Baptism

Email #69
Area: Motupa
Companion: Elder Kalani

Hey Everyone,

This week was hectic wow. It was such a crazy week with everything that happened. Tuesday was transfers and Elder Kalani was made district leader. So with that came other things. We spent the whole day filling a big jojo tank that holds the water for our church. We made 6 trips to the same place where we got water the first time which is about 3 or so kilometers from the chapel. We filled 108 20 liter buckets that made 2160 liters for the baptism on Sunday. We spent 11:30 am. until 6:30 pm filling the tank and we finally got it filled and out of the way. So there is a new missionary and he doesn't know how to drive a stick so I taught him and by Wednesday he thought he knew how and felt comfortable to do it in his area which we thought wasn't a good idea, for his and others safety. So him and his comp thought that we needed the car so we told them that the other elders would take them and pick them up. They asked where we were when we had taken the car. They were not happy so they called the zone leaders complaining that they have to walk and that they need the car. Long story short that was just a mess and everyday there is new drama that Elder Kalani has to deal with and being his companion, I get to take it with him. We finally got to Sunday and that was the day that nothing could make it bad. Haha it was about 2 minutes before sacrament meeting starts and our group leader comes to us and says can you guys give a talk today. We had 10 minutes to throw something together, haha so that was an interesting 10 minutes with my mind going around all places trying to think what to speak about. Lucky one of our fine young men was sitting by me and said just speak about prayer and it all worked out great. Elder Kalani spoke about modesty and language, so all was well in the end. The baptism went great and no problems with anything. The tank was leaking so we thought that the water would be out by the time it was ready to go, but it all stayed in. It started raining right as the people that give the talks about baptism and holy ghost and our roof is a tin sheet, so you can imagine what that was like to try and listen to what they are saying. So we baptized in the rain so that was pretty cool. But yeah that was the week short and sweet.

Love,
Elder Bryner

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Yeah Elder Johnson is a way cool guy and I will for sure keep in touch with him. I got your package and that was nice!!! So for future if you get more sent try not to add so much candy and stuff because I am trying to eat better and workout and everything haha! But I could give the kids the candy, haha they love sweets!! I got some package from some family or something and I don't know them. I'm not sure of the name of the lady that you are writing on facebook that lives in Randburg, but it started with a or p, maybe it was Paukaar or something like that. They gave me a shirt and some other food and stuff so that was really nice. I also got a package from grandma with the sour patches candy, so let her know. It is still a little hot, but yesterday and today was cooler so that was nice. I hope that you have a good week and tell Jaela congrats and keep it up!!

Getting water for the baptism.

Elder Bryner and Elder Kalani loading buckets to fill the baptismal font.

Elder Kalani and Elder Bryner with the new members before the baptism.

Elder and Sister Campbell with the new members.

Email from Sister Campbell

Area: Motupa
Companion: Elder Kalani

Email from Sister Campbell


Sister Bryner,
I just wanted to share with you how wonderful today was. Elder Bryner and his companion were able to baptize a sister and brother. It was so very sweet. As I watched your wonderful son get ready to baptize in the font, I thought of you and how much you love him. It was a sweet moment. He will probably send you pictures. He was gleaming! Thank you for your service. We are working on trying to seal while families together forever. We are working on having father led families. Thank you for your son. He is a great missionary and loves the people very much. They can feel it. I wish you could be a monkey in the Mango tree so you could see him work.haha. Love to your family and thank all of them for Elder Bryner.
Love,
Sister Campbell

Staying in Motupa. Said good bye to Elder Johnson.

Email #68
Area: Motupa
Companion: Elder Kalani

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Well I am still here in the village and get to stay with Elder Kalani still for another transfer and I am way pumped about that!! Haha just a little bit weird haha, but that why I love you haha!!! I was so excited to go and do all that stuff with the other guys and to be able to see the hippo and I think we are going to make a plan to go to Kruger in the next month or so! I stayed up here and the other 3 missionaries went down. The rest of us stayed up here and are going to the area tomorrow just like normal. But hopefully this coming Sunday we will have a baptism planned. But there isn't water again so hopefully we can figure out a plan to get water. We might have to do the same thing as last time, but we will have to see. I am so pumped that I got to stay with Elder Kalani another transfer. It would have been so dumb if I would have gone a week before we have a baptism planned. Saying goodbye to Elder Johnson was kinda weird haha but I will see him shortly. Elder Kalani can't drive so I drive every time we have the car, but that is only 3 times a week. I can't complain that is better than nothing and having to walk everyday. It has been really hot the last week, but last night was actually pretty cold so that was nice to be able to sleep when it was cold like that. But I am doing good other than that! I haven't heard about the package yet, but I think that the guys that went down will bring it back up for me. I don't have much more to report on other than I stayed here and i'm good!! Hope that you have a good week and I love you!!!

