Amazing Skies

This week we found out about our transfers.  I will not be transferring.  I am staying in the same area for a while and will keep the same companion.   This week we have been busy.  However, the rain does slow us down sometimes.  You have not seen rain until you come to Africa during the rainy season.  When it rain here…..it pours!!  We got caught in the rain and we were totally soaked.   Speaking of rain reminds me of the thunder.  Wow! The thunder is so loud.  During the thunder storm we were running to make it back to our flat.  By the time we made it back to our flat and came inside the thunder was so loud it literally shook the windows! I thought the windows were going to break.

I also wanted to tell you about the amazing sky here in Africa.  The sunsets are so AMAZING!  Every night I have seen a different colored sunset; purple, yellow, blue, and even a black sunset.  In addition, the night skies are amazing. The stars are so bright, the moon looks bigger here, and sometimes you can see even see the planets. 

I am doing well and I have lost about 45 pounds.  That is crazy (huh).  I am eating well but the food here is much more health than in America and it is very basic.  We usually eat breakfast and dinner.  We have to make our money stretch and usually we don’t eat lunch.  We walk or ride our bikes for about 10 or miles a day.  However, I do splurge on Mondays and usually buy some pizza.

I have a lot of pictures.  I just sent them off to you today.  So, when you get them you can post some of them or share them with family and friends.

I am excited for Christmas.  I am excited that I will be able to talk with my family.  I hope that everyone is doing well and everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Devin

12/5/2011

I got the letters from Rachel, Bronte, Grandma Herron, and Kathy.  I hope that they are doing well.  Rachel reports she is going to Utah State and that dad demands that she make him cookies (ha ha).  Cookies sound GOOD! I couldn’t even make cookies here if I wanted too you wouldn’t be able to buy the ingredients for them.  The letter from grandma Herron was nice.  I will make sure to send her a card for her birthday on the 19th.   I am also planning on sending a card to Grandpa Jasper on his birthday. Have you talked to Russell?  Tell Russell hello and to write to me!! I wrote everyone letters last week.  Everyone should be getting their letters next week.

This week we had some dinner appointments and that was nice not to have to cook for once.  Our allotment comes later and later every week now which makes it hard to buy food.  Anyways, the week has been good. However, it’s been extremely hot this past week but it is raining today (yeah).  The rain is good and it feels like it is a bit cooler today!!  We just started our second transfer today. We have new missionaries coming in on Tuesday. So, we will see what happens and what transfers are going to be like. I will find out if I will be staying in this area or going to a new area. However, I’m pretty sure i will be staying in this area for a while. We are planning our Christmas party on the 24th.   As missionaries we have a lot of responsibilities in our branch.  We are helping to get things planned and all that sort of stuff to ensure that everyone can come and enjoy themselves at the party.

The handbags for my mom turn out great! I can’t wait to give them to her.  I think that she will really like them.

Well, that is all for now. Take care, Love Devin

12/12/2011 Email from Elder Santana

How are you doing the mom of my companion? Well, I just thought of writing to you and pass my greetings to you.  My name is Elder Santana, and I am your son’s companion.  I enjoy working with him.  He is a great missionary.  From him I am learning tons of things that are also helping me a lot in my life. I am so thankful to you for the great job you did to help him so that he could help me. I love the gospel and the work that I am doing with Elder Jasper here in Zambia. I know that families are important.  I also know that Jesus Christ is the son of God, I love Him, and I know he died for our sins.  While on my mission I have learned some powerful stories.  I have one story that I want to share with you.  I know when you read the story you will learn something.

 "There was a man who was rich.  He wanted someone who could build a house for him. Fortunately, he found a person who could build it. So, the rich man gave the builder the money. He gave him enough money so that he could buy the best construction materials that were durable.  However, after the builder was given money to buy strong building material, he went and bought the cheapest material.  He constructed a house with cheap material and he kept the extra money.  After he finished the task he went to the rich man and gave him the keys for the house.  You know what the interesting part is…. the rich man gave the keys of the house back to the builder and told him that the house he was building was a present for him. "  Do you think that is fair?  So, from that story I have learned that God is the rich man and we his children are the builders.  I know God is going to give all of us the keys of the houses we are building through our deed, actions and thoughts.  So, if we don’t build our houses with strong material, such as the gospel of Jesus Christ I know at that we won’t be happy.  I hope you have enjoyed this small story of mine 

12/12/2011

I got the letters from Rachel, Bronte, Grandma Herron, and Kathy.  I hope that they are doing well.  Rachel reports she is going to Utah State and that dad demands that she make him cookies (ha ha).  Cookies sound GOOD! I couldn’t even make cookies here if I wanted too you wouldn’t be able to buy the ingredients for them.  The letter from grandma Herron was nice.  I will make sure to send her a card for her birthday on the 19^th.   I am also planning on sending a card to Grandpa Jasper on his birthday. Have you talked to Russell?  Tell Russell hello and to write to me!! I wrote everyone letters last week.  Everyone should be getting their letters next week.

