Welcome one welcome all to this weeks edition of Mzansi fo sho... in some news on monday we got hounded at the traditional market... "come to my shop!" "Elders!!! welcome" I want those shoes... how much?" and the like shook us for two hours... we then enjoyed a sweet haircut and scalp massage... Elder Rodrigues is dead and home now which is pretty insane and my new companion is Elder Tungela from Mtanzane in the eastern cape... He's been on mission now for 22 months so ya'll know what that means I'm killing another missionary!
So I don't remember if I said so or not last week or not but the Soweto zone has split... we lost a lot of awesome missionaries but also gained some incredible ones... We now are the Soweto East Zone and cover Florida, Dobsonville, Soweto, Diepkloof, Weltevreden park, and Pimville. so its a tight compact zone with a lot of awesome missionaries.
This sunday we had baptisms! Mike Zhangazha who we've been teaching for about 2 months is awesome. He's from Zimbabwe and in 3 weeks read to Mormon in the book of Mormon. His testimony was awesome... I know this church is true because joseph smith is a prophet and the book of mormon is the word of God. I have no doubt... powerful man. also Lucky and Mpho two of Elder and Sister Watts investigators were baptized and it was a super powerful baptism. seeing a family brought together. Also lined up we have... the Leopeng family (Kgomutso, Matsie, and Neo) Ndlovu family (Nkululeko and Patty), Joyce, Jason, Neo, George, and several others. Things are awesome!
This week we had a really sweet experience with the Leopengs and also Jason. Leopengs first... They are just waiting on getting married and Matsie was praying just for help and comfort and just felt electric... like she couldn't stop smiling the whole week. she just kept saying how excited she is to be baptized and get married and go to the temple... man I love those guys...
Jason is an awesome guy. He's been struggling though a bit with reading and understanding. But we had a cool lesson about the spirit and it was powerful... we committed him to pray and ask for specific help understanding and finding out its true. within 3 days he nearly finished 1st Nephi and understood it perfectly.... MIRACLE!
Also one more haha. Patty is Mike's Aunt and yesterday when he was getting baptized she was like can I just please get baptized today? man people love the Lord here and miracles happen every day. She just needs to be married to Nkululeko first. and he's going home to discuss Lobolla this week. Awesome!
I kicked another dog... boom...
and we had ice on our car this morning... yep... its winter and its freezing.
Well an awesome week. I'm super excited for my new companion and the work and miracles to come this transfer.
Elder Kenyon Siyanqoba Robinson signing off
peace
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
I could have aranged a jift!, dying missionaries, warthog flu, I love my zone, the split, transfers yet again
So a pretty sweet week here in Africa. elder Rodrigues is in his final days and so we've been fed a ton and we're just blazing out teaching and having fun. just this week our tanzanian brother George was saying goodbye to Elder Rod and was like "ugh you should have told me sooner you were going I could have arranged a jift (gift) haha man I love george. I guess it has been pretty cool to have him as a companion at this point and time. I really got to see where I wanna be in another year and its been awesome he's a stellar missionary.
So unfortunately this week I believe I was afflicted with swine flu.. but since its africa the warthog flu... I got pink eye and have been congested hard core but things are finally getting better. Elder Rod got sick as well and has like crazy ear infection so its kinda funny we go out teaching and on exchanges and we're all sick and drugged up and we teach about the word of wisdom haha and how it keeps us healthy.
Also awesome was teaching gospel doctrine yesterday we were like so crazy on nyquil, cough syrup, mucinex, and antibiotics I'm sure we were hilarious because I felt so funny.
this week once again all I can say is I love our zone, I love working with these guys and its sad to see our zone splitting into soweto east and west and so many getting transferred but it'll also be sweet to see all the new guys.
But yeah I'd say the most spiritual experience this week was hearing about grandma. President called me around 9 at night and it was sad but really more of a relief. She is free from all that sickness, pain, and stress, and is with grandpa again... I just felt really good and a peace came over me that everything was cool. God's plan is a perfect plan and if we do what's right we can be with all our loved ones, friends, and family again.
But yeah it's gonna be a crazy few weeks. New missionaries, New Zone, New companion, New office couples, new mission president, 8 current zone leaders dying, and the whole mission being turned up side down. stay tuned.
Elder Robinson
So unfortunately this week I believe I was afflicted with swine flu.. but since its africa the warthog flu... I got pink eye and have been congested hard core but things are finally getting better. Elder Rod got sick as well and has like crazy ear infection so its kinda funny we go out teaching and on exchanges and we're all sick and drugged up and we teach about the word of wisdom haha and how it keeps us healthy.
