Hey everybody!

had a baptism this week! It was wonderful and I'm so grateful that I was able to help Sihle become a member of Christ's Church and God's Kingdom!!!!

I don't have much to say this week but know that I am thankful for all that everyone does for me and the support that you give me!

Transfers is this week...on my birthday. We will get transfer news tonight and I'm not sure what is going to happen. I may stay or I may go...who knows. I'm fine with whatever happens!

What else? I had an exchange with Elder Simpson this week and we had a very powerful day! We met someone that had a lot of questions about the Church and the Book of Mormon and we used the Book of Mormon to show her how much Christ means to us...it was so great!!!! Then we had a lesson with this new investigator and she had some questions about repentance and yet again it seemed like Elder Simpson and I were being led right to the scriptures in the Book of Mormon to help her! I love the Book of Mormon, I just finished reading it for the fourth time this morning...love every word! I'm trying to read through the New Testament as well...oh boy, scriptures are just amazing!

Well...I hope that everyone has a great week! 

Sorry this is so short! 

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theELDERNAYLOR

moses served in the wilderness for 40 years... this is nothin'


Well everyone, this week has been interesting.

Things didn't go quite as planned, we had a lot of dropped appointments and a lot of hunting and finding.  It has been a long week but I'm glad that I lived it because I'm stronger because of all those things!

The highlight of the week was the lessons with Sihle. She will be baptized next week saturday and then confirmed on Sunday.  She has a real, strong desire even though she struggles with english.  As she grows and learns more in the church, she will become a very powerful member.  Yesterday we read with her in 1 nephi 8 and we used objects around us to recreate Lehi's vision. A weed was the tree of life, the dirt was the field, a stick was the iron rod...so forth. It was a great lesson. I like teaching outside!

Elder Mukongoro and I are doing well together despite our cultural differences and barriers.  He is a very powerful missionary and I'm grateful to be serving with him!

Transfers is next week. I am completely dumbfounded on what is going to happen.  Have not a clue of whether I will be staying or I'll be going, whatever it is, it is with the Lord. 

Sorry this is short but I have to go!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!

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theELDERNAYLOR

January over and out!!

Already? wow, time is really going by fast!

I'm low on time today so I'll keep it short and sweet.

The highlight of the week was on Friday. The zone leaders had come out for exchanges and while out here, they interviewed one of my investigators for baptism, Sihle.  AND SHE PASSED!  Oh how glorious it is! She'll be getting baptized on the 11th of February, a perfect birthday present for me!!!!! That was the best part of the week I'd say.

I've been studying the New Testament a lot lately, and this morning I was reading in Acts...I love how you can see the way that the government of God's Kingdom was established in the Primitive days and how the Church today perfectly echos that. I am so grateful to have the scriptures and the knowledge I do have! I am also grateful for the chance to study each day! If you don't make time to read the scriptures, then make sure that you do.

Well, I know that this work is true and that this is the work of God. I am so grateful to be out in this part of the Lord's vineyard and doing His work. How Glorious it is!!!

I LOVE IT!!!

Have a fantastic week! ! ! ! We are entering the greatest month of the year soon, make sure you remember the great people born in February. (Chris Farley, me, Chelsea, Steve Jobs, and others....it's a great month)

LOVE YOU!!



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theELDERNAYLOR

Hot, hot, Hot!!!

Boy has it been hot lately! I can't believe it But we did have some over cast yesterday and that seemed to calm things down a bit. Oh South Africa weather!!

This week has been a really great week for me with a lot of success.  Elder Mukongoro and I decided last week that we need more people to be coming to Church, so we set that as our goal.  Guess how many people came yesterday? We had a total of seven people that we are teaching come! It was amazing! It felt really good to see a goal of ours actually come true! It was a great way to end the week.  Also, we now have three people with baptismal dates with another probably coming this week. We have a baptism scheduled for the 11th of February and then the rest will be in March. A ton of success for this little branch out here in Mthatha! I am just loving it!

The only downside to the week was with our investigator Grace.  She is heading back today and it makes me sad that I won't be able to see her get baptized.  Hopefully she lets me know when she actually makes the covenant! She was probably one of the most powerful, well prepared people I have ever met on my mission (besides Corneille....he was too prepared!)  

