Epic Baptism 2010‏

So this week we had more baptisms. This time is was probably my favorite investigators. I have been teaching them since January and February. It's William and Mallory Gondo. And David Muchenje. All of them are super bright guys and I got along with them great. Mallory has Dreads and is in a band so we'd talk music and such.

But ya. When we were all outside, David kept making the joke that we were all in band and he was doing the VH1 story of the band and the things that would lead to our downfall and our whole career. It was funny.

But ya it was sweet. But that's really the only news this week. My comp was sick for pretty much the rest. I'm going to be back with Elder Hillman starting today. President switched us back. But that's really it.

~Elder Vanderlinden

Surprise Baptism‏

So ya this week we had 4 more baptisms! We were originally just going to have 2 but then we added Jack Lansburg and Susan. Susan finally got out of here sketchy situation and was able to be baptized! She was so unbelievably stoked! It truly was the happiest day for her!

But ya other than that there really isn't much else going on. Another baptism in 2 weeks. We've got David lined up for that one and are hoping to get some others. Like William, Mallory, and Raymond. William just needs to stop being all super government official and stop traveling and he can get baptized!

But not much else has really been going on. Just been keepin on keepin on. I'll email more next week and see if I can get the pictures working here at the internet cafe.

Bye for now!
~Elder Vanderlinden

5 months‏

So yesterday was the 5 month mark. As well as mother's day. I don't know how it's already here. But as well I called yesterday. Would have been cool to talk to more people but I just talked with my mom. I guess it's her day anways.

Baptisms this saturday. We should have the Kandawazvika's, Jack Lansburg, and hopefully William Gondo. We'll find out tonight on him. But I'll send pictures next week from them. That's pretty much that's all going on that side.

But also I'm now with a new companion. It got changed Tuesday. I'm now with Elder Wilding. He's a Zone Leader and Elder Hillman has gone to work with the other one but I am still in Mbare. Things are still just going. I talk to you more next week.

~Elder Vanderlinden

Baptism crazyness‏

So we had a baptism on Saturday and it was just one thing after another to get things going. We didn't have the keys to the office and everyone was out of town and our baptism programs we made were in there. We also got there just in time after we were able to get in. We get to it and no one is there yet. We get there start filling up the font and then the water gets halfway and then stops. The tanks ran empty and the borehole was down. So we had to go figure that out for a while and got city water into the tanks and also had to break open the lock to get into the pump room to get the pump working because the lock on the gate was put on backwards so we couldn't stick the key in. We were suppose to have 3 baptized. But we only got Sister Tembo baptized. The Kandawazvikas were suppose to but Mom got called into work the night before and also the night before their son got measles and had to be admitted to the hospital but we went and saw him the night before and gave their son Blessings a blessing. Ya it's kinda funny. But we have rescheduled their baptism and will have have it with the others in 2 weeks. So everything will work out. Other than that everything is going along good we should have another 5 ready about in 2 weeks so I'll let you know how that goes. But ya other than that nothing else is really new. Just losing Elder Baird this week and I'll be with Elder Hillman. I've really enjoyed being with Elder Baird. Been with him for over 3 months and had lots of good times but he has to go back home now. Back to Idaho Falls but things will work out now I guess. I'm suppose to be senior companion and it's back to normal missionary work. I liked splitting the office. It was a good mixture. I was only a normal missionary for 4 weeks so this will be interesting. But that's all for now. Talk to you all later. And also. My p day is now on Mondays for future reference.

~Elder Vanderlinden

Pictures from the baptism

1. Our comby we drove around for a day while someone used our truck. Everyone kept whistling at us for rides.
2. Baptism
3. Baptism 2
4. The Lansbugs
5. Sis Macheke Amos and Panashe

Polygamy‏

So this week we got a new member to our companionship. His name is Elder Hillman. He's from Blackfoot Idaho and he's like 6'6". He was in Linlongwe in Malawi but will be working with us for the rest of the trasfer and then will most likely be with me for the next one as well.

Also what do you know about 15 investigators at church last Sunday? Mbare is powerful. We'll have a bunch of baptisms coming up on the 1st of May. So that'll be good.

