THANK YOU to all who have emailed me. I am so sorry I won't be able get back to you all one by one because I don't know how to work this phone that they gave me AHAHA. Like the email I sent yall last week was a miracle. But just know, I've read them all and LOVE YOU ALL. ❤️ Keep sending me emails because I do read them and I'll respond back with the spirit, okay. Thank you. 🙏😂

I ain't even gonna lie. I don't know how many days I've been here. 10, maybe 11? Shoot idk ahaha. And remember when I said I was gonna write short emails? Yeah, I lied again. This mission life has changed me. I used to hate to write and now I be writing for days in my journal lol. But FOR REALS, I'm telling you mission life is amazing! It's hard, but I've grown so much and have seen such a change within me. I can actually CONFIRM I am the oldest missionary here. ESKEDITTT😅 And it really is something special to go on a mission when you're older. I love all the missionaries I am with here at the MTC. I've noticed that in my life the greatest examples I have observed and learned from the most, were those younger than me. And the missionaries here are no different. Especially the ones in my district. All the young bruddaz and my companion will be great missionaries. Their insights, thoughts, and testimonies are so cool and strong. It gives me great confidence in this younger generation because before I would've said they can just go kick rocks. 🤦🏽‍♀️😂 

I can honestly say by being here that I feel like I didn't know anything about this church that I was born into and have been raised in. Like FRFR. I was such a lukewarm person in this gospel that did the bare minimum and went through the motions of the things I was taught growing up. It's a scary thought, but also an exciting one because I truly feel my conversion by learning and studying for others to help them have their own conversion. So, shoutout to my teachers because they've helped me grow a lot in my confidence in understanding the doctrine and gospel of Jesus Christ. They have pushed me so far out of my comfort zone. I started as the quiet/shy one in my class, but now speak and share my thoughts more. One of my teachers, Sister Phekula, I relate to very well. The way she was when she first started her mission is how I am now. So, she's very encouraging of me and I'm grateful for her example. The Lord really blessed me with the teachers I needed, not wanted, because I ain't gonna lie I wanted to fight one of them last week. SMH 😬 Bruddah man called me out for chewing gum and made me the example of what not to do in class. Mind you, I was chewing gum because you aint gonna catch me with bad breath that would knock you out OKAYYY. But I know the Lord's hand is more prevalent in my life, because if you're like me then you go from ZERO to ONE HUNNID real quick with the anger. And when it comes to flight or fight, we gonna fight. LOL. With the gum chewing in class incident, I learned how much I really just think about myself and how being a missionary is forgetting about yourself. The only person making me angry is ME. I thank the Lord for shaping me up and getting me right by having me be in these situations where my weaknesses are being tested. Now that teacher, Bro.Chagadama (who is also younger than me LOL), is one of my favorite ones. Not because I like him LOL, but because he is the number one teacher who pushes me out of my comfort zone. He be calling me out to speak my thoughts and insights when no one raises their hand and even when people raise their hand in class. He also made me do roleplay scenarios with my companion in front of our district. For example, I had to talk about the principle of baptism and extend an invitation to my companion (who acted like an investigator) to be baptized. Sister Satterfield took her role seriously BRUH and I was like dang you don't want to help a sister out? But it got to the point where somewhere in our role-playing I brought up the Holy Ghost and how when Jesus was baptized, He descended in the form of a dove. Sister Satterfield, being the great actress that she is SMH, said "So does that mean when I get baptized I'll get a dove too?" I legit said, "Um no, but girl I'll bring you a dove." My whole district and the teachers were dying, laughing and I continued on as best I could. 💀 Role-play scenarios were the number one thing I did not look forward to and hated. But as me and Sister Satterfield have had to do them with other companionships and even with the teachers, it's become something I have come to enjoy because of the feedback given but especially for the Spirit that is felt. I am no scriptorian or even feel like I know my scriptures, but the Spirit has truly led me and guided me with what to talk about and where to look for things. Keeping it simple and not over-conplicating things. The companionship of the Spirit is so important and the love that comes with that is UNMATCHED. I swear I always be crying. Like all the missionaries, teachers, and staff here have seen me cry AHAHA. It is what it is periodt.

