Christmas in July!

 So I have pictures today, but the downside is that my email will be very short due to the effort in downloading them :P haha 
Soooo last week I got to meet someone on Monday with Elder Ah Sue...We were about to email and then we found a lady who had been in bible school and raised in Canada though she had roots in Lesotho.  She also did jewish studies. Ummmm so I had another name tag on that said Manhanha (a friend of mine) and  I was asked where I was from, (and I thought I would never see her again), so I just said New Zealand (in my accent)....I was very convincing :P haha However, the meeting went so well that  when Elder Ah Sue and I went on splits....we followed up with her. I told her I was just joking and she laughed and said she actually liked my prank....whew haha I'm never playing that prank again :P Anyways....the lesson was the most spiritual experience I've had my whole mission. She was SO prepared. She understood everything about our message exept where to find the Church of Jesus Christ today! We shared the message of the restoration and it all made sense to her! FINALLY someone who was prepared and actually knew what the Bible says!!!! She recieved a Book of Mormon from us. She is actually in another area now and we heard that in 3 days she had completed 2 Nephi and used Lehi's dream to describe her life!
We were also taught by a General Authority named Elder Hamilton. And guess what...I ate at McDonalds :) OH, and I went on an exchange with an Elder from Uganda and it was pretty sweet! 
Anyways! I love you all and hope you enjoy the pics! Thanks for the love and support luna!!!! Ke le rata! Ngiyanithanda!!!
Love,
Elder W. Clay Petrie
P.S. The pictures are of a Christmas in July that Elder Ah Sue and I had for our Zone. It was so successful that the couples from South Africa came and made breakfast with us. As you can see from the pictures, the party continues at the waterfall in Semonkong! IT'S SNOWING!!!!

His Work Will Move On!

Thank you for all the support guys! We are doing well now. This week was good. We worked really hard.

So we ran into some kids the other day, (that called me by my Sesotho name, “Thabo,” It means joy or happiness, I looked it up), then said, “Look smoke!” I saw the fire and answered, but then I looked closer and realized these 4-8 year old kids were smoking! I was like what the heck! Put that down! Eish! Kids just walk around without adults all the time. Eish.

It was the Kings birthday this week, and as a branch we cut grass at a graveyard in a village called Ha Jimisi! When we finished, the chief came and spoke to us (in Sesotho).  He was just preaching to us about how God was with us. I was dressed in complete Basotho traditional clothes. We also had a Zone training meeting about the doctrine of Christ. It literally helps with every problem. This doctrine is included in 3 Nephi 27 as faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, then Enduring to the end. Halleluiah, can I get an Amen. That's what helped me through the week ha.

I did exchanges with two other Elders too and it was sweet! They were fun and I felt our unity and the Spirit with it. We had so much fun. I really enjoy working with missionaries that know why they are here. It makes our purpose so clear. AND we enjoy our time serving. So because missionary work is harder to do here we have to be creative finding investigators.....we held a ping pong tournament :) it was successful :)

This week we ran into an Ntate that refused to speak English to us so I talked in Sesotho. He was surprised haha it’s fun :) Ummmm we also had a Zone choir rehearsal and sang in Sesotho. It was fun :)

Love you all! HIS WORK WILL MOVE ON!!!! 

I saw Elder Porter by the way mom! You can let his mom know that he looks good and during a lesson he joined with us and bore a strong witness of our Savior, Him in which we receive eternal happiness!
LOVE YOU ALL!

Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ one smile at a time! :)

This has been a very hard week. The world would have us think that being a missionary is too hard and not worth it, and that if you share the gospel of Jesus Christ with your friends that it might hurt their feelings or offend them, but I know that the Lord provides us with friends For the purpose of sharing the gospel with them! If you love anyone enough you will do all you can to bring them to the Lord so you can see them in the presence of the Lord in the last days. I feel like the Lord is having us push against a really big rock that is very difficult to move, but at least it's making me stronger. That doesn't take away my want for the rock to move though hahaha.  Something else I have really learned, the gospel is all about love. Without it, you're wasting your time. You must love! 

