Happy 20th Birthday!

Editor's Note:  Jackson's 20th Birthday is February 19th.  If you would like to send him an email, it is jackson.voyles@myldsmail.net  

 

Black lab puppy!

Two babies playing

My sturdy shoes that I bought.  When I left Mamelodi, my walking shoes were at the repair shop so I had to buy some new ones.  I got these on sale for 609 rand ($45).  

New haircut

I made fried chicken!

(Not sure what this is....Jackson did not say)

February 6, 2016

Dear Family,

This week was good. The new schedule is that we wake up at 6:00  a.m. and get back home by 8:30 p.m. I am happy with it. We get fed by members about three times a week. Truthfully we could have a meal every night if we wanted but we don't want to take advantage of their hospitality. We only go when we are invited. We have a new family that seems promising. We had a powerful lesson with them and they asked for a Book of Mormon and understood the whole concept of the restoration.  It is pretty quiet out here...the 10 missionaries here in Windhoek are like a separate mission. It is teaching me a lot though.  I have had some neat impressions of what type of member I want to be the rest of my life. It makes me so grateful to be serving a mission. The Lord is so merciful, he truly has our best interests in mind. He LOVES us.

Love,

Your Son

February 13, 2017

Dear Family,

Just yesterday we taught a lesson to some members and they had a crazy boy and I bet I was something like that to you guys, haha. As for me I am learning some good lessons while I am here. I know now what is is like to be left to your own devices and push hard. It will be something that will last me my whole life. I will have a great birthday, a member is having all 10 missionaries over in Windhoek Sunday night which is always fun. I love you a ton and hope you have a good week! 

Love,

Your Crazy Boy

Not Much News

Nice helmet!

This guy was pooped and landed on me so I gave him some apple and he started drinking.

You can see his tongue. 

This fellow also landed on me.  I named him Joseph because he was "praying."

Emailing today.

Namibian nights

January 23, 2017

Dear Family, 

This week was good. The father led family has not worked out but we found some more this week. We go to flat complexes and tracked in there. It seems to work well.   Also, there is a scout office right down the road so I want to go there and do some service. Maybe help out with a merit badge or something. Something I am learning is in D&C 4 is it is not really about how many people you baptize but how hard you "thrust in your sickle". We also had a Zone Conference this week which was unexpected. It was really last minute but good. President  didn't bring my Christmas package up. He will next transfer though. Hopefully my B-day stuff will be here as well.  It cost 800 Rand ($60) to pick up the package. They took it from my allotment so I will probably have to use my home card for some food next month. The food here is pretty good, a member gave us some pumpkin leaves (with other stuff of course) but they were good! Not much news this week. Best of luck in Ecuador!

Love,

Your Son

January 30, 2017

Hello Everyone,

This week I don't have too much time. We are on a new system for finding. We will be finding the best way to find new investigators for the future work in Namibia. It will be fun! We also have a new missionary schedule and key indicators released from the first presidency.  Other than that not too much happened this week. I hope you have a good week! Love you all so much, sorry for the short email. 

Love,

Elder Voyles

Enduring to the End

January 9, 2017

Elder M. and I walking down the street

Me and my fellow missionaries

Namibia sunset

Me and Elder K. after a bike ride in the rain

Fishies!

Some springbok I made for lunch

Apartments where we went looking for investigators

At the internet shop....new haircut

Dear Family, 

This week has been difficult. I went from a "hot" area in Mamelodi (about 30 lessons a week) to a "cold" one here in Windhoek (about 10 Lessons a week).  It is slow because people have gates with buzzers and they just don't let you in. I am having to live the principal I teach, enduring to the end. We are tracking to try to get a bigger teaching pool but it is just slow.  We did have a sweet experience finding a father led family and we visit them again on Wednesday.  Any way, just send a prayer my way.  But all is well. Thanks for the update and the pics.  

Love,

Your Boy 

January 16, 2017

Dear Family, 

Things are getting better here. We are staying in a place called Suiderhof. It is an apartment.  My companion and I are getting along great! We just kinda click. It is still  slow... We only have about one or two scheduled appointments a day... maybe... So what's hard is filling the time. Tracking fills some of the time, I am trying my best!  What makes it hard is I just feel like I am not fulfilling my purpose. I am going to try harder to just be 100% obedient and leave the rest up to the Lord. Any way, I love you so much! 

Love,

Your Son

Happy New Year!

January 2, 2017

Touchdown in Namibia!