I think a highlight of my week besides going to the South Africa temple (I think it's the Joburg one shoot idk lol), was our MTC President, President Pendleton, assigned me and Sister Satterfield to lead out the reflection time on Sunday after the devotional all us missionaries watched by Eldar Bednar where he talked about "The Character of Christ." I love my companion so much. She is the opposite of me especially in terms of how we think. She is a very deep/intellectual thinker where as I am more of a direct/go off my emotions type thinker if that even makes sense LOL. We've learned a lot from each other. We vibe well that when teaching or leading when one doesn't know what else to say or do, the other can pick up and continue from where the other left off. But anyways back to us leading out the reflection time. Reflection time is basically for us to share our thouhts/insights/testimonies of Elder Bednar's devotional and then open it up to all the other missionaries to share their own as well if they wanted to. It was such a good reflection time and I'm grateful for all the missionaries that shared. Especially the Elders, because a lot of them talked that usually don't. And shoutout to my district because earlier that day I had to give the spiritual thought in our district council and I encouraged them to keep sharing their experiences. I also told them that me and my companion would be leading out the reflection time later that day and if no one raised their hand, that I would call them all out because I love them so much. 🤣 They came through for ya girl. Especially one of my district leaders, Elder Jones. He shared his thoughts but he also said some of the most genuine and nicest things about me and Sister Satterfield in front of all the other missionaries that made us cry... in front of all the other missionaries SMH lol. And after he finished I said, "That's my district leader yall" 👏 and everyone started laughing lol. But man, that reflection time was one for the books and you had to be there to understand.

Overall, I just love being a missionary. I love this Gospel and my Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ. I know this church is true. And when we know this church is true, stay true to the church. POINT. BLANK. PERIODT. In my personal study today, I kept reading the introduction page of the Book of Mormon and invite yall to do the same. Learn and know for yourself what the Book of Mormon is, where it comes from, and how it's prevalent in your lives. Okay love you guys.💗 Especially my parents and siblings the most. AND CONGRATS TO MY SISTER WABI FOR GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL. 🙌🎉 Welcome to adulthood now uce. 😂

Moments from this week:

- We were going to the South Africa temple and Sister Nuamah said, "Wait, I forgot my wig." And us sisters all started laughing cuz that's something you don't hear everyday. And it's a blessing we get to go to the temple 3 times before we go to the field. We did it twice last week and will be going again this Wednesday. 🙏

- We watched Ephraim's Rescue on Sunday, and there's a part where Thomas Dobson is rubbing some leaves on the sister's hand (the one who likes him and he starts liking her) because she has blisters. One of the African Elders, Elder Bale (who I finally got him to say my name right because everytime he said it, I said nah bruddah do it again lol) literally yelled "OOH, I SEE WHAT HE'S DOING. HE'S COOKING." And then all the African and American Elders started cheering and were yelling, "Let him cook."

-We played Book of Mormon, Go Fish on our way to the temple with Sister Pendleton. I lost but it was nice to be out of the MTC and see Joburg or wherever we are because idk where we are LOL. The South Africans don't say Johannesburg, they say Joburg. Also, in their culture here they say white, blacks, and colored. Obviously the first two are self explanatory, but when they say someone is colored they're referring to someone who is African mixed with whatever else they are. One of the South African bruddahz was expalining it to me and it was very interesting. Anyways, when we got to the temple, we met a brother from Zambia and he said he'll see us there but wanted a picture with all the missionaries going to Zambia. So you'll see a picture with me, Sister Ogden, Sister Satterfield, Elder Smith, Elder Boone, and Elder Jones with the Zambian brother who said his name was Brother Peni.

- I've gotten along cool with the Elders that they keep giving me all these biscuits to try bruh and they keep wanting to make us that tea to eat it with lol. The ones here from South Africa. So Elder Naidoo gave me the chocolate biscuits to try and they be hyping them up but honestly they taste like them knockoff, great value cookies. 🍪🤣 Elder Nylimblima gave me some coconut biscuits to try and they were alright but I still gave it back to him after cuz they ain't that good. AHAHA And Elder Kent, who is in one of the pictures with me and Elder Naidoo, is also from south Africa and can talk for days but always got me laughing.

- Elder Boone, the one throwing the W's up, is literally one of my favorite Elders here ahaha. My brudda is from West Valley babyyy. 🤣 He's a tiny, skinny palagi dude and is a convert. But he's so nice, always smiling, and so chill and everyone loves him here. When I asked where in Utah he was from, he said West Valley, the best Valley. And I was like yeah I like this brother ahaha this dude has been around Polys for sure and he said he loved being around all the Polys. So I'm glad my brother is also going to the same Zambia mission.

- We did a scripture Jeopardy game after church and my team won so we all got chocolate. Did I contribute much to the team? NO. But I got good at looking through the topical guide for sure 😂

- My district leader, Elder Jones, tried to take a selfie with all us missionaries at the temple and cut off half of the whole group so everyone was roasting him in our MTC group email chat. Especially the ones who were cut off 😂 he replied back, "My sincerest apologies, idk how to take pictures" LOL

- Elder Chokore who is in the picture with me, Sister Ogden, and Sister Nuamah cracks me up. Him and his companion, Elder Bale, are the tallest companionship here but idk what kind of companionship they are because they always solo man. 🤣 You always see one without the other lol. But he's from Mozambique and will be serving in England. I ain't gonna lie, it was hard for me to understand him in the beginning. But now, I understand my brother lol.