Excerpts from Dad's email:

Yeah it was nice to be able to write you guys! It was pretty crazy to be able to go and feed a hippo and do all that and yeah they are the most dangerous and more people are killed by a hippo than by any other animal here. Haha, but like you said it was raised by humans from birth. It sleeps in the house and watches tv and all that stuff. It also goes and eats with the wild hippos, but then comes back. The next few months it will start to cool off hopefully haha! Yeah the power goes off all the time in the village and sometimes here in Tzaneen too, but not as often. I asked President Dunn, but I forgot already. I am pretty sure that I get home the end of October, I think the 28 if I am right. I am pretty sure that it is that day! Haha what school already NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I am thinking of doing dentistry and SLCC has a class for that so I think I might try that and also job shadowing for our orthodontist because I want to specialize in that.

Seeing God's window and feeding the hippo

Email #67
Area: Motupa
Companion: Elder Kalani

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hope your week is going well, so far and it is so good to see that Jaela took first place at her comp!!! It has been crazy with all that is going on and of course I knew that if you didn't get another email from someone saying something that you would have a nervous break down haha. So today I got a little minute to write you and so I am doing good and it is good. That is cool about the Elder that is in the salt lake mission. I think I might have met her, but I am not quite to sure on that one. I have met a few people from the Randburg area. Transfers are next week so that was a fast 6 weeks and just insane how fast time is going. I am almost to 8 months to go I think, but in April when my trainer goes home. I will be counting 6 months to sexy. So I got six months to be beach ready even though, I am not coming to beach weather. It will be easier for me to maintain it for the season haha we will see how determined I will actually be!! We went to see a hippo and other natural places. I took lots of pics so check em out!!!! blog it to let the world see what I am seeing. Its so crazy to see how fantastic the world is and what God created just amazing. A place called God's window and another place I can't remember the name, but got pics of it. Hope you enjoy them. I hope to do some stuff with Elder Johnson when I get home and even to plan and come back to SA sometime hopefully soon after I get home, but we will see how the planning goes.

Still trying to find more people, but we are trying as I said hopefully God helps us out and shows us the way. We still teach everyone we have been and they are all doing really well and progressing well and on their way to making baptism dates, so wish us luck on that one.


Excerpts from Dad's email:

It was a crazy two weeks not being able to send any emails or anything. But I finally got a chance to come today and do it. It is hectic with eight missionaries here and we have to use 2 computers, but we manage. It is hard to email also when we go and do something, but it was so much fun this past Monday. We went to a trained hippo like it was raised from the beginning of birth. When she was found, she still had the cord attached to the mom. But there was a flood and a ranger found it long time ago. She is now 14 and 1500 kg so big. We got to feed her and everything it was so cool. Her name is Jessica the hippo, go look her up and find out all about her.

I have given one talk since I have been here when Elder Downs was here. We still teach Monica, a lady that me and Elder Downs found while walking. She hasn't been to church yet, but hopefully next week. Its still crazy hot out here. Something else, we were in Sunday school and talking about the plan of salvation and the part about resurrection and the teacher is one of the young men. So he needed to know how to spell it right... so our group leader who is a teacher I might add and acts like he knows everything. He boldly came out and said REZ and I said WHAT!!! hahahahhah no its RES. We all were laughing so bad, I couldn't believe it. Yeah that was something that was pretty funny!!!! I am doing good still and hoping that I stay up here another transfer with Elder Kalani, but things well you never know what is going to happen. So yeah pray for me that I stay here. I really love it up here although it is way hot I love it still. Well that is all I had for you and sorry for all the confusion with what is going on and not emailing and all that.