Christmas Week

Hi Guys

 I hope you have all had a nice Christmas.

This week has been tough with being away from home and everything; Christmas was hard without the family around. It’s been my hardest week so far

Monday was good we got to email home. We also got to go to Gladiator arena which is a full size basketball court, with nets and everything, and the bonus is it’s free.

Tuesday was a good day, we didn't get to teach many lessons but we did get invited over to Carletonville's branch president’s house. We played some cricket with his 2 sons so that was fun. Then we went into their house and ate  Christmas dinner, but it was nothing like a Christmas dinner at home, there was just meat and bread rolls. Where is the stuffing, spuds, veggies? Etc. but it was nice to spend time with them but it trunked me out :)

Tuesday night we all slept at Carletonville's flat which was fun.

On Wednesday we opened presents, and then we headed down to roodeport for the Christmas Missionary talent show. We then headed back home, we all skyped home (which was wonderful but at the same time very hard to see everyone) and just hung out so it was a good day :)

Thursday was a good day we hardly got any lessons but it was ok, we had a couple of good visits.

Friday we had zone meeting which was all about driving safe and trying harder to get more people to teach. Afterwards we went to snowy lane so that was fun there were around 20 missionaries there. Then one of the assistants came with us Elder Davidson, he is a cool missionary.

We had some good lessons. We taught one of our guys who is on date for January, we taught him the law of chastity, he doesn’t have any problems with any of it so that's was good we also saw the Monnela family and taught about trials, it was a good lesson.

Saturday was spent all day trackting and finding new people to teach. We also saw Abraham the man with no legs and we taught him about the word of wisdom and he doesn’t have any problems with it so that was really good.

Church on Sunday was good we got fed 2 times and we saw Tshidi and Vuo and their family, we watched the restoration dvd the long one, they loved it.

This week has been difficult with everyone being away for Christmas but we have tried to make the best of it, hopefully this next week will be better.

Thank you all so much for your emails. I love you all, hope you had a Merry Christmas and best wish to you all for the coming year. Remember keep the letter going to the missionaries we really do appreciate them

Love Elder Turney xxx

Being in charge is not easy

Hey Guys

This week has been a good week. On Tuesday we went to Johannesburg and I got my new companion. His name is Elder Kolditz, he is from Indiana USA, and he seems like a cool guy. He talks a lot about Guns which is strange for me as I have never had anything to do with Guns and don’t know anything about them.

So this week we have been doing a lot of Less Active work which is good because they were a lot in greater khutsong where me and my companions work but then the branch moved down to khutsong 2's area and so about 120 people went less active so we are doing lots of work to try and bring them back..

We came across a guy names Simon who hadn't been to church in 8 years and when he went less active the missionaries stopped visiting. But he said he will be coming next week so hopefully he does, we also found a lady called Olge who comes when she can but work interferes and hasn't received a visit from the missionaries in 8 years also so we are visiting her regularly.

Also our investigators are looking promising, we have Abraham the man with no legs and also Tony who we see regularly, there both powerful, hopefully they will make it.

Me and my companion have come up with a new way or working here. Our area is split up into extensions, so we are going through the whole of our member list and putting it into extensions so one day we will work in extension 1 the next day in extension 3, so hopefully we will teach a lot more and find a lot more people, hopefully.

Hopefully next week I will have  more to write. We also have an investigator Sister Violet, she know the book of Mormon is true and our church is the only true church on the face of the earth but won’t leave her current church because she is comfortable there, but were working with her. Hopefully she will one day join our church.

We are also working with a less active Sister Christina, she wants her daughter to be baptized but hasn't come back to church to show here the example, so we are working with her to get her to come back.so that she can set the right example for her daughter, it helps the children when their parents are doing as they should be.

So remember those of you who are parents out there set the example let your children see you living the Gospel

This week has been slightly stressful because I am running things I’m trying to guide my companion instead of me being guided by him.

But I’m relying on heavenly father and the Holy Ghost to help

We are off to do some shopping after emails then we are going to a member’s house to make some which is a African bread which will be great, I hope have a great  week everyone.

