Well with transfers last week a couple of new things happened...Elder Turner and i knew that transfers were coming up this past week so we did a lot of saying goodbye to some members...had some great dinner appointments and just did all the last minute things we needed to do. Tuesday night late we got the phone call saying that Turner would be leaving and i'd get my new comp...Thursday was transfer day...we went out to meet my new comp who was driving 8 hours or so to get to East London...so I'm still in the same area, but Elder Turner left me to go to Mthatha...Elder Cooney is now my new companion. He's from Seattle, Washington. He's a ball of energy i'll tell ya what...haha. He's only been out for about 6 months and has only just left his greenie area to be with me. He has been in another place, George, for the past 6 months. It's almost like if you've seen "The Best Two Years" and if you know how excited some new missionaries can be...that's kinda what it's like. It makes for an interesting situation sometimes, but he's a good kid. We're a bit different...but i'm sure we'll get along...
So i've been just showing him around the area...showing him to the new members. That sort of stuff. I felt bad for the kid yesterday at church becuase everybody was giving him junk because he's a pretty small kid and looks like he should still be in high school...everybody was like "young mens is over there" or "Dude are you training!" thinkin he's green...a bunch of other stuff. It's just funny tho. I think he laughed it off so it's no worries. I told him not to worry about it too much...
As for things that have happened during the week...O and other good news. Elder Gouws, if you remember when i was in the 3some in Bellville in Cape Town...i was with Elder Gouws and Lotulelei...well Gouws has been in CT since that time and is now just gone ZL here in East London and is in my District so it's pretty sweet that i get to see that guy again. He's my skate bud...There were some other changes that happened through the zone but nothing too hectic...Elder Schamel was in EL last transfer and i saw him lots...but he's now gone to another place...i'm sure i'll see him again tho.
We've been teaching lots and working hard...got like 5 or 6 father led families that we're teaching...now just gotta get them to church which is always the most difficult thing to do. A new focus is going to be working in Gonubie and even with the ward...they want to do some service projects up in that area...so we've been asked to put a lot of emphasis on going up there...apparently there are some bad rumors about the church spreading through that area...idunno exactly...but yeah Bro Flowerday has told us to focus up there for the next little while.
Other than that things are going just fine...there's relaly not too much going on i'd say...we had a nice DA last night with the Van Tonder family. They gave us some good homemade mac and cheese and they have such cute kids. Four of them...all blonde haired blue eyed. Way cute. But we got talking about conspiracies and a lot of random other stuff at the dinner table...it was pretty interesting...i love converstaions like that. Gets me thinking. Well that's all i have to report...short i know but hope it's alright...
Much Love,Elder Devenney
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Jan 11, 2010
So we wake up this morning to a dark and gloomy rainy day...in multiple ways. My comp goes to the bathroom and while he's in there he looks around and notices that my toiletry bag is missing...with all my stuff in there...so he just thinks that i must have moved it. (I'm still in bed at this point) and then he runs to our study area and all i hear is "dude wake up! we've been robbed!" so i get up and to my luck my skateboard was still on the wall...:) I go to the study and we find both our bags missing. My shoulder bag with books in it, and his little carry on bag with personal things inside of it, his mp3 player mission, and a few other things. Including some stuff from the bathroom...Well last night it was soo freakin hot we slept with the window open...which just happened to be the only window on it without burgler bars...(almost all windows have burler bars on them cuz it's SA...) Well that window is pretty dang high up...so there was two of them. We looked by the window and found finger prints and even on the outside walls. One helped the other up and they got in, walked around, went by our beds into the bathroom, grabbed stuff, chucked it out the window and what what...all while we were sleeping. And this is what we woke up to this morning. Luckily we ran down the street to where some bushes are and just happened to find papers and things lying around, of which they took our stuff there and dumped everything out looking for valuables, and left the things which they didnt want. So we got some stuff back. They left my PMG, my black binder with all my notes from beginning of mission, they left Turner's personal papers from home, his planners, and a couple other things. The stuff that was taken tho was his mp3 player, a watch, our bags, luckily my new razor that i just bought was on the sink and not in my bag...but they got my old razor, all my lotions, and everything else...and my shoulder bag. Luckily we really didnt have too much of value so we got lucky. They could have easily taken other things on the desk but i guess they didnt have time...So yeah that's what happened last night.
But of course we were watched over last night...and nothing happened to us...fast asleep...
So as for the rest of the week...it was quite good. We had workshops in which i was able to see Elder Fragar again and they gave a great workshop on using members effectively. That was really something we needed. Got to have the usual interview with President Probst just about the area and what what. Things are good. Turner and i are doing just fine.
Now that the holidays are over we've finally been able to see more of our investigators and have been blessed finding some new ones too. Even father led families. Including one white family! Yo...this is a miracle. They are Catholic but found out some bad things about their church and haven't been going for the past 2 months. We hopefully caught them the right time as they are very nice and willing to listen. If we were to teach them...(family of parents and three kids...24, 18, and 11) then this would be...i think...the first white family that i've taught my entire mission. It's kinda a rare thing...But we'll see what happens. Other than that...Just been busy. We're teaching another father led...Betty and Elijah...she's from Zimbabwe and he's from SA i think. We have a problem with getting them to the church as it's like a 20 minute drive to the chapel and they dont have a car and taxi is expensive...but they're probably the next up for baptism we would think...maybe sometime next month if all goes well.
Yeah there's not too much else to report on. It's been a good week...it's been super hot lately but this is the first day that it's rained which is nice...although it sucks it has to be on a pday...o well. K well much love!
Elder Devenney
But of course we were watched over last night...and nothing happened to us...fast asleep...
