Shared 1/26/15 - Umlazi - Maggots, a Gecko, and a Baptism

When the electricity is off..the maggots flourish

 A gecko

A baptism...

This week on Dirty Jobs...

Sanbonani!

Eish... When they send you on a mission, they don't tell you EVERYTHING you're getting yourself into. Like there was nowhere in my call letter that said, "You might be working in a threesome for two weeks while your companion is at the PMTC. You might forget to buy electricity for your boarding while you're living at the other guys' boarding, so it just might run out. If it does, the refrigerator will turn into a biome for maggots to start growing. They will feed on all the moldy food and it will emit the most foul and offensive odour you've ever smelled. You'll have to clean it up if that's the case." So that's what we did last week, and our boarding's been lingering with the faint, yet noticeable aroma of air freshener mixed with dead maggots ever since. Welcome to mission.

Ah... But otherwise, things have been just peachy this week. I was kinda nervous heading into it, but hey... There's something about praying, working hard, and following the counsel of family and friends that can really help alleviate your fears. Monday night Elder Paige and I were talking with Brother Mervin. He's the landlord of the other boarding in Chatsworth, and he's also the Young Men's President in the Chatsworth ward. He served a mission to Kenya a little more than 20 years ago, and man... He must have been an incredible missionary. We talked and chatted for a while, and he just gets missionary work. He was talking about how one of the most important things (if not THE most important thing) on mission is the spiritual welfare of the missionaries. We talked about how great President Zackrison is for doing everything he can to keep elders on missions. People would be surprised at many of things people have done within our mission and not been sent home. But President sees the bigger picture. Brother Mervin too. Crazy enough, as we were talking, we received a call from the Assistants about a wayward elder we had to go tend to. But with those words from Brother Mervin, I hope we were able to do what the Lord needed us to do.

It's been a joy working with Elder Aman'galia this week. He's from Kenya, and crazy enough... His trainer was Elder Okeng! I was with the father, and now I'm with the son. Oh the irony... But things have been good. We taught some great lessons. Did some good finding. Had a lot of investigators at church. And Elder Paige was even able to make it down for Sne's baptism!

Ah, I think one of the highlights of the week... We've been teaching a brother named Sizwe. Elder Rowley and Elder Paige had found him the week before I was with him, and I guess the first time they met with him he said he has his church and he wasn't going to join ours. So they taught him about the Book of Mormon. He was weary of it at first, but he was telling us this week that he's been reading it and has been touched by the Spirit -- he sees the goodness and truth in it. We read 3 Nephi 11 with him, and there was something in his face... I think often times when we tell people that God visited a 14 year old boy or that Jesus visited ancient America, a red light goes off in people's minds. But man... Sizwe was mesmerized. It's... I dunno, it's cool to see the Spirit working on someone. And to top it all off, afterwards we were talking... On the back of all my planners I have a different band's name. This transfer's has U2 on it. So he asked me if I liked U2, and I said, "Yeah... Do you?" He didn't, but he told me he was more a punk rocker... Green Day, Blink-182, Simple Plan and the sorts... My mouth dropped. Most people in South Africa just listen to bogus house music... But he actually has good taste in music!!! So we bonded over that. Ah. It was a good lesson. He ended up inviting himself to church too. He didn't make it... But we're hopeful for the future.

I've been studying a lot from Alma lately. I've been reading about their mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites, and uh... I've learned a few things. (Imagine that!) One thing I've noticed is that even back then, it was never the prideful that accepted the gospel. They didn't go to the wealthy or the upper class... They went to those who were thrown out of the synagogues. They went to those who were hurting. They went to those who, in one way or another, were humble. It's never been the prideful that have been the elite. Brother Mervin was telling us as well that when his parents joined the Church, they had almost nothing. They were poor, starving, and didn't know how they were going to make it. But the Lord sent a couple missionaries to find them and bring them into the warmth of the gospel. I'm becoming more and more convinced that the ones we're looking for fall into that category... Those whom are either compelled to be humble or are humble of their own accord. Those are the ones who will recognize us as the Lord's servants. And we're recognize them.