I am really busy and grateful for it, I am grateful that I'm out here doing this work. I feel that I am becoming the missionary that I wanted to be my whole mission.  I only wish this would have kicked in earlier on. Oh well, I have six months to work off this fire within me!

Sorry if this seems short, but that is what happened this week! I loved it and feel that this week will be even better! Keep awesome people!


Love you all!!!   

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theELDERNAYLOR

 I HAD EGGS FOR BREAKFAST

 That's right, I ate boiled eggs for breakfast...about three of them. I had boiled 11 eggs, don't know why but when I got to the third egg, I was done. Too much for me. maybe I'll make a sandwich for lunch today. Why am I saying this, I don't know.

This week has been a week full of ups and downs. the ups included friday, a day that we were supposed to not have any appointments but somehow...at the end of the day, I realized that we had stayed busy the whole day. It was incredible. We did a lot of tracting but it was a great day.

Saturday was a day that was a downer. we were to be busy the whole day with seeing people but low and behold, only one of our appointments held.  It was with Grace, another powerful lesson with her. so sad she's leaving the area.

I guess mission is just like that, has it's ups and it's downs. Helps me learn disappointment and makes me look at the good things in life with a bit more appreciation.  As I ponder about where I am on mission and what I am going to do for the six months and what kind of missionary I want to be when I go home...a scripture in John 7:17-18 comes to mind. I need to focus on my Father's will and not worry about home.  I love it out here and I'm glad to be serving!

Thanks for everyone who gives me support, couldn't do it with out you!

LOVE YOU ALL!

--

theELDERNAYLOR

Hello everyone.

 

Today is the first monday of my 13th transfer on mission. It is crazy how time flies.

 

this week has been an interesting one I can say, we had transfers and everything and things got a bit mixed up but I'm glad to report that I'm still out here in good old Mthatha.

 

I did though get a new companion....his name is Elder Mukongoro from Kenya. He is pretty cool so far, he's been out for a grand total of six months. Do you think the church would let me switch places with him? I wouldn't mind still having 18 months left.  I don't like how quick all this goes by.

 

This week we have been picking up the pieces from the Holiday break...most of our investigators are coming back and we are starting to be somewhat busy again. i love it, keeps my mind focused and centered on the work!  We had a wonderful service at the Church yesterday, mostly the missionaries ran the show with all the other elders giving talks and with me teaching priesthood.  I'm getting kinda good at this whole teaching people thing.  Kinda like it :)

 

We had a wonderful lesson with Grace...she is progressing so fast, it blows my mind! The only downside is that she is leaving for Zim next week....shame, oh well.

 

Well, hope everyone is having a wonderful year so far!!! I love you all!!!

Sorry yet again with photos...this computer is being stupid like most of them here.

 

Loves!

 

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theELDERNAYLOR

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How was everyone's New Year?!?!?!

Mine was pretty average, not much really happened.

Mthatha has slowed down a bit during these holiday season but we are still trying our best to see people.

Grace is the one person who I have the highest of hopes for.  She has bee progressing a lot lately and just loves all the stuff that we have been teaching her.  She came to church yesterday and it seems that everyone is fellowshipping her really well.

The only downside is that she is going to Zimbabwe at the end a January and doesn't know if she'll be coming back.  Oh well, even though I would love to see her get baptised, I know that she can find the gospel anywhere.

For new years the whole district sat around the boarding not doing much due to us not being able to go out into the area (a lot of people like to get tipsy...we were protecting ourselves.)  I think this was the first new years in many many years that I wasn't awake when midnight hit...I woke up but it was due to the sounds of fireworks outside.  I wished my district happy new year and then rolled over and went back to sleep. I'm such a party eh?

Yesterday we had wonderfrul testimony meeting at church...the people here are so strong in the gospel....it is awesome.

I feel at lost of words today, don't know why. Sorry guys.

We have been painting a roof these last couple weeks and on saturday we conquered a large chunk of it. GO us...I'm peeling from the sunburn. Oh well, the service is worth it!

Well everyone, I hope that you have a wonderful year this year, I'll be joining you very soon! Almost scary how soon!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

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theELDERNAYLOR