"I could have died"-Monsters Inc "I can't believe [it was my last call home]"-Brother Bear "Heart [problems]"-Men in Black Two

Well, so in our area there is a member of the Church that we go and
chop wood for, cause he can't walk well, and so we do it to show our
love for him and to be of service to him.   So this week we were there
helping and chopping wood, and admit ably the axe wasn't the best.   So
anyway, my companion was chopping the wood at the time and I moved to
one side and shortly thereafter the axe head flew off the handle as he
was swinging it at the wood and well the axe head flew and went right
where I was standing a few moments before.   Yea, it was pretty
freaky, cause I could have been a dead man if I hadn't moved.   So we
stopped chopping wood and let the brother know and he said he would
get it fixed.   It was interesting.

So as missionaries we call home twice a year, Mother's Day and
Christmas (my dad wishes that we called on Father's Day).   So
yesterday was my final call home for my mission, which is crazy.   But
yea, mission has flown and now no more calls home for me before I am
in the airport to see my family.   I loved the call home, and it has
shown how much I have grown since I began.   First Christmas, I bawled
like a baby, first Mother's day, I cried pretty good, second Christmas
I only cried a little bit, and this last one I didn't cry.   So I am
growing up, a little at a time.   I still miss you dearly, but I am being
strong.

So my companion Elder Mandiquesse has been having some heart problems
as of late.   A weird and irregular pump, and it has been causing him
some sleeping problems, but after some tests the Doctors don't know
what is wrong, so they want him to take it easy and to limit his
physical activity.   So yea, don't know what is gonna happen with
that, Sister Cook and President Cook are gonna figure out if he is
staying or what will have to happen for him.   So yea, that is how he
is.

We are gonna have a baptism this Saturday.   I am excited for it.   A
great young man named Anyway, and only him, cause the others didn't
come to church.   But we are working on that with them too.   The area
is doing pretty well, and we are working really hard to get things to
happen.   Working on our less actives and helping the recent converts
to continue in faith.   I am loving it out here in Sakubva.   The
branch is doing well, and they are working on getting people ready for
the Temple.   Hopefully we will get some people there.

"All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."
-Abraham Lincoln
"To one who holds the sweetest name, and adds lust to the same, long
life to her, for there's no other, who takes the place of my dear
Mother."
-Unknown

I just want to say that I love my mother, and I am so grateful to my
Heavenly Father for putting me in my family.   I know that it isn't an
accident that we are put with who we are put with, or where we are
put.   I know that He has a plan for us.   One of our investigators
was having a hard time when she didn't get accepted for a College out
here, and we were able to talk with her about how God has a plan for
her life and that He has things He wants her to do, and now she is
confident that she can trust His plan and His time, and I pray that we
all gain the same perspective.   And I pray that we all showed our
love for our mothers and thanked God for them.

"I've lost the bleeps, the sweeps and the creeps.   The what, the what
and the what?"
"Like that young fellow out there named Vector, he just stole a pyramid."
"I am your father's, brother's, cousin's best friend's former
roommate. So what's that make us? Absolutely nothing!"

I love you all so much.

Harare, Harare East, Mutara Zone Conference 

"I can't help it I [fingerspell]"-Phineas and Ferb "Now don't start that again"-Jungle Book "Never gonna see on of those again [on mission]"-Ice Age 2 "Then again maybe not"-Beauty and the Beast

Okay, so if you know me, you know that I twitch.   And that I love sign language, and that often times I finger spell when I am not focused on other things, and even often times when I am focused on other things.   Well my companion is getting on me about it.   People out here have a belief in magic and witchcraft and he thinks it could freak people out, my talking to myself and finger spelling all the time.   Well, let me tell you it is hard to stop.   I mean really hard to stop.   I have been trying but it isn't really happening for me.   Oh well.

Okay, so as missionaries we have certain things we do in the morning, one of which is companionship study.   So that starts at 9 in the morning.   So of course it is early in the morning and you are a little sleepy, so what happens, one of you yawn, and then it all just starts, he yawns, I yawn and it just goes back and forth.   It can be really irritating just because of how hard it is to stop it once it starts.   It is kind of funny, but still.

Okay, so this week we were blessed to be able to watch General Conference, and hear from the living Apostles and Prophet.   So the funny thing is I wont get to see the one in October on mission.   It took a month for this one to get out here to us.   So Conference will be in the first week of October, the next week will be my last one on mission, and then I will go home, and boom, I will have missed conference on both sides of the moon.   Strange.

Okay, so you know how last week I said winter is approaching and it should start soon.   Well, apparently NOT!   It has gotten hot again, like it was back in October and heading into summer, not supposed to be heading out of it.   So yea, the weather is being strange out here for us, and it is a little bit difficult because I am not the best at dealing with heat.   So, yea that is the weather report for this week.   not much more about it then that.

