Sometimes the sweetest times of your life are the shortest, and that's what my time in Stanger's lookin' like. When our phone started ringing during General Conference on Saturday and I saw President Zackrison's name, I knew exactly what was happening. Elder Mphaka and I were really hoping to stay together another transfer, but I guess all good things must eventually come to an end. Man... Stanger. KwaDukuza. The first month here was one of the most stressful times on mission, what with opening a closed area without a car and everything, but I don't think I've learned or grown as much as that time. The members here are few, but the few are powerful, and I've grown to love them so much in the three months I've been here. It's gonna be sad leaving, but hey...that's just how it goes sometimes. Big Z told me I'll be a zone leader in Umlazi, which is a huge township just outside Durban. There are two wards there right now, with 12 missionaries between the two unites, and the goal is for there to be three, and eventually for Umlazi to split off and become a stake... So there is work for us to do! Good times lie ahead!
You ever played two truths and a lie? Here's how it works... I tell you three things. Two of them are true and one of them is a lie. You decide which one is a lie. Ready? Ok, number one... Our iron burst into flames this week. Number two... We were finally able to have a sober conversation with the mlungu in the township while sober, and as it turns out he's a long-time inactive member that's wanting to sort his life out! Number three... Remember the guy last week that made the comment about stealing customers? We were able to visit him and were pleasantly surprised to see in him a humble man wanting to find joy in life.
I'll tell you the answer at the end! No cheating and scrolling to the bottom!
All in all, this was a great last week in Stanger. I think as a district, we found the missing ingredient in our efforts to talk with everyone and their dog. For our lesson at district meeting, we discussed the question "How can people recognize us as servants of our Heavenly Father?" The answer is simple: show them that you love them. As Christ taught in the book of John, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Love is the missing ingredient. So we made a goal to show love to all those we talk to.
Got to exchange with Elder Mackie in Phoenix on Tuesday, which is always a blast! We painted a member's house yellow. If you need a yellow house, just hit us up. That took most of the day, but we got some teaching in there as well. We delivered a DVD to someone who had requested one, and it turned out the guy was very happily active in his own church. Nice meeting him though. While I was with Elder Sieverts last week, we had a lesson with a sister named Kay, who's super into reading the Book of Mormon and learning from the missionaries and everything, but she hasn't come to church yet... As heart-breaking as it is sometimes, we can't spend time with people that aren't going to progress in that sense, so we told her that we'd schedule our next teaching appointment when she came to church. Well, she just sort of laughed it off and assumed they'd be back for their regular appointment on Tuesday. She ended up calling us that day to cancel the appointment because she had to be somewhere... And Elder Mackie and I just kinda looked at each other scratching our heads, wondering how you could cancel an appointment that we didn't even schedule... But it ended up working out alright. I sincerely hope she can be able to fully accept the gospel in the future. Her testimony's there...she just needs to take that next step! Finished up the night with the Pillay family again. Great, great guys.
We met a brother named Navin this week who runs a little stand outside the Spar by our boarding selling toilet paper. You wouldn't think you could make a living selling toilet paper on the street, but I guess stranger things have happened! He's super friendly and is a recovering alcoholic. He's been doing AA for a while and his been sober I think he said for a few years... Woot woot! As we talked to him some more, we found out his family's Hindu. I asked what the Hindu belief is about the afterlife and stuff, and he went on to say he's not too sure... But the thing that stuck out most to me was that he said he "prays to the God of his understanding." Meaning to me that he's humble enough to recognize there's stuff he doesn't know, and hopefully we can be the ones to provide that for him. Well, Elder Mphaka and his new companion anyway!
The Tembos are still great as ever! I'm super bummed I'm gonna miss their baptism in a couple weeks... But it'll be a good experience for Elder Mphaka's new companion! Oh, I don't know if I mentioned this... But Elder Mphaka's training next transfer! So that'll be exciting for him! Anyway, we popped by the Tembos I think...Friday night? Yeah! We were gonna have a lesson on the priesthood, auxiliaries, callings, all that jazz... And invite them to conference! But when we walked in, we saw Bright laying on the bed, not looking too well. I guess he'd been a bit sick this week, and his eye looked swollen. We figured it would probably be best to keep our visit short, so we condensed the lesson and just taught a bit about the priesthood and gave him a blessing. He's doing better. They weren't able to come to conference on either Saturday or Sunday, but we popped by their place again on Sunday and he looked much more energetic and less swollen. Let's hear it for the priesthood!
Ezron ended up getting a job this week, which we're stoked for him about! He's been looking and looking since we started teaching him, and he finally found one at that restaurant in Ballito we ate at as a district for my birthday last month. He's working crazy hours... Something like starting at 3 AM to make deliveries. Crazy stuff.
I think I figured out why I love Sister Moodley so much... It's because she's an Indian grandma version of Aubrey West! It totally hit me this week... They have the EXACT same personalities! We were having lunch with her this Friday, which happened to be the 21st anniversary of her baptism! She was so excited... Started telling us all these stories about her kids and her husband, and her faith that one day her extended family will accept the gospel too. She bought us ice cream and chocolate bars and kept throwing her hands up in the air she was so excited! I don't remember the context exactly, but at one point she said, "I'm going to the Celestial Kingdom! Who's coming with me?!" We all laughed and shouted for joy!
Welp, new adventures lie ahead... Elder Okeng and I are gonna tear Satan up in Umlazi. Super stoked for everything that lies ahead. It's time to rest for a season from Indians and curry... But hey, we got to celebrate Diwali this week. Fireworks and sweet meats. What better departing gift could you ask for? Merry Diwali to all, and to all a goodnight!
Sala kahle. Stay positive. Love your lives.
Much love,
Umdala Johnson
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