Moved to the Coast and Must Avoid Attack Dogs

Sawibona! Unjani?

Hello everyone from the land of the Zulu! Oh my goodness I love Zulu eleventy billion times more than Sutu! Mena Kaluma SeZulu!

Anyways, the transfer was awesome! and this new area is awesome! and my new companion is awesome! and Amanzimtoti (Toti) is awesome! Basically so far everything is awesome! (Cue the Lego Movie music now…!)

So first my new companion Elder Gonzales. He is so cool! He is from Boise Idaho, he is 20 and has been on mission for 14 months. He is very talkative and we talk about a lot of random things but its way fun to have someone who can talk about something. He is very into computer/electronic things. We can talk about video games or movies and it all works out fine. He also really enjoys singing so we get into some pretty epic car singing times! Mostly Rolling in the Deep haha. Good guy though and it should be a great transfer!

So the new area is called Amanzimtoti. That is the name of the town. The name of the township is Khamakuta which is also part of our area. We stay in a place called Illovo Beach in the Forest Hills building. Toti is a big city/town right on the beach. Like we run from the boarding to the beach in like 3 mins! The view from our window is right onto the beach! The whole area stretches along the beach which is awesome. The problem with this place is that because of the location it just attracts old rich white people who won't listen to anything... We have been told to focus on town and not in the township so teaching is hard. Elder Gonzales has done some cool things here though. He has gone into all the big apartment buildings/hotels and put cards in all the lobbies since we can't tract there. Also he has set up Family History stands in the city libraries and put articles in the newspaper to get people. We also made a plan to do a car wash in a few weeks where people can come and while we wash the cars they can go into the chapel and watch a short video on the restoration. Gotta think out of the box. We tried tracting the other day. All the houses have huge electric fences and attack dogs. We knock and knock and knock... We went to one house and there was a sign about the dog that was funny and as I was trying to take a pic of it, the dog attacked us haha. I ran like a frightened little girl! But got some funny pic that kind of shows when the dog attacked. We did get to the top of the HighTide building which is the highest point in Toti so that was pretty cool! Should be an awesome area!

The teaching isn't all bad though. We have 2 people on B-Date that will definitely be baptized it sounds like! Mini who is about 20. He has come to church like 11 times in a row and will be baptized on 13 July. And Khitiwae who has come prob 7+ times and loves everything. She is set for the 27 July. There are a couple of families we have been working with and 2 look like they will be baptized sometime. 1 actually comes from Congo where they had found a French BoM. So thats pretty awesome!

But its going to be interesting here. I feel so awkward around white people... Like I don't know what to say to them!! They are some sort of other species and I feel so weird haha! I really forget that I am not black. I just belong with the Africans so much more haha Its so weird I can't even explain it right now! Kind of missing my breadbag soccer playing township kids though...  But Toti will be an awesome place! Just gotta be creative and see what we can do! But my Zulu is coming along slowly. The members are teaching me and I already know more Zulu than I do Sutu! Gonna be fluent soon!

I hope everyone has an awesome week and I look forward to talking to you all again next week! If I left anything out or you wanna know more, let me know! I love you all!

Elder Peterson

Farmer Peterson is Moving to a New "Field"!

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

Snow in South Africa & Planting Seeds

Hello from the Frozen South!! 

Ok I was totally joking about winter being here a few weeks back but seriously this week got freezing! It snowed on Thursday thats how cold it was!!! I wear my shirt, a sweater, and my big coat and still freeeeeeze! My companion from Kenya hates his life mostly hahaha. It also sucks because all the houses are made out of cement blocks not wood and insulation so the houses are refrigerators! It is warmer out in the wind and snow than in the houses! Its awful! And people don't have money for heaters so they just lay in bed all day under blankets and don't move. This whole week people would bunk because they wouldn't open the door... We could hear them and sometimes talk to them but they wouldn't open the door and get off the couch... Gonna be a long winter here! But other than being a human ice cube all week, its been a decent week. I forgot to right down everything so I am just going to share some of the more important stuff.

So we have been trying to go back to former investigators that missionaries used to teach and see what we can find. We meet a lady and just started talking and she was telling us about just her life and how she was remodeling her house, working overtime, she was home alone with her kids, and just kind of everything. She mentioned about how the missionaries left her a Book of Mormon and she didn't know what it was. We very casually talked about it while she was cleaning and she stopped and just listened for a bit. She said she really wanted to read it so we left her a chapter and took off. She is very cool.