Also awesome was teaching gospel doctrine yesterday we were like so crazy on nyquil, cough syrup, mucinex, and antibiotics I'm sure we were hilarious because I felt so funny.
this week once again all I can say is I love our zone, I love working with these guys and its sad to see our zone splitting into soweto east and west and so many getting transferred but it'll also be sweet to see all the new guys.
But yeah I'd say the most spiritual experience this week was hearing about grandma. President called me around 9 at night and it was sad but really more of a relief. She is free from all that sickness, pain, and stress, and is with grandpa again... I just felt really good and a peace came over me that everything was cool. God's plan is a perfect plan and if we do what's right we can be with all our loved ones, friends, and family again.
But yeah it's gonna be a crazy few weeks. New missionaries, New Zone, New companion, New office couples, new mission president, 8 current zone leaders dying, and the whole mission being turned up side down. stay tuned.
Elder Robinson
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Just like Michael Jackson, 11 baptisms, She bought us sweaters, new scar!, I love our investigators, Oh my goodness it needs to be this month!
Another awesome week here in Florida, the Soweto Zone, and Mzansi fo sho. A funny thing happened this week while teaching Jason McKenzie. he's an awesome capie colored who is progressing really well and will probably baptized next month. He stays with his aunt and uncle who are members and there little boy is crazy. He loves to shake the missionaries hands and I always give his arm a wiggle but this week I shook off his glove and he was like OH no! now I only have one glove just like michael jackson. this kid is like 3 it was so funny!
so something I really realized this week is how much I love our investigators and how awesome they all are. for example at church we had 11 which ties my all time record of investigators at church. they participate, the members are asking when they are getting baptized. they bear their testimonies in class of how glad they are they have found the church, and they love us its so awesome. I loved the work in Benoni and Nelspruit but there is just a different feeling here... like we're just missionaries, the people are receiving us like no ones business, people keep commitments and get burning testimonies, and I love every minute of it.
Two really cool experiences happened this week. One was with Joyce. She is a 50 something year old Indian woman who has been through a ton. loss of her husband, divorced from her 2nd husband who abuses her, starving at home, heart attack, and kids very far away. When we first met her she just cried and cried. now she has changed from night to day. She is happy healthy, positive, is throwing parties for members of the church, sharing the gospel with her neighbors and even though she has next to no money she bought me and Elder Rodrigues Sweaters. she said we needed them more than she needed the money and just kept saying God bless you, Thank you. It seriously brings tears to my eyes to see how much she has changed and how the Gospel has literally brought light and hope into her life.
Also awesome was George. Our "Holy Ghost gives you warmth" awesome guy. The church is at the mission office on 3 phillips avenue right up from UNISA (University of South Africa) and he has made it to UNISA twice and couldn't find the church. So we hunted him down and finally got him to church. When we got there he was instantly fellowshipped and taken in by our awesome ward. Afterwards he just kept thanking us like crazy. He was a bit late so we showed him around the church afterwards. When we were wrapping up he just said "So when am I baptized!" and we told him the end of this month. so We showed him the font and he just got so happy he was like "It needs to be this month! please please. I need to baptize!" man I love East Africans haha. George is such a cool guy.
Today we had the awesome experience of going to the Rhino and Lion Park and I got some crazy sweet pictures and #1 Saw lions mating, #2 pet a siberian tiger #3 was bitten by same siberian tiger through shirt into hip #4 pet a cheetah and cubs, and had an awesome day with the zone... pics to come.
So to sum up it has been another incredible week and I love our investigators and every minute of every day. This place is awesome. There are too many stories to tell, so much to say, but for now... no time... haha Rodrigues dies soon which is really sad I love that guy and will miss him a bunch but we'll see each other around and there's always the next 10 days.
Nzari Zhakanaka
Elder Robinson
so something I really realized this week is how much I love our investigators and how awesome they all are. for example at church we had 11 which ties my all time record of investigators at church. they participate, the members are asking when they are getting baptized. they bear their testimonies in class of how glad they are they have found the church, and they love us its so awesome. I loved the work in Benoni and Nelspruit but there is just a different feeling here... like we're just missionaries, the people are receiving us like no ones business, people keep commitments and get burning testimonies, and I love every minute of it.
Two really cool experiences happened this week. One was with Joyce. She is a 50 something year old Indian woman who has been through a ton. loss of her husband, divorced from her 2nd husband who abuses her, starving at home, heart attack, and kids very far away. When we first met her she just cried and cried. now she has changed from night to day. She is happy healthy, positive, is throwing parties for members of the church, sharing the gospel with her neighbors and even though she has next to no money she bought me and Elder Rodrigues Sweaters. she said we needed them more than she needed the money and just kept saying God bless you, Thank you. It seriously brings tears to my eyes to see how much she has changed and how the Gospel has literally brought light and hope into her life.
