Stellenbosch Week 12, End Of Transfer 2

This week was the end of my second transfer.  It feels like I’ve been here a lot longer though, lol.  We got transfer news a few days ago and both my comp and I are staying another transfer here in Stellenbosch.  Which I’m cool with but after this next transfer I’m hoping for change.  

Something cool we go to do this week was go play beach soccer with the young men in the ward.  And it was actually so much fun.  For a moment I was thinking to myself that I am literally playing soccer on the beach in South Africa at sunset.  It just funny because that's something I just didn't think would happen.  I just have moments every once in a while, where I’m just like I'm in Africa right now, still just a little weird to get your head around, lol.  

Some funny things that happened this week is after church this Sunday the other Elders and I were getting ready to leave for a lunch appointment when some car pulled up to the gate to the church and wanted us to let him in.  So Elder Haas goes over and tells him the password, but right as he told him the code, another Elder and I see he puts a gun out the window.  And at this point it's too late because the gate is opening.  My first thought was we're about to be held hostage at our own church.  Then he came over and started talking to us and turns out he's just a member from a ward in the Eastern Cape.  And we asked him why he has a gun and he said "Because it's South Africa".  So that was pretty funny.  Also, one night we saw a guy pull a knife out on a homeless guy, he didn't do anything but the homeless guy started freaking out.  He was like running around yelling in a random language.  Also, the same night we were walking back to the apartment, a drunk guy stopped us and asked us if we were secret government agents because of the way we were dressed, which I thought was funny.  

In terms of teaching, we are still teaching a lot here.  We teach a lot of university age kids.  A lot are interested so we usually teach them the first lesson and then just don't hear back again.  However, we have found some cool people this week that genuinely seem interested.  One guy actually found us, while we were street contacting a guy walked up to us and told us he wants to get coffee with us. We said of course but we obviously got hot chocolate.  We just talked to him for like an hour about life, he told us he wants to start a church in the next few years.  We asked him why he stopped us and asked us to get a drink with him.  And he said he felt like he needed to and that the spirit was telling him too.  Which was super cool so we taught him the restoration and about the Book of Mormon.  He was really interested and told us he wants to read it and pray about it.  So, I’m excited to see how that goes for him.  We also met some crazy Australian guy, who was telling us about all him crazy dreams he's had about God and Heaven.  Most of them seemed weird but he said he wants to read and pray about the Book of Mormon so that’s a dub. 

We have some pretty cool people we found this week that I’m hopeful will progress.  But still like 85% of our lessons are with bashers which I’m starting to just have a love hate relationship with because 1 it's annoying to have to always argue with people but 2 it's so much fun to just destroy them with the Bible and just seeing them speechless and get frustrated.  Which I guess isn't very Christlike of me for liking to beat them but at the same time I’m still trying to teach them.  It's just funny because sometimes I go in beforehand just knowing it's going to be a battle and it's like going in before a lacrosse game almost, I just want to win so badly ha-ha.  I think my competitiveness might get the best of me a little bit lol.   

This week got to try this food called “Trodders”.  They are cow’s feet and they are pretty gross to be honest.  Some still had a little bit of hair on them, lol.  

Spiritual Thought: I've been reading through 3 Nephi 11-28 in my personal study this week.  And it really is just one of the coolest couple chapters in the Book of Mormon.  And I watched the new Book of Mormon video on 3 Nephi 11, not going to lie it made me tear up a little bit.  Just the love that you can feel the Savior has for all of us just by reading these few chapters it's just amazing.  So, you should all go watch that video it's so good.   

Also, a Scripture I like 3 Nephi 18:24 

"Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed." 

I just love this verse because it tells us to be an example to the world of the Savior.  To let the light of the Savior shine through us.  To be an example to the world in what we do, how we treat others, and how we speak.   

I love and miss you all, shap 

-Elder Quick