This week we had some dinner appointments and that was nice not to have to cook for once.  Our allotment comes later and later every week now which makes it hard to buy food.  Anyways, the week has been good. However, it’s been extremely hot this past week but it is raining today (yeah).  The rain is good and it feels like it is a bit cooler today!!  We just started our second transfer today. We have new missionaries coming in on Tuesday. So, we will see what happens and what transfers are going to be like. I will find out if I will be staying in this area or going to a new area. However, I’m pretty sure i will be staying in this area for a while. We are planning our Christmas party on the 24^th.   As missionaries we have a lot of responsibilities in our branch.  We are helping to get things planned and all that sort of stuff to ensure that everyone can come and enjoy themselves at the party.

The handbags for my mom turn out great! I can’t wait to give them to her.  I think that she will really like them.

Well, that is all for now. Take care, 
Devin

November 28, 2011

Well, I have been here for just over 2 months and it seem like the days are just going faster and faster.  It feels like I just got to Zambia yesterday.  It is the rainy season here and the weather is very nice.  It rains here almost every day.  With the rain there is mud, lots and lots of mud.  Yesterday, it was extremely muddy, and as a result we got stuck in the mud.  We had the whole zone here trying to get us out of the mud.  We did eventually get out, but was not easy.  I have some fun pictures of our adventure in the mud.  I will send them when I can.

On Saturday we had our day of service.  We helped some of the elderly members with cleaning.  Service is great, I enjoy being able to help others, I am so thankful that I am healthy and can help others in need.

I have not received any letters for about 2 weeks.   I enjoy everyone’s letters and hopefully I will be getting some more soon!

November 21, 2011

Zambia is amazing.  You have not seen Africa until you come to Zambia! The people here are humble and survive on the most basic items.  People in America who have not had the opportunity to travel to Africa have no idea what is like over here.  I can’t really explain it in words, but it is humbling.  I am more grateful for the things that I have been blessed with in my life, for example running water, basic food, appropriate medical care, and basic housing.

We finally got our money and I was able to buy some food and I was grateful.

It is starting to cool off here.  It has just started into the rainy season.  It rain here like crazy.  I have never seen so much rain.  So far we have been lucky and have been able to take cover in member home before we are totally soaked.  That has been a real blessing!

Last night, we had braai (pronounced BRY)—Afrikaans for barbecue at our branch presidents house.  It was a lot of fun.  It was a celebration for his 68^th birthday.  We ate a ton of food.  It was lots and lots of meat, along with music and dancing.  It was like another “P” day for us.  It was a lot of fun to just hang out and relax.  I am going to send some pictures soon.

At the end of this month we are planning on going to a game preserve for our zone activity.  I am excited about that.  It should be a great adventure!!

11/14/2011

Everything is going great here in Chinama.  We live about two miles away from our area.  It is a nice walk, however it is uphill all the way there but coming home is nice.  We just received our bikes today.  Our bikes are not the best but, it is fun and faster than walking. I just hope that they last for as long as we need them. Sometimes we get lost in our area (haha) but, we always find our way home. They do not have addresses here in the compounds.  So, the directions we are given consist of: I live by such and such, and that can make finding something very interesting!  We are having some problems with the missionary funds.  We should be receiving 600,000 Kwacha every two weeks, however as of right now no one in our mission has any money.  So, this week is going to be very interesting.

As for the food here, I have not eaten anything to crazy.  I did eat snake (it was actually pretty good) and nshima. Nshima is a staple food here in Zambia.  Nshima is like a cornmeal/cereal and eaten with your bare hands. The resources for food here are limited.  The food here is simple and that’s okay! I am not good at making anything complicated.

My new camera is not working.  I am really upset about it breaking.  Camera’s here are very expensive (for a decent one) they are about one million kwacha which is about 200.00 U.S. Dollars.  However, before my camera stopped working I was able to take some amazing photos.  I will post them as soon as I can.  I will need to purchase a new camera soon so I can keep sending pictures. Everyone will have to be patient for pictures.

Right now we are currently teaching a pastor. He is amazing and we are starting to make some progress with him.  He knows the scriptures well and we have really enjoyed working with him. It is so amazing how the spirit of the Lord directs us.  I am so amazed at how we have been able to answer his questions and the impressions I feel to say something or share a scripture that is exactly what he needs to hear.  The power of the spirit is so awesome.

It is nice to get letters from everyone and I really enjoy them so much. Keep writing :)

11/7/2011

I made it to Zambia.  I am serving in Chinama. I am learning Kinganja and I am really good at this language.  My companions name is Elder Santana.  Elder Santana is from Zimbabwe.   Chinama covers a large area and it has been difficult because neither of us know the area, however we are getting a lot of help from the branch missionaries.  We walk about 8-10 miles a day. The weather is hot and humid we jokingly call it Satan’s inferno (ha ha).

