Week 31

Hi All,
This week was a good week! I love it here in Mpopoma it's super cool. I am getting used to my new area. The house is smaller than the last one I lived in. The shower has tile every where and it is about size of mom and dads closet. It has a hole in the wall on one corner for a drain and then there is a shower head. The shower is also our wash room for laundry and stuff so it has buckets in there too. I will have to take pictures and send them next week.

We walk to the new area which is about a 15 minute walk. The area is so big it might be the biggest in the whole mission. It takes us like an hour to walk from one end to the other. We have been knocking on doors and contacting some on the streets. It's better to knock doors because then you know where they live and they don't give you a fake address. HAHAHA

A spiritual experience we had this week...
Elder Marange and I taught this lady named Nomsa. At first she kept telling us that this was going to be a one time thing and then we started asking her some questions as the spirit directed. We ended up discussing the subject of repentance and how hard it is to repent. We started giving her some advice, she said that she has tried to repent but that it doesn't work for her. I started sharing with her my own little parable (I can't think of another way to describe it). I asked her, "how do you think the first house was ever built?" And she said she didn't know. I said they had to start somewhere so maybe they started with the walls and then the roof. But a foundation would be better to start with and then work upward after that and then finally a sturdy house. I told her that in life we might have to go at a problem from a different angle and change our strategy. She totally understood what I was saying.
The Spirit was sooo strong and at the end of the lesson she told us that we could come back and share more with her. I know the Spirit directs us to help and to meet the needs of his children because he wants all of us to come back to him.

This week we have a wedding and a baptism scheduled. This couple that is getting married will be baptized right after the wedding takes place so that is going to be real cool.

I am getting along real well with my companion. I had many people tell me that we wouldn't get along but we are which is good.

Have a good week!
-Elder Rasmussen

Elder Marange and I

Pretty tree 

Our Chapel

My Room

Week 30

Hi All,

This week was good. I got a call on Saturday telling me that I am leaving my area and going to a new place called Mpopoma. It is on the opposite side of Bulowayo from where I have been.
I just moved my stuff in the new house like 30 minutes ago and the came to town to email.

My new comp is Elder Marange from Harare, he was with Elder Goje and I a few weeks ago so I know him a little bit. I didn't have to take a bus to my new area the Zone leaders drove me. I actually stayed with them Sunday night.
Due to my transfer, this was my last week in the Nkulumane 3rd ward. It was kinda sad but I am  excited to go to a new ward and be in a nice chapel that is not a tent - so that will be nice. I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting (we do this this every time we come to a new ward and when we leave) and I taught the Gospel Principles class too.
The cooking is going pretty good. I have made tacos and they are super good and some of the best food I've had since coming here. Thanks for the Nesquik packets! The milk is still gross but I am just going to drink it.

- Elder Rasmussen

Me in my new sun hat I bought this week.

My last night with Elder Goje.

Empty room after all my things were packed up.

Elder Downey, Elder Qubeka, Elder Goje and I the night I left for new area.

Week 29

Hi,
This week has been good we are still working hard trying to find and teach people the Gospel. Every time I come to email I kinda forget what happened that week because they sometimes seem to run together. Our investigators are coming along we are always dropping and picking up new ones. Some people aren't that interested or they aren't progressing and keeping the commitments.
Most of the homes we visit here are made out of cinder blocks and have wood on the trusses for the roof. The floors are either made of concrete or tile no one has carpet here and sometimes a rug.
Mom, I know that you wouldn't be able to live here, haha. Most houses are really dirty and kinda gross. They don't have showers, most people just take bucket baths with warm water they heat up on the stove. No one has air conditioning or heat so they use fans and little heaters they plug into the wall.
People here have different numbers of kids. I have met families with 12 kids and others with 1 but it seems like most have around 3.
Sunday was interesting this week, we didn't start church until 9:30. The Bishop wasn't there so the ward clerk had to be in charge. When we got there at 8:45 with one of our investigators, no one had keys. We finally were able to get inside and had to set up chairs sweep the floor. The funny thing is our investigator and her kids even helped set up chairs. Even though it was a rough start I think we had one of the best Sacrament meetings since I've been here.
I will hear Saturday if I am being transferred.
I am glad you got to see Elder Gunther he is a great guy. Probably the best missionary in this mission. He is very respected and he loves serving the Lord. He was my first Zone Leader when I got here and has taught me alot about being a missionary.
I did get one of the packages you sent and everything was in it. Thank you so much! The Swedish fish are so good,  I forgot how good they are! Haha! And I am excited to use the flavor packets for different meals. Have a good week!
-Elder Rasmussen

We took this pic 5 min before it started to rain.

A guy in an African dancing outfit.

Week 28

Hi,
I'm doing really good. We did alot of finding and teaching just the normal mission stuff.
I haven't my package yet my guess is that it will be here this week sometime.
Our investigators are doing well we are just trying to help keep them progressing.
I didn't teach my class this Sunday because we had a returned missionary teach which was nice.
This week Elder Goje and I have been trying to get the people we are teaching to come to Sacrament meeting but they are not keeping to that commitment. I have faith that some of them will start coming to church. We did have two girls show, Sanele and Nonlhanlha. We have been working with them for a while now and this is their second time coming to church. They really love church so hopefully they will continue to come.
We were invited over to a members home because is was their daughter's birthday and so we had dinner and cake with them. The dinner was good but the cake here is gross. It has no flavor and the frosting is not good. They don't have the ingredients to make cake and frosting like we do back home. And some ingredients are way too expensive and that's why they eat alot of Sodza, it's cheap.
Mosquito's aren't too bad yet but they do get worse in the summer. And it's so hot here, I have been taking my umbrella out with me everyday to keep the sun from beating down on me. Have a good week.
-Elder Rasmussen

Elder Goje and I with President Okot after our interviews.

Our District walking home after a baptism.

Me at our dinner appointment with the Tarisayi Family.

Elder Goje sleeping.

Week 27

Hi,
I am good and this week has been good as well. They changed the schedule on us this week so we didn't have our interviews just Zone conference. Zone conference was really good. Our President talked about the importance of the Spirit and how we always need to have the Spirit with us. He said there is no way we can convert others when we do not have the Spirit with us, it's impossible.
So the Spirit is everything, I know it is! With the help of the Spirit we can find, teach, convert and baptize.
My clothes are holding up pretty good. I actually bought 3 pairs of pants today because the dark colors are just too hot to wear. It is getting hotter and hotter so it will be nice to have these lighter ones. I've ruined 2 of my shirts the one has a big ink spot from my pen breaking. The other one has shoe polish on it from one of the guys in the house who polished his shoes on my shirt which was on the ironing board. But other than that everything is good.
I am feeling alright I did have a cold but it is going away. We do drink the water here every home in the mission has filters and we buy water bottles from the store. I drink alot of juices and I try not to drink a ton of soda. They sell Nesquik here it is the strawberry flavor and it is super expensive. So I don't buy it.

Hey you will be getting a little something from a returning missionary his name is Elder Gunther and he lives in Cedar Hills.. He was our AP and is a real nice guy. I asked him if he could bring a letter and some trinkets home to you guys, so you should here from him soon.
-Elder Rasmussen

Bishop Ndlovu, Me, Elder Goje and Brother Phiri

Me with he primary kids in our ward.

Me before we went to church on Sunday.

Elder Downey playing chess by himself.