September 15, 2014

This week was just an average one for Elder Carnieletto and I. It was actually pretty slow cause lots of appointments dropped. But that is ok, cause next week when I email Eldridge will have officially been baptized :) But we found a couple new investigators, and a few father led families here that should be really great to start teaching!

Last Monday was obviously super sweet. Petting lions and stuff! Awesome. And then the normal working week started Tuesday. Eldridge was working this week, so we didn't get to see him the usual Tuesday and Thursday, so already it was a slower week with 2 less appts. Wally dropped us on Tuesday. Told us we didn't ever have to come back cause he was still wanting his church.  But it was kinda cool, so this fast Sunday I fasted for quite a few things.....but in the list of reasons was that We would have some progressing investigators and the work would go well. So Wally dropped us, whatever. Later that night we sat with the Hendricksa family, who we had only taught the restoration and Joseph Smith to. We committed them last week to pray, and when we got there this week we could tell something was different. They told us that they felt they had received an answer to their prayers, through feelings of peace, that it was true and Joseph Smith was a true prophet! Sweet!! So we taught the BOM and committed them to pray about that! Were excited though! Slow mid week of appts, and then Friday I was with Elder Kivley on exchanges. He came to my area, so we visited a few of our investigators. Busi, and the big 5 (who accepted baptism but no date....still not really coming to church). It was a great day, and I learned a lot from Kivley. He's a great teacher, and he had some referrals for us to follow up on this week too! And it was funny, we were joking with the big 5 that we would help milk the cows.....and guess what. Saturday morning they called and we went and milked them! hahahaha.

Saturday we only had one real appt. it was with Simba, that guy I met at the grocery store. Well last week we gave him the restoration pamphlet, and he read it all and we discussed it with him! Lazola and Sihle came along, after we interrupted their date at KFC. Ha ha, we were walking past; and they waved us in, bought us ice cream, and then wanted to come fellowshipping! They are great people. Simba pretty much understood everything, even explained the Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthood (which never happens the 2nd appt)! He had questions about the Book of Mormon. What it was and he wanted one. He is really promising, the only problem is that he works on Sundays.....but that can be sorted.

Sunday was good as well. After church we had Eldridge's baptism interview, which he did great in and will be baptized this coming Sunday!! We are so happy for him! He's awesome. So he was at church, and also Busi (who is a girl and still doesn’t have a date for baptism yet) and Phelicia were there! After the interview we had a few appts. So Friday night we were at KFC and this guy waved me over and started talking to me, so long story short we visited him, introduced the message, and who knows we'll see! After that we had a referral from the other guys to follow up on. Apparently they met this guy wasted as can be on the road and he said he wanted missionaries to come....well we had nothing else to do so we went to see him. Father led family, and super nice people! Invited us right in and we shared a bit about what we do and stuff, and they were super interested! It was super cool! So we are seeing a few more father led families after this week, which is super cool even though so many appts dropped this week!

So this week will be the last normal week of the transfer.....cause week 6 Kupka is going to be with us in a tripanionship and Kivley will be in Cape Town! Elder Hlophe is going home early for school stuff, and he was zone leader in Cape Town. We thought it might happen, but this week President called and told Kivley that he's going zone leader and replacing him, so he's leaving next Monday! Then Kupka is going to train here but for the week in between he's going to be with us, so we will be covering both areas. It will be hectic for sure! Haha. But this upcoming week should be a good one! We have some good appts set, and we are shooting for baptizing Eldridge on Sunday!

Love,

Elder Truscott

9-8-14 This week was a great one here in Uitenhage

We went to Seaview Lion Park I got to pet a lion, a tiger, a cub puma, and a cub jaguar!
Pretty sweet!

I'm emailing a lot later than usual today...cause guess what I just did this morning!! We went to Seaview Lion Park I got to pet a lion, a tiger, a cub puma, and a cub jaguar! Pretty sweet! The cub leopard wasn’t available for me to pet unfortunately...it was up on a roof and they couldn’t take it down, but it was suuuper cool!! We phoned this morning to make sure that they are available, and then us, the Zone Leaders, and the Kwano Elders went down to pet some stuff! It was really cool. The lioness and the Tiger were pretty big, you will see in the pics, and the others were still pretty small...but it was super cool!

