November 2008

Well hello family again I wasn't able to email on Saturday because the telephone line was out so they let us do it on Monday if we wanted during our activity time. I hope I answer most of your questions but I'll try to send some pictures as soon as I can Ihere some of the things here are cheaper anyways since its 10 rand to the dollar. All I can tell you about Johannesburg is there are tons of people everywhere and most of them are black. We go to the temple every Tuesday and we go to the city and there are people everywhere sometimes i feel like the inside of an Oreo cookie with how many black people there are. It reminds me alot like Washington D.C. When we went proselyting the other day it was kind of sad to see some of the people in total boredom and nothing to do but drink beer. we went to this little community called sueto just about 40 minutes east of the mtc and the people have nothing to do there I was in kind of in a culture shock. As we walked around many were riding horses, walking on dirt roads and the houses were very small and very dirty. I think cape town will be maybe a little better. Some of the people here just have no lives they don't work they just sit there and drink or smoke and live there Protestant religion life. I really haven't been out in the safari much but there are some pretty cool birds that fly by the mtc every once and a while. the electrical is very different in the outlet you just plug in these two big prongs and when you turn on the light it takes about 10 seconds for the light to come on. This elder that is in my room has like this conversion kit that i guess works pretty well it transfers from U.S. to Europe to South America and To South Africa It just has all those receptacle changes. the mtc is in roodeport about 40 min away from joburg and here in south africa they drive on the wrong side of the road so that will take some getting used to. That's funny that lassys getting fat I think she should have her pups right around the end of November or something I didn't write it down when she was bred. That's good that Chris made the basketball team and yes I heard that Obama is president I heard it on the plane coming from Dakar to Johannesburg When we heard it just like all the black people on the plane shouted. Right now there are the 24 elders total at the mtc its a pretty small mtc but there are 11 black elders and 1 white elder that speaks British accent. Mostly everyone knows English here but some are hard to understand. I have two teachers that are white including president cannon and sister Cannon they have a British accent and then the rest of the teachers are black teachers. mother I just want to tell you I miss some of the food here at the mtc isn't as good as yours its mainly oily and some things that are grown in south Africa that I haven't gotten used to. We have been working on the second discussion lately found in the preach my gospel that is the main focus of what we study here as well as the book of Mormon. The preach my gospel is basically a study guide that missionaries use there whole mission the better you understand it the better off you are as a teacher. well I love you all and I think by the time my letter gets to you ill be in cape town so if I don't email you next week it will have to be when I'm in cape. Love Elder T. Hansen