The Blessing

Hi Everybody,

This week has been the BEST week of my mission yet!  It was also the hardest.  We are facing difficulties getting people to keep commitments; nevertheless, we are working hard.  We taught a total of 47 lessons this week . . . Yeah it was a lot!  But we had an amazing week as well because we are finding those people whom the Lord has prepared for us!  This week we found 5 new investigators who are ready to hear the gospel, and they know this is God’s Word because they have been waiting for it.

I really have a good companion.  Even in hard-faced situations he stands firm and is teaching me how to stand firm as well.  We are trying to be consistent in everything we do, which is a hard goal. I love the work. I LOVE IT!

I’m wondering to myself “Dad, why didn’t you tell me how amazing missionary work really is… how hard it is, and how much joy we receive from doing it?” But, I am so glad that you served a mission, because I know that you know exactly what I am talking about, and you can relate to everything I’m saying.

At church last Sunday the Branch President approached Elder Goodwin and I and asked us to give a blessing to a particular woman.  This dear sister said that she is preparing to go to the temple in two months and has been dealing with a very difficult obstacle for which she needed the comfort and strength given through a priesthood blessing to over come.  Without going into details,  because of the sacred nature of the experience, I can only say that the power of Heaven was with us as we administered to her.  That blessing was an immense testimony and faith builder of the power of the priesthood.

I know heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live.  I know the Holy Ghost lives as well. I KNOW that God has given man the priesthood authority and I am grateful to my very core to be worthy of that authority.

I love you, I love you, I love you all.

I miss you sooo much.  As the distance gets longer my heart grows fonder.  Continue the work on your side.  Help the missionaries.  Give them referrals (remember, dinner appointments are 1 hour long, then they leave to go back to work :)

With love,
        

      Elder Gold

Details???

 

Dear Family,

        I am safe.  And yes, I was in Bethlehem (editor’s note: see explanation about “Bethlehem” at the bottom of this letter).  Last weekend we traveled very far for a zone conference, which was miraculously amazing.  Bloemfontein is maybe a 5-hour drive west.  Our zone is the Lesotho zone and probably takes 4 hours in itself to drive across.  The Mission Areas are very big out here.  Today is Monday (March 19, 2012), our P-Day (preparation day).  I bought food today so I can eat :), but who cares about that. I think the Lord says something like “thou shalt take neither post nor script, nor raiment nor extra clothes” . . . or something.

        Elder Ncube and I are both kinda new to our area so we have just been finding people.  It is amazing to realize at the end of the day that the spirit helped us to find 4 or 5 new investigators.  We are helping them to explore the truths of the gospel. The branch is small here, but it is strong. There are only about 60 members.  We have been focusing our efforts to find families who want to hear the gospel.  It is a hard task, but I would be more worried if it wasn’t hard.

        Often I find myself on my knees seeking strength. The Lord is supporting my companion and me in turning our hearts to the people. When we wake up every morning we commit ourselves to the work - remembering who we are and what our purpose is here as missionaries.  The mission rules are “straight and narrow” and sometimes it feels like we are on a fine line when we follow them.  But when you’re on that line and committed, it doesn’t feel fine (small). It feels like you have the world under your feet.

        In being walking missionaries we meet a lot of drunk people.  Also, just getting ready for the day we get mugged. Trying to be alert :p.  I miss you guys but doing my best to not dwell.  I wish you guys could be here.  Ohhh, the area I’m staying in is very mountainous and it snows here in the winter!!  It’s Fall now since we are in the Southern Hemisphere.  Good thing I brought almost all short sleeved shirts :p.  I’ll need to get a coat soon.

        You can tell Sandi that I’m burning through the journal she gave me.  I write in it almost every day.  I am so glad to be recording these experiences.  They will help many others in the future.