Me and Elder R. (from Utah) at Mug & Bean before takeoff

View from O.R. Tambo International Airport

On the way to Windhoek from the airport 

Lots of mud from the rain

Hello Everyone,

I touched down in Namibia (NAM) on Wednesday and it has been a blast! It is practically a ghost town this time of year. Everyone leaves Windhoek (Vind-hook) in December.  First because it's hot and second, to visit family. So this week has been quite slow. The members here seem promising and from what little exposure I have had to people, they seem curious! I have a great companion,  Elder K.  from Johannesburg.  He is a fun guy to be around. Our flat is OLD. It is from when Namibia was still part of the Cape Town mission. It is hot here but it has rained soooo much recently. It is absurd! It hasn't rain here in forever apparently. We are walking right now which consists of a lot of taxis, haha. We are supposed to get cars here soon so pray that's true! This is a good place with great members. It is such a weird part of the world here. I feel like I'm on a different planet! It will be interesting for sure. The members here LOVE missionaries so I have been fed almost every night!!! 

Love,

Your Son

Merry Christmas and Hello Namibia!

December 19, 2016

Me and Charles

Practicing the guitar in my new shirt

Dear Family, 

So, I am giving your email to the family who I will be going to. They will reach out and plan when I will Skype. I had a cold 2 weeks ago but last week I had a fever and abdominal pain. It is all over now. I got some meds and I'm fine! I Had an okay week this week, I couldn't go to the area a few times but it's all good now. As for this week I am going to go around and start saying goodbye to some members this week because I am sure I am leaving. Which means a lot of dinner appointments which means a bigger kapunda(belly) hahaha.

Love you lots! Have a great week!!

Love, 

Your Son

December 26, 2016

Hello!

Don't really have much to say today, I am glad I was able to speak with you!  I will leave for Namibia on Wednesday morning. I can only bring one suitcase so I will live a Spartan lifestyle. 

Love,

Your Son

"Miamilodi"

 

Don't Mess with Texas

My foes

December 12, 2016

Jackson did not write a letter today.  He said he was  not feeling well and would write next week.  He did send pictures though.  Below is his letter from last week.  

December 5, 2017

Dear Family, 

I don't have any pics this week so I am sorry... I left my batteries at some other elders flat and don't have any extras and keep forgetting to buy some:/ I promise next week! I have a cold right now and I don't know why.  Last week we were walking one day (we now share a car with a new area in my district) and at night when we were waiting for the others to pick us up the skies opened! It was POURING! We got pretty cold even though it was 41c (105 degrees Fahrenheit) that day. Progress is now slow, everything closes for December and everyone has it off. All they do in "Miamilodi" is party, party and party. No one has "time" and it is frustrating. But it's all good, akunamatata.  To answer your question, the maggots came from our trash, there were hundreds! We have a pretty bad roach problem too but I am taking it personal and am busting out some borax.   As for the other questions,  we shop at a store called Pick n Pay or Checkers. It is fairly normal. The food is slightly different, the beef tastes a little different as well as the sausage called buri vors. Its good though, I LOVE this stuff called chutney! It is like a sweet salsa or something. I have this jalapeno chutney right now that I put on everything!  I love you so much! I hope you have a wonderful week!! 
Love,

Your Son

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 28, 2018

At an African Wedding

Thanksgiving dinner in Africa

Selfie at the internet cafe

Dear Family,

My area of Mamelodi just got cut in half.  The whole of Mamelodi is about 2 million people so it's kinda big... I now stay in Montana Park in an apartment that had maggots all over the floor last night but we purged it today so it's all good now. No HUGE storms like before but still small ones.  My pants still fit somewhat. I ripped my pants in the "rear" seam when I bent down the other day. Luckily I was at home.  I will try to save them but I might need some new pants.... MAYBE. The wedding will be fun I'm  sure.  (His sister Maddie just told him she was engaged.) Not as fun as an African wedding though. I went to one a few weeks ago and it was sweeeet. I got fed a LOT. People here feed MASSIVE portions so that's why I am getting a gut. I am glad to hear you had fun with Grandpa, I miss the snow. Here you actually put water as coolant in cars because it never drops below freezing. We just had a good Thanksgiving today actually. We didn't celebrate it on the actual day. Anyway, this week was slow. December here in Mamelodi I hear is crazy. People always party, leave town and what not. So it will be slow. I am good though. I might stock up on some stuff I need.  I will shop smart and not spend much though. 

All in All, thanks and love you tons!!!

Your Fav Missionary