We Got a GREENIE!

                                The Bluff Elders :)

July 15, 2019

YAYYYY We got a greenie in our district now! Elder Hiatt is training a youngin', Elder Fife. He is from Boise and can draw anything you ask him to. It's a nice thing to have, because he can make our meme ideas come to life!

Elder Bezerra and I have been putting in the work this last week. We knocked a pretty good chunk of Kwamashu this last week and I think it is started to pay off. There is something about coming home after a day of sweating and getting turned away that makes you feel more optimistic about the days to come. Our district has set the goal to Find the "One" Every day. It HAS been a struggle, but we have found that person. 

One of these is named Prince. We met him yesterday after church. We went to a home that we scheduled an appointment at, but we met him instead(if that makes sense). He explained some problems that he has been facing in his life recently and we got to share with him the book of Mormon. It was really cool to see how it answered the questions that troubled his soul. We read about the spirit world and the resurrection and about how families can be together forever. I don't think I have felt the spirit in a lesson like that before. It was really cool!

We got to pick up all the new missionaries from the airport, which means we also got to drive by the Durban Temple! I was so excited to see it! It has changed a lot since the last time I was at it a year ago!

Love you all!

-Elder Moser

We got to visit the Bluff when picking up elders for transfers.
We stopped to see the Allen family, who is my favorite.

Memes lol. A pie-in-ear, Get it?

On my study grind.
That poster in the back is from the daily sun.
 They make ridiculous headlines. haha

Da Boiz.
(Elders Atkinson and Da silva, who are leaving at the end of the month:( 

A late night snack while my comp eats naks with a fork haha

Welcome President Lines!

July 8, 2019

We got a new mission president and had another zone Conference this week! We had another Zone conference with Durban, Richards Bay and Hillcrest zones. There were a lot of missionaries and I wasn't sure how our mission president was going to handle it, But I already feel like he has connected with everyone and he has really made me feel like he cares about the missionaries and our success and safety. He is a super cool guy. Multiple times already he has told me we are going to get along, and I think its because when I told him I am from Blackfoot Idaho, we immediately started talking about fly fishing. He invited me to tie flies with him some P-day.

It's the end of another transfer and I am staying zone leader in Durban. Its actually weird because not much is changing in our zone. Other than the fact that a lot of our elders here are going to be training. Also, my son elder Ndlovu is going to be training which means I will have a grandson! I'm super excited about that!:))))) 

We spent most of our last week moving in. I got to drive a Nissan Hardbody which is a manual transmission so that was pretty fun;) We now live In Kwamashu, and our boarding is 3 levels up. It took a lot of trips to move out and we didn't get much help from the other elders and I kinda got frustrated. I need to work on patience haha...

love yall:)

-Elder Moser

Thank you, President and Sister Thompson! 

Welcoming the new President.

President and Sister Lines

Our Zone

ELDER HIATT WAS HIDING THIS HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH
POWDER THE WHOLE TIME!

This is me cooking some BOMB dinner.

Made hamburgers for the 4th Of July!!!! *Bald eagle noises*

We made jello but got impatient so we used
straws to slurp the half hardened jell.

Week of fun and uMIRAKLZ

July 1, 2019

HEYYYYYYY whats upppppppppp?

This week was lekker. I went on an exchange with the Bluff elders on Tuesday. Me and my companion for the day, Elder Da Silva, Were on a taxi headed somewhere through Kwamashu, And this taxi was super sketchy. It took us along some random path through the middle of the township that was really dangerous ( according to the members of the branch.) When we finally got off the taxi and started walking into a building, I felt my back pocket and realized that I left my wallet on the taxi! Now, a South African taxi is probably the last thing you want to leave your wallet in, and by the time that I realized I didn't have it, the taxi was speeding off in a random direction. As broken and sad as we were, we knew that we needed to say a prayer. Da Silva offered it, and as soon as we said Amen, The taxi came whipping around the corner and beckoned us to come. They gave my wallet back and even stayed while I checked to make sure everything was there. It would have been so easy for them to take everything, but the Lord tested our faith in him, and performed a miracle. 