We meet a younger couple named the Myeko Family that was taught a little in December. We went over and they were asking about the Book of Mormon as well. We started explaining it and she said, "This makes the Bible make sense!" We kind of laughed but were just saying yes, yes it does!  They both wanted to read it too! Very nice young family as well.

Thursday was the day of snow! It was absolutely freezing! We went to a Less active named Tapello. He had asked if we could go over and bake some food and talk. So we went over and made brownies (Mom that recipe you sent rocks!) and 6 minute microwave cake. Very delicious food! We talked a lot and he wants to get active again. We are going to start taking him teaching with us and spending time with him so he can come back. If we can't find, might as well reactivate.

So you might remember a lady named Pontsho that we had found my first few weeks in Botshabelo. Well we went back to see her and I was asking her what she remembers. She seriously taught back the entire lesson of the Restoration and even said that she believes Joseph Smith is a prophet. She had the question if Joseph Smith had written any prophecies like the olden day prophets so we explained the Book of Mormon to her. She loved every second! We read on the Introduction where it says it can help men find peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come and she said thats all she wants and if reading the Book of Mormon can do that, then she was going to read it. Power lesson! Just wish we could meet her fiance and her at the same time instead of separate.

Ok, interesting story time. So on friday night we were trying to go to a less active family. I looked through the phone contacts and found the Mojakie family so I called and asked for directions to their house. Ntate told me so we headed that way. We showed up and it was not the Ntate I knew. I awkwardly started a conversation and introduced myself. Then Elder Sarai realized I didn't know these people. We started talking and found out that this was a different Less active family we didn't even know about. We shared a lesson and had a good time then left. At this point I was confused out of my mind! We went to a house number that I had heard was the house. We drove to a different section and knocked on the door. The ntate I actually knew came out and we then had a lesson with them. I was still so confused so trying to be smooth about how I asked, I asked him for his phone number saying we had lost his. I got it. Then I asked him to spell his name. (I don't know his name so I was pulling such a sneaky move.) He spells it out, Morakie! The whole time I thought Mojakie was the Morakie family! Really awkward but hey, we found a less active no one knew about. Power.

Well Sunday was cool. Elder Giddie of the Seventy was at the branch. He talked in Sacrament and gave a little fire about doing hometeaching, taking the sacrament, and some other stuff but it was so powerful! We had some less actives there so it was good for them to hear it.

Today before coming here to email we went to Cheetah Experience! Got to wander around and see and even touch some awesome african cats! Lions, cheetahs, leapords, roicats, panthers, and a bunch of other ones I don't know! It was way cool! I am sending bunch of pics so hopefully you can see some of them! It was awesome!

This week has been pretty good. Freezing, but pretty good. We taught a lot of lessons and although we won't be having our baptisms this week, we are still working hard. The progressing part of everything isn't going too well but I like to think I am the best seed planter in the world! Missionaries in the future are going to thank us when they get to harvest the fruits here! I hope you all have a great week! I love you all!

Elder Peterson

Elder Giddie of the Seventy (center)

Golfball Hail and Donuts

I didn't think it was possible, but it gets really really cold in africa!! People warned me that right after Easter it gets really cold and I didn't believe but sure enough on Tuesday, it started hailing golfballs! Crazy cold and I couldn't believe it! But I throw on the old BYU Cougars hoodie and it is all good! (And being in the driving area is pretty convenient) 

It has been a good week and quite busy! I did get some bad sickness last night and spent the whole night kneeling in the bathroom (not in prayer) and didn't sleep at all so I will probably forget half of the things that happened this week.. Oh well!

Monday was a pretty cool P-Day! After emailing all the missionaries in the zone went to a soccer game in Bloem. The Bloem Celtics were playing the Orlando Pirates. We missed getting tickets so we had to wade through a huge crowwd of people and try to buy them from random people. Luckily we all got real ones! The game was very fun and very loud! Celtics won so everyone was freaking out! Quite the experience! It was a fun day.

Tuesday we had DDM and after I went on exchanges with Elder Merile in Thaba Nchu. It was fine but that kid doesn't know how to stick to a point or let the other speak so I think I said 2 lines in a full day... And it was the day of neverending cold as well. 

Wednesday I was still in Thaba Nchu and it was more of the same thing. Wasn't bad but I was just so so bored I didn't know what to do. We did get feed some nice homemade donuts which I was happy for.

