Happy Birthday Turner! We love you so much;)

Happy Birthday Turner!

Amazing views of God's Window

Turner and Elder McLellan

Funny Faces - Sorta Ducky

Our handsome Elder Richards - almost looks like Utah!

Things have been good. I am doing good. I guess. As good as I could. Things are moving forward in KaNyamazane. Well. Let me get to the high lights.

So this week wasn't too exciting. Well there were good things! Haha! I just have to stretch my brain a bit to remember!

Let's start with this lady named Nonto. So she was a previous investigator. Anyway. Our Branch President asked us to go visit her. So Rako and I went once before he left. She told us that she had been reading The Book of Mormon. And praying. She said she knew the book was true and that the church was true. Anyway. It was sweet. Inspiration through the Branch President. Malapula and I went back and she basically told us that she wants to be baptised! It was sweet! Tender mercies. Makes you remember why you are here doing the work. However she is a single mom with two little kids and lives far from the church. So when both kids are with her she can't come to church. We are trying to figure out how to fix that problem. She would be a sweet member!

Next is Shantel. We have been teaching her for a while. Her Gogo, that she lives with is a member. Shantel is only 13. But VERY smart. Understands the gospel well. However, her mom wouldn't let her come to church, or get baptised. So we talked a lot with her about it. Encouraged her to pray for help to convince her mom. Anyway. The mom is now letting her get baptised! So hopefully she will be baptised at the end of this month!

Now Sonia and Sam. Sonia and Sam are not married. But they have three kids that are members. Sonia has wanted to be a member for a while. But then lost interest and almost joined the ZCC (a huge church in Africa). Anyway. What stopped was that we decided to reteach The Restoration. She said it was an answer to prayers. The husband however hasn't ever really been interested in the church. Until lately. We are now stressing the importance of being baptized by someone holding the Priesthood. But they need to get married first. The problem is Labola, or paying the bride's family. It is super expensive. So we are talking a lot about skipping that and just getting married. Anyway. It's awesome. You can tell that Heavenly Father is working hard on Sam. He has opened up SO much. I have been visiting them twice a week for the past four months. And he is finally acting interested. So great!

There is also a kid named Goodwill. He is so cool. Should  be getting baptized at the end of this month. He has a rough life. Got into the wrong crowd. He had a smoking problem, but with lost of prayers he has been able to conquer it! Anyway. He works very hard trying to support his family. Even though he is only in eleventh grade. But he is a great kid! We hope everything goes well for him!

We also visit the N'kosi family. The family with the daughter that has the disease with the big head full of fluid. I can't remember the name right now. Anyway. We are really working on getting them active. Maybe helping them find jobs where they don't have to work on Sunday. Anyway. I would love nothing more than to see them get sealed! They are such a sweet family!

We are working with some amazing people right now. But those have been the sweet and tender experiences of this last week.

Alright. Now the the important stuff. My birthday! Haha! Just kidding. Much less important!

But anyway. I bought a new camera. Elder McClellan knows a lot about cameras. I bought a new camera. It is pretty great. Works nice! Does some tricky things! I am loving the chance to learn how to take better pictures!

Anyway. Sunday the Hunts had a birthday dinner. It was Elder Hunts birthday and our Branch President's birthday on the Fourth as well. Anyway. Sister Hunt and Swan put together a dinner. They made steak and potatoes, salad, green beans. It was delicious! And then we had cake! Sister Hunt made an individual cake for each of us! They are the greatest! And then I got the presents! Thank you so much for everything! It was such a surprise! I got a new Columbia back pack. And then new Nike flip flops. They are both great! I love them both! Such a surprise!

Now. The actual birthday. So we were originally going to Kruger. But we put that off until next week. For my birthday we went to Sabie. The place where they have all the beautiful water falls. Anyway. This time we went to a place called The Potholes. It was SO pretty. Then we went to a place called The Three R...r something. I don't remember. But they are the ones with the river through the huge canyon! Then we went to God's Window again. A place called Pilgrim's Rest. And then the Mac Mac falls. They were all gorgeous! I will be sending most of the pictures home. Just a slow internet is preventing me from sending them all! But it was good. It was definitely sad to be away from home. I missed every one so much! It was weird that it was my birthday. Like I knew in my mind that it was. But it didn't feel like it. It didn't really upset me, but it was just odd. I don't know how to explain it. 

Anyway. This are going good. The work is moving on. We are just struggling to best fill our time. Everyone wants to see us in the evenings. So we are WAY too packed in the evenings and can't find things to do in the afternoons. It's frustrating. But oh well. We are working around it best we can! 

I love you so much mom and dad! Thank you for everything! I missed you both very much! But hey, one birthday down, one to go! The time is moving. Some days faster than others. Some days I just with it would fly by! But I know I need the cherish these moments! And I am, don't worry! But I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited to come home.

That's my boy