Elder James Bryner A LDS Missionary In God's Army In Johannesburg, South Africa: Watched Conference, Temple, Teaching, Sang at Old Folks Home, Bowling

Email #24
Area: Cosmo City
Companion: Elder Perez

Hey Everyone,

Finally got to watch General Conference and it was so great!! I loved all the messages and there wasn't a single talk that I didn't take notes on so it was definitely a powerful conference. I learned so much from just sitting and with my spiritual ears opened and just pay attention you really will learn something that the Lord has to tell you. It really is interesting how each conference there is always something for each person that is listening to the broadcast but I am for certain that God does answer our prayers and I definitely want to get tickets the April conference when I get home. President Eyring is such a powerful man he just really speaks from the heart and he knows the scriptures like they were right in front of him just reading it.

People sometimes randomly come the church on Sunday and just listen and we get there details and find where they live and start teaching them so that has happened a few times since I have been here. On Sunday we watched the Sunday session of general conference and we had 13 investigators come to watch and we are teaching all of them so that was just a cool experience. The lady that we did the service for at the crush was there and she brought her kids which was like 5 or 6. That was just awesome and when we taught them last week they just plainly asked so Jesus came to this side of the world and on the Americas? We said yep and they said okay that makes sense! By far the easiest explanation that I have given about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. We taught a less active lady and called her to repentance, she has known what she has been doing is wrong knows what she has to do so that was a great experience as well.

Other than that not to much happened this week but we are meeting a lot of new people through the members. they are really starting to get the idea of member missionary work it makes our work so so much easier and not have to go knocking the doors so much!! We actually haven't knocked for quite awhile we have just been booming with people through service and referrals!!!

We went to the temple again last Friday and that was definitely a powerful one!! When I get home I have set a goal to go to all the temples from the bottom of Utah to the top and go each week to a different one. When I think about it that is a lot of gas and driving but through the efforts in trying to do such a task will bless many. If there is anyone that would like to join me you are more than welcome. So start preparing yourselves spiritually and physically and the Lord will bless us for partaking in such a glorious work!!

On Wednesday we go to an old folks home and sing hymns and we do it every week. But this week was a little different. There was a lady that was crying on the couch and was sitting by this other lady and she was trying to put a pillow over her face and biting the pillow and just being really weird. These people are senile and a little crazy in the head but that is why they are in the home in the first place. But the lady stands up and starts walking away and as funny as I am, I covered my mouth and did the walky talky sound "kshhhhh, We got a runner, over!!" Then she turns around and starts walking towards us and says "get these kids out of my house!!!" and smacks Elder Perez and Elder Reese right across the face. They start crying, just kidding, but the workers get up and tackle her and pull out a stray jacket and tie her up! Just kidding again, it was just a towel and tied her to a chair and her legs were flying in the air and she just all of sudden bit her arm thinking that she was biting the worker but in the mean we were singing hymns trying to not let the spirit go away!!! But that was one of the crazy things that happened this week but if there is anymore in the future I will gladly give you the news!!!!

Love,
Elder Bryner