We also got to meet our new mission president, President lines, at about midnight. That was a long night, and we didn't get back till about 2 in the morning. I Had so much energy afterwards that I could have stayed up much later. 

We Really just had an interesting week. We got kicked out of a lot of homes as well by Babas who never want us to come back which can be a little disheartening, but we are staying strong. We have been planning our second zone conference for this transfer as well, so plenty busy!

Love ya'll!

-Elder Moser

Kwasmashu

June 24, 2019 

Howzit folks, I got some things tuh say.

This week I was super confused with where we were. House numbers make no sense. One second you are by house H345 then the house right next to it is H69 and when you are looking for house H1456 it makes for a lot of fluttering. It does create a good way to contact people when you ask for help though. A question people always ask us is where we stay.. members say that it is because people want to rob us, but I find it is usually because the people who ask us are wondering how we are so brave. They say " are you not scared?" but when they see that we are missionaries they can immediately tell that we are protected by the Lord.  We get appointments from it too :)

We met with our Branch President, President Zulu, who fed us BURRITOS and told us about ideas on having investigators progress better. Apparently nobody does ancestor worship like the Zulu people. He was telling us about how similar the beliefs of the Zulu traditions and Temple ordinances are. This is really exciting for me, because the opening for the Durban temple has just been announced! We can do a lot to help people look towards the temple and be able to do work for their ancestors:)

I ate some really hot wings this last week and they didn't even bother me. When did that happen? I was even thinking to myself that they weren't strong enough.

One thing that was really funny this week was when I used sticky tack to stick all my companion's stuff to his desk, cupboard, and ceiling. I have a video of him trying to get everything but he doesn't see his home card on the ceiling lol.

Well, have a good week!

Sawubona Ma!

This week has been good, and went by super quickly. It is weird that it is already P-day.

I'm so excited for Porter! He just had a birthday and is doing all the good things. He is so much more prepared than I was, so he will be able to go in Gunz ablazing! I sure hope Japanese is easier to learn than Zulu!

I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting yesterday and I wasn't even nervous to talk in front of everybody. That is something new. I can easily say that my ability to talk in front of people is better. I am a lot better at talking to strangers as well. I kinda find myself leading a lot in lessons and contacts, but my companion has recently shared with me that he struggles with talking to people. The language barrier also doesn't help very much I am sure.

Ya know, some people commented on my dimple this week and have told me they wish they had them. I told them I could give them one since mine is actually a scar. " HAIBO"

Ngithanda Wena!

I finally have pictures for ya'll!

June 10, 2019

Hello associates. Howz been the week?

I have been sick for the past week. As I am composing this email, I am actually hacking a lung, and it hurts really bad. I don't want to go to the clinic, so I will take the Zulu remedy and eat plenty of oranges.

We met some pretty crazy people this week. The investigator who came to church and surprised us is still meeting with us. We want to meet with his friends as well but when we come to see them and they see us from afar, they run away really fast. In fact, when we came to see them, one guy didn't have a place to hide so he just spread eagle on the ground and pretended to be asleep. Haha, I hope they know we are quite harmless.

We had 3 baptisms yesterday, all kids under 15. The thing I love about kids getting baptized is when they bear their testimonies. They always say the most profound things. One of them, Sandile, said " If I could explain how I feel in one word, it would be clean. I;m going to go to all my friends and tell them I have no sins anymore"

I'm getting along well with my companion and we are working well together. He has surprised me. This week we are setting some good goals. We also have Zone conference. This will be President Thompson's last one, so it is going to be really different. Wish us the best with the preparations.

Ngi Thanda ya'll. Have a blessed week.

-Elder Moser

 

Hey mom! Sorry to hear that Luthia is gone. Just get another exchange student, right? Get one from south Africa. That would be cool. Then they could tell you about everything that I am experiencing right now:)

It feels good to have hit a year. I'm looking back at everything that happened in the past year and it feels like one, but went so fast. Now that I now what I'm doing I fear its gonna go by faster now.