        Dad!! I found a Dutch Oven this morning!!!!  It’s a little smaller than ours but it will do. I am re-seasoning it today (see, I did remember how to do something).  Maybe you could send some recipes.  Mom, I was hoping maybe you could send me the recipe for the shortbread cookies, and maybe some other things that would be easy to cook.  Oh yah, I’ve been teaching myself to cook.  It’s way fun.  Also, our house has about 50 “members” living in it.  Mice everywhere!  I killed 6 the other night just by myself.

        I don’t know if I told you about the funeral we went to last week, but it was way cool.  The Africans sing like nobody’s business, all in harmony and unison. Because we’re missionaries, we were treated really well at the funeral.  It was quite the honor.  Well, maybe I’ll tell you more later.

I love you, I love you, I love you <3<3<3

Elder Gold

A Footnote From Mom:

        If the above letter is a bit confusing, you are not alone.  Editing can be a challenge, and this week was particularly a challenge.  Some confusion came when we read in one paragraph that there are 60 members in the ward (members refer to the church congregation in Mormon lingo), then in the next paragraph Landon states that, “. . . our house has about 50 members living in it.”  For a slow reader, such as myself, my brow furrowed on many an occasion as I read through this letter, only to be explained as I continued to read, except for . . . “just getting ready for the day we get mugged.  Trying to be alert :p.” That one will hopefully be explained in following emails, but for now we are all left hanging.            
        So, as parents trying to sift through the goings on of our son on the other side of the world we are living a lot on faith as well.  Faith followed with a bit of humor does help.  The journal entry below gives another glimpse into our daily life in trying to follow the “Errand of an Angel” one step at a time.

March 16, 2012       “Your Son Was in Bethlehem Yesterday.”

Being new to having an Elder on the other side of the world I am not sure how things work with splits and such.  This morning I woke up to Steve making this non-shillaunt statement, "Your son was in Bethlehem yesterday."  "What?"  It took me a few seconds, as I shook my mind out of its sleep mode, to realize that he didn't mean the Holy Land, but rather a town in South Africa.  As he continued to peck away on his laptop he briefly added, "Yeah, according to Google maps it's about 50 miles away from where he currently is living.  I wonder if he was on splits yesterday?"  Steve then told me that he came about this little glimpse into the footsteps of Landon through a miraculous tracking device; his ATM card.  Really?  The gears of my mind started to turn vigorously, creating many different scenarios just why our son, or possibly someone else pretending to be Elder Gold  would be so far away from his walking mission using his card as credit to pay $34 for groceries from Pick-n-Pay.  Do the elders go that far to pair up with other elders on splits?  Why would he buy groceries so far from home?  Maybe we have him living in the wrong town.  No, that can't be the case.  What if . . . he has been robbed and someone is using his card now.  Well, if that is the case and groceries were their first purchase then, they must be really hungry.  I can't help but to go back to the letter we received from him a few days ago that stated just how poor the people are.  He said, "There is no food."  Wow, since I read that my actions have become very scrutinized; a self-metering of sorts.  I cringe when I think that, almost daily, I put scraps down the sink disposal that could feed a person for an entire week, not to mention the enormous amount of food that sits in the pantry as I live a life on this side of the world that now appears to be obscenely overabundant.  So, back to the mystery of the ATM transaction, should we just watch its use for a while to try to determine if our son is the one using it?  And if we feel that others may be benefiting from its bounty just when do we stop feeding them?  I know there are better ways to feed the masses, but this mystery really has started my day in wonder.  I wonder if or when the mission home should get an email regarding this question, "Do our elders travel far from where they live? And if so,  how often and for what reasons?"  The last thing I want to be is an over concerned parent.  I realize that makes the Presidents jobs of both the MTC and the Mission Homes more difficult.  I am just stepping into this role for the first time and wish only to step back as far as is needed.  After all, the love and care for my boy will never stop no matter how far from home he roams.  Steve later informed me that it was OK to just wait and track things.  He comes from a world of greater understanding, having had served his mission in a third world country.  So, I’ll just patiently wait, and wait . . . And wait!