So anyways, this week there is not much to report. Work is moving slowly. The King’s birthday is this week so I'll dress in my traditional stuff to work. We also saw Semonkong waterfall again yesterday, except this time it's now all snow and ice haha, but it’s up in the mountains. It's not bad here though. A little cold never hurt anyone....I did slip on the slope by the falls (like right by it.....don't ask why I was climbing :P) and my hands were FROZEN,  but after a few hours they were ok haha!  Funny story; the people here believe that a big giant snake lives by the water fall, because a tornado came and they thought it was a snake....oh my gosh.  

To answer your question about what I’m eating, I eat ramen noodles a lot cause electricity is so expensive here and my money goes to pay for that. We don't get food really.....I miss chocolate :p Not much of that here that is reasonably priced haha.

I miss you all a lot this week. I love you! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder W. Clay Petrie

Happy Independence Day America!

Thanks for the Penny whistle request! hahahaha It's awesome! I can't wait to learn it :) hahaha I'm so glad to hear that everything worked out this week. Especially Grandpa's funeral. I'm happy to hear about how you shared my thoughts and song :) That's so cool cause it's like I was there but not :) haha I'm so glad the family is together a lot...Must be like heaven...I'll get to the Celestial Kingdom with you all one day I hope :) 

 His work is marching on. We are working hard and we have had many awesome experiences this week. For instant, a Mme that we're teaching had a dream and shared it about being in front of a chapel in white clothes and seeing water roll over her....baptism? Yep :) Hahaha it's cool cause it's just easy doctrine that we know...The Lord makes it really easy on us sometimes so we don't mess things up haha. I feel the Spirit working through me soooooo much. It's cool when I need to make a decision and I leave it to the Lord he just answers!!! 

So, we have had some people that are really having their faith tried through losing jobs and what not. But it's sooooo hard to see when they make a wrong turn and you're like, "NOOOOOO just trust Him! Just trust Him! The Lord provides for his own!" So some lessons this week I literally felt like we were just ridding their blood from our garments...People straight up told us they believed the Book of Mormon is false....the thing is....they never read it or prayed or anything...I pretty much told them ok...when you're ready to except the Lords Message I hope you get another chance. I Hope they do turn to him  and open up those closed ears, eyes, and hearts. I love you all and I miss you all!!! 

AMERICA! haha I drew a flag and had a flag raising and retiring ceremony this 4th of July while singing and listening to Mo Tab patriotic music. Happy Independence day! :) Love you all! ONE YEAR!!!!!!

Love,

Elder W. Clay Petrie

Fishing and sledding in the snow!

WOW! Thanks for letting me know about Grandpa. My comments that have been shared of Grandpa's death have not changed. I not only believe but KNOW, he has stepped further into our Fathers plan for us and is furthering the work of the Lord on the other side of the veil. It gives the phrase, "His truth is marching on." a whole new meaning.

So from what I've been told and see, Lesotho has calmed down but it was never too crazy.

My companion is still Elder Bonner and we are getting along. I have learned that even if there are disagreements, it's best to solve them right then and there or the Spirit is gone and you're of no use to our Fathers work or plan. You have fallen into a state of non progression and you are there as long as you want to be. When you are ready to take the Saviors hand and repent and use of his merciful atonement....HE IS THERE. My companion called me Jeffery R. Holland's son this week when we taught this Mme about the choice she must make on her own. She must choose to follow the Savior on her own or it wouldn't mean a thing. She said next time she'll tell us the answer. I told her next time won't come. You have been able to think and pray and study and the time to choose is at hand. She talked a little and we promised to come back the next day with a member recently baptized so she can ask questions about choosing to be baptized into the Lords fold through proper priesthood. Well, the meeting the next day went well. We gave her a blessing due to illness and she was better! We felt the Spirit so much! WOW!

Another Mme will be baptized next week. Should have been yesterday but a religious school made it mandatory for everyone to get their child's test results and talk with teachers on Sunday....no comment there....Well, I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week! As for me....today I'm fishing and sledding in the snow :) Love you!!!!!

Love,

Elder Petrie

PS I wish I could be there at Grandpa’s funeral to play a song on the Harmonica....I'll be there today in Spirit. Love you all.

