Got A GOOD Zimbabwe Haircut!

Week six is over now, and transfers are through. We got transfer news on Saturday and I am staying in Kadoma, but my companion Elder Mayette is leaving to Bindura and Elder Barrus is going to Harare. I am now in a tri-panionship with Elder Parco and Elder Richardson.  Elder Parco was the comp of Elder Barrus so I already know him really well. Elder Richardson is from the States as well. They combined my area with Elder Parco's area. So our area is huge, and comprises of town, Rimuka, Westview, Mornington, Cotton Research, and Pixie Combie. There was an odd number of missionaries in the mission, so I'm the lucky one who gets to be in a trio! I wasn't too excited at all, but I think it will be good! I'm not sure, we will have to wait and see, and I will report next week how it is going! I was nervous, but after watching conference and doing a self evaluation, I think I will be okay, but still have mixed feelings! We will see. It should be fun, and I am sure I will really enjoy!

Goodbye Elder Barrus and Mayett!! 

 Zone pictures! Can you tell I was way on my tippy toes?

Not sure if I've talked about this in one of my emails before, but there's this thing here called African Time. I thought people back home had a problem with arriving on time, but here is MUCH worse. Church starts at 10:30, and our branch president normally rolls into the parking lot at around 10:35 or 10:40. So for example, on Saturday we had General Conference showing. The first session started at 9 in the morning. Us missionaries got there before 9 and waited. And waited. And waited. We had one family show up on time at 9, but no one else did. Finally, the branch president arrives at around 12:30. By the time they got it all set up, Conference started at 1:00. Us missionaries were so frustrated, but that is African Time for you. Apparently it's an issue all over Africa! I've dealt with it my whole mission. If you schedule a baptism for 10 in the morning, expect it to start at 12. So then after conference on Saturday, we made it very clear to everyone that Sunday's is starting at 9, to be there on time. We had one faithful member show up on time and start the conference right at 9, but it was literally just us 4 missionaries and the member there to watch it. And around when conference was half over, people started rolling in. It's super frustrating, but something we have to deal with!!

 Got myself a hair cut, its not too bad for Zimbabwe!!

(**I wrote to Cayden, telling him how glad I am that he tells me everything. I am the type of mom that needs to know it all.  It takes a lot to get me worried. :)

The missionaries here are amazed that I am so open about things that are happening. Like with the break in, the other elders like didn't even tell their parents, cause they didn't want to make it a big deal or scare their family. I just am honest cause I feel much better when I know everything going on at home, so I think by telling you everything going on in Zimbabwe it is much better! Elder Barrus said to me today "Man, my mom is getting mad cause she is seeing how much you send pictures home, and that I only send like 4 a week. Your gonna make me send way more!" I thought that was funny.

About the robbery, they are going to try to install burglar bars on our windows, and just told us to make sure our doors are locked! They said that whoever stole wont be back anytime soon, so we shouldn't have to worry about it! I still am scared though, that I will come home one of these days and have my suitcase opened with everything taken. But I know it will be okay and all will work out! I don't think they will do anything about the issue, they will just label it as a rare occurrence. 

(**Several months ago I sent Cayden cash disguised as bookmarks. I took pictures of Christ and hid $20 bills in between two of them, then laminated them. I knew if anyone intercepted his package they wouldn't take them and in a robbery they would go untouched. I asked him if he had already spent his hidden cash or if it had been stolen**Amy) I haven't touched my book mark money cause I want to preserve it for emergency buys lol. You know me, I just stash things. There are still a pair of pants I haven't worn yet hahah. So I still have all my personal cash left! 

My showers are freezing!! The hot water broke, but a guy is coming to fix it tomorrow I think! But my showers are always freezing, and I know a lot of houses have no hot water! I still don't sleep with a pillow. Everyone asks why I don't sleep with one, I just say I don't know! And I only sleep with a bed sheet. I don't like using the blankets at the mission houses cause they are never washed and some missionaries are just gross hahah.

I'm a dumby, taking cruddy bed selfies hahahha.

KADOMA STEAM CENTRE
(Taken From the Zimbabwe Field Guide)
The Kadoma Steam Centre is rather a grand name for a fenced off area between the Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre and the A5 National Road on the Harare side of Kadoma.
Established by the Rev. E.D. Hamer with the support of the National Railways of Zimbabwe and the Kadoma City Council, the Kadoma Steam Centre was an steam locomotive enthusiast’s dream and contains three steam locomotives:

1. A 2 ft. 0 inch gauge Class 0-4-2T from the Selukwe Peak Light Railway No.3 called Ivy.

2. A 3 ft. 6 inch gauge 14th Class Beyer Garratt (No. 233, later 500) 2-6-2+2-6-2 

3. A 3 ft. 6 inch gauge 15th Class Beyer Garratt (No. 271, later 350) 4-6-4+4-6-4 in her blue livery as     a 1947 Royal train. 

4. An early wooden balconied 3rd class passenger saloon in very dilapidated state is attached to the         14th Class Beyer Garratt and there is also a Ruston and Hornsby portable engine.

Found trains just as promised mom!!!

We each have our own cupboard but I just leave all my stuff organized on the top of the table. Most guys stick their stuff in a pile in the cupboards, but I organize my stuff! 

We have a bad roach problem!! Like I find them everywhere, it sucks!! But I have found that if we clean up our messes and do the dishes and don't have dirty garbage, the number of them decreases rapidly! But even with a clean house, we have a roach problem!  

A HUGE spider outside our house, it's so big you can see the stripes of yellow around its back. Bigger then any spider I saw in states!

Just being here in Zim, I have felt like "wow the world is such a different place, I wonder what it is like other places as well!" My whole life I was always wondering what Africa is like, well now I know! So now I want to see what other places are like, and how the world is and all that good stuff! I want to go see all the amazing things, and see all of God's creations! It sounds so fun! I found a magazine in Harare about "Places to travel in 2017" And I read the whole magazine, twice.  It just really made me want to see the world and go everywhere! I want to say, yup I've been there, it's so cool!!  I want to see all of the states too! To say I've been to every state, and have seen it all!! Sounds so cool. 

We can't force the spirit. I have been trying lately to try to feel the spirit so hard, but it doesn't work that way!! It's all about living in the moment, and being happy with what we have now! It's really hard, but with trying it can be okay!! 

Other then that, not much to talk about this week. I'm sad about Elder Barrus leaving, but that is mission. I would also like to encourage everyone to listen to or read the talk by Elder Ballard on Saturday evening session. Even if you aren't Mormon, it's a very good talk on setting goals and planning, and helped me out greatly! You can find it HERE.  

Have an awesome week, Elder Cazier