Thursday I was back in my area and it was so nice to be able to teach someone! We had a lot of appointments scheduled but it was funny because the people we planned to see weren't there but the people who were there were almost better! Meet lots of cool people and have lots of new investigators. 

Well we are at the couples house emailing and now they are leaving to Losotho so we have to leave. It has been a good week, my companion is still being a joker a little bit and runs away to watch soccer at the neighbors house and no one knows... Gonna fix that one. Other than that and being sick it has been good. I did get to watch conference and loved Elder Anderson, Elder Bednar, I think Sorenson/Stevenson about the Olympics, and even some of the Seventies' talks. 

I hope you all have a good week and I will let you know more next week. I love you all!

Love Elder Peterson

Pancakes and Bacon, Easter

Hello everyone! It is great to hear from you all and to see that everyone enjoyed their Easter holiday! Sounds like the Easter Bunny found everyone and a couple people really scored! So Easter in South Africa is definitely not the same as small town USA... People have some funny ideas on how to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most of which was drinking for like 4 days straight... Funny example/story on Sunday. But this week has been quite hectic and I feel bad because I have not much to tell you sadly.

Monday after emails we went to the Clusters house for lunch. They are a couple from Ogden that is preparing to go home this week. We went over and visited and they made sloppy joes. I have never been so happy for sloppy joes in my life! It was a beautiful thing. After we went to UFS to play sports. Me and Elder H played an intense game of tennis for a couple of hours while the others played basketball. Felt good to play for the first time in months! We went home and because of the distance to the area we can't work on Monday nights so we played a missionary version of beer pong sort of. We placed a tape roll in the middle of the floor, and took turns bouncing a bouncy ball and trying to make it land in the middle. Harder than it sounds!

Tuesday we got a call in the morning that Elder H was finally going to get a companion. So, we traveled to the airport and picked up Elder Ok from Uganda. He is fresh out of the MTC and has the greenest greenie spirit I have ever seen! He is kind of crazy but he tries. He is 25 but acts and looks like he is 12... Elder H is having a hard time... But now they moved into their area and we split again. We went to Malifu (who is our best investigator) and had a lesson on baptism. She said that she really wants to be baptized and she loves the church so much. Her mother hasn't allowed her to come but somehow she told her that she would support her with her decision to be baptized! We set her for 11 May! It really was an answer to so many prayers.

Wednesday we had 0 appointments. With the splitting of the areas I saw just how dead our area is. A grand total of 2 investigators. 1 progressing. We spent the entire day tracting! It was mostly awful but we found a couple of cool people. We meet a girl named Palesa who was taught by missionaries a long time ago so she was very quick to welcome us in. We have meet a few times now and have tried to see what she remembers, honestly nothing. But hopefully she will be able to progress and now will be her time! We also got a referral for a guy named Bongani. We went to his house and he wasn't home but his family was. We had a cool lesson and got to explain about who we were and told them we shared a message about Christ so obviously people accept that at this time of year! Hopefully they will continue to meet with us as well and we can have a cool family to teach!

Thursday somehow we had planned for 8 lessons but only managed 4.  Lots more tracting. We went to Mama Mababe for FHE (She is my mother in this area). We had a fun time and were enjoying when we got a call from the Elders in Phuthaditjhaba that they were coming to our boarding to spend the night! We said goodbye and took off to go and find them in Bloemfontein. Well they were lost and had no idea where they were. They were trying to tell us that they were at the petrol station. Good thing there are probably 174 petrol stations in Bloem. We spent prob 2 hours trying to track them down but finally meet up with them. It was fantastic to see Elder Kakaire and Elder Nthengu again! I miss those crazy kids! We grabbed some McDonalds and headed to the boarding. We talked and talked and talked until way late in the night.

Friday. That awkward moment when there are 8 missionaries in one boarding and we leave the keys in the outside of the door... Nice one. But that shows how safe this place is! We got ready and went to our Zone Conference. We meet at the Bloemfontein chapel and had the conference with Bloem zone, Welkom zone, and Lesotho zone. It was awesome as always to see everyone and catch up. For the conference Pres. Z talked about the importance of working hard and using our time wisely. He challenged all of us to get our 40 hours a week and be accountable for them. It was pretty powerful and gave me another boost to try harder to become better.

