Interviews, Mosethlane, the power of testimony, Molepolole, Lent

Super great week. I apologize ahead of time if there are grammatical errors I've been up since 4 this morning. The people next door were slaughtering chickens in for some reason and the Palm Sunday celebrations went late into the night. But I'm feeling great because it was an awesome week.

The Benjamin family is doing great. Richard and Lesedi are progressing nicely and have been reading every day. He told us he loves fast Sunday because he can take a big gob of Sacrament bread and it helps him to make it through. I love that family. Their little girl Bothle is about 2 and I finally get her to give me a hi five. In Tswana you say "tsa" and that means take. So now when she sees us she says tsa and hi fives us. They will be baptized for sure on April 15th.

We were with Elder Maybee for 3 days this week because Elder Zuma went to SA to get his drivers license. So it was kinda fun because E. Littlefield and I have a really good teaching system going and he was confused a lot and fell asleep one lesson haha. But Elder Zuma made it back Wednesday after President interviews and brought SASKO brown. I love that Zulu haha we had delicious toast for the first time in weeks. Botswana bread tastes like baked playdough... don't ask how I know how that tastes but I was an exciting 5 year old.

President interviews were really nice. He knows me well, we sat down "how's your physical health?" good. "How's your spiritual health?" good. "Alright, lets get to business." We spoke a lot about accountability and serving with no regrets. I think that's why I love my mission so much, we had a good talk and I was able to say, that I had no regrets, that I continually gave my best, and honestly there is nothing better to say. Matthew 16 has a scripture which reads, "He that loseth his life shall find it, he that keepeth his life shall lose it" I think that is probably one of the biggest lessons I've learned. I can't even tell you how much I have seen myself change. Lately I've been doing a lot of "one year ago today's" in my journal. I love my mission... every day. You've gotta go if you haven't seriously. The way things are going now, I still have the fire I did when I was young, and its because I just love it. Every day is part of the best two years, and the Lord is seriously hooking us up right now. Great people, and day to day miracles. I honestly couldn't ask for more. I just am blown away by how the time has gone.

This week we had one great lesson with a guy called Tirro. He completely accepts the book of Mormon but disagrees that only our church should use it. So we spoke, and explained. Eventually it just boiled down to testimony. he said "I can never leave my church" So bam E. Robinson and E. Littlefield on stage. After 21 months you get a pretty dang good testimony of what you teach and as we sat there under the acacia tree I just felt like I was giving him advice from all my soul. E. Littlefield as well. He paused, countenance completely changed and just said. "It's going to take some time to divorce my church, but In the future I'll be a member" Pres. Poulsen counseled us to write down experiences where you feel the Spirit. That was a big time confirmation. The truth is, there is nothing like this no matter how hard you look. If you don't know that, there is only one way to learn. Live it, love it, and then pray about it.

Brother Mosethlane is also doing just great his wife got her promotion, he is so stoked for his baptism, and he wants us to come teach at the prison to the 160 prisoners. So we're working on permission. All in all everything is sweet.

Well, in commemoration of Easter we decided to have a passover feast with unleavened ciapatis and phaphata and lamb mutton "don't forget to leave a place for elijah!" Yeah we decided to speak in scriptural phrases all week long in the flat and can drink only fanta grape this week. and we even found dreydels. Can you say legendary week? We also set up a kind of April fools joke where we are having "lent" and giving up warm showers. But the only one who doesn't know is E. Maybee. Because he said we could never get him with an April fools joke. Well... we'll see on Friday. :D

Anywho... it's been a great week and I'm looking forward to this one. All you lucky ones who got to see conference I'm super jealous we'll probably see it in 3 weeks. ugh It's like waiting for Christmas.

Elder Robinson

¨caucasians in my stomach¨, finally, stake conference, Botswana is legend

So to answer your questions...

