Mission Conference and Visit to the Game Park

 

I've ran into some computer issues but figured them out. I am not going to be able to send a weekly email for the Blog this week, I'm really mad but I just don't have time after sending all the animal photos. I had so much to talk about too, but it's just hard in Africa sometimes.

My hand looks like it was infected, but Yes it is all mosquito bites!! 

This is a pomegranate, but people here call it a "hard nut" It's actually very good!

Yes, this is sewage, running through the maize (corn) field. 

Maybe there is a reason they don't want us buying vegetables off the street?🤔 

This is John Mafunga, an investigator of ours. He's a tailor and they tailor pants for $1. 

Me wearing my tie, Zim style!!! Zimbabweans love wearing 

children's ties, like SUPER short. It's hilarious. 

Baptisms This week!  

Mad selfie with the pic wall.

A selfie with elder Sink (las vegas) and Elder Shumannis (North Carolina). 

Yes, we went to a Game Park today! Chipangali, one of the best ones!!!

{A Description of  the game park from their website:   Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage is a haven for wild animals which have little hope for survival in the wild – animals or birds which have been orphaned, abandoned, injured, born in captivity or brought up unsuccessfully as pets.
It is often the last refuge for those brought in sick or injured,
and has increasingly become a sanctuary for confiscated animals.}

This is before we went it.

This zoo isn't like American zoos. All that was keeping us from the
animals was a chain link fence, like the one around our house.
So you have to stand back, cause the monkeys will bite you and grab you.

The freaking lion!!! His name was Shaka. They had about 15 lions there. Yes, the only thing keeping us from these animals is a thin chain link fence. So sketchy. The zoo guy just kept petting the lion. I was not about to get that close to the fence. The lions actually loved being pet, but tourists aren't supposed to touch them. This one was only 2 and a half years old, and look how big it is. crazy!

They had about 15 lions there. Yes, the only thing keeping us from these 

animals is a thin chain link fence. So sketchy.

The leopard mad chillin'. This one I touched when he got close to the fence!
His name was Prince. They are so cool.

There were some HUGE crocodile. Yes I reached in through the fence and
when I touched it, it hissed at me!!! Who can say they touched a crocodile in Africa,
then had it hiss at you? It was worth risking my hand! What's sad, is they even don't lock the locks on these cages. Like, before you go in they tell you don't go inside the cages, lol. So I could have easily walked in with the crocs hahah.
The green stuff on the croc's back is just African moss! It's not like a fungus!

Look how close I am to these lions. DANG. I was so scared I can't lie. Literally just a fence between us 2 feet away. I could have easily reached out and had my finger bit off, and they were NOT happy with me it was so scary!!!

A Wild Bore

A small African deer (maybe a Kudo)

A big old African deer, a random turtle and a flamingo.

We had an AMAZING conference yesterday, the spirit was unbelievably strong. I would have put all that in my weekly email, but its already 4:30 here, and all the shops close at 6, so I have very limited time. The lock out on my computer wasted about 30 valuable minutes.

I am amazed how fast time is going, it is such a blessing. I've been having really bad stomach aches lately, like bad. For about 5 days now. And I had an opportunity to talk to president's wife about it yesterday, but didn't. But I am sure they will just go away, it is just a bug or something!

President and Sister Ellis, they are both 70! And they are just a couple who have been called all over the world because of his calling. So they lived in Idaho, then moved to Utah, then Brazil for 3 years, then Houston for 2 now Africa for 4!! They are going back home soon though, cause elder Ellis is going to be released! But it's just crazy, they love each other so much, and talk about each other so positively. You can just feel their love. There was a talk by Elder Russel M Nelson in 2003. Not sure what it is called, but it is about heart surgery. Long story short, a man came to Russel and asked him to do a heart surgery on him. They checked his heart, and it had a problem no one in the world knew how to fix. Russel told the man that he couldn't preform the surgery, that no one in the world knew how to. The man looked him in the eye and said "I have complete faith in the Lord, that he will show you how to fix it. Just please do the surgery. So Russel agreed and did. As he was cutting open the man, the nurse asked Russel, what are you gonna do? And he responded "I have no idea" Once the heart was in plain view, he just looked at it and prayed that he would know how to fix it. (He had prayed and fasted for weeks). Then Russel had a distinct picture pop into his mind of how to do the cuts, put the stitches, replace the valve, all that stuff. And he did, and the man survived, and lived for many, many more years. The whole point was the Lord knows heart surgery. Think about that. The Lord knows heart surgery. No one in the world knew how to fix that man's heart, except the Lord. And the Lord put the picture into Russel M Nelson's mind of how to fix it. This surgery actually became the best surgery for the whole world. And what Elder Ellis was trying to tell us, is that if the Lord knows how to fix a heart, that no one in the world knows how to fix, he sure knows exactly how to fix our problems.  He knows exactly how to deal with our insecurities and pains. He knows exactly what we should do, and where to go, and how to solve all our problems. So all we need to do is trust him, have complete faith, and pray!! I just love Christ so much. how can I not love him?  Love Elder Cazier

House For Rent, Toy Guns and a Quarantine!

