Wee #7 The Promised Land (What Everyone Here Calls Namibia)

General Overview:


Monday:

I am in Namibia!!! I flew to Namibia on the 30th (specifically into Windhoek). It was crazy hot and the whole flight was just barron, flat, dry dessert. I flew with Elders Were and Otema, who are from Tanzania and Kenya respectively. Once we landed Elders Tolbert and Bitton picked us up. Tolbert is my new trainer and he's only been out for 4.5 months now. We all went to a pizza place straight from the airport which was so good and much needed after the flights (Gabarone -> Jo-Berg -> Windhoek). 


Tuesday: 

We started the day with a service project. A friend that the Elders have been teaching is hosting a wedding at his home and we helped him clean and cut faux grass in preparation for the wedding. It took a little longer than expected but we were glad to have a change of pace from the typical missionary work and were glad to help. After that we taught a few lessons, with the help of the local legend Norman Daniels, who knows everyone and everyone knows him. The places we were teaching in were homes made of sheet metal, bottle caps, and nails as far as the eye could see. It was really cool. Norman is a very funny and outgoing guy and taught us "how to stay safe on the streets". We ended the night at a member's house where we ate dinner and sang hymns with 4 other elders and the family, it was very nice. 


Wednesday:

Today was a pretty normal day. We taught a lot of lessons, once again with the help of Norman Daniels who always keeps things interesting. When we returned home the other two Elders that stayed with us in the flat had bought us each our own pizzas so we ate those and were dying laughing from all the crazy stuff that Elder Havea is always saying. It was a great end to the night. 


Thursday:

Today started with me and Elder Tolbert loading up the car with our bags, as we were going to Katatura (the next city over) to open a new area. After driving for about an hour I knew something was up and Elder Tolbert told me we were going to Swakopmund! He was keeping it a surprise because it's the best area in the mission. It has cool weather, great normal food, the ocean, sand dunes, it's basically paradise. Eventually, we arrived in Swakopmund and the sisters who serve here met us and gave us our flat keys and cookies. We settled in and then went with the sisters to meet the members of Swakop and get the lay of the land. 


Friday:

Me and Elder Tolbert started the day by grabbing a bunch of KFC and sitting at the beach while we ate. Truly the best way to start your day 🤣 After that we dropped the sisters off where they'd be teaching for the day, DRC, it's another one of those sheet metal villages but these ones also had fishing nets all over them because it's a coastal city. It is such a cool village and looks straight out of Star Wars. Because Elder Tolbert I were opening our side of Swakopmund we had to go door-knocking for 8 hours which was so exhausting but we met a lot of new friends which was good and even set up some appointments to meet with them again. We met some kids today too who wanted to play chess with us so we sat down and played. The only thing was that there were only 4 pieces each and they were a completely new set of rules they made so it was pretty funny. They were definitely the funniest kids we've met since I've been on the mission, they're all super little, it's two sisters and the youngest brother named Johnny who's the best. We ended the night by getting pizzas and carbonate from an Italian restaurant which was sooooo good.


Saturday:

Saturday started off with a morning run to the beach and then to the end of the pier. We admired the view for a while as well as the cool weather and scratched our names in the wood at the end of the pier along with thousands of others who do it. We thought it would be cool to come back years from now and still be able to see our names in it. On our way back to the apartment we found a German bakery where we could a large assortment of donuts cheesecake and hot chocolate. We each ate like four huge donuts and a hot chocolate and it was so delicious. We decided we would be returning soon. Today was also full of door-knocking as well as helping the sisters teach mission prep to the youth. While we were finding we found a German family who made scarfs from butterfly cocoons that when you boil turn into a wool type substance which they spin and then weave into a scarf. They had two huge looms or whatever they're called in their garage.


Sunday:

Today was fast Sunday so we were able to have a testimony meeting at church. It was great because we got to hear and meet a lot of the members and learn their names. Elder Tolbert and I also got the opportunity to share our testimonies which was great. We had our weekly planning session, some door-knocking, and three lessons today so it was more interesting than the last two days which was good. We concluded the night by having dinner with the Sisters, which they cooked. It was Pap and beans with ground beef. It's a very common meal here in Africa and looked like heaven at the end of the fast. Even though I don't love Pap I'm coming around to it each time I have it and was so grateful for the food because I was starving. The Sisters here are so funny and are the best.


Monday:

Today was P-Day! We started by walking to the dunes with the Sisters and some of the awesome youth and climbing up, jumping down, racing, and just wandering around the dunes. It was a lot of fun! Then we walked to the seashore and walked along the shore for a while, occasionally stopping to see inside the snake enclosure building, little shops, and into the ice cream shop where we all got some ice cream. After that, the sisters went to do some studying at the beach and I went to the barbershop with Elder Tolbert. My buzz cut was turning into an afro so it was much needed. We met back up with the sisters after and got some meat pies and went to the grocery store to do our shopping for the week. We ended the night by teaching a lesson and then going to the chapel for a Monday night devotional.


Scripture of the week:


2 Nephi 32: 3,5


3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

 

 5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.


As we feast upon the words of Christ and look to him in every thought he will lead us and help us in our lives. He will bless us with strength, guidance, peace and hope. I've seen this as I've been in Africa as the BOM has changed the lives of so many that I've taught so far. As well as my own life as I've been able to witness my personal conversion as I've been here. As you feast on the words of Christ the Holy Ghost will be able to guide and answer your questions. Amen


I apologize for the blandness of the email this week but it's super late and I am very tired. I hope you all had a happy Halloween and more importantly, are getting excited for Christmas, we're already blasting the Christmas Music here.


Much love, 

Elder Miller 


Johnny - the awesome boy we met

Norman Daniels

A beautiful sunset

The dunes

Our view

The new hair






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