Stellenbosch Week 13

What up guys?  This week was pretty good, we did a couple fun service projects.  The first one was we moved these huge pieces of turf from a high school to our Stake President’s house, because their using the turf in their yard.  It was fun, but the turf was so heavy it took a fork lift to pick it off the ground and into the trailer and then 7 guys to lift it off the trailer and into the yard.  Then the second service project we did was we installed an irrigation system into this big back yard garden that is used by people with special needs.  It was actually a lot of fun and I learned a lot.  Some of the Elders, aka my comp Elder Haas don t really know how to do any manual labor, so it's kind of frustrating and funny at the same time.   

We had an exchange this week I got to be with Elder Cantrell.  He is awesome and he's definitely one of my favorite guys in the mission that I've met so far.  We were in Stellenbosch and we taught an awesome Plan of Salvation lessons to our friend Z.  There was a really powerful spirit during that lesson you could just feel it, those are my favorite lessons.  Then we went street contacting during the evening and something funny happened.  So, Stellenbosch is a college town and its Halloween time so there were parties in town and we were chilling in town, just taking a break, and these girls came up to us and one of them starting talking to us and long story short she asked us if we wanted to kiss and do other things lol.  It was hilarious, but I'm pretty sure they were drunk.  So, after that, we called it a day and walked home, hahaha.  I love being with Elder Cantrell he's a beast. 

 

Another funny story was we were teaching a lesson with some other elders after our service project in Hermanus. We were in a township just taking and some random drunk lady just walks in and sits down and starts talking to us.  It was so funny, but also kind of annoying.  But she left after like 10 minutes.  But she was saying some crazy stuff lol.  I think she was either a drunk or a prostitute, or both.   

We also got a call from our less active member Mark and he asked us if we could come to the hospital and pray with him for his fiancé.  So we were like yeah sure, but the hospital was a 40 min walk away which sucked, but we did it anyway.  And we get there and he was kind of freaking out (just anxious) for his fiancé.  But it was really cool because we talked with Mark forever and his testimony has grown so much.  It is really cool to see those who were so far off the path start to come back.   

It is funny because I didn't love reading back home, but since I've been on my mission I've loved reading, lol.  I just finished the first Saints book, and I'm pretty close to finishing Jesus the Christ.  Their awesome books and I've learned so much about the early church members and pioneers.  They sacrificed so much and had so much faith to be able to get through the trials they had to endure.  Makes you really appreciate all they did for us.  Also reading Jesus the Christ has been awesome as I have learned a lot about what our Savior really did when he was here, it is so cool.   

 

This P-day we hiked Table Mountain which was really fun and it was a lot better this time around, it sunny no clouds and nice and warm.  The first time I went it was cold and wet lol.  But I got some awesome pics but I was not able to download them yet, so I'll put them in my next email. 

 

One bad thing this week was when we went to get our bikes, which were locked up in a gated area inside our gated apartment building, and someone stole our back tires and my seat.  The other bikes there were fine, but both our back tires were taken and my seat. 

Spiritual thought: 

In our lesson we had with Z, we taught her the Plan of Salvation and it's so amazing to see the impact the Atonement has on people who didn't fully understand it.  The spirit that enters the room when you are explaining what the Savior did for us.  And you can see them feel the love that Christ has for them.  There's just nothing like it, it is just such a cool feeling.  The Atonement is the absolute most important thing.  It really is the greatest gift we can ever receive.  One of my favorite scriptures about the Atonement is Alme 7:11-13. 

 "11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. 

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me" 

Such powerful verses. 

I love and miss all you guys! Shap 

Elder Quick 

Mason.quick@missionary.org