This week was a great one here in Uitenhage! One of the most powerful I've had I would say in terms of lessons. Besides the fact that it was FREAKING HOT! Apparently some hot air came through from some desert near here, and made it for a REALLY hot few days here. haha.
Last Monday we just chilled here, didn't do much of anything.....but it was kinda nice. Just an average P day.

Tuesday things picked up like they usually do, only this time we had most of our appointments hold! It was a great week in terms of appointments. So we saw Wally, then picked up Beast and saw a girl named Motlalepula,who missionaries had seen in the past but because of car problems stopped, cause she lives far away. So we finally were able to meet her and start sitting with her again.

Wednesday we took Lazola, Beasts older brother, out fellowshipping with us. We picked him up from work at 1 and then went out for our day of appointments. So it was kinda cool, on Monday we were shopping at the grocery store, and one of the workers just came up and started asking me about the church and what we do....so I got his name and phone number, and he told me he was off on Wednesday. So I gave him a call and we met at 2 that day. He's really cool, and asked great questions, and said there was a "void" at the church he's going to now. Lazola was great and the guy, who's name is Simba, was really interested. Then our next appointment was with the big 5, and we were talking about the plan of salvation, about our life on earth and where we go after. It was the most powerful lesson I've had with them. Lazola was awesome, answering questions and testifying, and I think they really felt it. It was sweet. The rest of the week we just had our scheduled appointments and taught lessons, or tried to visit and find people. It was good though.

Friday was Carnieletto's one year mark, so we ate out and he burned a shirt.

Church on Sunday was good and bad I suppose. We walked to church with the big 5, even though it was Christina and her daughter Bianca, Claudia, and Phelicia, so 3 of them came....and then we had Busi, Eldridge, and one of the members little sisters who's 10 and not baptized. So it was a good turnout I'd say. Bad part, was that Sihle, Lazolas wife, told us that Lazola got a job out of Uitenhage and that they are leaving this week....so that suuper sucks. But it's good for them so I guess I can't be too angry, except that there's no church where they're going, so he'll have to start a group or something. But it will work out. They are such awesome people. Eldridge is still shooting for the 21st of this month, so it's coming up soon! Just a few weeks, and I think he's really exciting and doing the right things. We're really happy for him! Busi is coming along good too. I would say she's ready for a baptism date, but we just want her mom to be involved more....but we might just go ahead and progress her... We'll see.

We found a few new investigators to see this week, so it's always good to keep building on our pool. We found that Simba guy, Motlalepula, and a lady named Luche who all sat with us this week and want to learn more! So we're happy. Next week should be good as well....besides Lazola and Sihle are moving, so we are going to try and do something nice for them.....but we have a good amount of appointments set up and it'll be a good one.
I miss you guys!
Love
Elder Truscott

September 1, 2014

Zone Conference with Carl B. Cook, First Quorum of the Seventy

The Frans family with the Uintenhage Elders

Sunday night all four of us missionaries went and cooked for the big 5 family :) 

For me it was another week down here in Uitenhage! It was a decent one actually, no complaints.

Last Monday we just did average p day stuff. Shopping, got ready, and went to an FHE. The FHE was with the Tschikila family. They moved to Joburg this week, so we went on Monday as one last FHE with them. It was nice, and the father, Bro. Xhanti, is a super powerful guy.

Tuesday we had a good amount of lessons and they mostly held! We taught five lessons, and had time to get the car window fixed cause we had Zone Conference on Wednesday!

The window actually turned out not to matter though.....cause we came outside Wednesday morning to go to conference and the tire was flat. Ha ha. And since we don't have the tools to repair it, we called the zone leaders and we rode with them into PE. The Zone Conference was nice though. Carl B. Cook, who is in the First Quorum of the Seventy came and gave us a training, plus President Merrill did as well I liked them both.....just training after training. But it was good to see other Elders.

The rest of the week we just taught and tried to find more people. Made visits and stuff, and we actually did get a few people from old progress records that we sat with or that we made more appointments with, so fingers crossed that it goes well with those!

