So! To pick up from last week... I had a conversation with a member (who recently returned from serving her mission in Jamaica! Yah man!) and she mentioned something called "ubuntu." Ubuntu is a word I'd heard a time or two before, but never quite understood. She explained it to me, though, and it made perfect sense. It's this sense of humanity that the African cultures have for each other. The way she was explaining it was similar to the scriptural injunction to mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comfort. When tragedy strikes a family, the whole community responds. When a child is born, the village rejoices and raises it. It's the reason that when you walk past people on the street, there's a warm smile. It's the reason it's so easy to have a conversation with complete strangers here. It's beautiful and I'm gonna miss it like crazy when I go home.
Ah... Another fantastic week in Umlazi. It's kinda crazy. All the big events for this transfer happened last week... Zone activity, MLC, zone conference, so Elder Aman'galia and I were kind of expecting the rest of the transfer to drag on a little bit... But then we blinked and it was Friday already. And thus the week happened. So! What exactly happened this week to make it fly?
Well first... Tuesday was fantastic. Your faith that people are ready to accept the gospel will shift over the course of your mission. It can rise and fall over weeks, over days, or even over hours sometimes. Tuesday our faith sky rocketed. It's so easy to find people to talk to (see first paragraph), but people that will commit and make return appointments are another story. We spent a little bit of time Tuesday following up with a couple guys we thought were just gonna be the same old song and dance... Ageko (meaning not home) or "I'm busy eish..." To our pleasant surprise, two times that day we were able to have lessons with a couple contacts that actually had a desire to learn! One of them thanks to a member! So, let's hear it for member missionary work and following up! Woo hoo!
Wednesday we got to gather the whole zone together for our zone training meeting (kinda weird to hold it after zone conference...but we rolled with it anyway!). Elder Aman'galia taught a great lesson on using the Book of Mormon, and I got to teach on one of my favorite topics... Brotherhood, unity, love, and joy. I guess it's like four topics, but they all kinda go hand in hand. We opened up the discussion of when each of us had been the happiest on mission. Where were you serving? Who was your companion? What was it that made you so happy? Almost unanimously, the answers were some form of working in unity with their companions and districts. And it's interesting, because sometimes the happiest times were the times people were facing the most challenges. I think there's something to that. Somehow, that's kinda been the theme of the Church since the early days... We love to do stuff that's really really difficult. Like travel across the whole United States in covered wagons. Or in these days, recreate travelling across the whole United States in covered wagons. And in that, we seem to find joy because we're working together. The front of my planner this transfer has the music to Come, Come, Ye Saints on it. (There's kind of a story to it... I found an ancient hymn book in Brother Bunny's place as we were going through the rubbage. The edges had been burned, but I was able to salvage a couple of the songs.) If you've got time this week, read its words, and I think you'll get the point I'm drivin' at.
So that was a good meeting. We exchanged with Margate afterwards and I got to be with Elder Chapo in Umlazi. Funny thing... Elder Chapo's been on mission as many days as I've been on months. It's crazy... There's this thing they call greenie fire, and it's what makes the new guys awesome. If everyone in the mission was as motivated as greenies are... Ah man, we'd be ready for the Second Coming by next week! So we had an awesome day working together and exchanged back the next day. Since Margate is fetching far, we met Elders Doane and Aman'galia halfway. Well, what we thought was halfway, anyway. It ended up being a lot closer to Umlazi so we ended up getting to just chill by the beach and take selfies while we waited for them. Some monkeys were watching us and the sun was setting. It was #delightful.
Mmmm... Pretty average week from then 'til Saturday. Brother Kleinjte (which is an Afrikaans word...pronounced "Klanky") and Sister Luh tied the knot, and man... Zulu weddings are something to behold! We were basically at the chapel the whole day. Oh, we had to be there early to meet the Z Man to do a baptismal interview for us... Which, bless his heart, he completely spaced on, but it ended up working out anyway. Oh! I guess this is something before I get to the wedding... So while President was doing the interview for us, we were chit chatting with Sister Z. She's so funny... She LOVES to talk about lobola, which is the African bride price. It's something that creates a lot of debate amongst members... Some say "to heck with lobola!" Others say "long live lobola!" And I think she's finally found a good middle ground. You can get rid of lobola, but it has to be replaced with something. Kind of like in the scriptures... Christ came and fulfilled the law of Moses and animal sacrifices were done away with so that we could live the higher law of coming forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And in that same sense, that's how lobola should be dealt with. You can do away with it, but a potential husband still needs to show his potential spouse's parents that he's going to be a good husband to her. As bubbly as Sister Z may be sometimes, she's a wise woman that's given this a lot of though. Elder Aman'galia and I were impressed.
So anyway, the interview went well, we said bye to the Z Man, and then it was wedding time! I've decided 100% there needs to be some sort of traditional Zulu something at my wedding. The Zulu culture is rich and beautiful and exciting and creates so much unity (again, see first paragraph). There are songs and dances that everyone knows by heart. It's just a good place to be. For us though, we were running up and down the whole time with food, plates, chairs... Whatever they needed. It was tough work. We took time for selfie breaks when we had the chance, but that wasn't often. At the end of the day, our labours were rewarded, though. After we had passed out on our thrones with non-alcoholic wine, we were blessed with leftover cool drink to take to the boarding and drink in times of thirst. Awesome end to the week.
...but that wasn't even the end. When the whole congregation had been gathered at the wedding, Bishop Magaqa and others who had been assigned gave talks. Lo and behold, we had around ten new people come to church the next day! Ah man, and they loved it! So a wedding and sharing the gospel... Does life get better than that? I submit that it does not!
I dunno how we're gonna top this last week, but somehow we'll manage. The work of Zion moves forth! Hee yeah!
Sala kahle, stay positive, love your lives my friends.
Thanda kakhulu,
iGosa Johnson
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