVE primary, Sister Herrington is going to start teaching one of them piano, the ma really enjoys that "society thing after Sunday school." Haha, man... It's families like them that just make sharing the gospel so enjoyable and rewarding! It's tough sometimes to find that golden family, but when you do... It's nirvana for your spirit. I'm so happy they found their way to the church.
A lot of missionary work is about being in the right place at the right time, too. We're teaching a family right now that Elder Mukonda found with his last companion. How did they find them? Well Elder Mukonda's from Zambia, and he heard some Zambian music playing across the street from our boarding. So, he went to go talk to them and they became friends right off the bat! I guess the wife is from the same town in Zambia as him. Act on spiritual promptings to talk to people, my friends... You never know who you're going to find that's prepared!
And then just to add to all the great things happening in Newcastle, I got a text from Elder Reeves in Kimberley this weekend telling me that one of the people we're teaching there is getting baptized this coming week! Ah man, I can't even tell you how happy that made me. Sometimes you're called somewhere simply to plant seeds in people's hearts, and the missionaries that are called there after you are called to continue nourishing and helping them progress.
The ward is great, the leaders are great, the members are stellar... Man, Newcastle is stellar. So happy to be serving here! A couple quick stories before I finish up. So we drive on the other side of the road here, and the other side of the car, which actually took more getting used to than the road... So much even, that just a couple days ago I tried to get in on the American side. -______- You'd think after 8 months I would learn. Ay... And then I sent a video this week of my new best friend Bella. Now Bella is a dog that stays in between our boarding and the Herringtons. She's no more than a foot tall, but she is absolutely vicious, and I think she's trained to come bark and snarl and growl at the missionaries as they pass on their way home. Little does Bella know, if she wasn't behind a gate, she would have been drop kicked to the moon by the missionaries years ago.
Oh! One more thing...a little Zulu lesson! So we're going to learn "sala kahle" today. "Sala kahle" means "stay well" and is the typical goodbye in Zulu land. I think the "hl" sounds is my favorite Zulu sound to make. If you've seen the movie Ice Age, you know how Sid the sloth talks. He'll pronounce it "Shid the Shloth," and the "shl" at the beginning of sloth is how "hl" in Zulu sounds... Does that even make sense? I dunno. I'll let ya'll play around with that for this week. :)
Sala kahle my friends!
Umdala Johnson
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