Monday, April 30, 2012

Not Starving



HI Family!

        Ok, so I have been neglecting you guys by not giving you enough detail of my life here in Africa.  To start, Elder Ncube and I got the Easter package last week, :) which we were very excited and happy to have.  We love all the fun things in there, the kites, the frogs, the long letter from you mom, the recipes :) thank you guys for thinking of us.  It brightened this week for sure.

        Well, I’m not starving.  We are given 745 rand every 15 days (about 100 dollars) to spend on necessities.  I don’t really buy other things so I get to buy good food for myself.  I eat a lot of tomatoes and onions, carrots, pumpkin, eggs, wors (german sausage things) potato’s, and pap.  Pap is just white corn meal.  We call it maize meal.  You cook it up with water and keep adding more of the dried maize meal until it fluffs up and steams itself.  It looks like mash potatoes but tastes nothing like it.  You eat it with other things like meat and veggies in whatever sauces you make, and you HAVE to eat it with your hands, no exceptions!  Also, occasionally I buy some candy.  You know, because its from you guys :p   We don’t really get fed here.  At least Elder Ncube and I don’t.  The other guys get fed heaps though!@  They will come home and complain they had 3 dinners back to back.  I’d rather starve than feel the way they look though, so its all good :)

        We walk everywhere in our area.  My shoes are getting trashed.  It’s pretty funny.  There are chickens and dogs everywhere!!!  I always chase them and what what.  Also, there is a fair amount of cattle that roam the roads.  It’s funny to see traffic stopped because cattle think there is grass on the roads.  It’s beautiful, especially at night.  The stars are so bright, and like Ed said, “The skies are different.”

        Ok, so to be honest, our boarding is a trashy place:) It doesn’t stay clean.  I think there is a curse on it.  Like I said, “we have many guests in our house.”  They like to eat in our kitchen but they don’t clean up their mess.  So, we are always sweeping poop off the counters and out of the cupboards, and squishing all the maggots from the flies and what what. 

        There are tons of wild pigeons and doves everywhere.  Elder Ncube and I talk often about eating them.  It’s probably gonna happen soon.

        I kick everything while we walk.  It’s really fun.  We have only six or seven members in our area, and half are hard to get to church.  This last week, though, we began turning our efforts to the members.  And to our delight we had 67 people at church!! (included: our 11 investigators, us, branch presidency, and leaders from the district :p).

        So, next Saturday we will be traveling to Bleaumfontein for zone conference.  Bleaumfontein is a township about 5 hours east from where we live.  I’m so excited to go because the zone conferences typically bring powerful learning experiences.

I love, love, LOVEEEEEEEEEEE you guys, HEAPS!!  I pray for you often :)

Keep it up, and don’t get ELIMINATED!!!

Love,
Your Elder Gold

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Cold is Rollin' In



Hey Family,

        The cold is rollin' in.  Pretty exciting!  We are having success and defeat in the area.  The work is hard but gratifying.  The people have many challenges.  Even though it is difficult at times, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here.

        I read Joel’s email (his friend serving a mission in Ireland) and it sounds pretty similar to many of the people here...so many are drunk, plastered, finished, wasted.  They are pretty friendly to the Elders for the most part, so that is a blessing :)

        We had some massive power-outs this week, and the water turned off for a day!  Super funny to see how my companion and the other guys act like it's the end of the world when they can’t bathe or cook.  I was well prepared from my youth for such things :p

        Well, I got a load of letters from the Priest Quorum, from Sister Bennett, Mariah and Brother Matt Smith.  They were sooo nice to read from :)  I’ll try to find time to send them some letters but till then pass my regards.

        Gotta say, I’m burning through my shoes here :)  I walk all day, for who knows how long in distances.

        I don’t really have stories this week, but I bet I’ll have good ones next week.

        Bugman (aka Jordan), it’s hard out here, but it’s enjoyable.  I’m really being challenged, but regardless of it all, one thing still stands and that is that the church is true.

        Dad, your awesome, I’m proud of you for being my dad and being a great example to me. I will continue to be safe, and you better too :)

        MOM, ahh I miss you heaps!  I appreciate every little bit of communication I have with you, and everything you do for me, mainly your prayers.  I use you a lot as an example, or to tell a story when we teach.  Would have you know.

