Always Forward Africa: Living and Learning Mosiah 7:33 the entire week!

I really don't know how to start off this letter and have it really become exciting. That's one of the hardest things to do every Monday. I can say that letters are very fun to do when you have thought of what to really fill it with and how to lay it out. My mind always goes into my "English essay writing mode” when I want to write, it's crazy. This week has been full of a lot of learning, understanding, and praying. Elder Palmer and I really have been working hard every day and passing out by the time we make to our house. Last night we got in trouble for getting home and passing out on our beds not staying up for call ins from our Zone leaders. I'll just say the talk this morning was a lot of awesome :) Still, life is being good to me and I have started to develop a new attitude in myself.

I want to start by talking about my title of this letter, Living and Learning Mosiah 7:33 the entire week! I had started a fast last Monday after my lunch (inspired by mom), the next day we had an exchange with our ZLs. (Please note that Tuesday was mine and Elder Palmer’s official bump day! 6 months) Well, as my zone leader was with me, our first appointment was with a less active named Nati, who swears I was black, but was just bleached out. We began to talk about his life and his inability to find work. That's when I was prompted to share a scripture, but I had no idea which one, so I did what I do best: I simply flipped open the Book of Mormon and found the first scripture, it was Mosiah 7:33. It's Ammon, my favorite dude of all time telling a people how to get out of bondage. Nati said that was the very scripture he needed to hear, the spirit was super strong, and not to mention that was the very scripture that I needed. It tells us to turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart and to trust in him. That if we do this, he will release us in his own time and pleasure. That whole day was blessing after blessing. We taught six lessons that day, making everyone's day as we went. My Zone leader was super impressed, but I told him it really wasn't me.

The rest of our week was pretty awesome and full of ups and downs. We had a lot of people cancel on us, like Saturday we had 6 in a row call us and cancel. Those days make you feel like a horrible person. Nevertheless, we taught a total of 24 lessons with two days not being able to get out in our area. We found a way close cool place where we can chase zebra's, ostriches, springbok (gazelles), and geese for free! It was fun to find that place and run around like a little kid after cool animals, but when I say chase it's more like them walking as I try to catch up at a full sprint. Kind of sad! On top of it all I'm glad that Elder palmer is with me to make me laugh like crazy at all the stupid things that happen to us.
To answer some questions, it's starting to heat up down here reaching the mid 70's. It really dry and extremely windy like a New Mexico's spring. As for investigators, we are working with a group of teenagers right now that keep inviting there friends to our lessons. One of their friends has his own church at the age of 17 with like 28 members! On top of it all he loves what we teach and has prayed over the Book of Mormon, and knows it's true. So you might hear how we convert a whole church soon. A struggle that we have been going through is to teach how one of the African traditions is wrong and against the Gospel. They have local witch doctors named, sangomas (Sand- go- mass), they believe they have magic powers and give out powerful potions named muti (moo-tee). It wasn't until last night that that we found our answer to their issue. We found it from our less active elder's quorum president that we have been visiting to get him back to church with his family. It’s found in the bible in Deuteronomy 18:9-12. It was so cool!

I talked about a new attitude that has started to grow. I'm now the senior companion of the area and it comes with a new stance. I've chosen to take my life and emotions by the horns and make my life work for me. I've been noticing how just falling into deep depressions, rolling over, and just being sad is extremely cowardly. It takes courage and power to stand and make things happen, too stand in charge. I'm starting to find that I have to be me and not get down over every little thing that stubs my toe. I also have a firm testimony of fasting for the things you need, it adds the needed firepower to your prayers which open the arsenal of heaven to your aide.

I loved the "wasp" anniversary story! I nearly died laughing at it! I can see everything that happened and dad's face at being outdoors half naked! LOL! I'm glad to hear you make memories and are very much in love :) Happy Anniversary!

I miss you all and love you all so much:)
Good luck at school and have fun:)

Love your Brother and Son,
Elder Jack Forrest Dalton
ALWAYS FORWARD SOUTH AFRICA

P.S.- " You can choose to be happy or you can choose to be sad, it's your choice."- quoted by Mom