What a week! There wasn't too much that went on, but some cool stuff!

We are expecting baptisms this Saturday and I am very excited! 

This is Gugulani. He is the investigator being baptized this Saturday! 

So this week we got a text from the Zone leaders, saying there was a quarantine, and that all missionaries are not allowed to eat any vegetables. Apparently there was an outbreak of something in Harare, typhoid I think, and so the office instructed us that no missionaries can eat vegetables. So it was a vegetable free week, which sucks, but we can't have vegetables until further notice! We will see what happens! But it's funny, cause I never thought I would say this, but I am basically a vegetarian here. The only time I eat meat is at members, which often they don't even give us! I eat sahdza every day!! It's quite good, and I like it with vegetables in it, but now we can't eat vegetables so I don't know what I will do!

I have found foods I like! I make really good eggs and all that stuff. I am getting known for my cooking, cause I cook "good" stuff a lot and the elders love it! I made pancakes today!

There was a baptism at our chapel, for some other missionaries, and so my companion and I had to fill the font and get it ready. Of course, there was no water. The only water was from a faucet outside, so with no hose and only a large trash bin, my companion and I spent two hours filling up the bin, carrying it into the font, and pouring it in. I am SORE today. I had instant calluses on my hands, and am now having bad back pain. But it's okay, cause the baba (father) was able to be baptized!

I am still getting bit by mosquitoes so dang bad, but its okay! They aren't blowing up like they used too! But they still itch like crazy!

It was actually legit "cold" in Bulawayo for 2 days. Cold enough to where everyone was in jerseys (sweatshirts). But after 2 days it was back to super hot lol.

The lesson at the police station was postponed because the head officer had an important call, so he had to leave, but this week we are going and scheduling another time to go! Not sure when, but we will for sure do it!

Sewage spilling out of the pipe. This is everywhere in our area. 

So there are no guns in Zimbabwe, cause they are so illegal, 

but all the kids toys look exactly like real guns. It's kind of scary. 

A 70 is coming to talk to us missionaries, so I can't email next Monday, but will I on Tuesday. Tuesday is our p-day next week! So we will see how things go as time moves on, bond notes are still an issue, but I am coping more and more. The mission is going so fast, it's crazy. I don't want to jinx it but I look back and I'm like WOW.  The Lord can help us through any trial we are going through, as long as we have faith.

Elder Cazier

Another Crazy Week!

Hey guys!!! This was a crazy week, so I will try to fit in every thing that I can! But I was not transferred, so I will be serving in Entumbane another 6 weeks with Elder Guajardo. Like half of our zone left, so did Elder Bollinger which was hard, but that is mission life so you find new people to hang with!

Cutting Bollinger's hair. It was week six, which means no one shaves, 

so as you can tell neither of us shaved haha 

Elder Bullinger and a really cool tree

So I have spent all day with Elder Gunther and Elder Sink, and they are sweet guys!!! We went to the Khami ruins, it was super cool but too expensive for a 5 minute thing. So we just took pics of where we were, and things like that! But it was really fun! We got to go out to the bush bush, where no one lives, legit Africa!! And it rained like crazy so it was quiet an experience!

The "Bush" Hike

Today's pics, featuring Elder Gunther and Elder Sink.

 And this is why we filter our water in Zim hahah. I have never seen a GREEN river like this.

And that is our water filter in a month, compared to a new one, yuck!!

 A crazy thing happened, we were given a referral to go see the head of police in Entumbane. So on Thursday me and my companion went and visited him at the police station. I wont lie, I was scared to death! Because he is pretty high up in the political ranks. We visited him, and long story short, we got a tour of the police station and are going back on Wednesday to give a 45 minute to an hour preach to all the police officers. I am scared as heck, but it will be an experience I will never forget!

Suffering in the elements in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission! Only In Zimbabwe my friends. 

I'm not scared of weeds anymore. 

The tadpoles are attacking the mango in the water.

The food is going better, I was almost given caterpillars but the members knew that I would freak out so they didn't. lol.  I ate the middle part of a bone which was soooo gross. It tasted ok but was slimy and just not good. The thought of eating was just gross mostly. Yuck!  We had a terrific Tuesday dinner in town, which is buy one get one free pizza!! Yes, there is pizza in Zimbabwe, but only one or so places and it's super expensive! There, the elders determined that my spirit animal is a kangaroo, cause apparently I am from Australia cause my skin is so dark!

One of the funniest things I learned about Zimbabwe, is that they call farts, puffs. So if you fart, they say "ah he puffed!!" I thought that was funny.

One thing about Zimbabwe, is the stars are sooooo beautiful. The sky is so clear at night, I can easily distinguish Orion's Belt and many others. I actually saw a legit shooting star and made a nice wish😉 The frogs here are insane. We've been getting a ton of rain, and all the tadpoles just turned to baby frogs, so it legit looks like the ground is moving with baby frogs. I will be honest, I have killed so many on accident, they just jump under your shoes when you step!

Me holding some of my Christmas Package 

 The only basketball court in Zim hahah. 

And this is mchlega. Yes he peed on me hahaha 

So this was my week, miss you guys like crazy!!