That being said, I think I've had a couple humbling experiences this week. When you're a perfectionist, you try your best to do everything right. And with mission, it's impossible. There are so many things to worry about. Finding people to teach... Teaching with boldness... Being friends to those you teach... Helping those you teach to find friends at church... Worrying about your own spiritual welfare... Watching over a zone... Being obedient... Working hard... Working with members... Eating right... Working out... The list goes on and on! And if you take on too many things all at once, you'll overwork yourself and break down. So you have to focus your efforts on a couple things at once. But, you have to rely on the Spirit to help you know which things those are... I think I've been trying too hard to focus on the things I feel are important, and not necessarily what the Lord thinks are important. I felt bad about that at church when I realized I wasn't helping the investigators there feel as welcomed as they could have. Eish... But at the same time, the Atonement's for us missionaries as well. Repent and do better the next time.

But all in all... Great week. Sne Mcanyana's baptism went well. It was Elder Paige's first time baptizing, and uh... It mighta taken him three times to finally dunk her right, but in the end, we had a good laugh over it.

Good things lie ahead. Might be moving this week. MLC for sure tomorrow. Let the gooooood times roll.

Sala kahle, stay positive, and love your lives my friends.

Much love,

Umdala Johnson

Shared 1/19/15 - Beach painting, food, helping, and good bye's to those leaving

 Painting bought

 Homemade mutton bunny chow...quarter loaf of bread filled with curry.

 Our friend's house burned...helping clean up the mess.

 Good bye to companion...heading back to Uganda.

"You know, we've got a good thing goin', and I don't wanna see it end."

Sanbonani!

Ah... We said goodbye to some greats yesterday. First off, I've never seen another missionary die as strong as Elder Rowley. Saturday night, he tells Elder Paige and I, "Guys... I have to say that I tracted my last day on mission. Before we go to our lunch appointment tomorrow, we have to knock on at least a couple houses." And that we did! I think we were planning on knocking on two doors, but weren't finding success... I think Rowley and I said, "One more house!" five or six times before Elder Paige finally put his foot down and told us we're going to get lunch. Haha... Jolly good fun! But it's been fun serving with him. Transfers... Ah, it's always the end of something great, and the start of something new. You never quite know what lies ahead. But I'll worry about the future later... Let's rewind to the beginning of the week...

So last Monday! Elder Rowley had served in Chatsworth, so we spent the majority of the day after emailing saying goodbyes this side. I think I mentioned that last week, and yes... I did get to play the drums! Hurrah for Israel! But man, crazy enough... The first person on the list to visit was Brother Bunny, and Elder Rowley got a call from after emailing that his house had caught fire earlier that day. We rushed over and found his whole top floor destroyed. I'm not sure exactly how it started, but man... Everything was consumed. Brother Bunny was handling it pretty well on the outside...joking around and keeping everyone entertained, but you could tell he was hurting. We recruited the rest of the missionaries in Umlazi and spent our mornings there helping with cleanup the rest of the week. It was sad... Decades of collections were lost. Amongst the rubble we found ancient Books of Mormon, priesthood manuals, dishes, clothes, material... Ay, no bueno. But at the same time, it was comforting to see how quickly the members and missionaries were able to rally up their support in his time of trouble. #TGFHT... Thank goodness for home teachers...? Yeah we'll roll with it!

