Me and The Monkey

Hey guys,

So this week has been really good we had some cool experiences. On Tuesday we were doing some finding and came across a lady. We introduced ourselves and started to talk to her, we asked her what church she went to, said she doesn't go to church cause she does need to. She said god is all around, which is true.

We then asked if we could come and share a message with her, and she said no, we then got into a conversation and we found out she owns an animal sanctuary, so we asked if we could come and do some service for her and she said we could, so we agreed to go back the next day.

We got there and she gets us to unload a butt load of lettuce from the back of a Mitsubishi truck. So it took us like 2 hours, there was so much of it, but it was nice to help her.

After doing that she showed us all her pets she has in the house and we saw snakes, tortoise, bearded dragons, but the best part is she brought out a baby Baboon it was so cool, I saw baboons in the wild but they were big, but this one was so small. So each Wednesday we are going to go and see it and maybe when it trusts us we can hold it, that would be really awesome.

We then hope we will get the lady to trust us and we might get to teach her one way or another.

Also in a couple of week we will be going to a game reserve with a member so I will get lots of pictures with animals hopefully.

This area I'm in is really nice, I love the people here, I love my mission, I would not change it for 1 million pounds. 

I love you guys 

Elder Turney 

Coming up to Nine Months where has the time gone

Hey guys,

This week has been a tough week with not really meeting much with investigators, but more with members, but our hope is that with all this member work then we can get referrals, well that is the hope.

So  this week had been ok we have been able to do some service for the members so hopefully that will also bring referrals and help us to build the relationship with the members. funny story this week we were at a members doing some service which was cleaning her windows and she has this weird contraption and we ask her what it does, she jumps on, straps her feet in and flips all that way back round till she was hanging upside down, which was so funny to see this 70 year old lady hanging upside down, obviously me and my companion decide to jump on and have a go and it was so funny, it felt so weird at first.

It’s a lot like faith, we had to have faith in this machine that when we flipped back we would not get hurt and in the gospel we have to have faith in heavenly fathers plan for us that we can return to live with him again.

Transfers is tomorrow, but thankfully both me and my companion are staying together for another transfer, we really hope to get this area where it needs to be because at the moment it’s kind of struggling but we are trying our hardest to get it back on track.

On Friday we were able to have a nice evening and meal with Rob and Bev 2 of our investigators and also a less active member friend cause Elder Ryan is leaving, he used to teach them, so they wanted to put an evening on for him, it was nice to spend time with investigators and other missionaries. Those are the memories you make and keep on mission :)

 I'm really loving  the mission, it’s going way to quick though, I’m coming up to 9 months out now which is so crazy, it feels like I just got here yesterday, it’s scary how quick time is going. 

By the way for those of you who were wondering I did finish the burger in last weeks pictures but not in one sitting it was lunch, dinner and breakfast but it was huge and very tasty.

Love you guys

Elder Turney 

Touched By Confrence

Hey Guys,

Another great week this week. On Saturday and Sunday we were able to watch all of general conference. I really loved the talks shared. So last week I spoke about the drunken guys who met us on the street and called us saying he wanted to come to church. We met with the 2 of them and 5 other guys on Wednesday. It was really cool but quite sketchy. They all seem interested which is really cool. They really wanted to come to conference yesterday but they couldn't get transport, which was a shame. Hopefully they will be able to come next week, and hopefully all 7 of them which will be really cool. Also we met a lady at abbey cross where we go and sing each Wednesday and we have started teaching her, so hopefully that will go somewhere. 

Also on Friday we were able to go to the temple which was a very nice experience, I love going to the temple and doing the work of the lord, and getting people ever closer to eternal families, even though some may never accept it even though we do the work for them, we still have to do the work so that too can have the chance to accept this gospel, so I invite each of you, when the opportunity comes up for you to go to the temple, don't run away from it, I promise god will bless you greatly is we do the work of the lord. 

I will share a couple of thought I loved from conference. I loved the comment made about family history about how a mother was delighted to see her 17 year old son, as soon as he comes home from church, jumps on the computer to do family history. How many of us as soon as church is over go on our phones to check Facebook, well I know I did, so I too am guilty of it. It just shows how everyone of us need to improve and maybe instead of going on Facebook after church, do some family history or do something with the family to build that relationship.

Also I love the thing said by someone I can’t remember who it was that said it  " in the past we used micro film at family history centres, to now sitting on the computer in the comfort of our homes and doing the same great work". It really is amazing how much the world is changing. I invite each of you to take a look at how much we are devoted to the gospel, and if there is something that we are not doing and we are asked to do in the church then, please change and do it, god will bless you abundantly. 

I really didn't enjoy going to conference back home but on my mission I have come to love it greatly, and the great thing now is we can look at the talks on the internet, listen to them on our phones, iPod’s etc. We can listen and read talks 100x over. 

I love the gospel and I know it is true without any doubt in my heart,

I invite each of you to gain a work hard to develop a love for the gospel, ask Heavenly Father for help, he is waiting to help, he is knocking, and all we have to do is open the door. 

I love each and every one of you.

Elder Turney xxx 

Another great week and got to work with Elder Ryan

Hello Guys,

 So this week has been another great week. I’m really settling into my new area. Yesterday we were able to witness the baptism of Noel, the gentlemen who suffers from cerebral palsy. It was really great to see, next week we will have some pics of that for you. Church on Sunday was generally pretty good, we were able to teach the youth about missionary work and the importance of it.

Also a really powerful story this week.

 On Wednesday we were doing some finding along the street. we didn't have much success on the way up the road, but on the way down, coming towards us was a drunken guy holding his fists pointing them towards us. So we think here we go another drunken guy. We start talking to him, getting to know him; we give him a word of wisdom pamphlet, and tell him if he need us, to call us. The Lord works in mysterious ways, often the ones you don’t think will listen do and the ones you think will don’t. On Saturday we get a call from the guy saying I want to come to church. So we organize a lift for him, he also brings a friend too. They stayed for the whole of church and even the baptism, hardly any members stayed for the baptism so it was great that they did. Now they may have stayed just because we were there lift but that’s beside the point. They got to witness someone getting baptized. We never know how or when the spirit will touch someone. Also they said they loved church. 

On Wednesdays we get to go to abbey cross an elderly persons home owned by members of our ward. I love doing that but working in a care home for a little while, the way they take care of the people here is disgusting, it makes me sick, but it’s a nice home filled with lots of lovely old people

On Thursday we did and exchange with the zone leaders and I was able to spend the day with Elder Ryan, also from England so that was a blast, in the morning we had a Fong Kong English breakfast, we had beans, eggs, toast but it was nice. It was also a blast spending the day with him; we had to much fun :) He is a really nice guy.

One of our recent converts was praying for a long time that he could get a job and he did just recently, but it’s on a Sunday, and the sad thing is he has taken the job, it’s a real shame, but when you are doing the greatest work, the greatest opposition comes. SATAN is real guys don’t ever forget that. 

. 

Love you guys, keep up the great work

Elder Turney 

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