Baptism for seven new members

Email #35
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Kwabaisi

Hey Everyone,

A great week just happened and nothing could make me any happier than to see 7 people find their way to the waters of baptism and to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. There are some things that you can only witness on a mission and right now I want to encourage anyone who is thinking about going on a mission. Don't think about it just do it, because it will seriously change your life forever. You will see yourself grow from day one, leaving your family in the airport to leaving a family in each area. When you finally finish which I am not nearly close, but I know the things that I plan and hope to be thinking. I left a young boy and returned to be a mature and responsible man! You are in the time of the most choice of God's children and just to add on, it is a commandment for the boys and you are being selfish. Not to be harsh, but this is a life that God gave to you as a gift and what you do with this life is your gift to God.

The oldest was 60 year woman and the next was a 25 year old with a sister of 12 and a daughter of 8. She wanted her daughter to be baptized as well. There was a 16 year old boy and two 10 year old twins and they are related. I was privileged to baptize five of them, the ones ages 16 and under. It was just a humbling experience to see young kids come and make a commitment and be converted. Their testimonies were just like they have been members all their life and that was a time that I will never forget! I pray that they will never lose their way, because they are almost to the stage of drifting away and without the support they won't make it. But I know they have support and will never fall away from the church!! A mission is amazing and I see the hand of God in my everyday work that I am doing for Him! Love you all!

Elder Bryner


Excerpts from Dad's email:

The branch president told us that we are on fire and the leadership can't keep up with us. He said it is a good problem and I just started laughing when he said that. He works for the church translation stuff, so he is pretty busy and hasn't been to any of the baptisms we have had. Me and my companion hope to be able to stay together until September and to bring more and more to Christ! We get along so well and last night was just to funny we were just up laughing so hard about the funniest things. I seriously love my mission paps and I can't fathom how I would feel if I had never came. For those that don't go, they really are missing something that will change their life forever!

Elder Bryner, Amanda, Balindile, Sister Dorkus, Thabang, Elder Kwabaisi
Sindi, Thumelang and Thumelo

Elder Bryner, Thumelang, Thabang, Thumelo and Elder Kwabaisi

Elder Kwabaisi, Amanda, Balindile, Sister Dorkus, Elder Bryner
and Sindi

Elder Bryner, Amanda, Balindile, Sister Dorkus, Thabang, Elder Kwabaisi
Sindi, Thumelang and Thumelo

Amanda's family, Amanda, Balindile, Elder Bryner
Elder Kwabaisi and Sindi

Thumelang, Thabang and Thumelo

Sister Dorcus

Amanda, Sindi and Balindile

Elder Shupe, Amanda, Balindile, Sister Dorcus, Sister Shupe
and Sindi

Thumelang, Thumelo and their family

Sister Dorcus and her family

Baptism next week

Email #34
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Kwabaisi

Excerpts from Mom's email:

The Maake family is so nice and just loves to feed the missionaries and to take care of them. It was home made cheesecake haha, there is a recipe book in our flat so I looked it up and made it. We make it pretty often for people and members, it really helps develop a good relationship and I took a picture so I will have to make it when I get home...The work is going good and I am having just a great time and enjoying it so much!!! I am so excited for the baptisms this week hopefully 7, so that will just be a record breaker for me haha. I hope all is well in the home, send love to the kids and the ward members tell them that I miss and love them!!!!!

Excerpts from Dad's email:

Yeah we are doing great and I am so excited for the baptisms this week and I hope everything will go as planned! The past few ones have been a little hectic behind the scenes so hopefully it won't be as stressful this time...The world cup is huge here almost every house that we go to the game is on. It is on late most of the time, it is just reviews of the games but it is cool. The people here love soccer so much so they have bbq all the time and music just blasting since the kids are out of school this week.

Happy Birthday Elder Bryner

Email #33
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Kwabaisi

Hey Everyone,

We had another great week and loved it and went by so fast from the beginning of the transfer! We had transfers this week and now our district leader is now training as well! We painted another house for a member on Saturday. We washed another car on Thursday and the car was an Audi, if I might add. We have a tendency to wash all the nice cars haha! We had a confirmation yesterday and that was so cool. Her mother is now being baptized the 29th of June, along with potentially 6 more people!! We are harvesting more than ever before in Cosmo City. A member told us the most that has been baptized while one set of missionaries have been there is only 5 and we have already hit 4, so we will hopefully be at 11 by June 29th! I am so happy at the blessings that Heavenly Father is letting me have and for the opportunities he is allowing me to have as well!!!