Also awesome was George. Our "Holy Ghost gives you warmth" awesome guy. The church is at the mission office on 3 phillips avenue right up from UNISA (University of South Africa) and he has made it to UNISA twice and couldn't find the church. So we hunted him down and finally got him to church. When we got there he was instantly fellowshipped and taken in by our awesome ward. Afterwards he just kept thanking us like crazy. He was a bit late so we showed him around the church afterwards. When we were wrapping up he just said "So when am I baptized!" and we told him the end of this month. so We showed him the font and he just got so happy he was like "It needs to be this month! please please. I need to baptize!" man I love East Africans haha. George is such a cool guy.
Today we had the awesome experience of going to the Rhino and Lion Park and I got some crazy sweet pictures and #1 Saw lions mating, #2 pet a siberian tiger #3 was bitten by same siberian tiger through shirt into hip #4 pet a cheetah and cubs, and had an awesome day with the zone... pics to come.
So to sum up it has been another incredible week and I love our investigators and every minute of every day. This place is awesome. There are too many stories to tell, so much to say, but for now... no time... haha Rodrigues dies soon which is really sad I love that guy and will miss him a bunch but we'll see each other around and there's always the next 10 days.
Nzari Zhakanaka
Elder Robinson
Monday, June 6, 2011
FLORIDA!!!, matchmaker matchmaker, KZN, bomb sunday, "Penneslavia", the zone, testimonies, and other awesome... stay tuned.
So after several complaints of shorter emails haha we're bringing you shibombo! so lets begin with investigator updates... we currently have 13 people on baptismal date 9 of which are looking almost guaranteed. boom I spelled that right always a toughie... anyway... we are teaching 3 legendary families...
1. Leopeng family of Kgomutso, Matsie, and Neo...
They are so dang cool man its like the coolest thing. So they've been having difficulties deciding to get married or not so Kgomutso went back to Limpopo to talk with his family and it went awesome so they were super fired up about that. But our lesson cancelled friday because the power grid blew. But we washed their dishes in the dark and caught up on the past 10 days. we returned the next day and watched Elder Scotts talk on eternal marriage... now beforehand they were having a total engaged couple argument about the kind of music he listens too and how she thinks it chases away the spirit and how he thinks it is just her personal problem. then afterwards they were just like so changed. "I just feel touched..." the next day at church Kgomutso bore his testimony on just how thankful he was to have found the church. and the truth. AWESOME to say the least we just need to get them married now... look out July 10th!
2. Patty, Mike, and Nonkululeko. another sweet family we contacted in Gautrand.. Mike is their nephew and Nonkululeko and Patty have been together for quite a while but once again not married. they know its true and came into contact with the church by buying a book of mormon at a yard sale like 3 years back. They accept everything and so we watched President Monson's talk during priesthood session with them, about seeking the spirit, doing good, getting married, and working things out... it was powerful too. they are all out of work now other than selling potatoes but we just told them everything would work out because its a righteous desire to get married and baptized and they seem to be willing to make it happen.
Just one problem... Labolla... which is no joke Jonny Lingo stuff. a tradition going back like 200 years all the african cultures pay cows...or a huge sum of money to get married to buy the bride... but everything will work out...
Also this week we found a new family in Gautrand... Sonny, Lillian, Kutsi, and gogo (Anna) crazy how we contacted them. we just kinda gave Kutsi a passalong card about a free DVD and when we came to give it to him the first night there was this crazy indian guy there who seemed like super angry we were there because he thought we came for Lillian (his wife) anywho turns out he's awesome and so ridiculously prepared for the gospel. to be continued we're seeing the tomorrow afternoon.
Also awesome is George from Tanzania... he's a super humble guy who works like 15 hour days every day. Last night we talked about the gospel with him and I lately have been picking up a little Swahili so it was super powerful... he explained the holy ghost in the coolest way... we talked about it being like a comforter and he said " I know that God and the Holy Spirit keep you warm. if you do what's right. I was homeless living on the street in the winter but any time I read or prayed I just felt alright. that's how I feel when you guys come." man I love that guy its so awesome.
Also we're teaching Jason from Cape Town who is having a hard time quitting some hard drugs but he came to church for the first time yesterday and just kept saying how alive he felt and wants to be baptized.
So it has been an incredible week and I already love Florida so much. funny story yesterday during sacrament they talked about the church opening a harmony Pennsylvania site. and our bishop couldn't pronounce Pennsylvania and he was like... in Penne Slavia where many important things happened... we should be willing to contribute to the church in this project... so funny but only really to us because no one knows what Pennsylvania is haha.