My area is doing good.   We have two people, really powerful that we are working with for Baptisms.   Brother Anyway and Sister Nomatter(they have some interesting names out here).   Brother Anyway is gonna be baptized on the 16th and Sister Nomatter on the 23rd.   That is great, they both really love the gospel and baring any unforeseen problems it will happen.   So lets not have unforeseen problems.

My companion is having some health problems as of late, with his heart, which is scary.   Hopefully it will all be okay.   I have already lost one companion because of health issues.

"A virtuous man and a worthy woman, sealed in the temple, can do difficult things as equal partners."

-Boyd K Packer

"We can not truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey."

-Thomas S Monson

After having had the wonderful opportunity to hear the words of the Prophet and the Apostles of God, let me say that the heavens are not shut.   God speaks to man now, just as he did back in the days of Elijah and Jeremiah and all the Prophets of old.   It takes faith for man to hear Him, but just because man lacks faith to hear, does not mean that God does not speak to him anymore.   I know President Thomas S Monson is the only true Prophet with God's authority on the Earth today.   I know he speaks the words of our Lord and our Savior.   I know it.

"So here we are, eating fish fingers and custard, and you're not afraid. So you know what I think? That must be one scary crack in your wall."

"An archery contest? Oh Robin, promise you wont go. Alright, I promise you wont go. Hey Robin didn't you just.. Cool it."

"Who looks at a screwdriver and says 'you know what this needs a little more sonic'?"

"Blinkon they've taken the castle.   I thought it was a bit drafty in here."

I love you all.

"Winter is almost here"-Tigger Movie "To be fair the communication load is entirely on me in this [companionship]"-Phineas and Ferb "Garden [boy]"-Tinker Bell "I think I'll [stay in Mutare]. Again?"-Monsters Inc.

Or at least that is what I hear.   It has been cooling down more, even the hot days aren't too hot, but the last few days were pretty bad.   But it has cooled off somewhat and by the end of this transfer we ought to be neck deep in winter time, which will be nice.   I am so ready to be cold, or at least the equivalent of cold here in Zimbabwe.   They are saying it ought to be a really cold one for us.   We will see.

If I don't find something my companion likes to talk about, he don't talk much.   One thing I have found that he likes, baking.   We talk about it all the time, mostly because we don't have an oven that works right, so we don't really do it very often.   The oven burns everything we try to bake.   So if I don't find something he will talk with to me, then it is like Doofensmirts and Perry, I do all the talking and he just kind of walks.   Oh well, we are doing well and working hard.

Out here the only service we seem to do is that of gardening. and yard work.   Lots of it too.   Which is nice, cause I love service.   We help to prepare the land, we plant things, we water, we weed, haven't harvested yet, not the right season right now.   But we are gonna harvest at some point in time.

I am staying again in Mutare.   This is my third in Mutare, and with Elder Mandiquesse, which is nice.   We both know the area really well, and that means we can work without too much difficulty.   We get lost once in a while, mostly when we try to find new places.   Like new houses.   But we are doing well with that too.   If I had to guess this will be our last together, and maybe my last here, since after this it wont be much longer on mission.   But you never know.

We are back to being a four man house, and our district is now six people strong, we got a companionship of sisters back into the district.   So now we are gonna have more things happening out here, at least that is the hope for us.   Things are now starting to move along towards baptisms for us in Sakubva, we have a powerful investigator named Anyway and he wants to get baptized and he wants to serve a mission after he is baptized.   That is awesome, I love when that kind of thing happens.   I can't wait to see him get baptized.

My companion is a big joker.   Out here when you knock on a door the people inside call out" who is it" and if it someone we know well he will respond "Ma Porisa" which means the police.   Or when other missionaries call us he answers the phone "Hello this is the waterfall elders" cause everyone out here in mission dreams of opening Victoria Falls as a mission area.   He loves to joke around and sometimes it is hard to tell when he is being serious.   

"There is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense small or large which is exempt from the promise of complete forgiveness"

-Boyd K Packer 

"Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool."

-Isaiah 1:18

I love the beauty of this message.   Our sins stain us red, and there is only one way to be made clean, and it is through our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.   Through His great and atoning sacrifice we can be clean.   The savior wants to forgive us, wants us to become clean, and it only through Him that is able to be done.   I know He will forgive us as we repent, and that he joys to do so.   I know He loves us.

"I have 99 sons and one daughter, cause there's nothing creepy about that at all."

"Strange women lying in lakes, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government."

"Is a smurfs bum blue?"

"Bring forth the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch."

I love you all.