Christmas in June!!

Oh Grandpa! I sure love him...My prayers have been with him!

Well this week was pretty cool; we have witnessed some miracles. I was able to speak with the Spirit. The reason I know this is because I said things that were totally beyond my own thinking! Let me explain, my companion was telling me that during a lesson we were teaching that he felt that I had I answered some questions with the "tongue of angels." Haha He's a cool guy. Good thing too cause I am staying for 6 more weeks! YES! I'll be staying through the whole of winter here! EISH! Hahaha I also got to do an interview and it was awesome; very spiritual. I’m sure many of you know that when we are on our mission’s we study the scriptures for many hours a day, helping us have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, (and also helping us set up a great habit for life)! My studies include a lot from the Bible to go along with the Book of Mormon. Together they answer so many questions and concerns in the world today. I love this work! It's cool. I get to feel so close to our Savior and bring His message of happiness to everyone!

We went to Qiloane Falls last week and hiked a LONG time!!!! But not many people have seen it! We actually dunked our heads in ice covered water... (The part where there was no ice....duh) Haha It was awesome though one of my friends fell through the ice. Hahahaha it was funny while he was slipping up the ice and falling back in :) Hahaha A lot of the African Elders got to see ice and snow for the first time. :)  So we had a nice trip.

I played with the National Rugby Team of Lesotho and they wanted Elder Ah Sue and I to come back and help their team. They asked if we could come every day, but we explained we were missionaries and so they had us pray. It was sweet. They wanted us to join the team Haha Eish Lesotho.

Well, Lesotho is in a conflict now so we are advised by our Mission President to evacuate if things get bad.

Soooooo, the work is really moving on here, except that the World Cup is going on so it's hard to see people right now, but we are trying.

We were able to play in the snow and I finally got gloves yay! :) Haha Today we are just braaiing....or BBQing all dang day its great cause some Elders are leaving :( Oh well....

Well, I love you all! This week was great cause I get to stay with Elder Bonner and continue to work HARD! If I could I would proclaim to the ends of the Earth that there is NO DOUBT THIS CHURCH IS THE RESTORED CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL OF IT'S PRINCIPALS AND POWERS BACK ON THE EARTH!!!!!! Love you all and have a great week!

Love, Elder Petrie

IT SNOWED . . .June 9, 2014

IT SNOWED!!!! It's sooooooooooo cold here. I was on an exchange and we got bunked then it started snowing! I took a video and several pictures. Since we walk alot more we were just getting poured on with snow! It was cold in the houses too! I wear my blanket and take it everywhere now cause it's too cold. Like serious. Eish! haha 

Soooo, this week was cool. We started with a GPS meeting. I set up a course and let the other Elders navigate it..since I was in charge of the GPS stuff I made the course through mountains and rivers and stuff :) It was fun! Haha But we have to use those here because people don't have addresses. Some addresses include, "In Masianokeng opposite of the highschool"....Serious. Getting directions is the hardest thing here, haha so we use GPS haha.  

We have been talking with everyone and working SOOOO HARD, but we also have been doing some cool service. We have been raising the amount of dirt in someones yard to cover the foundation...CRAZY!!!! It was cool. But a lot of hard work. We have had some really spiritual moments also...Most include the use of the first lesson on the Prophet Joseph Smith. This week has really confirmed to me, without a doubt.....THIS IS TRUE! I know it and I would hold that in front of rulers, kings, and anyone. I love this gospel. It is our way to happiness...to our Father...through our Savior. The Lord is really helping us in His work as we continue working so hard! Eish! Haha we walk a LOT and it's so cold but some times I don't feel the cold because of the spirit. But....I do during planning...It's cold :P haha Yesterday I was able to testify that this gospel and especially the Book of Mormon is true. The MOST true book that ever has existed because it was translated by the power of GOD! I love this work and I love my Savior. 

So this morning we went to the top of a mountain and cooked breakfast...it was pretty cool :) I love the outdoors. Well, I love you all! Have a great week! LOVE YOU

Love,

Elder Petrie