Area: Kwa Guqa
Companion: Elder McClellan
Dear Parents and Priesthood Leaders of missionaries in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission:
I wanted you to be among the first to know about a historic milestone in the missionary work in here in Africa which was announced this morning, and will take effect this coming week.
In a recent meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, approval was given to realign the boundary between the Botswana/Namibia and South Africa Johannesburg Missions, and to transfer the Pretoria South Africa Stake and the Tzaneen South Africa District from the South Africa Johannesburg Mission to the Botswana/Namibia Mission. This change will be effective 1 July, 2015, and will affect 45 missionaries currently serving in the Pretoria, Sunnyside and Tzaneen Zones of the South Africa Johannesburg Mission.
This change in mission boundaries coincides with the splitting of the Pretoria Stake and the formation of the new, Mabopane Stake. Both the new stake and the adjustments to the mission boundaries were proposed and sustained by the members and missionaries in a special stake conference held this morning in Pretoria. The net effect of this move is that it transfers a stake and district from the South Africa Johannesburg Mission. It will also immediately bolster the compliment of missionaries in the Botswana/Namibia Mission which has struggled to get missionaries into those countries due to visa issues for the past 18 months. As a geography reminder, these two countries are adjacent to South Africa, and are located on its northern border. The affected zones from the South Africa Johannesburg Mission are the northernmost areas of our mission, and a logical addition to the Botswana/Namibia Mission.
While Sister Dunn and I are obviously saddened to part with these great missionaries whom we have come to know and love as sons (…along with four of the best senior couples to be found anywhere), it is inspiring—and in fact more accurately, dizzying—to see the hand of the Lord move the work forward on this African continent. In addition to strengthening the ability to handle the burgeoning work of building the kingdom in the north, this is a pioneering opportunity to stretch and grow which will bless the lives of all involved. But please know that even as your son moves on to this exciting opportunity, that he will always be a part of the South Africa Johannesburg Mission.
I’m also pleased to tell you how much your son will love his new Mission President and Companion—and how much they already love your sons. We know President and Sister Wilson and they are outstanding people and seasoned servants of God. They have already served two years of their three-year call in the Botswana Gaborone Mission, and so are experienced leaders of a mission. Their home is in West Jordan, Utah and they are the parents of five children. President Wilson, who was born in Columbus, Ohio is steeped in church experience having served as a counselor in a stake presidency and is a former bishop, high councilor, elders quorum president, and Young Men president. Professionally he worked as an engineer with Ceramatec, Inc. Sister Wilson, who is from Payson, Utah, has also served in many callings including as a former ward Relief Society president, ward Primary president. Again, your sons will love serving with this terrific couple.
As your communicate with your son on his P-Day tomorrow, my prayer is that you, too, will feel the spirit of this inspired move, and share that with your missionary. While you or your son may be naturally feeling some uncertainty about this, I testify to you that God is indeed in charge. And that this is but one more evidence of the hastening of the work. As the Book of Mormon asserts, “But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men…” (1 Nephi 9:6). Elder Neal Maxwell also reminds us that all things do work together for our good. “Trust in the Lord as He leads you along,” said Elder Maxwell. “He has things for you to do that you won't know about now but that will unfold later. If you stay close to Him, You will have some great adventures. The Lord will unfold your future bit by bit.”
One thing is for sure, it will be an adventure! And we feel so blessed to be a part of this historic and inspired move forward. If you have any questions or if I can help in anyway, please let me know. In the meantime, please know that the Dunns and the Wilson love your sons and will be doing our very best to make this adjustment successful.
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for Israel!
With love and blessings,
Michael A. Dunn, President
Showing posts with label President & Sister Dunn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label President & Sister Dunn. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2015
Monday, August 4, 2014
Stand firm on the foundation you have set yourself on
Email #40
Area: Secunda
Companion: Elder Wilombe
Hey Everyone,
Another week gone like that. This week definitely went by faster than last week, but we are still trying to build this place! I have already seen someone's life change. He is a less active named Thato, but now is starting to come every week now for 4 weeks. So yeah he is moving back. He and his girlfriend got pregnant and they both fell away from the church, but now since I have been here he is starting to come back and we are trying to get the other one back as well. All you can do in that circumstance is to just show them love and that everyone makes mistakes, that it is part of this life to mess up. The Atonement is real and I have felt its power and teaching the Plan of Salvation is my favorite to teach to someone. Life is hard, but it is what makes you or breaks you. Never lose your faith in what you believe in. Times are hard, but that doesn't mean that God leaves you in the dark. He is actually carrying you down the dark and dreary path! God won't forsake you as long as you don't forsake and forget him! This time is precious on earth and you only get one chance to make it right, but God gives you many chances to correct your wrong doings! We met another less active and his name is Futhi. He told us how he was baptized when he was 8 and just loved the church and he grew up and has the priesthood and everything but something that seems to be that same counter effect on going less active is the law of chastity. He had a child and he was preparing to go on a mission and he found out that if you have a child, you can't serve so after that he just fell off the edge. So now we are trying to support him and get him back on his feet. He has just been facing challenges. His younger brother died last year and he was at his place and went missing for 3 days. It was a Monday when they found his body in the Kinross park at the pond. He said that he slept walked and he blames himself for this happening. It was just a strong spirit that was there and that he opened up like that and just shared a tender subject with us. Trials will come, there is no trying to out run them. Just take them head on and stand firm on the foundation you have set yourself on and that foundation will never let you fall.