So as for the rest of the week...it was quite good. We had workshops in which i was able to see Elder Fragar again and they gave a great workshop on using members effectively. That was really something we needed. Got to have the usual interview with President Probst just about the area and what what. Things are good. Turner and i are doing just fine.
Now that the holidays are over we've finally been able to see more of our investigators and have been blessed finding some new ones too. Even father led families. Including one white family! Yo...this is a miracle. They are Catholic but found out some bad things about their church and haven't been going for the past 2 months. We hopefully caught them the right time as they are very nice and willing to listen. If we were to teach them...(family of parents and three kids...24, 18, and 11) then this would be...i think...the first white family that i've taught my entire mission. It's kinda a rare thing...But we'll see what happens. Other than that...Just been busy. We're teaching another father led...Betty and Elijah...she's from Zimbabwe and he's from SA i think. We have a problem with getting them to the church as it's like a 20 minute drive to the chapel and they dont have a car and taxi is expensive...but they're probably the next up for baptism we would think...maybe sometime next month if all goes well.
Yeah there's not too much else to report on. It's been a good week...it's been super hot lately but this is the first day that it's rained which is nice...although it sucks it has to be on a pday...o well. K well much love!
Elder Devenney
Monday, January 4, 2010
Jan 4, 2010
So the week went and has been just a little bit better than the previous week. We've been on the hunt for some new investigators and have been going through to find some new ones...and we have had some success this past week that will also flow into this week. We're starting to organize more fellowshippers to come with us...as people in this area have actual lives it's hard to get even the young men to come out with us for the day. Back in township...ysa and ym and what not would come with us all day no problem, 5 days a week or more, and they wouldnt be tired of it. But here it's a different story...So we've had to work around that.
We taught this great guy Kabika from Zambia. Pres. Probst was telling us to teach everybody during this holiday season...even if they're just here for a couple of weeks. So that's what we did. Found this guy from Zambia that was staying in his sisters house for the Christmas season and we just started teaching him. We met him 3 times in the past 2 weeks and had a great First lesson with him just a few days ago. He was stoked about the BOM and everything that we talked about. He unfortunately never came to the church as things came up...but we'll be passing his name on to the elders in Zambia i'm sure. The seed was planted...
The members are still taking great care of us...feeding us and always offering anything they can do for us. We've been working on a ward garden for each family...i might have told you...it's about the size of a doorframe and each family in the ward is encouraged to have a veggie garden that size, and we've kinda been getting it going. Starting them up for the families and diggin and what not. It's been good. Our ward mission leader Bro Flowerday is awesome, we worked his garden and got fed and what not. As well as other families. Bro Flowerday is an awesome guy. They lived in England for a while...he's freakin loaded...they almost bought this castle house but didnt, they have 3 kids, one about to go on mission, he's a previous bishop, he's freakin smart and is a professor in charge of universities around here...anyway...yeah they take good care of us and invite us over all the time...
Anyway...new years eve we were told not to work very late...only til about 5pm or so. So then we hooked up with some other elders...went to the CES building and played some ping pong till the end of the night. That was pretty fun. New years day we were told not to go out and work at all...(mostly cuz all the parties and drunk people that would be out etc) and so our zone and some other elders from the mdantsane zone came to our chapel and we just played sport for a while. Played some volleyball...soccer...i skated a bit...then when it got dark we played mafia which was awesome. O and for lunch just my comp and i were invited to a braai with the Dixon fam, as well as the Flowerdays were there...it was soo dang good. but then we went to the chapel for sport.That kinda concluded our new years...then it was back to work the following day.
Uh...yeah just in summary...things are going fine. Most of our investigators are back in town and we should be back to the normal teaching schedule and everything with them...it's been a bit tough with the holiday season. So yeah that's kinda it...Hope that's good...Thanks!
Elder Devenney
We taught this great guy Kabika from Zambia. Pres. Probst was telling us to teach everybody during this holiday season...even if they're just here for a couple of weeks. So that's what we did. Found this guy from Zambia that was staying in his sisters house for the Christmas season and we just started teaching him. We met him 3 times in the past 2 weeks and had a great First lesson with him just a few days ago. He was stoked about the BOM and everything that we talked about. He unfortunately never came to the church as things came up...but we'll be passing his name on to the elders in Zambia i'm sure. The seed was planted...
The members are still taking great care of us...feeding us and always offering anything they can do for us. We've been working on a ward garden for each family...i might have told you...it's about the size of a doorframe and each family in the ward is encouraged to have a veggie garden that size, and we've kinda been getting it going. Starting them up for the families and diggin and what not. It's been good. Our ward mission leader Bro Flowerday is awesome, we worked his garden and got fed and what not. As well as other families. Bro Flowerday is an awesome guy. They lived in England for a while...he's freakin loaded...they almost bought this castle house but didnt, they have 3 kids, one about to go on mission, he's a previous bishop, he's freakin smart and is a professor in charge of universities around here...anyway...yeah they take good care of us and invite us over all the time...
Anyway...new years eve we were told not to work very late...only til about 5pm or so. So then we hooked up with some other elders...went to the CES building and played some ping pong till the end of the night. That was pretty fun. New years day we were told not to go out and work at all...(mostly cuz all the parties and drunk people that would be out etc) and so our zone and some other elders from the mdantsane zone came to our chapel and we just played sport for a while. Played some volleyball...soccer...i skated a bit...then when it got dark we played mafia which was awesome. O and for lunch just my comp and i were invited to a braai with the Dixon fam, as well as the Flowerdays were there...it was soo dang good. but then we went to the chapel for sport.That kinda concluded our new years...then it was back to work the following day.
Uh...yeah just in summary...things are going fine. Most of our investigators are back in town and we should be back to the normal teaching schedule and everything with them...it's been a bit tough with the holiday season. So yeah that's kinda it...Hope that's good...Thanks!
Elder Devenney
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