This morning I got a call from one of my friends on mission. Last night President Thompson told him his father had passed on. I can tell he is hurting and I really want to help him with it. He is being strong and knowledge of the plan of salvation is really helping, I just wish I knew of a way that I could help him.

This week we ate chicken from a member family.... It still had some of the feathers on it and It wasn't cooked all the way... Also, I am still a zone leader, and I am going on an exchange to the Bluff tomorrow. Seems like I just can't get away from that place loll. Actually, the couple i got married finally got baptized yesterday! Just took extra time for the Baba to quit smoking, but when I interviewed him, he had stopped for 3 weeks!

Ngi Thanda wena!

-Elder Boopers

Us in Illovo!
The dark haired one is Bezerra. The other is elder Nichols from Idaho. 

This is chicken with Putu. I made the Putu. I offered the Gogo that I
make it for her. She was surprised a mlungu would offer that. haha

We were running at night and this crab dude ran across the road in front

 of us and Scared us to DEATH. We thought it was a rat! 

These are the kids that were baptized: Sphesihle, Kitty and Sandile.

Metanoeo

June 3 2019

Change has been coming in full force this week. I feel like with a new transfer it always gives you extra room to look at what you can improve on. I have been looking at a lot of the things I could be doing better and I have been doing my best. I read a Talk from president Nelson were he talks about the word "Metanoeo" and how it means changing our mind, Knowledge, spirit and breath. Christ wants us to change so much he even wants us to change the way that we breath! time to change just a bit.

This week has been really good and feels like fresh air. Me and my companion elder Bezerra have been doing a lot of finding this last week. We found % potential priesthood holders all in the same house, and I am already finding them as really close friends! One of them named Thabiso came with us to church on Sunday. He even stayed for the class afterwards and a baptism. I feel like the whole experience answered a lot of questions he had asked us a few days prior. It made me really happy to see.

Along with that, the whole zone has been having us come to do baptismal interviews for them. It is so cool to visit other areas of the mission and see their successes. Everyone wants to do exchanges tho, so I'm not too excited about that.

my calculator watch is still working so nobody worry about that. Use it on the daily because I am getting progressively worse at math haha.

We had a dinner appointment this week were my companion was so full that he couldn't finish the Putu on his plate. He didn't want to be disrespectful with not eating his food, but he was so full that he had to put some in his pocket hahaha.

This transfer is gonna be a good one and I hope to baptize like crazy! love you all!

-Elder Moser

BTW, there is a member in this ward named Wamke who was actually companions with Spencer Barbre. We talked about him a little bit yesterday after church.

You know, I am doing a lot better. There were a lot of hidden things I was kinda struggling with, but we had MLC on Tuesday and Wednesday and that actually answered a lot of questions for me and this week I have been really powerful. I am leading the area yet again, and it is just as fun as always. Elder Bezerra sometimes doesn't really contribute much sometimes and I feel like I'm doing things on my my own a lot. He is really quiet and doesn't say much, but EVERYTIME we are getting ready to go somewhere, it takes him a long time to follow. Those are the moments he becomes social for some reason haha. gotta help with that.

Today we went to the biggest mall in the mission called Gateway. Again I guess. We didn't really have anything to do but I wanted to do something. We got waffles for lunch. They made me really sick because it had ice cream and carmel on it. remember when I could have a lot of sweet stuff and you told me that one day I wouldn't be able to handle it anymore? That time has come hahahahaha. Shame.

I can't believe I am about a year now. Feels like just yesterday that I was in the bitter cold of Lesotho. I miss it, but it does get kinda cold here in the mornings. I actually fear that I am losing my immunity to the cold the longer I am here in Durban. It is super hot and I don't get sick from it.

May 28, 2019

May 28, 2019

I think I'm going to give up on this whole email shindig.

Transfers just happened, but we did transfers on Monday. Meaning, I got shafted and didn't get to email. I'm trying to make up for it today, but only have a short while because we have to go to MLC in like, 20 minutes. I want to give details, but sometimes I just can't.