Sunday was a good day as well. Church was nice, But we didn't have too many investigators there. Eldridge was there (which was good cause on Thursday we taught him about temples and family history work cause he had questions on it) and then Busi came as well. None of the big 5 were there....I'm worried about their sincerity and stuff. Cause they are still young. Sunday after church we had a super nice lunch at the Tschibo home, and then we had a powerful lesson with a guy named Siya. He is one of the ones on the old progress records. We sat with him and his cousin, and they were really interested, and were asking great questions. It was awesome! The cousin stays in Kwano, and said he even wants missionaries to visit him there to teach him more! So that was super cool, it's always nice to have a powerful lesson. But on Sunday night all four of us missionaries went and cooked for the big 5 family :) It started when the one lady cooked chicken feet for us, we said that we'd return the favor and cook for them too, so we cooked them pasta and a sauce with chicken and stuff.

It was nice actually, and it was lots of fun :) a nice way to end the week. Ha ha. But that's about it for last week. Hopefully the appointments hold this week, cause we have a few days with a good amount!

Love,

Elder Truscott

August 25, 2014

 Elder Beckstead and Elder Ellingson came up here to PE for transfer day

This week was Segrie September's Birthday, so we baked her a cake this week 

This week was a weird one for me....ha ha, I don't really know why but for some reason it was just weird. Ha ha, transfer week, but it didn't seem like it cause nobody here changed. And if you were excited for Eldridge's baptism this Sunday, you will be just as disappointed as we were.

Tuesday was a weird day for us for sure. Disappointing and weird at the beginning. We had a few appointments, and we had one with Eldridge. So we show up, excited to see him and keep getting him ready for his baptismal date, and when we get there he is acting suuper weird. He takes us in, and is high as a kite talking to us. Like he was falling asleep in the middle of speaking, and then his jaw was going crazy, it was crazy. He kept saying how tired he was, so we told him we'd come back later.....we did, still the same. So we saw him again later on in the week, and sat down with him and just let him know that we are here for him and that he can still get on that right track. He was super grateful, and still wants to be part of the church so bad. He came yesterday to church so he is still determined, and we are happy about that!

Tuesday night was fun though. Elder Beckstead and Elder Ellingson came up here to PE for transfer day, cause they were picking up someone Wednesday, so Tuesday they were with the zone leaders here! After our appointments we went and got milkshakes with everyone, and then went back to the zone leaders boarding to chill for a while with them! It was awesome to see Ellingson and Beckstead though!

Wednesday was transfer day, but we just did normal work through the week! So we had some appointments, and of course some dropped ones. BUT, the one thing that was pretty cool to me, so we've been getting tired of dropped appts and stuff, and we've been wanting to find new people to teach, so we started going through the teaching records of people who missionaries used to visit. Well we pulled out a few names, and so far every one we've visited has let us in and made return appointments with us! Which I think is pretty cool.

So this week we focused a bit on finding new people, and got 7 new investigators! Hopefully they all progress, that's a worthy dream, but we will see! Church yesterday was good too. We had just 4 investigators there, we thought there would be more, but 4 isn't bad. Eldridge came, a guy named Neal, Busi, and then one of those girls, Phelicia. The whole family of those girls were supposed to come....not sure why they didn't, but next week they say, so we'll see.

Ya it was an odd week. Don't know why.....but hopefully this next week will be better. We've got zone conference in PE on Wednesday, so that's something to look forward to, and we've got some good appointments lined up!

I miss you like crazy, and for some reason it feels like a long time since last week! Pdays are few and far between I suppose ;) haha.

I love you guys so muchI

Love and miss you :)

Elder Truscott

I got to pet some cheetahs this morning! August 18, 2014

Elder Carnieletto (back)

Elder Kivley, Elder Van Zyl, Elder Ndlouvu, Elder Kupka, Elder Truscott

Mormon helping hands project

How are you doing this morning!? I am emailing a bit late....but you will be super jealous, cause I got to pet some cheetahs this morning! There is a cheetah park near Uitenhage, and the others had been, but I wanted to go and they said they'd go again to see if they got better pics this time, so we got to go! It was pretty awesome!! They have Cheetahs, leopards, lions, and other smaller cats I can’t remember. The leopard would come up and pace up and down the fence, and you could reach through and touch it, and if you put your hand up flat he would reach through and lick it. so I have been licked by a leopard :) Hahaha, it was super fun! And then after the tour of the place we got to go in with the cheetahs and pet them! It was super cool.