        Stay strong my family.  I love you more than you know!!!!!

-Elder Gold

:) :) :)

Monday, April 16, 2012

Charge or Retreat / The Bittersweet Week



My Dearest Family,
 

        So, the mission is proving interesting.  I had quite a bittersweet week.  Start with the bitter: personal relationships can be challenging.  One member of the boarding house is really testing my patience.  A few times I have retaliated with words just as sharp as his and quickly learned that that will never work.  I’ve been contemplating how to manage these sorts of situations.  Turning to the scriptures proves to be most helpful.  I’ve realized that everything is within my control.  If things are bad between us, it’s because I let them.  I have come to understand that one has the most control of the situation around him when he has control of the situation within him.

        Ok, so on to the good.  The labor is showing forth fruits of success.  A few investigators are making tremendous progress.  The reality of their progress came to my knowledge this week and man!!  The joy I felt??  Indescribable!!  Truly one cannot have more joy than I do now, not even on the sweetest waves of the sea.
 

        We were blessed to be able to watch two sessions of General Conference on Sunday.   It seemed like a huge topic was the family.  It was such a spiritual boost to listen to these inspired words meant for OUR benefit and growth.  Truly sweet. Sweet, sweet, sweet!

        The time is honestly flying.  Every Monday I can’t believe another week has gone by.  I miss you guys.  Mom, I miss just goofing off with you, giving you massive hugs, laughing with you and going and doing and talking about spiritual things.  Dad, I kind of had a teary moment yesterday.  It swiftly came to my realization that you are my best friend.  I don’t have other friends that mean more to me than you do.  A word to you, “DON’T GET ELIMINATED”.  We still have a ton of things left unfinished :)  Jordan, man Bug I miss ya as much as the waves. I pray for you often, for your strength and welfare.  You guys will get to call me in a few weeks!!  I could call you but it costs sooooo much money from this side that missionaries generally have their family call them.  More info to come.

Obedience with exactness,

       Plus . . .  hard work

            Plus . . .  faith

                 Plus . . .  fun

                      Plus . . .  AMA KIP KIP

                           Plus . . .  worn out shoes

                                Plus . . .  4 man boarding

                                     Plus . . .  love

                                          Plus . . .  hundreds of mice

                                               Plus . . .  soccer

                                                    Plus . . .  too many more things

                                                            =    The Mission of a Life Time.


Stay well my family.   I pray for you always.

With a swelled heart of love,

 

Elder Gold

 

 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

All is well in Qwa Qwa . . .




Dear Family,

     All is well in Qwa Qwa. Last Sunday none of the Branch Presidency were able to come to church, nor was the Elders Quorum President there.  In fact, we had only twentyish members show up to church!  Sad, very sad.  We lead the congregation, and called on people for spot talks.  So the work is tough.  People don’t like to commit to things.

     I had a revelation this week as I gave intense study to the atonement of our Savior.  If only we knew, if only we knew of the greatness of the atonement, what it really does for us, just how important it is, we would be changed forever.  The atonement gives meaning to everything, and there really would be nothing without it.  It is central to everything in life.  Anyways, I don’t have much time to go in depth on my studies, but I am thoroughly convinced that if everyone in the world understood the atonement in some degree, we would be seeing every baptismal font in the world occupied 24/7!  Ahhhh, I can’t even stress how miraculous the atonement is!

     Ok, so a few days ago elder Ncube and I found ourselves in a pretty tight situation.  While walking home in the dark, in the rain, we were approached by two men holding fairly heavy rocks.  Their intentions were not good.  My companion was ready to fight, but I was oblivious to what was going on as I tried to talk with them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. :p  We escaped unscathed luckily, but it was quite the scenario.  Imagine: black man taller than you, slightly drunk and very aggravated because you're white, two inches from your face, yelling profanely at you.  It’s raining, dark, no one around except the two guys, you, your companion, and . . . Oh wait! . . . the SPIRIT!  So, when I finally realized what these guys had in mind, the Spirit said, “walk”.  So I did, across the street just as a load of traffic came by stopping them from following.  We just kept walking as their threats faded away.  Man I love the Spirit!!