Steve’s Findings on Landon’s Where-Abouts:

        I did some research about townships, and the place where he lives. I think that a Township is like an Indian reservation – at least it was during Apartheid.  Poor,  “non-white” people were moved out of the cities, into Townships to keep them separate from the whites.  It’s changed slightly now – but according to the stats I read, Landon’s township is about 99% black and very poor. The region he is in is called QwaQwa which means “whiter than white” and refers to some local mountain ranges that are very white. One reference says the whiteness is due to frequent snow… (???) Elevation in his town is 5400 feet. He’s at about the same relative latitude as us (distance from the equator) so temperatures should be similar and nearby mountains could easily have snow.

        He lives in a city called Phuthaditjhaba, which had a population of 53,000 in 2001. …  (click here for census data… there were 39 white people living in this town at the time . . . ;-) http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/41512

        And, they do have a regional hospital there, so I suspect Landon will get to know the staff as he continues on his frequent visits to the emergency room . . . as a patient.  

QwaQwa

Hi MOM!!  Hi Everyone! 

I made it to Durban. The coastal area is way cool. Rainy. Stayed at the mission office for only 3 hours before I had to jump in a car and zip off to my area. My mission president is fantastic as is his wife. She is my temporary mother out here. Very kind. I had to drive for 5 1/2 hours to get to my first area in the farthest half of the mission. My mission area is a little “township” (township is a suburban area). The name of this region is QwaQwa, which used to be an independent self-governing region from 1974 until 1994. In 1994 it was reunited with South Africa and QwaQwa is now part of the “Free State” province. I live in a city called Phuthaditjhaba. My companion is from Zimbabwe. We are the only missionaries in the whole mission who live in a township. There are 4 elders here – me and my companion Elder Ncube (pronounced N-Click your tongue like your calling a dog – oo – bay). He’s a very good trainer - obedient and enthusiastic about the work. There’s also Elder Long from Alabama, and Elder Goodwin from Adelaide, Australia.

I’m in a walking area, and it is absolutely beautiful!! 

I’ve been working hard, and it feels great. On Sunday we had to travel to zone conference, which is 4 hours to the other side of the mission in Bloemfontein. Zone conference was amazing!

We don’t have much food.  Our area is really poor.

I need to learn a new language to be effective here. Everyone speaks Sotho and it is hard. But I’m getting some of the basics. I’m really glad to have a native companion because even though he speaks Zulu (how cool is that!) he knows some Sotho, enough to get by.

We have a real tiny branch, about 50 or 60 people, and we meet at a school.  You can tell Bishop Hess that it’s almost my turn to teach Relief Society.

The people are responsive here, but hard to commit.  At this time we are building Africa’s foundation with the gospel. It’s really cool to have an understanding that this is such a critical time in this continent’s future, and in the Lord’s Plan for these people. This foundation needs to be built on obedience, faith and hard work.  How true that is. I cannot emphasize that enough. I wake up every morning and give thanks to be a part of this critical moment in this eternal plan. I already love the people, and all their endearing colloquialisms.  (Actually I’m the “quirky” one to them.)

Elder Ncube and I get along really well. He wants to work hard, I want to work hard, and it’s perfect. As my trainer, he gave me a great compliment the other day. He said he isn’t training me, I’m already seasoned and he loves working alongside me. That was a very nice thing to say, yet “seasoned” is not the word I would have used.  

I have come to a realization, and here it is:
Elder Baxter told me that he and most all of the other general authorities know they don’t have what it takes to be where they are, but with the Lord’s help they are able to fulfill and magnify their calling. Another missionary told me of when they were getting a new stake president in his home ward. The regional authority who was making the decision of whom to put in that calling would discard the names of people who would say they were ready and can do it.  This work cannot be done alone! No missionary has what it takes to work by his own power.

