New Companion Elder Reed

Hey guys,

            So this has been my first full week in my new area, I’m loving the new area it’s a really nice area the people are lovely. I’m getting used to living in a town.

 On Thursday we got drenched cycling back to our flat, my shoes were like swimming pools it was crazy, but it was fun it felt like I was home :)

The investigators we have here are great. We have 2 named Linda and Masana, they are a married couple, they love hearing about the gospel, and love asking questions.

We had a fun experience this week, we were in a teaching appointment with a guy named Noel, he has cerebral palsy, he lives at an old peoples home, and a member of our ward has her mother there and she was with us in the lesson. There was another elderly lady there, we opened with a prayer. We started talking about prophets and one of the ladies says out of the blue "my dad’s name is Fredrick Henry Clark" me and my companion didn't think anything of it, then we continued and she said it again and added my dad is from England, we sort of laughed, but we continued with the lesson. Then again she said " my dad’s name is Fredrick Henry Clark" me and my comp couldn't help but laugh, she was a sweet old lady and I think she was just lonely and wanted to join in but it was so random. We found it difficult to carry on with the lesson, because the more we spoke the more she said. We had to close in the end hopefully next time will be better

 It was so funny experience, ha, ha, that is just one of the great memories we will make here.

Little things like that just help you get through the week sometimes.

Getting on great with my new companion Elder Reed from Tasmania the picture above is of the two of us.

Mother’s Day this weekend but did not get to speak to mum as we have decided to do it on the American mother’s day as it splits the time up between the Christmas contact and mother’s day so I am excited for Sunday 11^th May when I get to speak to the Family

I love you guys, continue to be missionaries. 

Miss you guys 

Elder Turney x 

New Area, New Companion

Hey guys,

So like I said in my last blog, I have been transferred. I am now in North Riding, it’s a really nice town. It’s right next to Fourways which is one of the richest places to live in SA.  So our Flat is really nice, I have a shower instead of a bath for the first time on my mission so it’s really nice to wake up, work out then Shower instead of having to wait for a bath to fill up.

 My new companion is Elder Reed he is from Tasmania Australia; he is a really cool guy. A lot has changed this transfer. I'm serving in my first Town which is really nice, me and my companion lift weights in the morning, so I'm getting very soar but its nice cause I'm getting bigger :)

The ward here is really nice, the members are really nice, the Tuesday I got here we had a dinner appointment with the ward mission leader, his wife fed us really nice food, and then we had a meeting after with the husband.

 Then on Wednesday a member nearly took us out to mikes kitchen, which is apparently a really expensive restaurant here, but she got ill, so she said she will do it another day when she is feeling better. We are very blessed here.

 I love this new area and companionship, the only down side is we bike 7 days a week, we don’t get a car ever, but its ok I like biking, it keeps you in shape :)

The people here are really nice; they take care of the missionaries really well. Today after shopping we are going to a member house and I am cooking for them, for a change.

 They have a really nice house, compared to some I Have seen in my other areas, there really is a big difference between the rich and poor, the family have lots of reptiles, they have a pool, a trampoline and lots of other cool stuff so that should be a fun p day today.

 Also in this area we have a go karting place so really looking forward to it, also an ice rink so looking forward to doing them on other p days :)

The pictures above are family's from my last area, hopefully will have some new ones for next week

 I love you guys, keep up the great work, keep looking and praying for those missionary experiences
:) 

Love you all 

No Surgery but more Pictures

Hello guys

Not got a lot of time today I will find out tomorrow where I am moving to, it’s always mixed feeling when your leaving one area and moving to a new, sad to leave because you have met and worked with some wonderful people and also built up some great friendships, I have watched peoples testimony’s grow and seen their faith strengthened, and had mine strengthened by them.

            Moving to a new area is also an exciting time new people new challenges, and more of Africa for me to see, despite being a very poor country in areas, this is still a beautiful place, and I look forward to seeing more of it. I will tell you next week where my new area is.

 On Monday I didn't get the surgery because our medical adviser said they were just messing me around and she would make an appointment with a lady who could do it in her office, but the lady she made an appointment with,  was the lady she sent me to last time, and she didn't wear gloves or inject my toe, so I said I would not get it done I don’t want to risk infection so I  will have to get it sorted out when I get home next year, unless I find a  Dr in my new area who might do it under more sterile conditions.

