Makadii Week 14!

Hello there everyone!

This week has probably been the longest of my mission so far. I am so glad that Mother's Day came when it did, so that I could see my family for the first time in over 3 months. For those who don't know, each Mother's Day and Christmas missionaries have the chance to call/skype home to their families. They are oh so special. It came at the perfect time for me. :)

The threesome this week was the hardest thing, second to the first week of my mission in the field, that I've had to go through so far. The house in Glenview is nice, and the other Elders are great guys, but there were many many frustrations with the work. It was tough for me to be with them, when I knew that there was other investigators in Marimba that I needed to visit. Because of the constraints though, I wasn't able to be in my area, except for an hour or so on Sunday. The confirmation that I thought wasn't done last week actually took place after I left. I'm thankful for the members help in getting that done! Teaching with two other Elders was interesting, but very tough for me. They ended up not saying anything during their lessons, so even though it technically isn't my area I ended up taking control of every single lesson. It was a very long week, but it was a good learning experience for me. The Lord is really helping me to fulfill my responsibilities.

I also got my iPod stolen, which was a huge bummer. That happened to top of an already tough week. There is still a chance it could turn up again. It was a really weird thing, and I'm not sure how it really happened. The call home really helped me refocus, and to help me realize that things are really not that bad. My family is the best!

Today has been very busy, and I didn't get to email until later on in the day. With transfers happening, and with me being a driver, I've been driving missionaries and their luggage all over the place. It's been a long day for sure.

One thing you should know is that my emails won't always be so in depth. Mondays can be pretty busy and stressful here, so I might not always get to write for a long period of time. I hope that is ok! I've tried to do my best to explain my experiences so far! If any of you have specific questions for me, please email and ask! I would love to answer you! :)

The big news is that I have a new companion, and that I will be staying in Marimba and Mufakose for another 6 weeks! It is cool that I have someone new to be with, and at least I will be in a familiar place for awhile. I definitely don't want to stay here much longer, but I guess that is up to the Lord. I'm doing my best to be happy and content no matter where I am, and where others may be. I know for sure that there is still plenty of time for me to see more of the mission and the country! There were lots of changes throughout the mission this transfer, especially in our Zone. I am the only one left from my original district when I first came. Pretty crazy how things can change so fast. The changes help keep things exciting though! A mission would be pretty dull if there were no changes :)

My companion is Elder Sekerere! I just met up with him today, so I still have a lot more to learn about him. He is from Mabvuku, Zimbabwe, which is very close to Harare. We played soccer there a month or so ago. He seems like a great guy, and I hope this first week together goes well! Much more about him will be coming in next weeks email! We will hopefully be having a marriage and baptism this coming week as well, with a family and a few others that I was teaching with Milikafu! Exciting things continue to happen.

By the way, the house I was staying in with Milikafu, in Marimba has been closed. My companion and I will be staying in Glenview with the elders there, and will be making the 15 minute drive to the area and back everyday. That is if the traffic isn't completely terrible. Haha :) It will be very interesting finally being with a new companion, and I'm excited to see what this transfer will bring! Hopefully nothing else gets stolen! We have gotten some new locks for the house, so hopefully that will prevent it from happening again!

I love you all, my friends and family, so so much! I hope that all continues to go well back home for all of you. Please stay in touch, and remember to ask any questions that come to mind. I would love to answer them the best I can :) I miss hearing from you. Have a wonderful end to the school year, and a wonderful start to summer.

Good luck to the Happy Jacks on their upcoming tour!

I'm officially done being trained, so I am no longer a "greeny" in the mission. I've felt like my training has been done for a while now, but it is now the real deal. Anything can happen for me, and that is really exciting! :)

Stay safe and stay sweet. Keep trying, and keep trusting. I pray for you all constantly!

See you next week y'all. :)

**The picture with the shoes and other items are all made out of elephant hide. The headset ones were taken on Mother's Day when we Skyped.