Well I guess Farmer Peterson planted enough seeds in this area that I am ready to go somewhere new! I am going to Amanzimtoti!! It is about 15 mins outside of Durban and right on the coast! Going to be so warm and sunny and fantastic! (Thanks for sending the coat mom but now I might not need it.. haha) My new companion will be Elder Gonzales who is from the states somewhere and supposed to be really really cool! I am so excited! Elder Halford served in Amanzimtoti right before here and says he absolutely loved it the best of all his areas! Going to be a great time there! Also Elder Makande will be my ZL there which means I will get to see him all the time!!! Too much excited! Elder Halford is going to Newlands which is Durban as well. There are 6 of us leaving Bloem and all riding together on the bus to wherever. We leave tonight at 8pm and arrive Tuesday morning at about 6am. Not looking forward to that though. But really, prayers answered!
But this last week has been pretty lame honestly. Not much progress has been happening and not much productive finding either. But I can share about some of the things we did. So on Monday after emailing we went to a place called Naval Hill and started chasing giraffes, zebras, and deer through the savanah! I am sending pics now too. But today I really felt like I was in africa! We went charging through the bush chasing the animals and it was seriously so funny and so much fun! Giraffes run in like slow motion and its hilarious!! Oh good times.
So during the week we just got bunked like crazy, like I had 3 days in a row where every single appointment bunked us... How does that even happen?????? So we tracted lots, talked to lots of people, and just tried to keep busy all day long. Not much happened really. Sunday we went to Thaba Nchu to have a baptism. The other elders baptized a girl named Pulang. There is no water at our building so we packed the youth in Ntate Mnessa's taxi and drove to the chapel! It was a very nice service and I was asked to conduct. She will be a great member and she bore a powerful testimony. After we went cruising to try and say goodbye to as many people as we could and take pics. I had no idea I was leaving and wasn't expecting it so I only got to see like half the people I probably would have but thats alright. We will go back someday and I will see them again! Mostly the ones I will miss the most are the Mababe Family who feed us every Thursday and were like my family away from home, Tapello and Thato who are the Less Actives that are getting reactivated and we would bake with them all the time, and the Madibo family who is the Branch President. The two little daughters are absolutely hilarious and the littlest one was my best friend and would have to sit by me at church and any time we went over there. She doesn't speak any english other than "Missionary" and she can count from 1-26 and only skips 23 haha. Great area with tons of great people but I wasn't around long enough to really grow super close to many of them. So the pics on Dropbox have some of the people. The baptism is Ntate Mnessa and Pulang, then its me and my companion with Rihanna, then a couple pics of the ThabaNchabelo district Elders Merile, Jones, Okurut, Halford, Sarai, and me. Then its me with the Sehloho family which is Tapello and Thato, then its the Rampi family who was in the other area but they love missionaries and gave me a cup to remember them, then its the Seleke family who is the only mme that ever gave us a referral to teach anyone! The younger little guy always says, "Chicks man!" haha, and its the Madibo Family who is President. The little little one is my best friend and is super adorable, then its Sam who is the counselor in the branch who's a big joker, then its me on the couch with Kiketso, Mpho, Nthabeleng, and Mme who are less actives that come once in a while but are always wanting us to come visit. Very nice family. Then its, Mababe Family who is the best in the whole branch! Then its Pulang and her younger sisters whose names are seriously, Beautiful Stone, and Star. Haha awful names but nice kids.
But really I worked my butt off in this area and I was getting tired! But I am so so thankful to be going to the new area and to be going to the coast! Also means I will get to learn Zulu! Which is the fun language with all the clicks! So very excited for that one! Gotta learn to bare my testimony in Zulu obviously! Going to be a whole new world that side and I am ready to get a new start and really work hard! Also weird to think I am 7 1/2 months! What the??? Have a good week everyone and I hope you enjoy the photos! Love you all!
Elder Peterson