You don't gotta stress though, we are tracting in safer areas. We put a great big map in our boarding and then color coded it to see the safe and not safe areas. We do have appointments in the not as safe areas, but I feel fine. I always check to see if I feel uneasy, and so far I have felt at peace with all of it.

I'm staying in Kwamashu another transfer, but elder Morales is going to Hillcrest to be ZL there. We just swapped companions and so I have the ex. Hillcrest Elder Bezerra. He is from Brazil and is half my age on mission. Speaking of which, can you believe I am going to hit a year in about a week????? That is crazy to me! I remember when Nathan hit that point in his mission. I actually had a Brazilian elder who I was in the MTC with come to me asking if I was still planning on going home early and how that made him sad, but I don't remember ever telling him I wanted to go home early haha. I am excited to see what me and my new companion can accomplish. He is a little quiet so I feel like I will have to open him up a bit. Break him in, if you know what I'm saying.

We attended a funeral last Saturday. It was my first African one. Holy cow, it literally took so long! It was at a Christian Church and a good portion was in Zulu. there was a band and people would go up and do, well, exactly what you would think they do in an African church. There were a couple times I forgot I was even at a funeral. Kinda like a concert. There was a lot of incense burners and I was scared I was gonna get a bloody nose haha. They also had a portion where you could come up and take the bread and Wine, actual wine mind you, but only if you were worthy... So that was interesting. They wanted my companion to perform at the funeral a song he wrote but he had to decline since we represent a church haha. And because it wasn't really fitting haha.

Hope you have a good week! Tell the youngins' I love them! 

-Elder Moser

Letter to Mom

May 20, 2019

Sorry for not posting any pictures.... Ever. I know a lot of you probably don't ever read this and just look at the pictures, but Honestly, I haven't even touched my camera in a long while because I fear it getting stolen. We have found ourselves in some pretty sketchy situations this week. 

First off, the week was a lot better and we got way more new people to teach. One of them was a man named Tony who was actually a white man who was married to a Zulu lady. He is super cool and we talked with him for a bit to see if he would be interested. But what was cool was this kid that was walking by the house and saw us in there and politely asked if he could listen to our message. He is our age and seems to be sincerely in search of truth with religion. We are going to teach him again this week.

My time with Morales is already coming to an end. He has been in this area for 5 transfers already so we are guessing that he is bout to head out. If that is the case, i'm nervous to who my next companion will be! I like this guy. He cool.He is just cool because of his talent with Music. He is also just a happy guy. His zulu name he was given is Jabulo, which means happy. We got along super well. I hope he comes to BYUI, but it depends on where music will take him in his country.

Love ya'll.

-Elder Moser

Hey mum!

I really like your Epiphany. So much that I am going to start using it for member visits. It is a little bit easier to visit members in Kwamashu. We were at a members house and the couple fed us dinner, which was mince and beans over rice, and chicken. I thought about home cooked meals and how we would never have 2 meat dishes in the same meal, but 2 is a small number in this country haha.

This week has been a lot better in terms of missionary work. On one day, we got 7 new investigators. That was really cool. And we didn't find out until after that we were in a dangerous section of our area. Found cool people though, and we also found a white man who married a Zulu girl and lives in the township, which is nothing I have ever seen before haha.

We went go-karting today at a HUGE mall called The Gateway. The go karts were super fast and fun. The whole time I thought back to all the times you called me "Dash" with my speed, and it propelled me to take first! I was flying. So fun.

Another Week Down

May 14, 2019

Sanibonani!

It was so nice to be able to talk to all my family yesterday. In fact, I'm talking to Nathan as we speak. I hope everybody had a nice holiday weekend celebrating mothers day:)

The work in Kwamashu is WACK. We have ran into some really cool people and I can see how some people are struggling so much. We met a lady named Cindy who was actually a baptized member, but she recently decided that she doesn't want to believe in God. We talked with her for a little bit and she shared with us her thoughts and feelings towards that statement.  I don't know if the things we said afterwards will change her mind, but I do know that what we said helped her to feel the spirit again. It is always good to help people remember what they are supposed to do to feel the spirit.

