Makadii Week 31!

Hesi shamwari dzangu! (Hello my friends!) :)

I hope all of you have had a wonderful start to the fall, and a wonderful start to the school year. Glad to hear the Cowboys pulled out the W! I hope all of my family and friends were cheering them on for me! Go Pokes!

This past week in Chegutu has brought many blessings, and we are finding success. Elder Mahlangu and I are hoping to have another 6 baptisms this coming Saturday, as well as the marriage for the Ndhlovu family! I have come to know on my mission that many things can go wrong leading up to a baptism, so not all of those that we hope to baptize may end up happening, but I am holding out faith that they will! Just like it says in the Book of Mormon, miracles can only come through our faith. I have trying to have faith no matter what may be getting in the way. :) The people we are preparing are: Phillis, Charity, Baba and Amai Ndhlovu, Tinashe, and Sibongile. It will be another wonderful weekend for us! :)

We also have a couple other families that are progressing for a date later in September, so we will hopefully have a few more later on in the month! We are very blessed, and just like Elder Edward Dube of the Seventy said, "This is Africa's time, and the Lord is blessing us abundantly!" It is so true in this part of the world. :)

The sweet news is that we were blessed to receive a temporary car replacement while our last one is being fixed in Harare. The AP's brought their extra white Chevy down on Tuesday night, so we were only without a car for 4 days. It is still a pretty darn new car, with less than 40,000 km on it! Since it spends most of its time in Harare, it is in a very nice condition still. The AC actually works, so we don't have to keep the windows down and let the dust in! It really is a blessing, and I am being extra careful to take care of it! So, we will have a car until we get our other one back.

Yesterday was one year to the day that I got back from my half marathon in Jackson Hole and my visit to Star Valley and opened my mission call! I've hit another milestone! :) It is so crazy how much my life has changed since then. I can't believe how fast time has gone by! I still remember how awestruck I was when I read that I would be coming to Zimbabwe. I sat there with my family for a few minutes and just didn't speak. I had no idea at that time how much of difference this mission call would make in my life and the life of my family. It wasn't what I had expected, but I have since come to realize that I am where I am supposed to be. One thing is for sure, my call came from the Lord. I know He is preparing me for a bright future! :)

We have interviews with President Mkhabela this week, which is the last week of the current transfer, in preparation for the next transfer. I really never have any idea what will happen, and I am now in a position where really anything can happen, so I am keeping my heart and mind open to any possible outcome! I am trusting the Lord to inspire President Mkhabela to put me where I need to be. Pretty crazy that in next weeks email I will be 8 months a missionary, with 5 transfers behind me. I am on my way now! :) Only 4 more months or so until I reach 1 year! We will have Zone Meeting again next week, as well as a Zone Conference at the end of this month.

Here in Zimbabwe they have totems, sort of like a spirit animal thing, that everyone gets. When I first came to Chegutu, our Branch President Bveke gave me mine, Nzou Samanyanga (Elephant with big tusks). I think its crazy because elephants have been my favorite animal my whole life, and he had no idea. haha :) Either way it is super cool! I am now Elder Nzou Samanyanga!

I have been in Africa long enough now that I am slowly becoming African more and more each day! It's starting to scare me a little bit, but it's cool that I will always have a little something African about me. :) 

Things are going mushe-mushe (well-well) for me and the other Elders here in Chegutu, and an exciting future is ahead of us! Keep cheering on the Pokes for me, and always remember how much all of you mean to me! :)

Ndinowonana time-time! :)