 The rest of this week has been good. I sent a pic of me with a guy in a red top that is Thabo Mashishi he is the guy who is being baptized end of this month, he is making good progress. I won’t be here to see him baptized because on Tuesday I’m being transferred.

Also I sent lots of other pictures, they are families in this branch. I kind of lost track of time so can’t write much or will go overtime.

 I love you guys, keep up the good work.

Love Elder Turney xxxxx

Surgery Day

Hey guys

So this week has been pretty good only taught 13 lessons, but all round it’s been a good week. Monday was good, we went to a place called Spur, and it’s just like the Harvester in England. But on Mondays they have a buy one burger get another free, which is an awesome deal. But this week I got a t bone steak, it was really nice but nothing compared to the steaks back home. But it was pretty nice

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Tuesday until Sunday was the same as usual. On Tuesday I went on an exchange with elder Sipiri, he came to my area and Elder Kolditz went to his, we only had the one lesson with Thabo Mashishi. He was confused at some of the stuff taught in the previous Sunday’s lesson, so we helped him to understand it.

We have done a little bit of trackting and it has been quite successful, we found people who were taught by the missionaries 20 years ago. Which is crazy and in the past we have found people who have been members for 8 years and haven’t had a visit from anybody since they went less active 8 years ago. Which is really crazy?

Abraham who is our recent convert is making good progress; he is starting to remember stuff which is really good. Also something new is me and Elder Kolditz are teaching mission prep class at church every Friday. It’s really good because we just teach them about what we do every day :)

 It brings back the good memories of me preparing for a mission. I’m loving mission at the moment and what helps keep me going is your weekly emails :)

Off to see the Dr this afternoon hopefully have the surgery and get my foot sorted out once and for all.

Look forward to hearing from you all don’t forget the missionary snail mail we love our emails but love letters also, hint, hint J

Love you guys, take care 

Love Elder Turney xxxx 

As Promised Baptism Pictures

Hi Guys

So this week has been another slow week, we are working hard but not getting the people at the minute but I know it is just Satan trying to stop us, but we keep going and hope that things turn around again soon. That’s the difficulty with the work one minute you’re on a high with lots of people to teach and baptisms, then it just seems to hit a brick wall, with all the riots etc that have been going on its not helped

.

We have had some appointments. so I think I said this but the guy we were teaching a little while ago called Tony he is back and were teaching him again. He kind of lost his testimony of the gospel so we are trying to help him bring it back which is nice because he loved the gospel before. :)

Also we are still teaching Thabo Mashishi and he is making a lot of progress which is good, he will be a very powerful member. He could become a Bishop one day.

So although this was a slow week compared to some of our other, we are still doing a lot of work with trackting but  it we will get better. 

Some other news, so before my mission I had a problem with my ingrown toe nail on my left big toe. I knew I would be walking a lot so before mission I got it sorted out so it wouldn't cause me any trouble on my mission. Then about a month on my mission the same problem came back.

I went to a doctor in a place called Kempton park. I got there and she didn't even inject it to take the toe nail out she just sprayed it with something but that didn't make a difference, because I felt it a lot and it was not pain free :) . So I thought that would be the end of my toe problem, but I was horribly wrong. About 2-3 months ago it came back and it was both sides of my big left toe. So it became too much so I asked Sister Omer our mission president’s wife who is our medical advisor so make me an appointment at the doctors so I could get this taken care of so it won’t hopefully come back.

So on Thursday I had an appointment with Doctor Brunke at Flora clinic across from the mission home. I won’t go into any detail but what they want to  do will make it permanent for sure so it won’t come back. So he made me an appointment to see another doctor for Friday. I went there and he wanted to do an x-ray on my toe to make sure nothing is wrong with the bone and thankfully there is not.

               

So Next Monday the 10th I have an appointment with a doctor at the same place and hopefully it will be taken care of then. So what he will hopefully do then is I'm going to be knocked out and they are going to do surgery on my toe. So that should be a fun experience.

I have never had surgery, so  hopefully it will all go ok. Hopefully I will recover quickly.

If you could keep me in your prayers next Monday the 10^th that it  will all go ok that would be much appreciated guys.

So we have been out of the area a couple of days this week.

We haven't had an  amazing experiences this week, but that not what the work is about its about sharing what we have with others and we sure are doing that.

 It has rained quite a lot this week and when it rains it  REALLY RAINS :) 

Love you all 

Elder Turney xxxx