POLOKWANE – It is not easy to be away from your family and friends, especially when you move to a foreign country.
But this is not an issue for elder, Johnny Togiatomai and elder, Daniel Henderson from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as they spread the word of God wherever they go.
Twenty-year-old Johnny from New Zealand arrived to South Africa in January 2014, but only came to Polokwane about three weeks ago.
“I started in Kempton Park and then moved on to Krugersdorp. Then it was Alexandria, Vereniging and now Polokwane. I love the diversity of the country. The different people and different languages,” he says.
For Daniel (20) from England, who has been in the country since November 2013, the fact that South Africans still have faith is amazing.
“It is so nice, you walk up to them and ask them do they believe and they say yes. I love that people know Jesus Christ. Everyone is so friendly and love to talk. They are humble and they are willing to listen to our message,” he says.
Daniel says he had to graduate from high school before going out to be a missionary.
“To be a missionary you have to be a member of the church. There is a training centre where we get training for two weeks. They teach us the essentials. Every morning we take two hours where we study the Bible.
“Then we leave and go spread the gospel. On Sundays we have a service for three hours and on Mondays we are off to do washing, shopping and just have fun,” says Daniel.
When Johnny goes back to New Zealand in January he is going to play rugby and study psychology. Daniel already has work at an accounting firm in England.
“We leave our families for two years so that other people can be with theirs forever.”
