Big Game Park and Finding Success in Mafikeng

Editor's Note:  Here are the updates from the last two weeks.  Jackson was able to visit a big game park.  It looks like his lens is cracked or has something on it but the pictures are still pretty neat! 

A village in Mafikeng

Visit to Pretoria

My companion--Elder F from New Zealand

Me after a hole-in-one

A little braii in the backyard

Trying to find an investigator in the game park

 A giraffe taking a bow

Pumba at the waterhole

My companion on the phone with the rhinos

Baby rhino!

Rhino Family

September 18, 2017

Dear Family, 

This week was​​ good. We put this girl Gape (gargle the g) on date yesterday. My companion and I get along great, he played professional rugby back in New Zealand for the Chiefs. The new area has a lot of potential. We are seeing things progress. The new place is nice. We are actually moving today.  The office couple is coming up to help. They are the Owens from Arizona. I will take some pics when it is all done. We stay in a separate flat from the other companionship. 

Love,

Your Son

September 27, 2017

Dear Family,

I went on some adventures this week. I hope you enjoy the pics.  I am feeling old, both in age and mission. I don't really know a lot of the missionaries here  in South Africa because I was in Namibia so long. It is weird to see all those people who were younger than me on mission now. I am emailing today because Monday was a public holiday and all the email shops were closed and yesterday when I was emailing the mission president made a surprise  stop up here in  Mafikeng.  Me and my companion are doing great.  We pass the rugby ball around here and there. We go to practice with some rugby players at the university when occasion permits. From the looks of it we are going to get a few investigators out of it as well. We have two on date for baptism- Gape (mentioned in last week's letter and Stanley. Gape is a student and she had met with missionaries when she was young. Her mom was a member but had passed away. She is on date for the 8th. Stanley is in his late 40s and is VERY knowledgeable about the church. He was taught about 5 years ago and was on date. We don't really know what happened but a few weeks ago he came back to church and now wants to be baptized. We are finding a lot of success at the university here. I hope you have a good rest of your week.

Love,

Your Boy

Goodbye Namibia---Hello Mafikeng (South Africa)

Warthog Skull

A HUGE Kudu skull

Wildebeest

Kudu

A beautiful Oryx

Warthog

 

Baboons

A really cook rock formation

August 21, 2017

Hello Fam Bam,

I don't have too much time to e-mail everyone. We went to a game park and were there like all day. It was WAY sweet!!! There were no predators in the park so we went on a 9k hike. We went on so many different game trails though so it was probably close to 15k. I got a lot of sick photos so I will send as many as possible. We saw Springbok, Wildebeest, Kudu, Orix, Warthogs, Baboons, and a few other unidentified animals. It was so cool. We were legit walking through African bush! We got some baboons to call back to us....we would bark and they would bark back!   I only have 2 more weeks in Namibia. I have truly fallen love with this country, it is so sweet. The people, the food, the culture, the country as a whole is wonderful. Maggy is going to be baptized on Saturday. I am soooo excited for her!  I probably have to go now. I hope you enjoy the eclipse and let me know how it goes!!

Love,

Elder Voyles

August 28, 2017

Dear Family,

I had a good week, we had a baptism on Saturday. I like that quote you sent, it's like another one I know. "Get comfortable being uncomfortable." It is something I am learning. If there is no opposition, if everything is completely calm, you are probably doing something wrong. It is now my last week in Nam. I am sad. This country as a whole has changed so much in the past months. I feel like Ammon in Alma 26:12.  I will never forget it as long as I live.  The Gospel is true (Die Kerk es waar). Have a great week. Love you!

Love,

Your Son

September 4, 2017

Hey Fam!

I touched down in Joburg (Johannesburg) about 5 hours ago. I am going up to Mafikeng tomorrow. I don't have a lot of  time. I will fill you in on the details next week. I will send pics next week. Sorry, duty calls!

Love,

Your Son/Brother