Makadii Week 17!

Wow! 4 months a missionary!

It has been quite a roller coaster so far, and I hope it continues to be. I was officially set apart 4 months ago yesterday, so time is really flying. A little less than 20 more to go! I hope everyone has had a wonderful start to their summer!

Things are going well here, and we are now half way through the current transfer. Things are well in Marimba and Mufakose, and my companion and I are getting along well. I'm just trying to be the best companion I can be for him. No baptisms or marriages this week, but we did have some confirmations of those baptized last week. I always love seeing someone officially welcomed into a ward. It is the best feeling. :) We did receive a good number of referrals from members this week, and some of our investigators are progressing well. We are planning for a baptism of 4 people for June 11, so hopefully all goes well.

Lobola has caused me lot's of problems already on my mission. Shylet and Sister Rondinyu, two people I have been teaching since I came, have stopped progressing because of it. It breaks my heart to stop seeing them, because I so badly want them to be baptized and come closer to Christ. That can't happen until they are married, and lobola, as well as other circumstances are really getting in the way. If it doesn't end up being me who baptizes them, I really hope it happens in the near future. Satan really does work hard on our investigators.

One highlight from the week was exchanges with the Zone Leaders, Elder Brooks and Chikato, in Domboshava. I got to go back to the same area I have gone to before, with Elder Chikato, and I loved it just as much as I did before! It was a good day, and a nice change of pace for me. Elder Chikato is a Zim native, and Elder Brooks is from California. They are super fun guys.

We also had a good time as a zone at the lake last Monday, but there is nothing planned for today. I think there is something coming up next week, but I'm not sure what. We didn't end up playing soccer, so I still haven't had a chance to redeem myself. Haha :)

Random stuff for the week:

1. There are lot's of dogs and cats in the ghettos where I have spent most of my time, but no one takes care of them. It's pretty tough to see sometimes.

2. Construction here is very frustrating. People will dig up the road, and just leave it unfixed for weeks. It makes traffic even worse than it already is!

3. There are actually more white folks here than I thought. The areas I've been in are mostly filled with black Africans, so I don't get to see murungus very often.

4. Members speak a mixture of Shona and English almost all the time. It is sometimes frustrating because they are wanting me to become fluent in Shona, but they have no idea how hard that really is. I'm doing my best :)

5. I have heard some rumors about the temple and where it will be, but nothing has been finalized. I will be sure to let you all know when I find out for sure.

6. The police here are basically thieves in a uniform. They just stop you randomly, even when you do nothing wrong, and do whatever they can to get money from you. Luckily, I personally haven't run into any problems with them, but I've seen it happen.

As you can tell, my emails have started to get a little shorter. I hope that is okay! I'm trying to include all the big happenings during the week, and any funny cultural things that I come across. My emails won't always be super detailed, so just a heads up. When I get home, I will be able to answer any questions anyway, and tell you all about it. I hope the pictures my mom posts to the blog and to my facebook page are good as well!

I love you all so much! Never forget the Lord's hand in your life. He is guiding you and helping you more than you know. Keep loving life, and everything it throws at you. You are blessed! :)