Week #40 On The Road Again

Dumela everyone! I'm glad to be writing to you all again! I hope you had an awesome week. Let me get started.

Tuesday:

We had a few lessons and a few contacts today. We reviewed the interview questions with Abel and he remembered most of them. He's on date to be baptized this Sunday so I hope everything goes well!

Wednesday:

Elder Mathias joined the other elders today for exchanges so it was just me and Mosweswe. We taught 5 lessons today and also did some finding. We found 5 new people, 3 of them were siblings all around mid 30's. They seemed super interested and smart when it comes to the gospel. Our district had been planning on buying, killing, and eating a goat at a members today. However due to some issues we changed plans to just having a potluck with the sisters. We played a few board Games and then feasted. It was a lot of fun. We drove home and listened to our transfer calls on the way. The whole mochudi district is being changed with new missionaries except for Mosweswe and Sister Sebakile. This means I'm leaving both of my sons. I'll be going to Francistown and serving as the Zone Leader there with Elder Santos (he's been out 14 months). I spent the rest of the night packing and got to bed late.

Thursday:

We drove to the new mission office with all of our luggage early in the morning. We picked up a couple of elders for the AP's and brought them to the office and then we headed off. The AP's took me, Elder Baptista, and sister Mao (sister I was in mochudi with) halfway to francistown. We met some missionaries that were going to Gabs and swapped cars. We dropped sister Mao and some elders off and then taught a few lessons. Elder Egburhe is going to be with us a couple of days until his greenie arrives in the mission.

Friday:

We had district council at the chapel, the chapel is literally a house turned into a chapel on the inside. Our district is half in person and half online since 4 of them live 2 hours away. We got district lunch at a burger place called “Steers” afterwards. We were hopping between Egburhe and our area all day, we managed to teach a decent amount of lessons, the people here seem very cool. I did a baptismal interview over the phone for the Serowe elders (the ones who live 2 hours away). After one of our lessons today I gave my comp my phone while I went to the bathroom. We drove to the next lesson and then I asked for my phone and he said he put it on the hood of the car. We retraced our steps but the phone was gone. No phone or SIM card as a Zone Leader is a big nono.

Saturday:

Today got completely flipped upside down. We were driving back and forth between elders flats, picking up supplies and then we had a surprise devotional. We crammed 7 of us in the truck and drove to the senior couples home. The devotional was a surprise about President and Sister Walker, they're back in the mission!!! We made some lunch and went on a mini exchange, I was with Egburhe and Thomas (1 of the Elders in my trio that I began with). Then me, Santos, and Thomas met the office elders halfway to Gabs to exchange bikes, supplies, and Elder Egburhes greenie. We got back at 9:15 and did some baptismal interviews for Elder Thomas and got home around 10. We were so tired. Got a new phone as well, still need to go recover the old SIM though.

Sunday:

There aren't many priesthood holders in the branch here so Santos and I blessed/passed the sacrament today. After the 1st hour we had to go to the francistown branch and do an interview for the mother/wife of the two we interviewed last night. All 3 of them were baptized as well as another brother. We played with the kids and they thought it was crazy that I could have a simple conversation in setswana with them, they taught me some new words as well. A boy told one of the senior couples that he wants to serve a mission because of me which is so heartwarming. We taught a couple lessons and then contacted a few people. We joined the sisters for a couple lessons in their area and then went home. Elder Santos made a big dinner which was just what we needed. We finished the night by doing call-ins with the district leaders in our zone.

Monday:

We slept in a bit and then picked the elders and went to the senior couples complex. We played pickleball the whole day. Usually they also cook the missionaries crazy good dinners but they were all out so they ordered a boatload of pizza and soda. Apparently the missionaries come here for every P-Day, something I can get used to. It was a lot of fun. We dropped the elders at home and then went grocery shopping.

Spiritual thought:

My thought for today is simple. I want to testify of the happiness that floods into our lives as we live the gospel. I've seen it in my life, I've seen it bring my family so close, I've seen it change people's lives in Botswana and Namibia, and I know it can flood all of your lives too. The blessings that come with living the gospel are infinite and eternal. 

Conclusion:

I'm happy that I could share my week with you all. I'm also grateful for the emails received from each of you, I hope I got back to all of you. If not, please remind me. I love you all so much and hope you can see the blessings of the gospel in your lives this week.

Elder Miller

Photos:

Elder 2J (top left) returned home Friday. This is a picture of his lineage here in the mission. The elders he trained, and the elders they trained etc...