This week started with a bang! Literally! The other Elders in our boarding were driving down a very hilly dirt road and hit a turn wrong so their car flipped! They rolled and were stopped by a little tree. They had no scratches and no one was hurt. But the Elder that was driving lost some memory of it and was in shock. He went to the hospital the same day and was fine. The Lord truly protects his servants.

We taught a boy named Lungisani here. He is about 18 and is keen to know about the gospel. Before we taught him I just knew that we needed to invite him to be baptized. The whole ride over I was telling Elder Kinyaka that we needed to. When we taught him (first lesson) we finished with the invitation. Without hesitation he said yes!! He is a very smart boy and spiritual. He will do great things! We continued teaching our other two investigators who are getting prepared to be baptized. They are taking their time, but that is good, we really want them to know. Eventually, from prayer and scriptures, they will know.

We helped our bishop with his yard for about 5 hours this Saturday. (umgqibelo) We helped level his backyard, built a wall, and demolished his old driveway with a metal pole. We really don't have many tools to do things here so we stick to random things like metal poles. I am getting really good at mixing concrete the African way. I love the people here and I think they might have some positive feeling about me. haha

We are having a lot of success with our less actives because of our trust we have for them and the trust they have for us. A baba the other day was explaining to me that we were brothers and that he loved and cared for me. I love these people and I am really enjoying teaching them. I love the promise land, but Africa, strangely, feels like a home.

Many other things happened this week that were very "African" haha kodwa ngizo koluma maduze. I won a new car! Not really, we got a new car from the mission office because the other was old and beat up from the township. This one is manual!! :) It just makes me wish I was driving Jons bucky though...How is that truck doing? How are they doing? I never hear from them!!! Thank you for the package! I was really happy! Those pictures of the family were awesome!! :) Well, have a good week! Ngiya ni thanda! I love you all!!

Love,

Elder Petrie

P.S. I also taught Primary yesterday about Priesthood. During the lesson a little boy asked me "What if we forget to get married in the Temple?" haha Someone answered "How could you forget that?" The kids here are so smart though and they are really really really awesome.

Loving South Africa!

Is it OK if I buy some cool stuff here? Cause I have already…hahaha Mpumalanga is completely safe. We only hear gun shots every once in a while hahaha.

That's awesome about Cameron getting married! Tell him I wish him all the best from Africa. How are you all back home? Thanks for sending the flash drive,  I have needed one. OH and can you send some more memory cards? I've almost finished with one. I like the food here! kinda. haha  (He’s responding to my letter).

So this week was great!! I challenged a Gogo to be baptized and she had some questions that we answered for her, and now we can help her to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ! In other news, we had zone conference Tuesday and it was pretty great! President taught us a lot about listening to the Spirit, especially in planning. We got another Elder in our boarding, so five including me now. His name is Elder Whiting or, Elder Hlopi. (white) haha So now there are 4 Americans and 1 Kenyan. But we all fit in haha. I had a zulu baba (drunk) tell me that we are all the same. "We eat out of our mouths and ……………." hahaha I told him yea! That's true. People have different cultures...WAY DIFFERENT hah but we're all the same; Heavenly Fathers Children. Sooooooo, I went on exchanges this week with Elder Rajionarison from Madagascar. We got along really well. He learned English while on his mission! He speaks really well. Ngiyazi isiZulu kancane. It's getting better! We are all going to speak zulu one day cause isizulu means the language of heaven haha Just kidding, kinda.

How are Nana, Grandpa, and Aunt Nene?

Our dogs are flippin spoiled. These dogs are crazy street wise dogs. Almost as street wise as monkeys ha. Monkey captures have been at a minimum :( But the work of the Lord is getting done :) We should be leading two brothers to baptism in three weeks!! I love Africa.

Love you!

Elder Petrie 

One Month in South Africa!

One month flew by! But I've done sooo much already haha it feels like longer but short. Not sure how to explain it. How is it in the wonderful Promised Land?

How was Haydens farewell?? How are the Ritcheys? Can you get their email? Thanks for sending the package :) I withdrew some money so I could survive a little just so you know.....:) Don’t ask what survive means . (He’s talking about being robbed)

I make some of the best food ever! Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches are the best! And so are canned beans and bananas. haha  

So this week, we are teaching two boys that will be baptized in September. One boy we taught was a member but goes to another church now. We helped him understand why our church was the only church with the amandhla negunya kaNkulunkulu. (Power and authority of God.) Or Priesthood. He got it I think. People rush people to baptism here so we have to take most our time reactivating people that weren't taught correctly. Or just didn't understand it. Kind of a bummer, but fun :) One night we just went to a less actives sisters home and visited her once (she is so cool) and she was at church on Sunday. Didn't even need a reminder! The people that I really want to be baptized didn't come to church this week after many invitations :( Boohoo. But it was ok, because we'll see what's wrong and help them fix it. People have to walk a far to get to church. Or use a taxi which means money... We did a LOT of service this week. We scraped the roof of a member (with asbestos) and sealed it and painted it and we helped clean his yard and garden and stuff. The young men came too though so it was fun. We wrestled while we worked. And there was a lot of spraying with the hose haha. I love the people here and I'm getting used to the culture. Back home is a little weird now actually (culture wise). But I still love America....a lot. ha Well I love you all soo much and thank you for your prayers and support!

Ngiya ni thanda!

Love,

Elder Petrie 

P.S. 
This picture is part of the township I serve in.

Happy August!

(The pants in the picture are called "Zulu Pants" worn for celebrations).

Wow!!! The trip to California was almost the whole family except Dad and I! I didn't get the pictures.

I chased some Zebras today. They were on the side of the road, so we parked, got out, and ran like Africans at them haha. Ngiya thanda Mpumalanga. The township is like a ton of little shack/houses that are made out of just concrete and metal, pretty awesome. Yes, I got groceries at a store, I'm not eating dirt haha. You did the shoe picture at Disneyland?? Awh! That's awesome!

They play something in the township called house music that is always blaring wherever you go ha. We don't live in a township, we live in a place called Camperdown. It is where the "rich people" live. It's soooo beautiful here. I saw some lions today too, at a park. They were right outside our car!! haha The food here is chicken and rice and rice and chicken. I ate the meat off the rib cage and spine of the chickens the other day ha. We made a steam bread the other day called Jaqe (the q is a click off the top of your mouth). My companion has been out for 16 months. And now I know the area very well; all the units and houses. It's a maze though.

We were teaching a Ma one day and the baba drove up as we were leaving and he asked us who gave us permission to enter the house and got mad and told us never to come back (rejection story of the week). She was so humble and ready to here our message of Jesus Christ though! It was sad. Many people are willing to get baptized but going to church is hard because they have to walk a good distance or take taxis (big vans).

These past days have flown by! I miss all of you! But I love Africa a lot. Some things...not so much. People are always walking, which is cool. But towards the end of the month a lot of babas are staggering around cause they're drunk... :( sad face for that one. They can be so humble or very prideful. Both are here.

Well, Ngiya ni thanda!

Thanda,

Elder Petrie

PS. Hahaha Monkeys are so fun to play with :)  One took a banana out of my hand the other day :)

Elder Petrie and Elder Kinyaka with some children in Mpumalanga!