Remember writing to a missionary is not just for Christmas it’s for two years ha ha    :) :)

I love you and miss you all ,take care keep strong

Love Elder Turney

Senior Companion Scary thought putting me in charge

Hi Guys

Thanks so much again for all you emails.

This week had been really good with lots of work. We are doing lots of finding but also lots of Less active work, We have been working a lot with the Mata family who haven't been to church in 3 years and we found out this week why that is. They have read some anti-Mormon stuff on the internet, also when one of the girls was at college she was told that our church is devil worshipers I wonder where people get that from because  we worship God . So I don't know how we can worship devils. But either way we are trying to work with them because they have a lot of questions. The girl who heard we were devil worshipers came to church on Sunday which was a great start

Also we are working with the Chongoe family and they haven't been to church in 2 years, there reason is just laziness which is a fair excuse but the mother and her 2 sons also came to church on Sunday, the father got called into work on an emergency but hopefully he will be there this Sunday.

We are also working with the Lodriques and the father came to church on Sunday as well which is awesome, and we are hoping he is back for good.

We are working with a girl called Julia who Is less active and she was there on Sunday which was great the spirit really worked hard to get so many of our people to church this week,. Along with all of these positive stories there are also negatives and that’s less active families saying there coming back but not showing up, but were working with them, and we will keep trying.

So on Saturday we got the news that my companion Elder Stephens is being transferred which I was not happy about but the lord knows what he is doing and obviously he is needed somewhere else but my new companion is American also so that should be fun.

Also this week I saw someone get robbed at knife point as we were getting dropped off by a member who is a police officer and he just drives on like nothing is happening, which shows how corrupt the police force over here are.

With my companion going I am now going to be in charge of my first area, as this area has just been opened up by Elder Stephen’s and I so my companion knows nothing  about the area or people, I am excited but also a little scared at the same time. It should be good though.

We also came across this father led family on Saturday and they seem really interested in the gospel which is positive. I'm really loving the people here and don't want to leave but next transfer isn't till February 4th so I have a long time left. Thanks again guys for all your emails. Remember a missionary’s favourite thing is real mail.

 Love Elder Turney

Lightening Strikes

Hi Guys

So this week has been really busy, with lots of work getting done, and were doing a lot more trackting, and we are also doing a lot of work with the less active people trying to help them find their way back to the Gospel. I hope your all doing your part in your own wards

So on Sunday Michael who was baptized last week was confirmed this week, and then we had another baptism this Sunday a guy by the name of William, which was really good. He is a nice Guy.

We also put a couple of people on date for baptism. So the work is certainly moving forward and hearts are been softened, by the spirit.

On Thursday as its thanksgiving and we have 2 American Elders  in our district  we were going to go to spur and eat unlimited ribs and wings for R115 but they were really busy so we got 2 large triple decker pizzas and 2 large filla pizzas, 5 2L bottles of pop, 4 big bags of cheese curls and 4 dairy milk chocolate bars and just pigged out, it was really awesome.

Something really cool about this place is, it has the best lightning storms in the world, and it really does. Me and Elder Stephens nearly died, the lighting struck our car while we were standing right next to it, but luckily we didn't get hit. There is always some excitement out here but you have to see these storms to believe them we have never had lightening like this in England not sure why we get so much here not sure if its weather or location or both that play a part, but you would love it provided you don’t get struck by it.

So one of the people who we have on date for Baptism is Brother Abraham, we met him recently for the first time, he has no legs because of a car accident but he does not let it get him down. We met him on Wednesday and he said he wants to come to church and on Sunday he did, which was really cool, (because a lot of people say they will come and they don’t show up) and he loved it which is great, always worrying as a missionary when people come for the first time  because you never know how they will take it three hours of church is a lot for people to take at first.

We saw Brother Abraham after church on Sunday and we taught him about the restoration and that’s when we put him on date, another guy were seeing is a guy called tony, he seems like a really cool guy, we have taught him the  restoration and we put him on date for January 26th so hopefully he will make it.

I’m really enjoying mission life and am now realizing why I’m here and what my purpose is.

Thanks guys for all your emails,

I love you guys and I miss you,

Remember Missionaries Love REAL LETTERS so get mailing J

Love elder Turney