Here’s an analogy regarding comfort:  When you are working your butt off on a mountain climb, you are not comfortable. You are only comfortable when you rest, but when you rest, you aren’t making progress. Same goes for the Lord’s work, and all other capacities - if we are comfortable, we are not working the right way. We need to feel the effort, we need to feel the discomfort, and like it’s hard to do. When we have those feelings, we should petition to the Lord for help and guidance, and in our humility He will bless us with the spirit, with power, with the blessings He has promised. We will see that the harvest of our work becomes greater than we could have ever done on our own. If you look at that harvest and take the credit, you lose the ability. You then can do nothing. It is so important that we remember Who is in charge.

I think of it like this: 

You are a sickle, and your job is to make sure your blade is sharp and pointed, your handle is well oiled, and that you are well prepared to be used. You can sit in that field of wheat and do nothing. As hard as you try, you will not harvest on your own. When the Harvester comes and picks you up, and uses you, you will then see the fruits of yours and the Lords labors. Having that mentality has helped me in my studies, in finding, in teaching, in companion relationships, in everything out here on my mission. I’m here to work, not be comfortable.

Time is short.  I am not able to respond to everyone, but this letter is to everyone.  I love you all.  Till next week, God be with you.

 Love,

Elder Gold

Moving On

After three weeks of training in the Johannesburg Mission Training Center (MTC), Landon has "MOVED ON."  Today he travels to the Durban South African Mission on the east coast of South Africa. There he will be assigned a new companion and a new area to teach the gospel and help the people.  I know that much of his time will be spent in service—providing another pair of hands where hands are needed, compassionate eyes and a humbled heart to recognize need, a bright smile of hope to lift the downtrodden, and a prayerful voice to call upon Heaven that his feet may always be moving in the right direction . . . towards those willing to be served. 

Life in the MTC - Missionary Boot Camp

For almost three weeks Landon has lived at the Johannesburg Mission Training Center (MTC for short) doing what is best described as "Missionary Boot Camp."  In this time we have received a few letters that have given a bit of insight into life in the MTC.  Posted below are images and a few comments from those letters.

February 27th - A special Fireside was presented to the missionaries

                by President Carl B. Cook from the First Quorum of the Seventy

 and his wife, Lynette Cook (front row and center). 

President Reber, The MTC President, and his wife Janet (seated 

front row far left) care for the missionaries who enter this training center.

In an email sent a few weeks ago to the parents of these missionaries

Sister Reber stated, "We love them and applaud the hard work they are doing

 to learn missionary skills.  We eat together, play chess, volleyball and

 basketball together.  We sing together, pray together, talk and enjoy

 each other's company.  We are so thankful you are sharing your

 missionary with us."  

As a parent it was nice to hear that they are working

hard but also have time to play.

Landon has spoken about how kind President and Sister Reber are, and 

that they themselves are fairly new. They have only been there about a month.
Through their efforts many young men and women shall enter the mission field
more confident and surefooted, having strength in their stride.

He also had written that, "There are a handful of Africans here at the MTC, and they are really fun to be around.  I already love these people.  I can feel it.   Ahhhhhh mom, this is the greatest thing, the greatest most important work I ever could have imagined being involved in."

The missionaries each received a candy bar for having a clean room. I don't recognize

most of the kinds of candy. Landon's sweet tooth will definitely be satisfied.

"Dad, I have your mission pass-along card, and a picture of Grandpa Gold in my scriptures to remind me how I am to treat people; with unconditional  love, and treat them like who they are, sons and daughters of God."

"I have been learning a lot of very helpful things, tools, and principles here at the MTC.  The classroom environment is very unique.  We are divided into 3 groups, with about ten guys in each classroom.  The teachers are very personable and give us much insight.  I am feeling a great spirit of motivation and determination here."

While having lunch with the Elders Sister Reber mentioned that Landon showed her his

creative side by demonstrating how to make a great dip by mixing ranch dressing and

mustard together. I can only imagine the awesome concoctions he'll bring back from Africa.

"I am doing everything I can to be as obedient as I can, and one of the blessings that has come from it is I have not been home sick."

"I have come to realize that when I put on this name tag, I gave up my old life.  It's not about me; it's about the Savior.  My heart doesn't belong to myself anymore, it belongs to the people I serve."