One lady has been taught by missionaries for almost a year, she works on Sundays, but the days that she is off she comes. She brings this little girl with her that lives behind her, but we were not aware of this. We tracked into that house where the little girls stays having no idea who she was or anything. Now we are teaching her and her sister. She and her sister came to church yesterday and it was just a miracle that we found her and her sister just completely inspired and directed by the spirit to go to that home!

Nothing much else has happened this week. President and Sister Omer are heading home June 30th and President and Sister Dunn are arriving!! I have enjoyed serving with President Omer, but his time has come and time for a new one to start his adventure!!

Elder Bryner

Elder Bryner and Elder Ajei

Elder from Utah and Elder Bryner

Making his own birthday cake or treat (not sure)

Looks like a cake :-)

First baptism Elder Bryner performed & Zone Conference

Email #32
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Kwabaisi

Hey Everyone,

Just a great week and so much has happened this past week! Baptisms and service, lots of walking and coldness. Haha wow it really is getting cold now, like it is just as cold as it would be if there was snow on the ground but no snow. But we are managing just fine. We had a great zone conference and learned so much. We spoke about the Book of mormon and how much it is needed in the conversion process and if we do not have it we are nothing and not different than any other church. I completed the BOM on Tuesday and have enjoyed the testimony that I have gained from reading it. I commit all to read the Book of Mormon who reads this! It will change your life and will help you understand about yourself and more about God!!! We are cleaning an Audi this week, so I am excited for that. It is strange, but the cars they have here are so nice and really cheap! I baptized for the first time in my life yesterday! The spirit was so strong and couldn't believe the testimony of the one I baptized. Her name is Dineo and is 23 with a son and married to a recent convert in our branch. He brought her to us and said to us that he wants her baptized and he plans on going to the temple with her next year. It was such a blessing to see her testimony although it wasn't in English and I felt like I understood what she was saying! I could feel the love she has for just knowing the truth now! Words can not be said on how you feel when you baptize someone for the first time and you feel like you have known them your whole life! I have never felt that way before! It was the best feeling ever pulling her out of the water and seeing her. I taught her from the beginning and just seeing her make the promise just made everything worth it. The water was a little cold, but hey it was an experience that will never be forgotten! We were suppose to have 6 baptisms total on both sides, but only had 4. Those 2 that didn't make it, will be making it this month for sure!!! One is the mother of Jessica that was baptized and another was a cousin to Dineo, but the work will never stop!! For those that are thinking about serving a mission do it! It is a huge decision of course, but the experience is all worth the time and the effort that is used. You will experience nothing else like it! You will know what I am talking about when it comes to be your time! God's hand is in everything you do down to the breath that you take and the words that you speak! Remember to never lose the faith and never doubt the faith you have. Love you all and hope for the best for you!

Elder Bryner

Elisabeth, Elder Compton, Robert, Elder Ajei, Dineo, Jessica, Elder Kwabaisi and Elder Bryner

Elder Kwabaisi, Jessica, Dineo & Elder Bryner

Elder Ajei, Robert, Jessica & Elder Compton

Jessica

Dineo, the one Elder Bryner was able to teach & baptize.

Elisabeth

Elder Ajei, Robert, & Elisabeth

Elisabeth & her son Rolisang.

Elder Ajei, Jessica and we think this is her family.

Elder Ajei, Robert and his mom (maybe her son) & Elder Compton

Jessica & Sister Dorkus

Elder Kwabaisi's first Kota

New baptismal font

Zone conference.  Elder Bryner is on the bottom row, second from the right.

Elder Bryner, Rolisang & Elder Kwabaisi

Elder Bryner, Rolisang, Thumelang, & Elder Kwabaisi

Kids at the crush

Elder Bryner with his birthday gifts from Cami.

Elder Bryner sporting his new South Africa tie.

Elders on a walk