Week 8: Magwinya Ice Cream

Magwinya with blueberry ice cream - Love this Tag photo.  

Sawubona yall!  This week flew by just like the rest and I'm coming up on the end of my first transfer!!  My companion is going home next week so I have to learn the area like the back of my hand.  So I have been driving for the past 2 weeks and it is insane!  The drivers here are crazy and there is no law.  haha but I guess that's okay!

On Monday we went golfing and payed 70 rands for 18 holes which is like 4 bucks. But you get what you pay for because the coarse was basically dirt and the greens havent been cut in a long time.  But it was still fun.  

This week we actually have taught some people that might care!  They seem interested so thats a first! We usually have around 35 people show up to church on Sunday and its a miracle if we get an investigator in there.  Yesterday was the first Sunday in a year for my companion to not pass or bless the sacrament!  So that is huge! 

So they make these really good things called magwinya's and what they are is basically fried bread.  (Like a donuts) Super good.  We had a great idea to make one and hollow it out and put blueberry cheesecake ice-cream in it!  Probably one of the best things I have ever eaten! 

Since I am talking about food, I bought a blender and have been making the best smoothies!

Man I hope home is good and I hope America is doing good.  

Nothing too exciting happened this week.  We got to go to another unveiling which is basically like a farewell.  A lot of food and relaxing. Since its Africa culture there is dancing and rituals.  Everyone passes around qobothi which is African beer and everyone eats with there hands and drinks out of the same bowls.  So like we were sitting down with some babas (dads) eating pap and cow head and drinking some sort of soup out of a bowl. But you just get the idea of being sanitary out of your head and just chow.  We're always laughing with these old guys.  These guys are like 70 years old and literally running around playing tag with each other.  They are chasing each other, yelling zulu,  laughing, and sticking their tongues out.  It kills me.  But another week down.  Hope you all enjoy 
 Sala kahle. (stay well, or goodbye in zulu)

love you all!!

Helping in the kitchen

This is in his laundry area.  Big Black widow

Week 7: Islam in the Bible???

hahaha howzit peeps!  

So Islam in the bible huh?  This one Muslim proved it! haha not really he was stretching everything way far.  On Saturday we were invited to this preaching with Muslims so we went.  It was actually a really cool experience and I learned a ton about Islam.  They worshiped us kind of because were from America and they fed us and treated us like kings.  So yeah definitely something I wont forget.

Mission is going by faster then ever!! These weeks become days out here it feels like. My companion is going home in 2 weeks. It's sad because he is seriously the best.  We have become so tight out here.  We made plans to go to Burning man (music festival in the desert of Nevada) when I get home.  He's from Texas and he's a total frat boy. He is funny and I've never heard the gospel be taught so simple by anyone else.  

Early this week we went hiking through this canyon kind of thing in a mountain. Ate some pizza and had a good time.  That was our last hoorah for Elder Eastmond.  I miss that kid!   Mission is crazy out here and I've been catching lizards and having BRAAIs!  (Grilled meat)  Which is huge down here!  We get a bunch of meat and then grill it and make pap and chakalaka (a refreshing spicy tomato  bean relish.) and mmm!  The food here is soo good!  I haven't eaten anything crazy yet but that is good I think!  

As far as teaching goes we have been trying but everyone is so stubborn.  Here in Madadeni everyone does not care.  That is the motto for this place.  No one cares. Which sucks for us and makes it so difficult.  It is one of the hardest places in the mission and go figures they send me here.  Because I love people who don't care!  haha and then I become best friends with them and I tell them the church is true so they believe me! (there is more detail to that)  haha I've already made such good friends and I know its going to be so sad when I leave Madadeni.  But life goes on.  

I love you all and have fun in the USA

cheers!

Pictures!!!!

Unjani - (How are you?)

Zone conference

Good morning from Africa!  I hope everyone is partying and having fun with me where ever you guys may be!

So yeah this week was pretty good. Nothing crazy scary happened this week, which is good.  We went tracting for like 3 hours and that was bunk.  We have been working hard though.

So one thing about Africa is there is garbage EVERYWHERE.  It is super gross, because all the animals come trotting along and then eat a babys diaper or whatever.  Very appealing.

But I am fully adjusted to everything and the other day I went on exchanges with Elder Isooba from Uganda so I had to drive.  It was way fun and I am use to being on the left side of the road now.

I came out here to invite others to come to Christ, not force them.  I love to get to know these people for who they are and I love hearing there back stories.  I have made so many friends out here who are not members and they are impressed by what we do and they see us as friends.  Which a doubt in my opinion the way to get people to come unto Christ.  Just by  showing love and becoming friends.

So yeah another week down and I am loving every second!  I can't believe I have already been out more than a month.  It is flying by.

Love you all!

This is the cow we helped sacrifice for the Zulu cultural feast 

Madandeni - The poorest area where we go and find people to teach

P-day - district

This was taken from the mission blog.  Landon and his companion Elder Thorsen at Zone meeting

Singing at the Zone meeting

Zulu cultural feast

Hello people! So my second week in mission went well I guess. we get bunked a lot which means they commit and then aren't home or they are "busy". I've been here long enough to realize most the people here are bogus. We really only have 1 investigator who is super dope. But Elder Thorsen and I were invited to go to a cow sacrifice! They literally killed the cow right in front of us and we got to help skin it and harvest everything. Then following day we went to a Zulu cultural thing at the grave site for the girl they killed the cow for. It was lit because we were the only white guys there and we were literally dancing and singing around this grave! We got to go chow so much food for this Zulu thing. It was my highlight of the week. We are literally the only white guys in the entire town so you always hear "oooo umlungu, umlungu!" which means white boys. They don't think we understand Zulu but we actually do so we know when they are talking about us. It's way fun. We got bunked one day all day so we played a pick up game of volley ball in the township with some guys and that was way fun. I'm getting decent at cooking I guess. I make a mean rice bowl. The chocolate here..... To die for.. best stuff I've ever had. We go running every morning to and around a golf course in New Castle. We also play ball at the church. We are planning to go golfing one of these days. So today for P-day we played slingshot paintball in these abandoned buildings and it was so much fun! I've got some nice welts for sure. Yeah so far mission has been a blast and some of these guys in my district including my trainer are leaving soon. Anyways sorry, no pictures this week I forgot my camera at the house... I'll send them next week. love you all!