We are working in the compounds because that is where most of the members and investigators are located.  The compounds are extremely poor.  The poverty here is like nothing I have ever seen before.   I cannot even express how poor these people are and how they survive on what they have is beyond comprehension. These people have nothing, live in6x6 mud huts with dirt floors, and there is trash everywhere.  Due to the extreme poverty you cannot trust a lot of people or the water.  The camel pack I bought before I left has been one of my best investments.

I am doing well.  However, the work here is difficult and sometimes I struggle to make it through the day.  Some days I just want to sleep when we get back home, but we still have to go over the day, plan for the following day, and then study. We do not have a washing machine and I take a shower in a bucket.   The letters and e-mails help me through the week and I very much enjoy them.   Keep sending letters!

I think about my family daily and appreciate everything that I have been given.  Living here and seeing the extreme poverty really makes me appreciate my family and the things that I have.

Emailed on 10/29/2011

I am doing well and everything is going great! I leave on Tuesday for Zambia and will be out in the mission field.  I am really excited about being out in the mission field. 

Today I am going out proselyting.  I am excited about that and I think that it should be fun.  I hope it is goes better then my day did yesterday.  Yesterday was a bad day.  The days are long, I was exhausted, we worked so hard, and our investigators are not making any progressing; hopefully we can turn it around before we leave on Tuesday.   However, I feel like I could teach anyone.  I find it so easy to talk with people, listen to people, and know what their needs are by listening to the spirit.  It is so amazing how the spirit works, how it guides you, and inspires you.  I feel like I know what the person needs to hear and what I need to say at just the right moment.  However, I have learned that you have to prepare.  I have learned that the spirit cannot draw from an empty well.  I am studying daily and I have almost finished the Book of Mormon.  You should see my new scriptures.  I have marked them so much that it looks like I have had them for 20 years. 

Sometimes we play rugby.  I am really good at it even if I do say so myself.  When we do play I “juke” a lot of kids out (ha ha).  I am not super fast but I am quick (at least that is what they tell me).  They always say that my size is deceptive and they underestimate my quickness!

I have to go for now.  I have lots and lots to do today!

Emailed from Devin on 10/22/2011

I’ve been here now for two weeks and it has been great.  The MTC is awesome and we are known as the party district because everyone wants to come hang out with us in our room (ha ha).   I have lost about 20 pounds.  The food here is really healthy, very good, and the portion sizes are controlled.   I am learning a lot in the MTC.  Right now I am learning a language/dialect called Zulu and another one that I am not even sure how to spell yet!  We went to the temple the other day and it was so great!

My testimony has grown so much during my time here.  I have changed so much and I feel the spirit with me all day and the spirit prompts me on what to say and it just makes all the difference.  My companion and I got to teach Jeffery R. Holland, and he called us apostles with a lower case “a”.  How cool is that! I have been working with 4 investigators one of them we got to come to church with us. It was awesome.  The others are pretty close to being baptized!  

I miss everyone and pray for my family daily. I pray that they will be safe, that there will be peace at home, and the spirit will rest upon you and protect you and guide you in the way that the lord would have you follow.

Emailed from Elder Jasper on 10/15/2011

The food here is awesome. They eat a lot healthier here.  I especially love the meat pies and a dish called fat cake it is really good.

The weather here is great! It is a lot like Utah only better (ha ha)!

My schedule here is crazy.  For now my e-mail day will be on Saturday and when I get out into the field it will change to Monday. We are busy every minute of the day and every minute of free time we have my companion and I study.  My companion, Elder Minzi speaks 11 different languages (crazy).  We teach our first investigator today.  I know I have only been here for a short time but it feels like I have been here for weeks the days just seem to blend together here.

Tell Riley and Jaden that I miss them. 

Africa is awesome and I will e-mail again on Saturday.

The big send off....

After much preparation, I left for my mission on October 11, 2011.  I left the Salt Lake City airport at 12:50 p.m.  I arrived in Johannesburg South Africa on October 13, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. It was the longest flight of my entire life! I was extremely tired and lost my appetite.  I had a 12 hour layover in London England.  I did not care much for the food.  I ordered a sandwich and chips(fries).  I learned that in Europe they do not cook the meat and I thought my sandwich was pretty gross. However, they did have a lot of cool shopping center.

Africa is super cool and I got to meet my new companion his name is Elder Mimzi.  Elder Mimzi is from Durban South Africa.

I have only been here for a short time but, I am already learning some interesting facts about South Africa.  In addition, I have already been taught some things in the African click language.  It is extremely difficult.   I am still getting use to driving on the other side of the road.

I received my mission call on May 22, 2011.   I was extremely excited to serve as a full time missionary for the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints in Lusaka Zambia.