     I love you all soooo much . . . more than you know :)

- Elder Gold


A Note From Mom:

            I had some difficulty in the preparation to post this latest letter.  Each post has to have a title, and if I do not physically type it in a chaotic looking cryptic source code automatically becomes the heading.  Well, my choices for the title kept changing.  Obviously, it had to represent an overall feel or message that the letter conveys.  However, as brief as this letter may appear, much is held within its words.  So, “All is well in Qwa Qwa” seemed to be a rather unusual opening line for a journey that has taken this young missionary to the heights of leadership, the depths of humility and understanding, and to the outer darkness where evil has taken hold with intent to do harm . . . all in a single letter.  I, like many of you, are on the edge of my seat as I read the adventures of this elder on the other side of the world.  And like a good novel, I re-read the lines over and over again only to discover greater things that touch my mind with awareness and my soul with understanding.  Yes, my son came close to physical harm, and I believe that heaven watched over him and guarded his path to safety.  But, it is the words written in the paragraph before that's the cause of my deepest contemplation.  To save ones self, or even another, from harm is great.  To be saved from death is almost unimaginable.  But what Landon understands through his humility, intense study and prayers has brought him to an even deeper knowledge and appreciation of the saving actions done on his, and our behalf, from eternal death and consequences.  Such of which to understand completely is almost uncomprehendable.  Oh, to know that death is not the last and final prison for our souls, and that the grave will never have hold of our spirits because of the Grace and actions of One willing to be that sacrifice is truly a gift.  So, with this knowledge I wish to live my life willing to follow His teachings and to help others to know what I know.  This past Sunday was Easter.  To many the true message of Easter has been shrouded in traditions of the world leaving out what really took place some 2000 years ago.  Take a moment and watch the video presentation of a brief look into the life of our Savior, titled 'He is Risen' at www.churchofjesuschrist.org, so that you too may know.



      

Monday, April 2, 2012

Messages




Hey Mommm!! 

IT IS COLD!! I never would have thought it could get this cold in Africa but the place I’m living, QWA QWA is one of the coldest areas. We back up against the Drakensberg Mountains, right next to Lesotho and man is it getting cold, and rainy, but beautiful at the same time.

I didn’t get to watch General Conference :( (For General Conference description and  information look to footnote below). Hopefully in a few weeks we will be able to see a session at church, maybe. I heard Elder Baxter spoke. That is exciting!! He’s a great man. Maybe you could send me the good talks, or pray about which ones would be useful to me and send them :) We aren’t allowed to go on any other computer sites except our email. 

I got your package last week. I was so excited :) And I love all the things you sent, especially the stickers. The way it works is all the mail goes to the mission office, and when they get it they try to send it with people from the mission who are traveling through our mission area.  So that’s why it takes some time to get here. 

We have been busy and working hard. Our branch is really lacking priesthood (male members) right now, and it got me thinking yesterday just how important priesthood leadership is. With out it the church organization wouldn’t exist. Our young men NEED to understand that they have been given such an important and vital responsibility. They need to understand just how important, holy, and sacred their priesthood is. I was so happy to read Dad’s email today. It just put smiles all over me to see that he is magnifying his calling, and being an awesome priesthood leader. I love him. I love you, all that you do for me, your prayers. I love Jordan, and who he is and who he can become. I’m proud to be a Gold. My family is the best family I could have. I’ll try not to rub that in with my companions :p

I have been learning a lot of personal relationship skills. I often think about Dad and how temperate he is.

Also, the book “Preach my Gospel” is an amazing inspired work given to us.  Use it and apply it to your everyday lives, because I believe its purpose encompasses much more than missionary work.

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

DONT GET ELIMINATED!! 

(editor’s note – there’s a wacky Japanese game show that aired on TV a few years back.  The contestants did crazy physical challenges that sometimes looked painful. At the end of each show the host yelled the motto “Don’t Get Eliminated”. We, as a family, are aware that South Africa is a beautiful, yet potentially dangerous place – so as Landon left on his mission, his dad gave him this same instruction: “Don’t Get Eliminated”)

Love, Elder Gold

Footnote:  General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is held twice a year (once in April and also in October), where members gather for the two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders.  Many inspired messages are given to help those who wish to listen gain strength and clarity for their daily lives.  General Conference is broadcast from the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, via satellite, television, the Internet, and radio.  To read, watch or listen to this April's session of conference by clicking on the image below, or go to www.churchofjesuschrist.org and search April 2012 General Conference.