Me and My companion are getting along super well. Sometime soon (maybe) you will get a copy of our fire album that we are putting together. We are looking for a band name. Any suggestions?

I have been tested so much lately with my patience. We teach a lot of younger people and some of them love to talk, making us late for appointments. We also are working with a lot of companionships in the zone who are... doing their best. Just need a break maybe. A challenge is good, but it is a struggle sometimes.

I'm having a good time and I am feeling myself more lately. It feels good. I hope that I can carry it through with me to other areas as well.

Love you all:) Have a good week!

-Elder Moser

This is Elder Macapella. He went home last week after completing his two years:)
He is super cool and I'm glad I could serve around a future famous person.

This is me with the Other KwaMashu elders.
We are coming back from stake conference here

Response to Mom and Dad's Emails.

May 7, 2019

Hey mom! Don't have like any time and actually haven't been able to email at all, so don't kill me. I'm alive and doing good, and the weather is not cooling down even though it is winter time now. Also, my comp wears layers because he is no joke allergic to the sun. If he stays in sunlight for maybe 3 minutes he get hives and then boils. It is pretty bad. Elections are happening this week, so we can't really go out because there will be political turmoil and unrest. So, we are going to have to be productive in other ways.

Love you mummy:)

- Mose master

YOOO I didn't know that Porter got his call!!! Japan??? That is crazy!

Unfortunately, I can't send a long email. Yesterday the power was out and today only MY email hasn't been working and we are about to leave, so I'm kinda bummed. But I'm alive and well. Elections are this week, so we wont do much. I have had some guys air shoot me as like a threat, and another missionary in Kwamashu had some guys shout to crucify him soooooooo.... That's what happens when these people get drunk. But don't tell mum that:) hehe...

Love ya!

-Mose pose

Kwa-SMASH-u

April 30, 2019

We have been at leadership meetings and zone conferences and choir practices all week, that we haven't been able to do anything in our actual area. When we looked at our own Stewardship report and it was super small. Being a Zone leader is fun! YAYA

So we had like, 2 days ( or less) to plan for Zone Conference. We wanted to make it as unique as possible because all zone conferences are the same and lame. We had some really good speakers, McDonald's share boxes for lunch, and musical numbers. We even created a goal for the zone to have a regular routine of companionship study, and we made a jingle for all the elders in our zone to set as an alarm for a specific time of the day to do their study. I'll have to see if I can send a copy.

As you all know, we have a car now, but the other missionaries think of us as personal taxis. We were late to our own Zone conference because we had to go pick up the Phoenix elders, but they told us the wrong boarding to go to and they lived in the middle of nowhere!!! At least driving is fun, right?

There is a mall close by that a lot of people work at, but that is mostly only women. My companion tells me a lot of men work at car dealerships. The Branch president works at a Lexus dealership.

There is a really good fried chicken place called Chicken Licken. The thing people like in Africa is Church. There are HUGE churches everywhere. Like, seriously.

I feel safe in this area, although, not as safe as in the Bluff. I have to be aware at all times and in all places because you never really know what is going to happen, so you can't look like a tourist. We have to walk around like we own the place. the people here are familiar with missionaries though so that helps too

This IS the biggest zone. We have the most missionaries, 20 in total. Everybody is super spread out, and we had to pick up some of them for our zone conference, but they were so far away and the GPS led us astray, so we were late to our own zone conference. Kwamashu is not city, but we very much live in the city. In Berea Center, you can look it up. Traffic was crazy today because there are protests everywhere haha.

I don't like being a zone leader if you want me to be honest, but I'll do it. Everyone complains a lot so I feel like I have to reprimand children. And some missionaries don't like authority, so that is a pain as well. 

Now that all the big things are taken care of now, we will be able to do a lot more in the area and I'll have a better email next week:)

lovez youz

-Elder Moser

also, This email is on Tuesday because We got permission. We had to do some other business.

Those M&M's are me and Elder Morales.

Me and Elder Warner!! (Former companion)

Lol

Elder Warner!! (Former Companion)

These M&M's are us! Moser and Morales!