A Busy Few Weeks

Some members who had us for dinner outside the city. 

Where they live

The drive to their house

Pride Rock kind of mountain

The best kind of  day

An apple cobbler that I made up the recipe for

Smoked oysters

 

Baboon on a bridge

March 13, 2017

Dear Family,

The rain here has been great! Some members picked us up at took us to there house on the way to Reaboth. They stay at this country club but the drive was amazing. It looked like it was from a movie! The same member wants to take us to go see AFRICAN ANIMALS!! I am so excited. I love Namibia, I totally want to come back some day. Also, getting those packages was a testament of how much my family actually knows me! I you love you guys. Something I am realizing is how REAL the Gospel is. We just went over temples this week with Tapiwa,  an investigator that is preparing for baptism. It confirms to me how much Heavenly Father loves his children, we are his greatest creation. He has a plan for each and every one of us! He can't wait to welcome us back! (Luke 15:7) To participate in finding the lost sheep is SUCH a privilege. Truthfully, we are all lost sheep. We all need repentance. So, how great will it be to return to him having learned to properly rely on the Savior. Any way, I love you.  Mom. You are great! I hope you have a great week!!!!

Love,

Your Son

March 20, 2017

Dear Family,

There are 5 areas in Windhoek. They could move us around but I am staying. My companion got moved to South Africa. I am gonna stay until my visa is up. Probably 6 months. And I'll get all the stuff I left behind in SA when I go back. 

I am short on time....love you!

Your Son 

March 27, 2017

Dear Family,

My new comp is Elder Molemo. He is from Bloemfontein, Free State SA. He is cool.   I have only been with him for 3.5 days but they have been good. We drove to the airport this week. Other missionaries have seen giraffes, kudu, oryx, etc. I did see baboons, which is cool but super common. Still cool though. And about the missionary work.  There is no  greater cause in the world than missionary work. And most anything in life worth doing is not going to be easy.  Just try it, use the pamphlets! People like those.  So for a Branch activity they were going to hike a mountain and invited the Elders along. We all went and it was cool! Only a few people got to the top and me and the Afrikaans missionary/friend from SA were the first ones up! It was such a view. I will get the pics next week maybe.  I love the pics you sent they are sweet! 

Packages Have Arrived!!!

February 27, 2017

Pizza before Zone Meeting

I McGyvered the vacuum

I planted some succulents

Zone Conference

 District Conference

Stir Fry

Dear Family, 

Glad you had a good week.   Now we have three people ready for baptism. One on date for March 18th, another one just needs water, and the other we have a few lessons to finish up and then he's good. We also went to an old people home.  We are going to go back when we get cars. Not much has happened this week though.  Zone Conference is on Friday and the Hawkins (office couple) come up tomorrow. (They will bring up the package!) At the beginning of the transfer my best friend that's still in South Africa got called as the Assistant to the President. I will get to see him this week and look forward to it. 

Love, 

Your Son/Brother

  

March 6, 2017

Dear Family, 

I have had a good week.  We teach the restoration a lot, probably everyday. Something we explain is there were three things used when Christ organized the church:

-Christ himself(as the prophet)

-The Priesthood

-The Apostles

We teach how they were lost then restored. Of course we have the Prophet, the Priesthood, and Apostles. But we also know Christ will come again to lead the church on the Earth. Now, we don't necessarily teach all we know but we teach for understanding. But I have learned a lot about the Gospel. Right now the investigators are progressing well.  It is week 5 in the transfer and it feels like week 1.  We had Zone Conference and District Conference this week. We had Elder Van Reenan and Elder Palmer visit. I learned a whole lot from them. I love Namibia. I got my packages--yes both. I LOVE THEM! They gave me such a boost.  It's like I had my B-day and Christmas in one week. I loved the pictures. I am so excited for the baby girl! (Editor's note:  Emily is expecting a baby girl on July 21st).   Can't wait to be an uncle!  It has rained SOOOOO much here recently. It has been awesome!  I am doing good. I LOVE this Gospel. 

Love, 

Your Son

"Come Unto Me'

February 20, 2017

  Beef brisket that I made

A local soccer match

Biltong

  (Editor's Note:  I looked it up...it is a form of dried, cured meat that originated in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef and game meats to fillets of ostrich from commercial farms.)

Dear Family, 

I had a great week.  I am learning a lot! The mission is pushing my boundaries but I love that it is. Sometimes, the hardest thing for me is accepting that sometimes other people aren't always as vigorous or excited about the work as you. That too is teaching me an invaluable lesson about future careers, etc.  To answer your question, there are 14 missionaries in Namibia right now.  Ten here in Windhoek and the other 4 are in Swakopmond.  Also, I haven't seen a single African animal but I will let you know as soon as I do. Dinner on Sunday was very nice.  They found out it was my birthday....they are a great family. They have a wonderful house and the food was delicious! I shared a spiritual thought with the family out of 3 Nephi 9:22 a scripture that I love. ( " Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God.  Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.")  These people are truly pioneers in the gospel. At one point the chapel here where I am emailing from right now was burned down by persecutors.  They had to meet in members homes for a while.  

Anyway, I hope you have a good week!

Love,

Your Son

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