Saturday made the Zone Conference lesson a complete failure. Pres Z showed up to the boarding to interview Elder Ok and ended up taking all 4 of us to Bloem for breakfast. Well we were suppose to leave after eating to go to the area but Elder Ad had made other plans. We were now going to meet the Carliles for something and had to leave breakfast to go meet them in the mall. Well remember today is a holiday and saturday. It took us 35 mins to get a parking spot in the parking garage. We got in to the Carliles, they thought they were meeting with Elder Ok to buy him clothes. We then spent 20 mins getting out of the parking garage, went back to the hotel, picked up Elders Ok and H, drove back to the mall, spent 40 mins getting a spot, spent 30 mins shopping for his clothes (he told the Carliles he didn't have clothes. Only had his suit pants to wear), got to the check out and he then says, "I will take these 3 and then I will have 6." We all look at him like what??! He has clothes, just thought mission bought him more clothes. Now we are all disappointed and mostly angry. Leave the store, 20 mins out of the parking, an hour into the area. Now the day is gone and we missed our best investigators in the morning. Fantastic. President thinks we are idiots and don't want to work hard and I look like the bad guy because I am the one driving us everywhere! Pretty ticked about this day. Good thing the breakfast was a buffet and I got pancakes and bacon.

Easter Sunday is definitely not Easter Sunday in South Africa. I was way too disappointed. I was really looking forward to Easter on mission but honestly I did not feel what I thought I would. We had a nice church service and the spirit was awesome during sacrament! The Elders were asked to speak on the atonement and it was really good! (Its nice giving talks here because you say the very basics and thats about what people need to hear) We talked about the atonement, the sacrament, and using the atonement to overcome trials. Overall church was pretty swell other than we only had 4 investigators and less actives come... After church we meet with Malifu again. Well her mother changed her mind and now won't let her even meet with us in the house anymore... So we will have to meet at the church or something. I am not quite sure. We talked a lot about what was going on in her family and it is not in her favor. When we went back outside, her mother was outside. She is huge into the Roman Catholic Church and 'very religious' person. Well she came up to us and was drunk bad. She started asking me for money and I said, "Sorry, all I have is the gospel of Jesus Christ." She told me she didn't want Jesus, only money. Welcome to South Africa. Such a wonderful place! I was too disappointed at this point. We tried to go around and meet some people but no one was home, everyone on the street was drunk. There was no work to be found and trust me, I tried.

Really this week has been quite disappointing. It hasn't been bad but I can tell the spirit wasn't with us as strong. There was too much other stuff going on and not enough work. Its funny, as soon as you try and improve, its like I am going backwards. I just have to keep working hard and trusting that it will get better. This area is very very dead and my companion is beyond finished here. Looks like its time to work double hard and get this place jumpstarted! Have a good week everyone and I look forward to hearing from you again!

Love Elder Peterson

Happy Birthday, Elder P.!! Chicken hearts and a mouse guest for Birthday Dinner

Thank you everyone!! Thank you for all of the birthday wishes and even the letters and package! We have been enjoying the birthday cake last night and even for breakfast this morning! Don't judge us..
My companions were impressed with an American B-Day cake. Elder A** thinks it was way too sweet and said he will stick to healthy things haha but Elder H** thinks it is fantastic so we plan on destroying it tonight!

But my Birthday was quite the success and even this whole week has been fantastic! So I guess I will tell you whats been going on.

So Monday was probably the best P-Day I have had in forever!! All of the Elders in this Zone meet together to email and after we went to Free State University to play basketball. It was so much nicer to go and play and hang out together than to sit in the boarding and be bored all day! Seriously so much funner! Also on the road between Bloem and our boarding, there is like a windmill tower/radio tower type thing that has a motorcycle stuck on the top so obviously I had to climb it and take a picture up there! Don't worry you will get it soon in the mail because this stupid place still doesn't email pics right. Makes me disappointed.

Tuesday was our DDM (District Development Meeting) in Thaba Nchu. We went and just talked about developing Christ-like Attributes and how to do it. After the Carliles took us to get some food. We went to a little shop that sells weird sandwich things. They take a loaf of bread and hollow it out, then fill it with french fries, cheese, polony (like bologna), sausages, and viennes (still like sausages) and covered in fry sauce! It was awesome! On our way back to Botshabelo there were some guys on the side of the road selling SpringBok skins so I might have to buy one and get it sent home. Do you think that is allowed through the post?