Chicken Licken? did you find healthy meat in Botswana... Well we were brave and... fail. Nothing but bombs for 3 days. Here is a classic quote for our time from Elder Zuma. ¨I think I have a problem.¨ what is that? ¨I think I have caucasians in my stomach¨ man we laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed. He meant so say constapation but he has been around americans so long I guess we´ve somehow worked our way into his stomach.

We finally got back to work this week and had a stellar week. We met a new father called Mosethlane. He´s a head prison guard out here and after teaching about the restoration this was his prayer ¨thank you for sending my elders here tonight. Thank you for the prophet Joseph, and bringing your power back to the earth. Thank you for this free book the Book of Mormon, and thank you for this truth. I will follow it and Be baptized. amen¨.

Supernal joys of missionary work right there. man so good. We are making incredible progress with our pool and everyone has testimonies and are coming to church. Honestly couldn´t be happier. Brother Benjamin is great, just a big week of finding. I don´t know much of what to talk about just everything is great. I promise I´ll have greater detail this week. But it was just awesome. nothing more, nothing less.

Elder Robinson

Deportation day, Immigration office, some sweet families

Well to be perfectly honest. I feel as though I've done nothing this week haha. I feel so ineffective a curse a black plague of missionary work. But its not my fault... let me explain.

So I arrived in Bots on the 7th of march and I am illegal on the 6th of June. Let the countdown begin. So what we're trying to do to further the work here is get residency so we can stay for at least a year if needs be. The only problem is, I finish my mission in July and it usually takes 3 month to process and even then its a lottery. So soon I'll be an illegal immigrant... Legendary... and will get deported. Unless I get incredibly lucky. Nevertheless, we went to immigration.

So Tuesday we went to the office and did a ton of paper work and the office closed at 3:30 so we were told to go back the next day simply to pay. So we did... Lo and behold after waiting 3 hours in line the system went down... come back tomorrow. TIA.... So we get back... power is out.... TIA.... so Friday we come back. after driving about 2 hours to Gaborone and sitting. Lo and Behold, the power is out again. So we start to drive back and we get a phone call its on... so we flip around and go back and wait in line until 3 o clock and finally got to pay after 4 days of sitting and travel. This Is Botswana.

So our whole week was pretty much destroyed by that so we didn't do much at all. But we're teaching a powerful Jewish family who are going to be baptized next month. They gained hard core testimonies of the BOM and we are also teaching the awesome Kaimba family. The father is so great. we just need to win the trust of the son. He doesn't believe we're the only true church. Also we super offended the wife of another family so we're hoping to patch that up tonight. and we contended with some 7th day Adventists. all in a weeks work. So due to time... I'll close, but I love Botswana. I just hate the immigration office. In fact, we composed a song about it which was recorded and will be released in its own due time. anywho much love from Africa and we'll talk next week.

P.S. there was a donkey on our stoop this morning. So legendary... so Botswana

Elder Robinson

Transfer news?, fine... take offense..., the big 5... Road trip.‏

Oh snap ladies and gentlemen it's time for your favorite game where in the world is Elder Robinson! If you guessed Africa you're right! But that wasn't an option. So drum roll please.................. Kanye, Botswana in the Botswana West Zone. as ZL's we cover the land of Lobatse, Molepolole, and Kanye.

Yep... So I am in the land of Pula and Zebra's. We have a new big 5 up here... The Cow, The Chicken, The Donkey, The Goat, and The Baboon. the meat is not the greatest. So much so that McDonalds does not exist here due to low quality meat, so I may be going vegetarian for a while. It's hot here. It feels like home haha its about 100 during the days and super dry so I feel at home and everywhere I go is with a smile. Dumela Rra? Lekgae? Riteng. Life is pretty slow paced, but I really enjoy it. It's fun to talk to the people. Every transition in conversation you say Ehhhhh!. Just like the Fonz. So that's pretty cool.

