Hello everyone!
This past week has been full of many different experiences but will definitely be a week that I will remember more on my mission!
On Monday we came to email and after spending too long here we went home and just chilled around. I was writing in my journal and I started having lots going through my head and I started to have kind of an emotional breakdown or something... I don't know but I was asking myself some deep soul searching questions and then I kind of snapped and eish it was a dark day for me. But whatever I went to sleep and I woke up and thats when it got better.
Tuesday was probably the best day in forever. After falling apart I wanted to get myself back together and thats what I did. I got up, started exercising, got everything prepared and went straight into studies. I decided to go back to the beginning and studied Chapter 1 of Preach My Gospel, Your Purpose. As I was studying there was a lot that was just hitting me so much and I could really feel the spirit actually helping me understand how I could fix what I was feeling. As we started our companionship study I wanted to share what was going on sort of and some of the things. I was reading a part and the thought came to me that I needed to contact more. Now I absolutely hate contacting. Like I would rather tract and knock on doors all day then have to stand on a corner and contact people for 1 hour. Like I hate it. But I was reading and I kept having the thought that to fulfill my calling as a missionary I needed to 'Find through contacting.' Well Elder Ngandu loves contacting people like he will talk to anyone. So I started to tell him I think he needs to teach me to do that. I explained that I wanted to fulfill my calling better and I read from the last section of that chapter under "A successful missionary' and I stopped and just said, "I want to feel that the Lord is happy with what I am doing."and then I started to cry a little more and had to try and hide it. Such a powerful experience to me. Well as we continued through the day that spirit stayed with us and seriously we taught the gospel. I think we could have converted the Pope today! The only down side to the whole day was when we went to James. James has been doing so good and has loved everything we have told him. But we went today and his Muslim family has cancelled our appointments with him. We are no longer allowed there so the teachings will have to stop... We gave him all we could and then had to part ways... I am just praying that some day he will be able to receive the fullness of the gospel in his life.
Well Wednesday we put that contacting challenge to the test! I knew what I needed to do and we went and did it! We spent the entire morning contacting and got 8! I know you were expecting like 50 but 8 is a lot here in Toti. Thats more in one day than we usually get 2 weeks here! We were walking down the Beach Road talking to people and stopped at a younger couple. We offered them a pass a long card for a free DVD and they explained they were homeless and couldn't watch it. We talked for a bit and told them how much God loved them and offered to come back and meet them again. I was having one of those "the gospel is totally going to change these peoples lives"moments! I gave them 20Rn to go get some food and we took off. Well down the road a ways we talked to a security guard to the high rise and she told us about all these druggies that beg for money cause problems. Then she says and the 2 worst ones are those 2! And sure enough it was the ones I just gave 20 bucks to. Nice.... Thats why I hate contacting haha. But it felt good to fulfill my purpose more.
Thursday was the first day it has rained in months! I swear I can't remember the last time it rained! Well we had a great day and taught lots. We were able to meet with Innocent and every time we talk I just feel so bad for him. He is the most humble man I have ever meet. He has had the roughest life and it is still so hard. His wife is pregnant with baby number 3, he still works as a car guard where he makes no money, he lost his papers that say he is a teacher, and he still tries to come to church every time he can. I just want to buy them food, give them clothes, and find him a job! I feel awful but I am so thankful for him. He is such an example of patience and humility. We talked a lot and he has decided to be baptized at the end of September and then work on teaching his wife so he can baptize her later on. Hopefully their situation gets better and it can happen soon! But funny story. We were there talking and sharing scriptures and all of a sudden his little son walks into the corner pulls down his pants and starts peeing in a pot haha spirit took off but we all had a pretty good laugh.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were all full of very great lessons and we were able to meet with everyone we needed to. So basically we have some great investigators!
Roger is number one right now! I enjoy going to him more than anyone else I think! He is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy, he understands the lessons we share, and he came to church for the first time yesterday! He loved it and wants to come again! We went over after and talked and he had lots of questions and all basically went back to Joseph Smith receiving the priesthood. I think he is really understanding finally that this is the only true church on the face of the earth. At first it was shaky but now he is really understanding I think. Now we have to teach him the commandments and help him prepare to be baptized soon!
Tokoso and his family are doing good! He came to church but no one else. They are however reading the Book of Mormon and doing missionary work. We meet a new member each time we go there and the room is filling up when we teach! We want them to be baptized together as a family but he will be ready way before them.... We will see though!
The Mhlanga Family actually progressed some! We have been teaching mom english lately and she came to church yesterday! She really liked it and said she will come again next week. Hopefully when she starts coming more the other kids will come more as well.
Khetiwae was confirmed yesterday by Bro Rob (The elders quorum president). She was soo happy to finally have the holy ghost and kept telling me she wanted to feel the 'Bubble Bubble' inside of her haha That is spirit in Sis Khetiwae language haha She is a little off her rocker but in the friendliest way! She is the nicest lady here for sure! Now we are working on teaching her more about the church and the way it works and things are going great!
Mini is still doing great and just working on preparing to receive the Melchizedek priesthood in November. He is taking a special class with Bro Rob and should be ready by then. He is also preparing to go to the temple in a few weeks with his grandma to do baptisms for the dead! Should be an awesome experience for him!
Other than that we are still just working on finding people and getting them progressing. I hope things will keep up in the area and keep going as well as they are and start getting better! The ward is still helping us a lot and bringing us new people to teach and we are just trying to work together to make Toti ward grow. We are also still having fun with them too. We played a soccer match on Saturday against Umlazi W ward and beat them 4-0! I guess I am also getting to be quite the soccer player because I started defense as a left back and played the entire game! What can I say ;) And I look pretty good in the bright yellow kit even if the shorts only go to half way down my thigh haha.
Toti is great and we should have another great week. We have interviews with President on Thursday and he asked if he could come teaching with us after for the day.... yippee.... Hopefully we don't get too much fire and things will go well! I hope he likes tracting ;) But I hope everyone has an awesome week and enjoys school and work and whatever else is happening! I love you all very much and am so thankful for all the support and prayers! Salagathle
Elder Peterson
