Life on fire.

Hello people!! So this week will be a bit short.

It's been a busy week!! I've helped many people and just been running around trying to share the gospel.

We had a Zone Activity where we played sports and then a braai. The following day was Zone Conference. Zone Conference was great! A great spiritual day. I feel so inadequate to be here but the Lord sees me fit to be here... A mission is a very humbling experience.

We received transfer news also. No surprise, I'm staying in Molepolole with Elder Motaleng. Our zone is being changed up though, but not on this end.

Sunday we were privileged to be a part of a member reading for some revisions done to the Book of Mormon in Setswana. It was nice, I didn't really understand much though but that's okay. It's wonderful to see people receiving the gospel in their own language. Soon the triple combination will be in Setswana!! So exciting!!

Well here's to another transfer down! It's just crazy....

- Elder Burgess

I was the fire man. I started all the fires for the braai. Bonfires are missed, that's for sure!

Superstitious caves and expired visas!

Hello everyone!! This past week was interesting here in Moleps.

So we had exchanges Monday, so I drove in and that evening we went to President Mangenela's for dinner, which we cooked. It was quite fun. Then the next morning the exchange started. So Elder Griffey, the District leader and my temporary companion, was having a dilemma, his visa expired, the following day on Wednesday. 

Immigration was still processing his extension so we had to stay in Gaborone. We went in the morning but they said come after lunch, so we went and talked to people getting referrals for the other elders and went back. Upon arriving they told us it wasn't done and to come back in the morning; they included that they would not deport Elder Griffey for one day. So we rushed to Moleps, went tracting, found a couple more people, attended PEC, then drove back to Gabs. Needless to say, I was very tired. So the following morning we woke up and drove in early so we could check and thankfully they were done, so I didn't have to deport my district leader.

The rest of the week went by fast. This week for district meeting we were able to get into the parking lot... yeah we sat on the curb and held our meeting.

Saturday was pretty great. It was a day of service. First we cut a tree, drastically, and then did yard work for another member. It was great, two service projects! Then we had some appointments. The following day was a blessing of the Sabbath.

Church was wonderful. I helped pass the sacrament and then a member gave a talk on the sacrament. In the morning we only had 1 scheduled appointment, but by the end of the day we had 5 lessons, one of which was on the sacrament. I had a wonderful reminder of that beautiful ordinance not once, not twice, but three times. It was very nice. I hope you all had a good long thought about the sacrament and what it means as you sat reverently in your chapel. I know I did.

And then today we went to a cave that some say is related to witch craft... I just saw a hole with some bats in it. It was still cool!

Well I'm still kicking, and this week we have Zone Conference and our Zone Activity, so more stories to follow!

- Elder Burgess

Me, majestically in the tree I mutilated.

Photos at the cave!

Hymn 192

So Molepolole is doing a bit better. Things are starting to turn around. We now have two investigators on date, Festus and Onalenna. They're a mother and son. They were actually taught clear back in 2012 but never baptized so hopefully things will change.

I received a cool email from my father ( happy birthday shout out to him for yesterday!) today about an article on how non-native missionaries are now in Botswana after nearly 4 years! Now, I wasn't the first group but I came not long after them. I thought it was pretty cool to hear.

Life is treating me pretty well.

So this past week we had exchanges. I was with Elder Mapolanka. He's a great elder. He helped us in finding a couple more investigators! The day went well with him, we even taught another prophet. Molepolole has so many prophets!!

But yes, this week I've driven from Moleps to Gabs many times. On Friday we drove in for district meeting but we ended up not having it because the elders that came into Bots just before me were working on renewing their visas. We'll find out today if they went through. It was a pain of a process though. We'll see what happens with me though.

Things are good here, no complaints. The area is improving and the work is picking up. I'm grateful to be a part of this great work. 

I know that our Savior lives. I know He and our Father love us. I've really come to know these things, not just hope or believe. We had shared a message with Brother Kema based off of hymn 192. For me, it was a moment in which the Spirit truly testified to me, "This is true". It was indescribable. 

I hope you all have a great week!

- Elder Burgess

Elder Burgess & Elder Mapolanka

A small friend I found in my bedroom. He was safely evicted. 

Oh what a beautiful morning!

Hiya people!!

I hope you're all doing well, I am. This past week has flown, yet again. The area is getting there. We have a few more investigators and a few more potentials. We even had a couple investigators at church! 

We had a good week, nothing too exciting or dramatic though. There was a funny on Friday though. We got locked out of the chapel so we had to have our district meeting in the car. It was still spiritual but painful after some time.

Sunday was a magnificent day. As many know, it was fast Sunday and for me, I've come to really love fast Sunday. It's always a time in which I feel closer to God. I feel he's really listening, really there. I know, God loves us. I know, that He sent His son, Jesus Christ. And I know, that Jesus Christ suffered for us. Not just our sins, but our pains and our sorrows too. This gospel is something else, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it.

Life here in Molepolole is getting there. I'm getting more settled and getting to know the area well. I realized I haven't given too much as of late. Molepolole is a village about 40 kilometers from the capitol of Botswana, Gaborone. It's quite flat in landscape but being a village it is bumpy and rocky. The people here are really nice and friendly, but at times quiet. They love our Heavenly Father and Savior so much. It is a little tough working with the language barrier but for the most part, people understand English. 

My companion, Elder Motaleng, is from Francistown, Botswana. It's like the second capitol city. He's a great guy, real quiet though. I've determined I'll break his shyness, it's already improving. The crazy thing is he's never been out of Francistown until he came on his mission. Well, for Christmas he'd go to his father's home village, but that hardly counts!

But yeah, I apologize for any lack of information. If there's further questions please let me know.

I hope your coming week is a good one!

- Elder Burgess

I found a replica of the golden plates. I've decided I know why everyone in the Book of Mormon is painted so buff, those plates are heavy!

Here's district meeting in the car.