Podcast Translation

October 28, 2019


Sou bona ladies and gentelmen from around the corner and across the globe, it's Elder Moser with his companion Elder Gomez. Welcome to the pday podcast. Just came up with that.

We are just enjoying some pizze while emailing our families. It has been one heck of a day because we woke up at 4 o'clock this morning actually because we have been kind of arranging with a member of the ward, his name is Elder Pitzo, to go fishing with a member. President Lions said its ok because he likes fishing himself. So we were going to fishing with him today to go to Lion Park. So we got up at 4 but when 4:30 came around he still wasn't there so we went back to bed again waiting for the call and we didn't get a text from him again until 11 o'clock. He sent us a text:  "Aish, totally forgot. Yo! Had some family come over and a bunch of crazy stuff and my phone went totally flat at church yesterday so I totally forgot to come and get you." We made up for that by doing some fun activities with our zone today.

We actually had some... sorry my mind is drawing a blank... we played chair soccer with about other 6 Elders. They were dropped off by a senior couple.  We rode our bikes all the way up the hill to the chapel as fast as we could. We played chair soccer with everyone and if there is one thing I learned today, it is that I still suck at playing football.  That's kind of a bummer but I haven't really had much of a chance to play it on mission. But it was still fun. I only broke a few toenails. We had a chance to play some rugby and I was better at that except the ground of the chapel was super slick and I was sliding around all over the place. Some of the elders were being poo-poo about it because they wanted to play soccer but you can't play soccer for like three or so hours.and we had a lot of time. It was fun.


This week has been a roller coaster. It's been crazy. first of all my best friend Daden just got back from his mission. Just the thought of that has me feeling excited but also a little bit anxious just because he's home now. But I've really, really looked up to him as a good example of how mission is supposed to be and how mission is supposed to be kind of performed. I have seen that he has changed a lot, just in his countenance and his confidence... everything! I'm really excited to meet up with him but he sent me an e-mail today and it was really comforting because I've been struggling a lot this past week just because we've been trying to shift our work from the University to town and I feel like I'm just not very good at organizing finding out or trying to determine where the best place to go is or what the best thing to do is. The motivation part is hard as well because the people here are just...!

So our area has just been kind of a drag. We've been traveling a lot of houses getting a lot of big dogs all up in our faces just shouting and we haven't had a lot of people being very receptive to us. This past week we set a lot of appointments, a lot of appointments fell through. One of the days when we were knocking, we actually got into the house of a white family. We kind of opened the gate, which is usually a risky move in a place like this because everybody has dogs. So we opened the gates and went to the door. There are two doors but we only knocked on one. Then the dogs came out and started barking from behind these gates. Instead we left because we didn't want the dogs to like make somebody mad. As we did that, some white lady, an Africans lady, came to the door and she just said, "Come, come." and immediately she let us inside. We didn't even have to say anything.
And then she got her grandson (or son) and he came and was speaking in English to us. He said, "Who are you here for?"
"Oh we are missionaries. We just wanted to talk to you about Jesus Christ." So we gave him the whole Shpeel. So they came back and they let us share the message of the restoration with them. But I think just out of pure shock becaue of them letting us in so quickly, we didn't even get to introduce ourselves, we just kind of blew through that lesson. I don't feel super satisfied about it but we'll have to go back and check up on them just to see how they are going.

A problem that we've been facing a lot with the people that actually do let us talk to them, is that they all believe it doesn't matter which church you go to. "Oh every church is fine!" We don't really know how to respond to those objections or concerns. It's a bit of a struggle. We have met a lot of University students that have the same belief, that don't even believe in God, and don't even want to give us a chance to say anything to them so. It's been hard.

With the good lessons that we've had this week, it has brought a lot of hope. We actually have a baptism this next Sunday. A lady named a Laphlapanie, who I've been writing about. A lady who has progressed super well in the gospel. She's kept all her committments and she continues to read the book of Mormon. Right now she's in 2nd Nephi chapter 5. She comes to church every Sunday except for when she goes back to Lesotho to renew her visa, and she just asks a lot of good questions. She listens to everything we say. She is trying to observe a lot and wants to gain as much knowledge as she can before she gets baptized. She's asked me to speak at a baptism so that's another I get to give, that's talk number 4 this month.