But as for this week......This week was a good one I suppose. This transfer went by pretty quickly, and the AP's just emailed us the transfer news.....so I know that Carnieletto and I are staying together for another transfer! We are all staying the same here in Uitenhage!

Last Monday we were going to play some soccer, but things fell through cause others couldn't/didn't want to come, so we ended up calling 2 other missionaries and chilled with them all day....

Tuesdays are almost always our busy day it seems.....but this week we just had a few appointments, only one dropped, which was good, and then we made some visits and stuff. Pretty much did the appointments and visits the rest of the week....

Thursday night we started exchanges. This time I was with Elder Kupka working in my area, and most things dropped.....this week was kinda slow with lots dropping. But it was a nice day cause I really like Kupka. He's super funny. And Friday I got your package with my new  pants and shirt :)

Saturday was the Mormon helping hands project, which Is like last year when the ward does something to help the community or whatever. So we went and painted the old train station museum here in Uitenhage. It was actually a good time, and an alright amount of people came so it was good.

Church on Sunday was good. Brother Palmer gave a talk and he's a character. Tells us how he lives the law of chastity and only kisses his wife, then says how he kisses her in the morning and kisses her at lunch and kisses her at night, haha. He's funny.  We had a good turn out though! Eldridge was there and is still powering forward for his baptism this month! Super exciting for him!! And then we had a members friend, whose name is Busi, she came to church as well, and then those girls that came a few weeks ago, their names are Claudia, Nadia, Phelicia, and Valentine, and then the guy that stays there is named Sylvester, and then there's older sisters that don't join us. Well on exchanges we talked with one older sister and she said she'd come, and she did! Claudia, Nadia, Phelicia, and the older sister came! It was nice, but I hope they enjoyed it....I wasn't really getting that vibe from them since they were  chomping at the bit to leave after 2nd hour, but who knows! They are super cool though, and are progressing really good. We also met up this week with another investigator that we've been looking for all transfer. Apparently she used to come to church all the time and then went on holiday, so Carnieletto didn't know where she stayed.....but we got her address through a member and should start teaching her now , which will be good. I want to focus on finding more people this next transfer, cause I'm super bummed with all the dropped appointments. Hopefully this coming transfer will be a good one!

I love and miss you tons :)

Love,  Elder Truscott

August 11, 2014

Elders in Uintenhage having dinner with Mamma Hilda

Well this week was actually a really good one!

Last Monday I had another "first" here in South Africa....ha ha ha. So the one thing that I  have been avoiding like the plague to eat is tripe...which is the intestines of an animal, and they have like ox or sheep tripe that they make here. Well ya, its pretty nasty to think that you are eating what is used to make crap....but last Monday at the Frans FHE that is what they prepared for us! I was super hesitant...pretty much ate everything around the tripe before the  tripe itself, and they were laughing, cause we were pretty much all doing the same thing and in the same boat.....but then with pressure I ate all the tripe...it is pretty weird. It's kind of like a hairy texture...which is pretty gross honestly. That is the worst part.....but no major sickness happened so I must be fine ;) ha ha.

Tuesday was actually a really really good day for Elder Carnieletto  and I. We had a few appointments, and they ALL held! Not only did all of them hold, they were pretty good ones too. We started the day by visiting a brother Wally. He's an investigator who has had a stroke and isn't in great condition. He's a referral from his friend, Bro.  Freddy.  Well we only usually spend about 30 min. There cause we take it slow and then leave. So on Tuesday we were there in the morning, and we were asking how his prayers have been to find out if the church was  true. He told us that he prayed and received his answer! Well we had been telling him not to focus on getting a dream, but rather through thoughts and feelings, and every time he was thinking he'd get a dream....well apparently he got one! He said in his dream that a voice told him that these things were true, and to beware of false prophets.  He took that as an answer to his prayers and said the church was true!  But then we start teaching the plan of salvation, and up pulled Bro. Freddy to join and he had no idea we were there! It was great.  Then we saw Eldridge, who is super progressing towards his baptism date on the 31st and were super excited for him!  After that we had a few other appts and they were all nice. So this Tuesday was muuuuuch better than last week.