So due to the travel up here, we had quite the journey. We spent Tuesday night in Joburg and hit up an evening temple session. We spent the night at the mission home but first went to dinner at meat n' eat. May I just say this much about a legendary dining experience. We had Eisbein. Which is like half of a pig leg. and we each got our own. we had leftovers for the next 2 days of travel. We then had ZL meeting and I saw some good buds I.E. Elders Williams, Yugawa, Huntsman, Hill, Hancock, Mcnally, and others. It was so much fun. So then we drove forever, haha 5 hours to the border, craziness there, Spent the night in Gaborone, got like de-wormed, and mentally checked. one of the questions was "are you an idiot or imbecile?" and got some passport stuff worked out. Then another 3 hours to Kanye arriving at about 6 pm Thursday. So Bots is having a lot of problems with Visa's and so I'll probably be deported in 86 days. So keep that on your countdown clocks haha.

I'm with Elder Littlefield, the man, the myth, the legend. He's awesome I've known him my whole mission and I get to kill him which will be a fun 6 weeks. We're teaching some great families especially the Kaimba's. We just found them this week and the father is Golden. They came this Sunday and are doing absolutely great. Just the son took offense when we told him his high paid pastor has no authority... so yeah haha that's always fun. But we won his trust because we mowed the lawn for him. We're also teaching brother Benjamin a British/Hebrew. He's awesome and one of those random white people you find in villages sometimes. He's got an intellectual testimony of the church and already has a calling as the organist though he's not a member. He jazzes up the hymns with computerized drums and horns haha it was awesome swaying to guide us o thou great Jehovah yesterday.

To be frank, this is basically ideal situation. Decently established branch on the verge of becoming a ward, humble people, and great missionaries in our zone. Plus... I'll probably get to see one more area and be a refugee... Legendary? I think so.

Well being that I've only really been here 2 days, I don't have a whole lot to talk about. But its going to be sweet. So stay classy all you people.

Elder Robinson

Sala Sindle Hammanskraal. Hello ?

Powerful week. Busy week. Apologies for the late email. I have about 7
minutes to tell you about a legend of a week, but here goes.

I love Hammanskraal, it is a home away from home, and I have memories
and part of my heart in that place always. We'll be a branch by the
end of April and have a school almost 100% secured. We are currently
teaching a sweet as heck family Koti, Nancy, Katlego, Mr. George,
Carl, and Refilwe. They will be baptized no doubt.

WE had a bit of disappointment in people falling through this month
due to funerals, but everyone we are teaching has a testimony, and
more than likely will be baptized. By August, I believe our membership
will be approaching 80 with our small beginnings of 12.

Things are good, and whoever is going there will enter the area in
good hands, and Elder Black is ready for whatever. Mission
accomplished.

I still have crazy stomach problems, but I'm healthy, happy, and going
to a dying land.

Speaking of that, basically I can go to 1 of 4 places. Broadhurst
Botswana, Pretoria East, Rustenburg, Polokwane. Make your lucky picks
I'll die a ZL in the wilderness unless I go to Pretoria.. We'll find
out in 3 hours.

Well the time is far spent, there is little remaining Hymn 266. But
Today Elder Kantu dies which leaves me with only two living
companions, Black and Brey, my posterity... what up...

So have a good week and we'll speak soon from a new far away land.

Much love,

Elder Robinson

Would ye not behold quickly?, I just wanna change, joyous reunion, transfer news?

Hello again my esteemed friends, Here is a dancing Lobster.

A great week in the land of Hammyskraal, and man we found some sweet freaking people. We started tracting a new area called Wrenstown and found a guy named Koti there. He has been to like 7 churches throughout his life and is so sick of them treating the people like customers. He told us about his wife and how he wants a united family and so :D we talked about the temple. He really like that and there is a guy staying with him from Essex in the UK and so Elder Black taught his first white person. He had a lot of questions about what the church is doing politically to solve the problems the world is facing. So we spoke about agency, the plan of salvation, accountability, etc. and all of a sudden he was like "Koti this sounds like a true church, when can you come again." He, Carl, is kinda agnostic because of the history of churches in Europe. So two investigators just waiting for the Restoration one house. When we went to see them they were still on the way, so we decided to knock a house It was almost dark and after dark, people think we are satanists so we were really hoping to get in. Family of 5. SO interested in the book of Mormon that they decided to bring all of their relatives and friends over tonight so we'll be teaching about 18 people tonight in their house all about the "3rd testament" I'm SO pumped for that.