Then another one, EnKopani, has progresed for baptism. He's been taught by missionaries for a while now. We finally got him to commit today be baptized He is really looking forward to it. He is a very smart guy who has been living gospel principles even before he met the missionaries so he has been kind of a a golden person to be progressing in the gospel. He will be baptized next Sunday with his fiance. She is actually coming down from the Johannesburg area just so that they can be baptized together. That's pretty exciting! Those are probably the two most exciting things that have been going on. Yesterday we went to lesson after church with two people that are getting engaged but then some crazy stuff went down and we actually had to leave because we don't get involved with the relationship advice. I kind of worry for them now. We'll have to keep them in our prayers.

Elder Gomez has almost been killed by cars 14 billion times this week. There was one day I was texting on a phone. We were walking home from an appointment. I was just kind of looking t it,k down, trying to decide what we were supposed to do and I took a step forward not realizing we were on a road and something told me "Don't go any further!" Just then a car went by us Zoom! right past us and I was like, "Oh! Ok!" It didn't really phase me until later. But then another day this week we were riding bikes and we were turning right at a robot (a traffic light) and there was a car that we were kind of turning with that was yeilding and Elder Gomez was wondering why he wasn't going. He was like, "I'm just going to go." and I shouted at him and just then there was another car coming full speed from the other direction. Man! I was scared I was going to see my companion all over the road but we were fine. The Lord proteected us.

We have been trying to meet with less active members. We got an updated list yesterday, trying to meet some new people in town. The only way we are going to be able to do that is with help from the members. The only problem is this isn't like other towns. People here have really good jobs and won't be home until later and we have to be home at 6. And also calling people on the phone doesn't really help at all because invitations on the phone are more likely to be declined. It's easier to show up at their door. With the addresses and stuff it should be a lot better.

Yesterday after the appointment with the engaged couple that went south, we went to the University to visit with a lady named Shonie who was baptized about a year ago by some missionaries in Blugonbush, which is the the area my last companion, Elder king, went to. So when we were doing our weekly companion planning, we came across this name and we were wondering who she was. So I texted Elder King to ask about her and he said her number won't work but that they had just met with her family there and gave us her number. She said we can call her any time. So yesterday we went to campus and just kind of got to know her. She is rearing up on her final exams at university and is kind of stressing. We talked to her about her Book of Mormon reading. She said she is truggeling with that. She said she is slowing down on her journey in the gosplel. She used to read pages and pages a day. Now she only reads once a week when she feels she needs it, instead of every day for her benefit. So we read some scriptures with her, Moshiah 1:6-7, where it talks about studying the scriptures diligently will profit us greatly and keeping the commandments will help us to prosper. That prospering comes through anything we see as important and for a good cause. What we think is important is also important to God. So we shared with her that reading the B of M should be a priority, even above her studies. So we set a goal with her to finish her B of M by her birthay, which is the 20th of next month. We offered it as kind of a joke, but she took it. That is 8 pages a day. She was super willing. I did the calculations on my calculator watch and she was up for the challenge. I told her, "Just make sure you are studying it and not just reading it to finish it." She also texted us today about a guy living at her board house who also wants to meet with us. Referral work. Woot!

Our diet is pretty good. I spent this last week eating corn flakes and Future Life which is super healthy and helps me with my workout gains. And my companion has been eating eggs and toast and leftovers because we have been cooking! Which is super bad just before bed. And we are making milkshakes so we are doing good! Hopefully this next week our motivation will be super good.

The world cup is huge right now. South Africa is huge! Everyone is wearing Springbox jerseys. It unites this country. They are all wearing their jerseys. We haven't seen any of their games but apparently they are doing pretty good. That is going to be super exciting for this country. We even try to talk about it with people we first meet. With such enthusiam too. Things are good. I don't know if I have anything else to say. We are going to crank it out this week, mate!

Love you all, Have a good week.

Please like and subscribe. Thanks!