The slowness had to catch up to us though....cause Wednesday only one  appt held, so we found some less actives to visit that day, and then  just went on for appts Thursday.

Saturdays are always a bit slow, but we had an appt that held in the morning and then went out to set appts and make some visits before church. Ha ha, this is just a funny thing that happens often here .....

But we went to see an investigator and set an appt, she wasn't home,  but her mom was there drunk. She was all dressed up for a funeral and was dancing hard core when we walked up. Hahahaha, she was just  dancing and trying to tell us how great God had been to her. So we left. Haha. You always get some funny people around township on the weekend.

Sunday we had church as usual, and we had Eldridge there, and two investigators named Valentine and Phelicia. They are 2 from that family of girls that just walked in the other week. The others couldn't make it I guess, but they are all really progressing!! We have high hopes for them, and the one guy who stays at that house, Sylvester. He is hit and miss cause his mom is sick so he visits her at the hospital a lot, but he's super cool and enjoys our visits and reads, so we are hoping the best for him too! Our most progressing is Eldridge here for sure. He's a champ.  Super preparing for baptism and still doesn't smoke and drink and stuff, so we're really happy! The 31st is the day for him as it sits and he wants it really badly.

This is the last week of the transfer, it's gone by pretty quickly!! I love and miss you guys. This week I have been missing you a lot....

 Love, Elder Truscott

August 4, 2014

The highlight of my week was that all 4 of us in the District  got matching ties to wear to church.

Well this week was monumentally slow. Ha ha. Like I don't even know what to say about it besides that it sucked! One good thing did happen though....I got the package that you sent me with the taffy and stuff  :) thank you! Ha ha, haven't had such clean G's in a year ;) thanks!

 Last Monday we just hung out around Uitenhage. Didn't do anything  really.....so that started the boring week. ;) ha ha. And then this morning we were suuuuper disappointed cause of the lion park not having cubs ready...

Then Tuesday through Sunday the story was the same.....dropped appointments. Like Tuesday we had it set up to be an awesome day, like 6 appointments! And......the first one held with Bro. Wally, and the last one held.  It pretty much went like that all week.

Friday I was on exchanges with Elder Kivley. We went to his area. We had district meeting that morning, and we pretty much all spent the day together, besides when we were teaching the one lesson we taught that day.  The highlight of my week was that all 4 of us in the District  got matching ties to wear to church. We were in a shop called Markham and Elder Kivley saw these ties that were patterned like outer space, so he was laughing and said district space ties! They had 4, so we all got one and wore them to church!

 Eldridge wasn't at church, and after he wasn't home so we don't know why, but this week we extended the baptism date of Aug. 31st to him!  So we are hoping he is still doing good and we have an appointment with him Tuesday!

 Then those 3 girls that just randomly came to church last week , well we've been sitting with them and we met a guy who stays in the house named Sylvester, who was interested, and one other girl who came to church with the original 3! We don't know what happened to Sylvester, he said he was going to come too, but nobody saw him Sunday morning so they didn't know!

 Ha ha ha, so this was frustrating/funny. We were visiting a family, the Jacobs. And it was mostly just an older lady who we were talking to. There was just a death in the family, so we got them as a referral from their friend who we're also sitting with. Well the appointment earlier this week dropped cause Mrs. Jacobs wasn't feeling well. So we go back on Saturday I think it was, and we drive past to park and Carnieletto and I look in the house cause the door is open,  and she's sitting right there on the couch.  And she looked out and saw us. Then we park and walk up the house and guess what.....nobody home. Ha ha. She got up and went into her room in the back and never came to the door!  Sucked to be us ;) ha ha. So we don't think she's too interested. ;)

 It was a pretty slow week though! Just like last week, we have a good amount of appts. The beginning of this week, and hopefully since it's not month end or beginning of the month they will be home and hold!

Thanks for the package. I love and miss everyone like crazy!

Love, Elder Truscott