This last week was a little rough on my part as well. Between a few unment expectations, some of my favorite missionaries going home, and others getting transferred away, I've felt a bit lonely and worrisome about what's coming up this next transfer. But it seems that the Lord's promise of the Holy Ghost as the comforter is real. Sometimes, the Lord compels us to be humble. Other times, we must humble ourselves. Regardless of how it happens, the Lord requires humility if we are to learn, grow, and progress. Despite all the challenges this week, our lessons were amongst the most spiritual I've been apart of. I'd never been in tears during a lesson until this Saturday. We were teaching a sister named Amanda, and her family is against her joining the church. She's had a tough past, never really knowing if God is there... Kind of having a skeptical mind, which I could relate to. I ended up sharing my testimony with her of God's plan for us, His character, and His personality... He being our loving Heavenly Father who always has his arms reached out to us in our times of struggle. It was at that point that I began tearing up. I'd never had a stronger conviction that these things were true until this point... I sure hope Amanda felt the spirit there, but I believe the person who needed to hear me say those words that night...was me. The Lord brought me comfort, and he will do the same for anyone else who seeks his love.

So was I compelled to be humble this week? I believe so. I've had to put aside a number of my own desires this week and seek out what the Lord wants. His ways are not ours. Being compelled, or humbling ourselves on our own accord... Either way, the blessings of the gospel come only to those with a humble heart and who are willing to submit their all to the Lord's will.

I feel like I'm getting preachy... One to other things! Let's see... Got to see Elder Okeng one last time yesterday when we dropped Rowley off! Man... I'm gonna miss that guy. He's gonna make Sister Okeng one happy woman. So he's leaving, but at the same time it's almost like he's not leaving... For my now companion is his posterity! Elder Aman'galia is from Kenya, and he was trained by Elder Okeng. I've heard some good things, and it sounds like Elder Aman'galia and I are gonna be working hard and learning a lot from each other. Onward and onward to victory!

It's gonna be an interesting transfer though... Ten more missionaries are leaving than arriving, so five areas across the mission are closing. Two of those from Umlazi. Sadly, Elder Rowley and Elder Paige's area is closing, so Elder Aman'galia and I are going to essentially whitewash it and absorb it into ours. We're gonna be moving boardings this week...sadly, out of Chatsworth. For the first time in six months I'll be living away from the Indians... But there's still a nice chicken tikka place down the street from our boarding, so that makes everything ok.

I'm nervous for this transfer... I have a feeling this is going to be a big learning one on my part. I don't know exactly what lies ahead, but hey... It'll work out somehow :)

Sala kahle, stay positive, and love your lives my friends!

Much love,

Umdala Johnson

Shared 1/12/15 - Umlazi South Africa

Mandla, baba! MANDLA!

Sanbonani!

Man, what a week this has been! Threesomes, exchanges, polygamists, sleeping on tile floors... Livin' the dream here in Africa!

Elder Okeng's been at the PMTC all week, so Elders Rowley, Paige, and I have been working our two areas. Threesomes are usually kinda the pits... Coordinating lessons, planning, and studies with two missionaries is tough enough, but throwing a third in adds a crazy twist to the plot... But with a couple consecrated elders like Rowley and Paige, ah... This week's been one for the books.

I think it was Tuesday... We had some time to go tracting in U section, which has been relatively untouched by missionaries in the recent past. The most memorable experience of the day came at the second or third house we knocked on. The ma immediately invited us in and brought us chairs to sit on (this isn't uncommon here as it may be in other parts of the world). Eventually, baba walked in and we were able to have a conversation with him. Elder Rowley started asking about his family, and we learned that he has a whopping 27 children! Aaaaand we also learned that he has three wives. The crazy thing is that's perfectly legal here, and within the Zulu culture, it isn't uncommon. Jacob Zuma... The president of South Africa. He has about five or six wives. I mean... He's not quite Joseph Smith or Brigham Young level, but he's trying! But anyway... He told us about his children and that he can remember all their names and everything. He probably won't be joining the Church, but he took a pamphlet and we were on our merry way.