Wednesday was our service day so we planned on doing hours and hours of service all day because its impossible to go to the area, do service, drive back, shower, drive back to the area, work. So we planned lots of service. We went to a Less active first and she was less active even for free service! We got bunked for service??? So we went to Mama Mababe's house (lady that feeds us every thursday at FHE, longtime member, my favorite member this side) and worked at her garden nursery. We spent the whole day digging up dirt, sifting it through an old spring bed thing, and wheeling it into piles around the compound. Seriously I was so tired after! After working we figured we would just visit some members and less actives and invite people to church. We went to a guys house named Sinpeewae. His Grandfather was outside and I watched him catch a chicken and cut its head off.... Wasn't ready for that... But now I understand when people talk about a chicken running around with its head cut off! Its very interesting!

Thursday was pretty cool. We had appointments and they were nice and good but there was one that was very very good! We went to an investigator named Pulang. She is like 16 and she had gone to the youth conference in Bloem. We went over to follow up and see how she enjoyed it. Well her friend Winnie was also there so we were trying to teach her too. At the conference they were talking about pioneers and had watched 17 Miracles so we made a cool lesson tying the restoration, Book of Mormon, and pioneers all together and who would have thought it was the perfect lesson! The spirit was there so strong and they asked great questions and we were able to answer everything exactly how we needed to. It was a great lesson and I really hope they continue to progress!

Friday we had our ZTM (Zone Training Meeting) in Bloem. We got there and the main focus of the meeting was on becoming more consecrated missionaries by being more obedient to the white handbook. Elder B** our Zone Leader gave a powerful lesson on following the schedule more perfectly. He showed us the math behind how many hours a week we actually have to work which really is only about 40. But most of us only work about 25-30. He talked about the importance of getting to the area earlier and spending our time actually working not just driving around. It was a little bit of fire but just enough to really make me feel like I needed to do better. I know that I am not the best missionary and there is a lot I can work on so I decided now that I am going to work my hardest and give these 2 years my all. I don't want to come home and have any regrets about not working hard. I want to be able to tell my children especially my sons that I gave everything I had on my mission and I came home finished from working so hard. Thats my new goal. To become a consecrated hard working missionary.

Saturday was day number 1 of being a consecrated missionary and it absolutely pays off! As soon as studies were over I dragged the other guys out of the boarding and we got into the area and started tracting. We found people like crazy and found uber success! We went to our appointments and meet tons of people. One guy bunked us so we tracted the doors next door and found investigators better than he was! At the end of our day we went to a kid named Nelson. He is about 19 and has been taught by missionaries for a little while. He hasn't really progressed but after today's lesson I think he will. So Elder Adale is kind of rough when it comes to teaching and he almost gives fire so me and Elder H kind of take over and we had a powerful lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and at the end of it Nelson actually said he understood and really thinks the message we share is true. We put him on B-Date for 11 May. Powerful day that I have never had before. We had 9 lessons in one day. Thats almost half of the goal for the week! Consecration pays off.

Sunday was obviously a great day! Happy Birthday to me! We went to church and thats where the real present was. We had 15 investigators and Less Actives come to church!!! We had a total of 80 people in sacrament!! Incredible! That alone made my day perfect! As soon as church was over I got a call from the Tshabalala family back in Phutha wishing me a Happy Birthday. That was totally unexpected and so awesome! We went into the area and meet with some people and had a few good lessons. In the evening we went to our Dinner Appointment and this is a birthday dinner I will never forget! We sit down and they bring us heaping plates of chicken hearts on paap! These chicken hearts are not as good as the ones at the Brazilian grill restaurant things.... Half way through the meal I was looking across the room and I watched a mouse run across the floor, and up the table. I was about finished there and then haha. I won't forget that B-Day dinner ever. But when we came back to the boarding we made the birthday cake and totally feasted! Such a good cake!

But overall it has been a fantastic week! Lots of good lessons and lots of working hard! I am very thankful for the success we found this week and hope that it will continue on as keep working on being better missionaries. I am also so thankful for all the birthday wishes and support from everyone! I love you all and hope you have a good week!

Love Elder Peterson

Transfer!! McDonald's!! WooHoo!!

Hello everyone!!!

Its great to hear from you all again this week and hear that everyone is having great times and really enjoying! Also glad that everyone is loving baby Davis! I am definitely loving the pics I keep getting! So this last week has been kind of hectic and kind of awesome! As you all know, I have been transferred Botsabhelo. So I am going to try and tell you everything about everything so this email might be kind of scattered but I will do my best!