Other than those 2 things nothing else is really new. We'll be leaving the office here this week and begin doing normal missionary work again. But we still don't have a house out in our area so it's going to be hard. Because we don't know how much longer we'll have our car. So we may be taking combys that side but we don't want to because most of our investigators can see us at night. And we'd have to leave back to our house by 7 if we do that. So we don't know what we'll do yet.

But ya things are good and goin along. Talk to everyone next week!

~Elder JV

Oh what's up 4 months!?

So ya yesterday was the 4 month mark! Can hardly believe it! It seemed like last week I was saying it was the 3 month mark. But I guess that's what happens when you are just so ridiculously busy all the time.

So just to get some random things out of the way really quick. Sidewinder buses. I forgot to talk about them when I went down to bulawayo. There are buses here that have horrible alignment problems. We call them Sidewinders. They really stick out far! Like I'm not even joking. The driver has to look out the front window and his side window. They will be driving along being in their lane and then halfway in yours going straight.

Oh ya, so we just got a new assistant to the president this side. His name is Elder Lauaki. He's Tongan. But from Seattle. He is the only boy in his family and has like 10 sisters. But he's funny. We like to play jokes here in the office. And of course I do computer jokes so I was just going to do one and just sent a request to his computer to remotely shut it down and it has a message that said something like: "OH NO! WHAT DID YOU DO?! I GOT A VIRUS! I NEED TO SHUTDOWN NOW!" And he was freaking out and didn't know what to do. I gave it like 2 minutes and went over and acted like I was typing a bunch of stuff and aborted the shutdown. And was asking him all these questions. And then later I sent another one saying the virus was going to make it explode and he was getting up and going out of the room. We were all laughing so hard. I also changed the name of my computer to SYSTEM and I send him messages from my computer and he thinks the computer is talking to him. From my office I can hear things his is saying and then send him a message. And he's always like what the crap? This computer is scary it's talking to me! He still hasn't caught on yet. We'll see what happens. But ya good times XD.

Anyways still teaching. We have somewhere around 7 baptisms coming up on the 1st of May. We have way too many people to teach than we have time for. Like we are really struggling to visit the people we need to. And the funny thing is that we didn't tract or anything. These are all people who came to us. Or just showed up at church.

We were teaching Gogo this week. (Gogo is what they call grandmas) and she has been struggling for a while now. She says she gets no sleep and she can't pray and things. That every time she tries her mind is just blank and she feels like she can't. But she says she can't sleep because she doesn't know what to do with these kids that she's been left with. Her daughter died in December and left her with 2 mentally handicapped kids. And she was going on this week about how she doesn't know what she's going to do and does know how to take care of these kids and what what. But we were visiting with her and we were listening to her go on for a while and then I stopped her and just said Gogo, you are doing it. You think you can't but you are. The kids are happy and healthy and everyone is still here. Well that's the condensed story of what I told her but we left that night and came back a couple days later and she was much happier and she was thanking us and saying that she is so much happier now and that she can pray. And that she's much nicer now too. She said before that if the kids would do something, oh she would yell and beat them with a rod. She said everyone knew when gogo got upset nobody talked not even her husband because they feared the wrath! But she says now she is nice to people and doesn't yell anymore. It was pretty cool. I've had to shorten the story quite a bit for time and space reasons, but that's the essential story. It was cool.

But that's about it for this week. I will send more stories next week.

~Elder Vanderlinden

Bonus Post

This is a small excerpt from a letter Jordan sent to my mom this week. It is really neat to see how excited he is about his mission and how quickly he is growing. She thought some of you might like to see this as well.

..."That's cool that all those new missionaries in the ward are going out. They have no idea how important the work they're doing is. I really like my companion. He's helped me a lot to get these things early on in my mission. There are a lot of missionaries that we say all the time "they don't get these things." I do see now how important my mission is and how important it is for me to bring the gospel into their lives. Also I know I wouldn't be the Father/Husband/Priesthood holder I need to be if it wasn't for my mission. I've come to see so much more about the atonement and the gospel and how it's the small simple things of the gospel that really make or break people and will keep their testimony strong. I've really seen how the mighty and powerful fall when they stop doing them and that's how they fall away. Keep praying and reading your scriptures. Don't go lax on thoughs. Everyday!!!"