I think it was Thursday... Yep! Thursday I was on exchanges...well, not exchanges...but I was in a threesome with Elder Merile and Elder Fox in Amanzimtoti. Man, they have a cool area. It's a wealthier area, which makes it a little bit tougher for missionary work, but they're doin' some good work. They're doing a family history stand at the local library and are finding some good people through that, and heck... They're right on the beach! There's always people there, so what better place to go street contacting? That was on our schedule while I was there, and man... The longer I'm out and the more I contact, the more I'm convinced that those who are prepared for the gospel will recognize the missionaries pretty quickly as servants of Jesus Christ, and we'll recognize them. There's really not much of a need to try and be sly and trick someone into having the missionaries over. As we were walking along the beach, we passed by some stands outside with people selling their handcrafted things. One man was selling paintings, and one in particular really caught my eye. Just a simple picture of the beach with a VW Bus parked on it. Pop Pop... I'm trying to remember... I know you like buses, and I know you've told me in the past there's a specific year you like, and you can tell which year it is because of the front window being split or not... Can you remind me on that a little bit? But anyway, without even thinking, I started asking this guy about his painting, and he ended up telling us about it and his life and what he does for fun. Seems like the adventure-loving, outdoorsy type...and the craziest thing of all, he's a mlungu! Which is Zulu slang for white dude! Man, and mlungus are scary to talk to! But there we were, having a normal conversation, and eventually he was the one that asked us about our nametags, and was more than welcome to have a visit from us. Joe Steyn's his name. So that was super cool. Found an awesome dude, and even ended up with a painting out of it. Hurrah for Israel!

What else happened this week... Hmmm... It's been tough trying to find the line between being a benevolent, loving leader, and helping the missionaries to achieve the level of consecration and obedience the Lord's pushing for in this mission. Big Z has been focusing on a few specific rules we need to tighten up on lately...rules that our zone has been struggling with...so it's resulted in a lot of pondering this week. After counseling a bit with Elders Rowley and Paige, we decided to have the zone study a couple scriptures, study the hymn Come, Come, Ye Saints, and then ask each of the district leaders to discuss these passages in relation to what we need to tighten up on. I was a little nervous to see how the zone would take it, but for the most part, they handled it maturely. Elder Moyake told me, "We know what we need to do." That was a relief. There were a couple elders that were still unsatisfied, but... Eish. I guess it's impossible to please everyone. But President offered me some encouraging words this week. "Achieving the degree of personal ministry that we know we should is always hard. It will be a challenge for your whole life -- you will always recognize a gap between what you know you should or "could" be doing to minister to others (including members of your family or even your children) and what you are actually doing. But I'm convinced that as we allow this gap to rest humbly on our minds, with the attitude, "Lord, help me do my best with my assigned ministry," the Lord helps us achieve the right balance of all the things that need to be accomplished." Gotta love Big Z.

We picked up Elder Okeng this Sunday and spent the day in Umlazi with him saying some goodbyes. He was saying it's different saying goodbyes here than in other areas... Since this is his last time. Crazy stuff. I'm sure gonna miss that guy. Haha he's a nut... Usually missionaries will leave a journal for you to sign and leave a message to them as they're going, so Elder Okeng did that... But he also left us one to sign for the future Sister Okeng. So that was a fun letter to write.

What's on the schedule today... Elder Rowley's also going home next week, so we're gonna spend the rest of the day in Chatsworth saying some goodbyes. And I believe one of the investigators we're going to has a drum set... Something I haven't played in a year and a half... So I'm pretty stoked for that. And we're having FHE with their landlords tonight, who are members in Chatsworth... And by request, they're making us homemade mutton bunny chow, which is basically a quarter loaf of bread filled with curry. I'm gonna be a happy elder tonight.

Oh, one more thing before I tap out for today. I hit 18 months this week. Which means I'm no longer a sister missionary! Weeeeeeee!

Sala kahle, stay positive, love your lives my friends.

Much love,

Umdala Johnson

Shared 1/5/15 - Soccer, New Years, Carliles, and Natal Lion Park

 New Years Eve...Braai

 Indian food with the Carliles before they fly home.

 The Carliles

 More soccer this week.....

 A little sunburned

 Natal Lion Park

 Nice kitty.....

Up close and personal....

 Zebra too....