So real quick, Monday was my last day in Phutha. I was saying goodbyes and I think one of the hardest goodbyes came from a family that I wasn't expecting. We went to the Tsh--- home and were talking with them for a while. P--- Tsh--- was the first person I baptized but was in the other elders area. Well it was time to go and I was doing ok saying bye to mama and P--- but when I turned to Sis S--- (the 8 year old little sister that I sent a pic of one time) I couldn't hold back. I grew really close to her and saying goodbye was like saying goodbye to Brenner again. It was rough. But I did it and all was well.

Tuesday the real fun began! We woke up early and got everything packed up and got ready to go. We went to Bethlehem at about 7:30 and Elders Kai--, Ak--, and Es-- left to Durban. The rest of us, stayed and had a party! We cruised some bikes around town and went to the mall. At 4 my bus came and it was time for me to go. I said goodbye to everyone, especially hard was Elder Kak---! I will miss that kid like crazy! But he is coming to stay with us someday so no worries. But I got on and was off! For the first 3 hours, I was with Elder Mah--- who was going to Welkom to be the ZL. When he got off, I traveled another 3 hours alone. They were playing XMen First Class on the bus and it was so hard not to get sucked into it! Finally, we arrived in Bloemfontein and I meet with pretty much the whole Zone. They were all there to welcome me and it was way cool! Me, Elder Ad-- and Elder Hal-- all went to McDonalds and then to the boarding.

Ok so basically its impossible to describe everything at this point so now its just going to be random things about everything ok.

So Elder Ad-- is my companion. He is from Kampala Uganda and is the darkest man on earth! haha! He is 28 years old and was in the military back home. I was worried about that, but he is the coolest guy! We get along perfectly!! He is very active so we go running every morning and play soccer a lot. He loves soccer and music. He is in the same group as Elder Mak--- so he is pretty old on mission and will probably go to be a Zone Leader next transfer. But right now the 2 of us are in a threesome with Elder Hal--. Elder Hal-- is from England. He is so so so cool! He is super funny as well and has an awesome english accent! But the 3 of us are working both areas in Bots because his companion had visa problems and cant come into the country yet. All 3 of us get along so great and it is so fun working with these guys! I love it!

Botsabhelo is one of the biggest town ships in all of SA and it is definitely a township... The place is very very rural and primitive. About every other or every third house is a tin shack, and the not shacks are still not houses. All the houses have an outhouse and not an actual bathroom. People hand wash outside in buckets, shower with buckets, and really live like you would expect when you think of Africa... The church is in an old mortuary building. It is very small but it is maintained and looks nice on the inside. The outside is covered in bars and has a huge razor wire fence around the outside which is a little less attractive...

But thank goodness we don't stay there!! Our boarding is on the outskirts of Bloemfontein. We stay in like a big neighborhood complex called Eden Park. Its for big (rich) people so its really nice and really safe! Like we leave stuff outside and the windows open and no one robs us or anything! Its like the celestial kingdom! But there are only the 3 of us staying there, Elder Hal--'s companion probably won't come so we will be in a threesome the whole transfer probably. Its just so clean and nice compared to phutha!! Like I feel so much better just being out of that house!

My time in the actual area has been pretty limited. Its about a 30 min drive there and back each day so it cuts into the time there. This area though is struggling bad. Its one of the worst areas in the mission right now and is seeing zero progress. We have been seeing less actives and trying to meet with investigators but no one is seeing us. We went through the whole teaching pool in 2 days... Looks like we will be tracting like crazy!  But it is a township and usually thats where you can find the most people to teach so I am thinking we will be able to find a lot of success if we truly work hard.

So for story time this week, its about the same as a couple weeks back. We went to a less active that stays in really the smallest tin shack ever. We were going to visit and we started talking about the Atonement. Well everything was going great and the spirit was strong, but then she started breast feeding as well. We were all disappointed! The worst part of the whole thing was when she was finished, she just left herself sitting there! No spirit, we were finished. I just stared out the door. I hate this culture...

But overall, I am excited to be here in this area. I have great companions, and it has given me a great attitude on everything. The area might be hard, but I know if we work hard and put our faith in our Heavenly Father we will see miracles here in Botsabhelo. I also need to work hard and find investigators because Elder Ad-- told me that I might be training here next transfer! He had requested that his companion would be someone that would be training next transfer and now I am here! Guess we will see what happens!

I love you all so much and I hope you have another great week! Let me know what things I left out and what you would like to know. I try to remember everything but its hard to get it all sometimes! Salagahotsho!

Love Elder Peterson