Love,
Elder Bryner
Excerpts from Mom's email:
On Pdays there really is not really anything to do so we just hangout at the chapel and go shopping and at the mall, but today we are going to go hangout with that less active guy Thato I was talking about. I have found that when you just go and to hangout sometimes especially on Monday, because he knows that it is our pday he feels that love we have for him. It also just develops such great relationships with them. Well let me answer those questions, the interview with President Dunn was really good and I loved it, he is just so relaxed and we just had it in a room with couches and with Pres. Omer he would do it in his office so it was a nice change and just was so nice! Yes there is a shop and a mall it is fairly new. Members don't usually feed us. The branch pres feeds us every other Friday and sometimes this white couple feed us on Saturdays, but on Sundays we come back to the flat and just make lunch. There is a town with white people and a township/town with black people and there are Muslims in that area as well. It is called Kinross and the town is called Secunda. Well we are trying to just find some new ones, because the ones that we have right now dodge our appointments. No senior couples, but there is a couple that comes to church that works in the area office and is from Texas named Elder and Sister Kyle!
Area: Secunda
Companion: Elder Wilombe
Hey Everyone,
Another week gone like that. This week definitely went by faster than last week, but we are still trying to build this place! I have already seen someone's life change. He is a less active named Thato, but now is starting to come every week now for 4 weeks. So yeah he is moving back. He and his girlfriend got pregnant and they both fell away from the church, but now since I have been here he is starting to come back and we are trying to get the other one back as well. All you can do in that circumstance is to just show them love and that everyone makes mistakes, that it is part of this life to mess up. The Atonement is real and I have felt its power and teaching the Plan of Salvation is my favorite to teach to someone. Life is hard, but it is what makes you or breaks you. Never lose your faith in what you believe in. Times are hard, but that doesn't mean that God leaves you in the dark. He is actually carrying you down the dark and dreary path! God won't forsake you as long as you don't forsake and forget him! This time is precious on earth and you only get one chance to make it right, but God gives you many chances to correct your wrong doings! We met another less active and his name is Futhi. He told us how he was baptized when he was 8 and just loved the church and he grew up and has the priesthood and everything but something that seems to be that same counter effect on going less active is the law of chastity. He had a child and he was preparing to go on a mission and he found out that if you have a child, you can't serve so after that he just fell off the edge. So now we are trying to support him and get him back on his feet. He has just been facing challenges. His younger brother died last year and he was at his place and went missing for 3 days. It was a Monday when they found his body in the Kinross park at the pond. He said that he slept walked and he blames himself for this happening. It was just a strong spirit that was there and that he opened up like that and just shared a tender subject with us. Trials will come, there is no trying to out run them. Just take them head on and stand firm on the foundation you have set yourself on and that foundation will never let you fall.
Love,
Elder Bryner
Excerpts from Mom's email:
On Pdays there really is not really anything to do so we just hangout at the chapel and go shopping and at the mall, but today we are going to go hangout with that less active guy Thato I was talking about. I have found that when you just go and to hangout sometimes especially on Monday, because he knows that it is our pday he feels that love we have for him. It also just develops such great relationships with them. Well let me answer those questions, the interview with President Dunn was really good and I loved it, he is just so relaxed and we just had it in a room with couches and with Pres. Omer he would do it in his office so it was a nice change and just was so nice! Yes there is a shop and a mall it is fairly new. Members don't usually feed us. The branch pres feeds us every other Friday and sometimes this white couple feed us on Saturdays, but on Sundays we come back to the flat and just make lunch. There is a town with white people and a township/town with black people and there are Muslims in that area as well. It is called Kinross and the town is called Secunda. Well we are trying to just find some new ones, because the ones that we have right now dodge our appointments. No senior couples, but there is a couple that comes to church that works in the area office and is from Texas named Elder and Sister Kyle!
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| Elder Compton, Elder Ajei, Elder Bryner |
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| Elder Compton, Elder Kwabaisi, Elder Bryner |
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| Elder Compton, Elder Kwabaisi, Elder Ajei, Elder Bryner |
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| President Omer, Elder Bryner & Sister Omer |
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| Investigator board |
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| Tired feet |
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| Elder Wilombe |
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