This week I learned a cool lesson out of Alma 33:19-23 It speaks about the brazen serpent in the wilderness and how we as people just have to do something so simple. Look up, look to the savior. Alma says " O my brethren, if you could be healed by merely casting your eyes would ye not behold quickly?" This week our studies were focused on teaching people for understanding and just helping them realize what this can do for them. What did it result in? oh 63 people at church, so much so that we had to run to the neighbors and borrow chairs so people would have a place to sit, 10 people gaining testimonies this week, 25 on date for March 25th, and a legendary week of just living the dream.

Lloyd one of our newest investigators struggles a bit with addictions and his past, but just came to the church yesterday and said in class "I have wanted what these guys are teaching my whole life, I just have this feeling I can't deny, I need this." He gained his testimony the moment we taught him the restoration and has already begun the Book of Mormon. I love our investigators.

To be perfectly honest, my mission has been insane. constant change, constant struggle, constant just pleading for things to happen. But the truth is I have changed. I beheld, I looked up, and I've seen it. I used to be the guy who in a scriptural phrase "understood not the meaning of those things" and I cannot and will not let this go. Of the many blessings I have received I believe that has been the most influential. I know what I have, I know where I can go, and I know who can get me there. What else do you really need. I am probably leaving Hammanskraal next Tuesday and will disembark to my dying area. Which means y'all can play transfer news again. Every where I have been, every companion I have had, every challenge I have faced, is exactly what I needed. And while it has been so insane, I've loved every minute. You can't not love a mission, you can't not love this. If I could just help everyone understand that, the young men, the people who are kinda floating around, man I'd be so happy. But the truth is all you have to do is give it a shot, give it a try and you will know.

Enough soapbox. In other news, I had a joyous reunion with Elder Williams, who is my boy, and man its exciting haha. Elder Alder, Williams, and Robinson in the same zone conference, and soon to be the same complex. Awesome, need I say more.

So everyone, legend of a week. We're gonna play football, check out the Capital building, and make meatball subs today. start getting your lucky transfer news picks ready, perhaps a new clue to come next week of what may be happening.

Salani Kahle

The Law of Moses

Pretty good week. I love our investigators man. Lebogang made it to stake conference and was just like " I was scared thinking that in a big church I would just be like anyone else. But it was totally different. I just felt home. I need to be baptized I don't care what I have to do..." Just gotta wait til march haha.

Everything is sweet. and the reason I've chose the Law of Moses for this weeks subject line is this. In the old days of the mission the focus was baptize anybody who is keeping commitments, but the focus has shifted now to those who truly are converted and will leave it all behind. It's been a tough adjustment but that's what the church needs here in Africa. People who are committed to the growth of the church. I'm 100% on board for this new style. It's a little disappointing to postpone baptisms, but what's truly disappointing is people falling away. I've been lucky enough to have virtually all converts remain active, but it is a big problem of retention and this is the way its to be done.

It's been some work, but everyone we're truly teaching is either progressing, or in early stages and it just helps so much. I may not see all the fruit of my labor, but that's not what its about anyway. It's about building the church, so that is just what we'll do. I can honestly say I love our investigators and after a bit more time, teaching, and commitment, they will be powerful future leaders here in Hammanskraal.

We just have to get the big picture. I have been constantly growing and changing over the course of my mission and the methods have changed. But I know this is the Lord's work and I know we just need to jump on board and go with it. Words can't really paint the picture of what I have learned or felt, but I have no doubt this is where I need to be, this is what I need to do, this is how I need to live my life. I love South Africa, Ngi thanda Mzansi. I love my mission. To the field for quit possibly my final two weeks in Hammanskraal, time to plant the seeds.

Elder Robinson