This week I got to go on an exchange with Elder Sithole who is from Kwazulunatal or KZN... and he's still pretty new but he's got a lot of love and fire for the work and it was a lot of fun... I'm really getting to love our zone a lot.
also sweet was testimony meeting yesterday where we heard Kate a recent convert bear testimony about how the ward is like a family even when everything is going wrong and how she drank tea and felt so guilty she just wanted to throw it all up. its so powerful to see the gospel change lives and honestly I think my favorite part of missionary work is hearing investigators pray and bear testimony it is just so awesome to contrast the change that has come...
Well yeah it has been a great week and I guess I'll echo president Monson to sum up... If you have a testimony don't let it dwindle... if you don't have one... get one... if you haven't read the book of mormon... read it... and pray about it... if it is true... and it is... you know you're on the right track.
Much love from Mzansi...and enjoy your weeks.
Oh and BTW the office is in my area and I can get dear Elder letters every other day if you're thinking of writing any time soon haha... and its free!
Andy Gleave... this is a call to you what is happening man?
Sala Kahle.
1. Leopeng family of Kgomutso, Matsie, and Neo...
They are so dang cool man its like the coolest thing. So they've been having difficulties deciding to get married or not so Kgomutso went back to Limpopo to talk with his family and it went awesome so they were super fired up about that. But our lesson cancelled friday because the power grid blew. But we washed their dishes in the dark and caught up on the past 10 days. we returned the next day and watched Elder Scotts talk on eternal marriage... now beforehand they were having a total engaged couple argument about the kind of music he listens too and how she thinks it chases away the spirit and how he thinks it is just her personal problem. then afterwards they were just like so changed. "I just feel touched..." the next day at church Kgomutso bore his testimony on just how thankful he was to have found the church. and the truth. AWESOME to say the least we just need to get them married now... look out July 10th!
2. Patty, Mike, and Nonkululeko. another sweet family we contacted in Gautrand.. Mike is their nephew and Nonkululeko and Patty have been together for quite a while but once again not married. they know its true and came into contact with the church by buying a book of mormon at a yard sale like 3 years back. They accept everything and so we watched President Monson's talk during priesthood session with them, about seeking the spirit, doing good, getting married, and working things out... it was powerful too. they are all out of work now other than selling potatoes but we just told them everything would work out because its a righteous desire to get married and baptized and they seem to be willing to make it happen.
Just one problem... Labolla... which is no joke Jonny Lingo stuff. a tradition going back like 200 years all the african cultures pay cows...or a huge sum of money to get married to buy the bride... but everything will work out...
Also this week we found a new family in Gautrand... Sonny, Lillian, Kutsi, and gogo (Anna) crazy how we contacted them. we just kinda gave Kutsi a passalong card about a free DVD and when we came to give it to him the first night there was this crazy indian guy there who seemed like super angry we were there because he thought we came for Lillian (his wife) anywho turns out he's awesome and so ridiculously prepared for the gospel. to be continued we're seeing the tomorrow afternoon.
Also awesome is George from Tanzania... he's a super humble guy who works like 15 hour days every day. Last night we talked about the gospel with him and I lately have been picking up a little Swahili so it was super powerful... he explained the holy ghost in the coolest way... we talked about it being like a comforter and he said " I know that God and the Holy Spirit keep you warm. if you do what's right. I was homeless living on the street in the winter but any time I read or prayed I just felt alright. that's how I feel when you guys come." man I love that guy its so awesome.
Also we're teaching Jason from Cape Town who is having a hard time quitting some hard drugs but he came to church for the first time yesterday and just kept saying how alive he felt and wants to be baptized.
So it has been an incredible week and I already love Florida so much. funny story yesterday during sacrament they talked about the church opening a harmony Pennsylvania site. and our bishop couldn't pronounce Pennsylvania and he was like... in Penne Slavia where many important things happened... we should be willing to contribute to the church in this project... so funny but only really to us because no one knows what Pennsylvania is haha.
This week I got to go on an exchange with Elder Sithole who is from Kwazulunatal or KZN... and he's still pretty new but he's got a lot of love and fire for the work and it was a lot of fun... I'm really getting to love our zone a lot.
also sweet was testimony meeting yesterday where we heard Kate a recent convert bear testimony about how the ward is like a family even when everything is going wrong and how she drank tea and felt so guilty she just wanted to throw it all up. its so powerful to see the gospel change lives and honestly I think my favorite part of missionary work is hearing investigators pray and bear testimony it is just so awesome to contrast the change that has come...
Well yeah it has been a great week and I guess I'll echo president Monson to sum up... If you have a testimony don't let it dwindle... if you don't have one... get one... if you haven't read the book of mormon... read it... and pray about it... if it is true... and it is... you know you're on the right track.
Much love from Mzansi...and enjoy your weeks.
Oh and BTW the office is in my area and I can get dear Elder letters every other day if you're thinking of writing any time soon haha... and its free!
Andy Gleave... this is a call to you what is happening man?
Sala Kahle.
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